What's the difference between the original Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite? As the name suggests, Honor 9 Lite is a lightweight version of last year’s flagship. These two smartphones have many differences and, as for me, the Lite version is in some ways even more interesting than its older brother.
From this comparison, you will learn how these two models differ from each other, and you can decide which one is best for you. By the way, we already had a review of the Honor 9 Lite smartphone, you can find it here.
Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite: Comparison of characteristics
| Honor 9 | Honor 9 Lite | |
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 147.3 x 70.9 x 7.45 mm weighing 155 grams | 151 x 71.9 x 7.6 mm, weighing 149 grams |
| Display | 5.15 inches FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 16:9 | 5.65 inches, FHD+ resolution (2160 x 1080 pixels) and 18:9 aspect ratio |
| CPU | Kirin 960 (4 cores x 2.4 GHz and 4 x 1.8 GHz) | Kirin 659 (4 cores x 2.36 GHz and 4 x 1.7 GHz) |
| MEMORY | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB built-in micro SD slot up to 256 GB | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB RAM, micro SD slot up to 256 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 8.0 Oreo, EMUI 8.0 interface | Android 8.0 Oreo, EMUI 8.0 interface |
| CAMERAS | 12 MP (f/2.2, 27mm) + 20 MP (f/2.2, 27mm) rear camera, 8MP front camera | 13 MP (f/2.0) + 2 MP rear camera, 13 MP + 2 MP front camera |
| BATTERY | 3200 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| Price | from $359.99 | From $199.99 |
All the differences between Honor 10 Lite and Honor 10, 8X and 9 Lite
This week, Huawei introduced a new smartphone of its sub-brand Honor – the Honor 10 Lite model. The previous device, 9 Lite, was the sales record holder in Russia this year, so the 10 Lite can clearly become a real hit in stores. Today we will compare Honor 10 Lite with the “older” Honor 10, as well as with Honor 8X and the above-mentioned Honor 9 Lite.
Honor 10 Lite and Honor 10
To begin with, let’s outline the differences between Honor 10 Lite and Honor 10. The older model is noticeably more expensive and the user is certainly interested in knowing what he loses by choosing the Lite version. So, the difference between smartphones is as follows:
- Display: Honor 10 Lite – 6.21'' with a minimal cutout, Honor 10 – 5.84'' with a monobrow cutout;
- Aspect ratio: Honor 10 Lite – 19.5:9, Honor 10 – 19:9;
- Pixel density: 10 Lite – 415 PPI, Honor 10 – 432 PPI;
- Processor: 10 Lite – Kirin 710 (8 CPU cores up to 2.2 GHz, 4 GPU cores), Honor 10 – Kirin 970 (8 CPU cores up to 2.4 GHz, 12 GPU cores + NPU unit). See the ranking of the best mobile processors;
Comparison of smartphones with Kirin 970, Kirin 710 and other processors in the Antutu benchmark
- Maximum download speed in LTE networks: Honor 10 Lite – 600 Mb/s, Honor 10 – 1 Gb/s;
- [not confirmed] Internal memory type: Honor 10 Lite – eMMC 5.1, Honor 10 – UFS 2.1 (significantly faster than any eMMC);
- Main camera (base module): 10 Lite – 13 MPx, f/1.8, Honor 10 – 16 MPx, f/1.8;
- Main camera (auxiliary module): 10 Lite – 2 MPx (depth sensor), Honor 10 – 24 MPx (black and white sensor for capturing light);
The minimal notch at the top and the miniature bezel at the bottom have gradually started to make their way into very affordable smartphones. Honor 10 Lite is a clear confirmation of this
- Optical zoom: only in Honor 10;
- Video recording with the main camera: Honor 10 Lite – [email protected] , Honor 10 – [email protected] , [email protected] ;
- Audio 32-bit/192kHz: only in Honor 10;
- Fingerprint scanner: 10 Lite – on the back panel, Honor 10 – under the display;
- USB: 10 Lite – microUSB 2.0, Honor 10 – USB-C;
- Memory card support: only in Honor 10 Lite. Supports microSD cards up to 512 GB;
- Infrared port: only in Honor 10;
Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite: Design
In terms of design, these two smartphones are very similar. They even come in the same color options: Midnight Black, Sapphire Blue and Glacier Grey.
Both devices have a fingerprint scanner, only Honor 9 has it on the front, while the Lite version has it moved to the back. There is also a slight difference in the dimensions of the phones:
- Honor 9 Lite : 151 x 71.9 x 7.6 mm, weighing 149 grams
- Honor 9: 147.3 x 70.9 x 7.45 mm, weighing 155 grams
Price issue
The price difference between Honor 9 Lite and Honor 9 is very large. The younger version of Honor 9 with 64 GB ROM and 4 GB RAM costs 25 thousand rubles, and the 6/128 GB version costs as much as 35 thousand. True, it is not on the Russian market. It is sold in Europe, mainly in Switzerland.
In turn, Honor 9 Lite costs only 10 thousand for the 3/32 GB version and 15 thousand for the 4/64 GB version. If we compare identical modifications (4/64 GB), then the difference is as much as 10 thousand rubles.
The price range is very wide, but at the same time, you must admit, the Light version has no huge disadvantages. Therefore, in the price confrontation between Huawei Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite, the lightweight version wins.
Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite: Display
If you look at the display, you might think that it is not the Lite version, but vice versa. It features a 5.65-inch FullView display with FHD+ resolution (2160 x 1080 pixels) and 18:9 aspect ratio. The older version does not boast the currently fashionable tall screen, and its 5.15-inch FHD display (1920 x 1080 pixels) has a standard 16:9 aspect ratio.
Both displays have the same pixel density of 428 pixels per inch, but as we can see, the Lite version offers much better resolution.
Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite: Equipment
The most significant difference between the two is the hardware under the hood. The Lite is powered by an eight-core mid-range Kirin (4 x 2.36 GHz and 4 x 1.7 GHz) with 3 GB of RAM.
The performance of Honor 9 is driven by a more powerful Kirin (4 cores x 2.4 GHz and 4 x 1.8 GHz) paired with 4 GB of RAM. Therefore, in terms of performance, the older model wins.
The same can be said about the built-in storage, with the Lite offering 32GB and the Honor 9 offering 64GB. However, the memory of both phones can be expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card installed in the hybrid SIM card slot.
Honor did not abandon the 3.5 mm audio jack, and both models are equipped with it. The phones are supplied with in-ear headphones.
In terms of software, Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite are no different. Both run Google's Android operating system in its latest Oreo format. The EMUI 8.0 graphical shell is installed on top of Android.
Processors: HiSilicon Kirin 960 vs Kirin 659
The main thing is the central chips. It’s obvious from the name that a weaker processor was shoved into the Lite version. Let's look at the differences in detail.
Kirin 960 (Honor 9)
The CPU is an 8-core chip made using the 16 nm process technology. It received 4 powerful computing units with a frequency of 2.4 GHz (Cortex-A73), which are connected as needed. By default, “weak” cores are used to save energy - Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.8 GHz. A separate built-in video processor, Mali G-71 MP8, is responsible for graphics. It implements technologies to support two cameras and playback video in 4K format.
In the Antutu benchmark (performance test), Honor 9 with this processor shows high results - 132506 points.
The phone is fast and completely bug-free. This TOP hardware (although at the beginning of 2021 there is already a Kirin 970) runs any games without much effort - even when running “heavy” applications, the case does not heat up.
Kirin 659 (Honor 9 Lite)
The CPU is the main feature of the light version. The 16nm chipset received 8 energy-efficient Cortex-A53 units. It does not have powerful computing cores, so the performance is lower compared to the older version. However, 4 blocks operate at a frequency of 2.36 GHz, the rest - at 1.7 GHz. A two-cluster structure is present.
There are no problems when working with the phone: the device quickly responds to touches, performs tasks instantly, and easily plays FullHD video. It may become dull when running several “heavy” games, but the performance will last for a year to come. However, there are still no applications on Android that require power.
In the Antutu benchmark, it scored 75,000 points.
In terms of performance, Honor 9 without the Lite prefix wins in comparison - its flagship hardware is head and shoulders above the average Kirin 659.
Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite: Cameras
Both smartphones come with a dual camera setup on the back. The Lite version has 13 MP (f / 2.0) with fast phase focusing and 2 megapixel sensors. The older version has a more serious pair: 12-megapixel (f / 2.2, 27 mm) and 20-megapixel (f / 2.2, 27 mm) sensors.
With front cameras the opposite is true. The light version on the front panel has the same pair of sensors as on the back: 13MP + 2MP. Honor 9 has a single camera, with an 8 MP sensor. Therefore, with the cameras of Honor 9 Lite you can get the best bokeh effect.
Differences in the Lite version
Although the models are very similar, they still have quite a lot of differences. The first difference between Honor 9 Lite and Honor 9 is the firmware. We won’t talk at length about the importance of software, but it’s still worth saying a few words. The 9 Lite has Android 8, and the older model has version 7. Not to say that this is a fundamental difference, but it affects convenience, functionality and optimization.
Honor 9 Lite
The screen is important. The devices here are very different. The Lite version has an improved screen, no matter how strange it may sound. It is larger and of better quality, which, on the one hand, is a plus, and on the other, a minus. The Lite version has a 5.65-inch diagonal screen with 2K resolution. The opponent only has a FullHD screen with a diagonal of 5.15”. At first it may seem that Light will have better picture quality, but in reality this is not the case. Due to the larger size, the image is stretched, and as a result we get the same pixel density for both models - 428 PPI.
There are also differences in design. In general, the devices are not very similar in appearance, but that’s not what we’re talking about today. Ease of use is more important. When a device's screen is larger, it will itself be larger. This is a controversial aspect, since some people like smartphones with large dimensions, while others prefer compact sizes. The Honor 9 Lite is not as compact as its rival, being 1mm wider and a whopping 3.7mm taller. This makes it relatively awkward to use with one hand. But, despite its large dimensions, it is still 6 grams lighter than a regular “nine”.
Honor 9
In terms of processors and memory, smartphones also differ. The Honor 9 has a better processor, but only a little better. This does not provide a significant performance increase.
But in memory they are quite different, and again not in favor of the 9 Lite. The older model has two versions - with 4 and 6 GB of RAM. These indicators will be enough to comfortably use the Internet and social networks for many more years. Light has modifications with 3 and 4 GB RAM. The 3 GB version is hardly enough; within six months you will start thinking about buying a more powerful device. But the 4 GB version will last for another year or two, because this is a standard that will not be surpassed soon.
The Lite version has 32 and 64 GB of permanent memory, while the “pure nine” has 64 and 128 GB. The permanent memory performance is not much to discuss, since it can be expanded using a 256 GB memory card in both models.
Honor 9 Lite
Well, cameras are one of the main indicators when choosing a smartphone. Here the 9 Lite is clearly worse, but not by much. For the cost of Light, everything is very good. Honor 9 has a dual main camera, which has 20 and 12 megapixel modules with an f/2.2 aperture. The lightweight version has a slightly worse main camera, but it is still not bad - a dual camera of 13 megapixels + 2 megapixels with an f/2.2 aperture. The front camera is better in the Lite version. The resolution of the front camera is 13 and 2 megapixels, like the main one. This is a rare case when the front camera received dual optics. And the “nine” has a simple front camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels. The front camera aperture is f/2.0.
There is also a slight difference in the battery, but it is insignificant: the Lite has a capacity of 3000 mAh, while the competitor has 3200 mAh. But the important difference here is not in the battery, but in the screen. Since the Lite has a wider screen, it will consume a lot more power.
Honor 9 and Honor 9 Lite: which one to choose?
If performance and more memory play a big role for you, as well as more detailed pictures from the main camera, you should definitely choose Honor 9.
On the other hand, Honor 9 Lite has a larger screen in the same size body but with better resolution. For selfie shots, this smartphone will also be a slightly better option.
And the main advantage of Honor 9 Lite is its price. At the time of writing, it can be purchased on AliExpress starting at $199.99 (global version). While Honor 9 is much more expensive – from $359.99 on Aliexpress.
The better the Lite version
In principle, we have already determined how the Huawei Honor 9 Lite differs from the regular Honor 9. Let’s summarize why the simplified version is better.
Firstly, it has a better display: 2K resolution is not found on all mid-budget models. Its size is also captivating. No matter what anyone says, the larger the screen, the better it is, at least for watching movies and games. Of course, in terms of one-handed use it is less convenient, but such a screen is worth it.
The device is also better in terms of front camera. She's really cool with him. For little money you will get high-quality selfies and even photos in bokeh mode. Even flagships cannot always offer such shooting quality. Of course, the main camera is not so cool, but it also allows you to take good photos.
Comparing Honor 9 Lite with Honor 9 is impossible without comparing prices. Later we will dwell on this issue in more detail, but for now one thing can be said: the lightweight version has a better price, that is, it is cheaper than the “pure nine”.
Honor 9
Honor 9
