Let’s take a quick look at the Y6 2018

Following the launch of its mid-range Nova 2 Lite a few weeks ago, Huawei wants a share of the entry-level market with the Y6 2018. A successor to the Y5 2017, Huawei’s latest budget offering now comes with a Snapdragon 425 processor, along with a trendy 18:9 display, and an upgraded rear camera. Given its specs, is it worth your hard-earned money? Let’s take a quick look at its specs:

Huawei Y6 2018 specs

• 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor
• 2GB RAM
• 5.7-inch HD+ IPS display,18:9 display aspect ratio, 1440 x 720 resolution
• 16GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 256GB
• 13-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera with PDAF, LED flash
• 5-megapixel f/2.2 front camera with selfie toning flash
• Dual-SIM
• 3G, HSPA+, LTE
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• Face unlock, USB OTG
• 3000mAh battery
• Android 8.0 Oreo with EMUI 8.0

Packaging and contents

Unlike the packaging of previous Y-series phones, the Y6 2018 comes with a white box with a Y6 logo on the front and a quick overview of its key features at the back.

Let’s do a quick unboxing: Inside the box, you get the Y6 2018, a SIM eject pin, a Micro-USB cable, and a USB charger.

There are headphones or a silicone case bundled with the Y6 2018. Given that this is a budget phone, we would not be surprised at the absence of these accessories. However, things might change when the Y6 2018 will be officially sold to retailers. On the upside, the Y6 2018 comes with a screen protector pre-installed so you have protection for the display out of the box.

 

Initial Impressions: It’s the Nova 2 Lite’s Baby Brother

From afar, one can easily mistake the Y6 2018 for a Nova 2 Lite as they have the same look for the front panel. When it comes to size, the Y6 2018 is smaller as it uses a 5.7-inch display, compared to the 5.99-inch display found on the Nova 2 Lite.  Just like its bigger sibling, the Y6 2018 has skinny top and bottom bezels, making it a trendy phone for anyone who has a limited budget.

On the first impression, the Y6 2018’s display has decent viewing angles even on direct sunlight. We have yet tried the Y6 2018 for viewing graphics-heavy content like HD YouTube videos so stay tuned for the full review on our verdict regarding its Fullview display.

 

Going to the back, the Y6 2018 shares a similar design with the Nova 2 Lite, with its polycarbonate back and metallic sides. The key differences with the Y6 2018 are its single rear camera and the absence of a fingerprint scanner. We got the matte black version, which has a rather dull finish. However, the matte finish makes it less prone to fingerprint smudges—a plus for those who are a bit too OC with their phone.

 

Since there is no fingerprint scanner, the Y6 2018 uses a Face Unlock option that uses the phone’s 8-megapixel camera in capturing your face data. Given the hardware limitations, we’re quite skeptical about its accuracy but we will reserve our judgment for the full review when we extensively use the Y6 2018’s Face Unlock.

Let’s take a quick tour of the controls: At the bottom, you have your Micro USB port, along with two speaker grilles: One holds the speaker while the other holds a microphone.

 

At the phone’s right side, you have your volume control and power buttons.

 

At the left side, you have a SIM tray that can hold two NanoSIMs and a MicroSD card. On top, you have your headphone jack.

 

Under the hood, you have a Snapdragon 425 processor paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. While the internals are not mind-blowing, they are sufficient enough for everyday tasks such as social media, emails, and the usual calls and texts. We will do our usual gaming tests with the Y6 2018 to determine if those modest specs are sufficient enough to run the latest games.

The Y6 2018 runs Android Oreo with an EMUI 8.0 skin, making it one of the few budget phones as of this writing to sport the latest Android OS. On top of that, our review unit comes with the March 2018 security update.

Another notable upgrade with the Y6 2018 compared to the Y5 2017 is the rear camera, which is now a 13-megapixel f/2.2 camera equipped with Phase Detection Autofocus. Like the Nova 2 Lite, there’s a notable camera bump with the Y6 2018. That being said, we strongly advise you to get a case for it to prevent scratches and bumps to it.

 

That’s it for our unboxing and quick review. There’s no official pricing as of this writing, but expect Huawei to price it competitively against similarly-specced phones from competitors. Stay tuned to the site for our full review of the Y6 2018 as we put it through our usual series of tests.

 

Don’t forget to check out our reviews of other Huawei phones under the budget-oriented Y line:

Huawei Y7 Prime Unboxing, Quick Review: Another Bang-for-the-buck Phone From Huawei?

Huawei Y5 2017 Unboxing, Initial Review: Meet Huawei’s Most Affordable Phone