Huawei Y6 II Review: A Mid-Range Device with Smarter Performance and Super Camera

Huawei Y6 II is one of the newest flagships in the Huawei Y series - a mid-range smartphones launched after the successful introduction of Y3 II and Y5II. We decided to write a review on the device having used it for five days.  

Bold, Clear & Colorful Display

Huawei Y6 II is a compact smartphone with a 5.5 inch 720 x 1280 pixels display. Almost 70.1% screen-to-body. This is a wide screen that will enhance the entertainment for the customers and offer a whole new video watching and gaming experience. The screen is an IPS LCD capacitive touch screen that is further protected with a protective scratch resistant sheet. 

A cup and saucer picture taken with Huawei 6Y II 13-megapixel rear camera

PRO Rear & Front Cameras

Huawei Y6II takes photography to the next level with a 13-megapixel rear camera. It comes with wide-angle 28mm lens, F/2.0 aperture, and a state-of-the-art glass. The customized dynamic range is great in any light and any setting, putting a professional-grade camera in the palm of your hand.  

For the selfies, Y6II brings the 8-megapixel front camera—Huawei’s largest front-facing camera to date. With an F/2.0 aperture and 77-degree range, you no longer need a selfie stick. These also mean you can tell more self stories with this device. Huh! Guess you are thinking of a snap chat experience right now. 

Huawei Y6 II only weighs for 168g and the dimensions it has as 154.3x 77.1x 8.45 mm.

Fashionable Design & Style

Huawei Y6II has the finely curve edges for smooth experience of handling the new gem. It comes in five different colours: black, yellow, pink, gold and blue. The molded mirror polish and 60c-micro texture complete the device’s superior design.

The crisscross curved (CD) lines under the glass express the hierarchy of model’s uniqueness.

Smarter Performance & Ultra-High Efficiency

Powered with Kirin 620, 1.2GHz processor and 64-bit octa-core, Y6 II enables smooth functionality of the device even when multiple apps are launched simultaneously. The ARM architecture has ultra-high efficiency for longer battery life. On the side of the storage, the 2GB of RAM, 16GB ROM and 128GB SD card (supported) gives you more capacity, lower power consumption, faster speed and longer use than any smartphone. 

Auto Face Enhancement & Make-up Mode

Huawei’s 10-level face enhancement option is available on the Y6II. It’s equipped with 8 beautification presets and customizable options, offering a range of natural effects and highlights including lip gloss and eye shadow. So you probably might not need Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Cupslice, PhotoDirector etc anymore for your little photo editing.

Left: The rear camera and SIM 2. (Right): Memory card slot and SIM 1

Android 6.0 + EMUI

The device run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow called Emotiona UI (EMUI) 4.1. The built-in phone manager monitors power consumption for extended battery life, and cleans and optimizes the devices O.S., while the App Lock and Do Not Disturb functions protect user privacy. These are some of the last phones security options. 

3000Ah non-removable battery

Battery

When fully charged, the 3000Ah non-removable battery will carry you well through about 18-hour day on regular functions and minimal internet usage of about 10 to 15 apps. Supports a quick charging and the Ultra Power Saving mode for conserving what is left of the battery when you are running out of power. 

Connectivity

Connectivity options include a Dual SIM support, 4G LTE, 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, a GPS, v4.0 Bluetooth, v2.0 microsUSB

PROS

• Ability to shoot high-quality panoramas;
• Smarter OS, smoother performance enabled with Kirin 620, 1.2GHz processor
• Elegant design – Trendy, classic and handy
• Low camera noise
• Amazing battery life – 3000Ah can save lives when one needs it most

CONS

• A weak oleophobic coating
• Non-removable battery
• Difficult to get a really good picture without proper preparation
• HDR bad copes with a problem

VERDICT

2016 has been a great year for Huawei and the launch of Huawei Y6 II will go down as one of the biggest tech innovation in a middle-class smartphones this year. 

Huawei Y6 II is a value for money device that rivals any top competitor's devices within the mid-range.

Overall, it's a perfect smartphone for elegant, photo-loving and trendy consumers.