Now, Honors followed up withthe Honor 10 Lite.

As the name implies, this is a cheaper version, with suitably scaled-down specifications.

But before you write it off as an uninspiring entry-level phone, keep reading.

Review: The Honor 10 Lite is a budget phone that feels much more expensive

Its actually really good especially for its bargain-basement price.

For the past month, Ive been diligently road-testing the Honor 10 Lite.

The company provided us with a review unit on a recent trip to Beijing.

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Suffice to say, it didnt feel like a major downgrade.

The Honor 10 Lite offered decent day-to-day performance, alongside impressive battery endurance.

Like I said, its really good.

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For the full verdict, read on.

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Design

Budget phones often tend to be drab, unattractive affairs.

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Lets start with the notch, as its inevitably the first thing most people notice about a phone.

This is tiny, its width measuring just a few millimeters.

There is a catch though.

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Although smaller notches give you more screen real-estate, its worth emphasizing that they limit what you might do.

Thats hardly a deal-breaker when you consider the bargain basement price, however.

While the Honor 10 Lite has tight bezels, the phones chin is fairly substantial.

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On the rear of the phone, youll see a stunning metallic gradient effect.

While this isnt as elaborate as that found on the original Honor 10, its still pretty eye-catching.

This is easy to find with your index finger, and is pleasantly responsive, delivering lightning-fast unlock times.

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I actually prefer this to the now-vogue under-screen fingerprint reader.

At the top-left of the phone, youll find its two rear cameras.

These are elevated slightly from the phones chassis, and are accompanied by an LED flash.

Well discuss the Honor 10 Lites camera performance later.

Software

The Honor 10 Lite comes with Android Pi, skinned with Huaweis EMUI 9 software.

This wont be to everyones tastes, admittedly, especially Android purists who prefer the stock experience.

Personally though, I like it.

EMUI is a subtle and unobtrusive, with handy features like the picture-identifying HiTouch.

Its clear that Huawei has taken great pains to improve it over the years.

Theres a welcome lack of bloatware.

I only wish I could say the same about other manufacturers.

So, lets talk about performance.

As mentioned the Honor 10 Lite is a step down from the original Honor 10.

Despite this relative downgrade, the Honor 10 Lite doesnt feel sufficiently compromised or sluggish.

It handled media-rich content without breaking a sweat, or becoming bogged down.

Similarly, it was able to handle some games without excess stuttering.

The Honor 10 Lite comes with Huaweis GPU Turbo software.

This promises improved performance and battery life when gaming.

From looking at them, its immediately obvious that theyve been processed in some way.

Thats not to say that they look bad, per se.

Its just something to consider.

Pictures taken with night mode look grainy and lack detail.

The Honor 10 Lite has a decent-enough 24MP front-facing camera.

This has the effect of making you look a bit cherub-like.

Or perhaps like a porcelain doll.

As is typical with Huawei and Honor, this phone wont be released in the US, unfortunately.

Overall, I was impressed with the Honor 10 Lite.

While its clearly a budget phone, its certainly one I wouldnt feel embarrassed to carry around with me.

There were bits we were less keen about.

The absence of USB-C is a head-scratcher, especially in 2019.

The camera also noticeably struggled in low-light conditions.

We like some products.

We dont like others.

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