Honor 600 Pro Review

Last updated on 18 July 2026

After spending more than five years with Samsung phones, the time has come to test out a phone from another brand. While not a flagship, the Honor 600 Pro, which was released in April, carries respectable specs. Unlike last year’s 500 Pro, which remained China-exclusive, Honor released the 600 Pro globally.

In this review, I will share my experience with the device, with a strong focus on accessibility—the deciding factor for every blind user. This review comes after using the device for about a month.

Design and Hardware

Design

The Honor 600 Pro looks very similar to the iPhone 17 Pro’s design. The large raised rectangular camera island centered on the upper half of the back panel, housing the cameras and flash, closely resembles the one on the iPhone 17 Pro. The shape of the module, along with the three camera rings, is hard to miss when comparing both devices. Although I am not a fan of protruding cameras, I am used to them being part of modern smartphone designs.

Holding the phone is a pleasant experience. The sides are not harsh on the hand, and the grip feels solid. The device weighs 200g and is 7.8mm thick, excluding the camera bump.

All the buttons are on the right side. In addition to the volume and power keys, there is an AI button—more about this button later. All the buttons are easy to reach and provide good tactile feedback without feeling mushy.

The left side of the aluminum frame is empty. On the top, there are a few openings, including the secondary speaker grille for the stereo setup and the secondary microphone hole. The bottom side is more crowded, with the main speaker grille, primary microphone, USB Type-C port, and SIM tray.

Display

The Honor 600 Pro has a 6.57-inch display with very thin bezels, which helps give the phone a compact feel.

As a blind user, I cannot give opinions about the screen quality, although I do not think it is bad in any way.

The screen supports a 120Hz refresh rate, with the option to set it to Standard, High, or Dynamic. Standard caps the refresh rate at 60Hz. High mode tries to use the highest refresh rate, while Dynamic adjusts it according to the displayed content—the setting I use.

I set the brightness to 0%. However, on this phone, I noticed that the brightness level is sometimes raised automatically, even though auto-brightness is turned off. I even receive notification reminders suggesting that I enable the feature to protect my eyes. I have not yet been able to figure out the cause of this behavior, and it appears to be a bug.

The Fingerprint Sensor

Honor opted for an optical in-display fingerprint sensor. Although an ultrasonic sensor would have been a better choice, the fingerprint sensor is generally fast and accurate. However, I noticed that it occasionally refuses to register my finger.

With the ability to add up to five fingerprints, adding more fingers—or even registering the same finger twice—should reduce the chances of this happening.

The phone can be unlocked without waking the screen first, but I occasionally found that the sensor fails to register my finger until I wake the screen.

Adding fingerprints is easy. When the finger is not placed on the correct area during enrollment, directions are provided on how to move it. As enrollment progresses, the progress is announced.

Speakers and Audio Quality

When I listened to speech through the phone speakers, I felt disappointed. While not bad or muffled, the speech sounds thin and lacks richness. Comparing the speech audio to that of an iPhone 17 Pro, the difference is noticeable; the iPhone sounds richer and has a slightly bassy tone, if I can put it that way. Even using the same TTS engine on my old Galaxy A55 gives a similar impression.

With a stereo speaker setup consisting of a bottom-firing speaker and a dedicated top-firing speaker, instead of using the earpiece as the secondary speaker like many other devices, I was expecting more. There are no sound enhancement options available in the settings, as all related options only work with earphones.

The stereo effect and balance are good, as well as the loudness. Both music and vocals come through clearly and are well distributed without distortion.

To my ears, the accessibility audio channel sounds the same as the media channel, unlike Samsung devices where there is a noticeable difference between the two. After spending more time with the phone, I am adapting to how it sounds, although I still think my high expectations for the speakers were justified for a near-flagship device.

I do not have complaints about the microphones on the Honor 600 Pro. Additionally, the audio through the earpiece during calls is clear.

Battery Life

The Honor 600 Pro outside Europe (the model I have) has a 7000 mAh Si/C battery, while the European version has a 6400 mAh one. Based on my usage, the battery lasts between 1.5 and 2 days with performance mode enabled, a mode that prioritizes performance over battery life. As usage habits vary, you might get different results, but I am almost confident that killing off the battery in a single day is not an easy task.

The device supports 80W charging. I got the proprietary Honor charger in the box, but I am not sure if a charger is included in the standard package, as I received the preorder pack, which includes a case, a charger, and the Noise Master Buds Max Bluetooth headset.

The phone takes about 1 hour to fully charge from around 20%. The system warns you that the temperature might rise when you enable fast charging, through a notification with an option to disable it. I keep it on, and I have not noticed any concerning heat increase.

The Honor 600 Pro lets you set a charging limit at 90%, 80%, or even 70%. There is also a toggle called Smart Battery Capacity, which claims to stop charging before the battery reaches full capacity. However, the phone still shows 100% when fully charged. Finally, there is a Smart Charging toggle that charges the phone to 80%, keeps it there overnight, and then finishes the top-up just in time for you to start using your phone. I am not obsessed with battery protection features, so I only enabled Smart Battery Capacity.

The phone supports wireless charging, but I have not tested it, nor have I tested reverse wireless charging.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite in the 600 Pro is still a very capable processor, even if it is not Qualcomm’s latest high-end offering.

Coming from a Galaxy A55, which has a much lower-end processor, the performance jump is easy to notice. Installing apps, launching them, and handling demanding tasks all feel snappy. The ToBe SAID Pro AI cloned voices are a clear example. Increasing the speech rate slightly on my Galaxy A55 leads to choppy speech, which makes the engine almost unusable. No such behavior is observed on the Honor 600 Pro, which runs the engine smoothly.

The phone does become slightly warm after a few minutes of using the engine, but not to a level that feels concerning, at least for now. I use ToBe SAID mainly for reading articles, though, as it is heavy on the battery.

The phone comes in 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB non-expandable storage configurations, and 12GB or 16GB RAM variants. The unit I got is the 512GB / 12GB variant.

Camera

Camera performance is outside the scope of this review. The camera app is accessible; however, there are no accessibility features such as announcements when a face is in frame, scene detection, or other assistance features.

Network and Connectivity

Both mobile and Wi-Fi reception are quite good. I have not experienced any drops or other issues worth mentioning. I am unable to test 5G performance, though, as I do not have 5G coverage in my area.

The device supports Bluetooth 6.0. I tried both the headset that came with the device and my Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds without experiencing connection issues or speech cutouts.

The device also includes an IR blaster on the back, next to the cameras. The Smart Remote app supports a wide range of appliances that can be controlled using the IR blaster.

Software and Accessibility

The Honor 600 Pro comes with MagicOS 10 on top of Android 16, with a promise of 6 years of OS updates and security patches. It will be interesting to see how frequently security patches are delivered, how long it takes for major OS updates to arrive, and whether Honor honors its update promises across all regions. I have heard that with previous devices, the 6-year update policy did not apply to all regions.

One interesting observation regarding updates is that under Software Update, pressing More Options reveals a Tryout New Versions option. This checks whether there are newer versions that have not yet reached the stable channel. When I checked for updates, I received a MagicOS update that brought a few improvements and the June security patches. I was able to install it without joining a beta program or taking any additional steps. I am not sure whether this also applies to major OS updates, but it would be an unusual yet welcome approach to beta testing, making it a straightforward process to install preview builds.

First Setup

Setting up a device without sighted assistance is a core part of a positive experience. The shortcut of holding both volume keys to enable TalkBack is supported on the Honor 600 Pro. As I always do, I completed the setup process before inserting my SIM card.

The setup process is accessible. I copied my data from my old phone using a cable, which saved me from entering my Google account and Wi-Fi details manually. Data transfer on Android leaves a lot to be desired. In my experience, only images, videos, and audio files were transferred, while other file types were left behind. Apps were installed automatically through the Play Store, but much of the app data and settings were not transferred to the new device, including some of Google’s own apps. I found myself going the traditional route: transferring files through a PC, as well as using backup options provided by apps to export backups and move them to the new phone.

After finishing the setup process, I recommend uninstalling the bloatware that comes preinstalled, including some games and third-party apps such as TikTok.

Accessibility

As accessibility is the main focus of this review, I will go into details below.

MagicOS supports accessibility to a certain degree. Until the time of writing, I have not encountered any dealbreakers. Settings screens are accessible, with only a few unlabeled buttons, if any. Interacting with sliders works through the screen reader’s standard slider adjustment mechanisms, and all toggles in the Control Center (Honor’s iOS-styled name for Android’s Quick Settings) are clearly labeled. Notifications can also be viewed and activated using the screen reader.

Honor includes its suite of apps and tools, including AI-related services built into the software. In general, these apps are fairly accessible, although I have not tested some of the AI tools.

Screen readers and TTS engines are not killed by the system, unlike what happens on some other Chinese OEMs. Exempting them from battery optimization and allowing them to run in the background is still recommended, though, to avoid potential issues.

Only One Accessibility Shortcut Is Provided

MagicOS supports only pressing and holding both volume keys to toggle accessibility services. The on-screen accessibility button (when using on-screen navigation buttons) or the accessibility gesture (when using gesture navigation) is not available for launching accessibility services such as screen readers. This shortcut only opens the accessibility menu if the feature is enabled, but it cannot be used to launch other accessibility services such as screen readers. Having to frequently switch between two screen readers, I find having only one accessibility shortcut challenging, especially after spending years with Samsung, which includes the additional Power + Volume Up shortcut. Although the dedicated AI button can be assigned to non-AI features, accessibility services are not included in the list of supported shortcuts.

Very Limited Screen Reader Action Support

MagicOS has limited screen reader action support. The only area of the UI where I found actions is the Recents screen. There, apps can be closed through the Close action, which is the only available action. The launcher, notifications, and Control Center all lack action support.

Speaking of the launcher, while you can navigate and move between pages, organizing items is not easy. There is no feedback when dragging an item after long-pressing it. If you long press an item without dragging it, options such as Remove and App Info appear, but they do not take up the full screen. I recommend switching to a third-party, more accessible launcher.

As mentioned earlier, notifications do not support actions. To dismiss a notification through TalkBack, I found that long-pressing the notification and then swiping right dismisses it. A two-finger swipe right may also work, but I have not tested it.

For Jieshuo users, the “dismiss notification” function can be used to dismiss notifications.

Samsung and Pixel users can move items in the Quick Settings editor using actions, but on Honor phones this is not available. Items can instead be moved by long-pressing and dragging. Although items are properly labeled, which means you can identify what you are moving, there is no feedback while repositioning them. For me, I used a quicker approach and asked a sighted person to sort them for me, as I do not usually need to rearrange things once they are set.

Screen Reader Fails to Launch After Restarting to Apply Play System Updates

After restarting the phone to apply Play system updates, the screen reader doesn’t come up. Using the accessibility shortcut also doesn’t help. I first thought this was a Jieshuo-specific problem, but it turned out that both Jieshuo and TalkBack are affected. To fix this, a force restart is required, after which it is possible to launch the screen reader assigned to the accessibility shortcut. I tested launching TalkBack through the shortcut after the force restart, but I haven’t tested Jieshuo in this case. Additionally, this problem is not present when installing MagicOS updates, so it seems to affect only Play system updates.

Jieshuo Compatibility

Jieshuo is my main screen reader. Installing it, launching it, and importing my backup all went without issues. It is recommended, however, to use a third-party installer when installing Jieshuo to avoid the Restricted Settings issue.

Jieshuo works well without being closed by the system, and I am glad to report that the bug that prevents Gemini from hearing voice prompts when Jieshuo uses the accessibility audio channel is not present on this device. I can use voice prompts with Gemini without needing to switch to the media channel first.

There is one important problem worth mentioning: on the lock screen, it is not possible to enter your password using Jieshuo. When swiping up with two fingers to reveal the keyboard, Jieshuo freezes and may even restart. Turning the screen off and back on restores Jieshuo, but trying to bring up the keyboard again causes the same crash. To work around this issue, suspend Browse by Touch before swiping up to reveal the keyboard, then use TalkBack to enter your password.

Another workaround is to trick the system into thinking that Jieshuo was installed through the Play Store, as it appears the system is blocking the accessibility service while entering a password or PIN. Explaining how to accomplish this is beyond the scope of this review, but I successfully tested two methods. The first was using ADB commands through the mobile version of ADB AppControl. The second was using a combination of Shizuku and InstallWithOptions, which does not require ADB commands. Once Jieshuo is installed in a way that makes the system recognize it as a Play Store app, the issue disappears completely. Note that Jieshuo’s developer is aware of the problem, but I do not know whether he will be able to do anything about it.

Misc

1. The default phone app is accessible. One thing worth mentioning is that in the dialer, as you move between numbers, each number is read along with its T9 letters (for example, 7 PQRS). This is not observed when entering numbers during a call.

2. Honor Docs, the default app for viewing text files and PDFs, is not accessible. Document content cannot be viewed using a screen reader.

3. In the recent apps screen, scrolling does not happen automatically. A two-finger swipe is required to move through the list of apps. To open an app when using Jieshuo, you either need to use the Direct Click function (assigned by default to a two-finger single tap), or swipe until the app name is announced followed by “button”, then double-tap to open it.

4. There is no screen reader guidance when missing the fingerprint sensor, unlike on Pixel and Samsung phones.

5. When opening windows, such as launching an app, TalkBack sometimes announces “keyboard hidden.” This bug does not affect Jieshuo.

6. The default keyboard on MagicOS is Microsoft SwiftKey. When using a screen reader, characters are entered twice. I replaced SwiftKey with Gboard, but changing the typing preference in TalkBack might also fix this issue. However, I have not tested that.

7. When viewing a group of notifications with multiple items and dismissing them one by one, I noticed that when only two or three remain, Jieshuo sometimes reads all remaining notifications together, and using the dismiss function removes them all. To dismiss only one, use the gesture that moves to the next item, which focuses a single notification that can then be dismissed. I do not know how TalkBack behaves in this case. However, I noticed that to avoid dismissing the entire group when using TalkBack, the notification should be expanded first. I only tested this using the long-press then swipe method. The notification shade also includes a “Clear All” button that removes all notifications.

8. To use the TalkBack proofreading feature, Gboard must first be set as the default spell checker.

9. The screen recorder in MagicOS can capture accessibility channel audio. This means it is possible to record TalkBack’s speech and Jieshuo’s speech without switching to the media audio channel. To enable this, system sounds recording must be turned on either from the notification shade while recording or from the screen recorder settings.

Note that the current status of the microphone and system sounds toggles in the notification shade is not announced by the screen reader. However, changes are announced when an option is toggled.

General Software Observations

1. To open the Control Center, you swipe down from the right part of the screen, whereas to open the notification shade, you swipe down from the left. If using a screen reader, this swipe is performed with two fingers. If it feels tricky, double-tap and hold on a status bar item, then move your finger downward. If using Jieshuo and preferring one-finger gestures similar to sighted users, the “Use one-finger full screen navigation gestures” option must be enabled.

2. Although MagicOS is customizable, it cannot match the level of customization available on Samsung’s One UI through Good Lock modules. However, there are some options that are not present on One UI, such as the ability to disable Wi-Fi or mobile data for a specific app.

3. When setting notification sounds and ringtones, there is no need to place audio files in a dedicated folder. When selecting a tone, a “Music on device” option is available that lets users browse audio files stored on the phone. To avoid scrolling through long lists of tracks, a search option is also available.

4. In addition to assigning an action to a long press of the power button, it is also possible to assign an action to a double press of the power button. A double press of the volume down key while the screen is off can also be configured. Available actions include toggling ringer mode, launching the camera, starting the recorder, launching a specific app, and more.

5. The AI button supports single press, double press, and long press actions. The good news is that these actions are not limited to AI tools. For example, I set a single press to open the Gemini assistant, a double press to switch between ring and vibrate modes, and a long press to start/stop screen recording. The button presses can also be used to open apps or launch in-app shortcuts. To move between available actions, two-finger short swipes left and right can be used with the screen reader enabled. To confirm the selected action, press the “Use” button.

6. Among the available AI tools, there is one called AI Settings Agent, which can also be assigned to the AI button. It allows users to type or speak the setting they want to change, and it performs the action. The tool requires an internet connection. One limitation is that I could not find an option to start listening immediately after launching it. To use voice input, the “Hold to talk” button must be double-tapped and held.

7. If using a third-party launcher (Lawnchair 15 beta in my case), the gesture for opening the Recents screen sometimes stops working until switching back to the default launcher and then returning to the third-party one. This affects both the screen reader gesture for opening Recents and the system gesture, and it is likely that it also affects the on-screen button when using button navigation.

8. There is a bug where receiving a notification interrupts Gemini’s reading of responses. When the notification sound plays, Gemini stops reading the response.

Verdict

The Honor 600 Pro is a solid device. Its build quality, compact feel, comfortable grip, battery life, strong processor even if it is not the most recent high-end offering, and fairly accessible UI make it a good purchase.

However, the single accessibility shortcut, the lack of action support in the notification shade and Quick Settings, and Jieshuo-specific issues affect the overall experience.

I do not regret choosing this device, but I do miss One UI’s accessibility shortcuts, higher level of customizability, and features such as separate app sound. The audio quality could also have been better.

I hope future MagicOS updates bring accessibility improvements rather than regressions. It will also be interesting to see how Honor handles updates globally, including whether security patches are delivered on a monthly basis, whether the update policy is consistent across regions, and whether the six-year update promise is fully maintained.

This review may be updated if I have additional observations.