It’s phablet season. A day before Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 announcement, Huawei has eclipsed the rumored 5.7-inch device with the Honor Note 8 — a 6.6-inch gargantuan offering that is a direct response to Xiaomi’s Mi Max. Here’s everything you need to know.
Specs and OS
The Honor Note 7 is powered by the Kirin 955 processor, which is made by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon. It’s the same processor that powers Huawei’s recent flagship offering, but unlike the P9, Huawei is offering 4GB of RAM. That can be helpful when you’re trying to multitask on such a large screen. You’ll be able to choose between 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of internal storage, and the dual-SIM phone also supports a MicroSD slot that lets you upgrade your storage with an additional 128GB.
The 6.6-inch display features a Quad HD resolution, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, and the device has a much-needed 4,500mAh battery to keep the screen running for a while. You’ll find a USB Type-C port on the bottom of the device, which means faster charging and data transfer.
Like most smartphones these days, the Note 8 has a fingerprint sensor, a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical-image stabilization, and an 8-megapixel selfie camera that houses an 85-degree wide-angle lens.
The Note 8 runs Google’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but you’ll find it heavily layered with EMUI 4.1, the company’s user-interface overlay that’s highly reminiscent of iOS.
Design
Huawei’s phablet maintains a similar metal aesthetic as its other smartphones, but the silver variant carries a striking resemblance to Google’s Nexus 6P — mostly due to the rear black glass covering the camera. Apart from that, the phone actually looks quite plain. The bezels are quite slim on the front, the volume rocker sits at the top right, with the power button just below it.
The phone’s overall shape is more rounded than the P9.
Release date
The Honor Note 8 will be available for purchase in China on August 9. The 32GB variant is going for 2,299 yuan, or $345 U.S., and the 64GB model costs 2,499 yuan, or $375. For an additional $45, the 128GB variant is also an option. It comes in gold and silver, and you can also pre-order it now via Huawei’s website.
It’s unclear if this device will hit other markets, such as the U.S.
