The Pro needs a discount before it sells well
In the ongoing human negotiation between desire and value, Honor's latest consumer poll reveals a telling paradox: buyers prefer the more expensive Pro model, yet the price of both devices remains a quiet obstacle to genuine enthusiasm. The poll, conducted around the launch of the Honor 600 series in Europe and Malaysia, shows that when people weigh features against cost, they would rather stretch further for something better than settle for something merely adequate — so long as the math eventually works in their favor. It is a reminder that premium is not a number but a feeling, and that feeling must be earned.
- Honor's own audience poll delivered an uncomfortable truth: the €1,000 Pro is preferred, but neither model is considered worth its asking price without a discount.
- The Honor 600 Pro's Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 50MP telephoto camera, and 50W wireless charging create a meaningful gap over the base model — enough to sway one-third of voters toward the upgrade.
- Rival devices like the Honor Magic8 Pro and Poco F are circling the same price territory with stronger flagship credentials, putting real pressure on Honor's value proposition.
- A ghost from Honor's own catalog haunts the launch: the older Honor 400 Pro at €550 outperforms the new base 600 on several key specs, making the upgrade cycle feel unconvincing.
- The path to strong sales runs through the discount bin — early buyers are already finding the Honor 600 at €150 below list price with bundled extras, and that appears to be the deal that actually moves the needle.
When Honor asked its audience which model they would actually buy, the Pro variant won — despite carrying a 43 percent price premium over the standard Honor 600 in Europe. The result is less a celebration of the Pro than a quiet verdict on the base model: if you're spending serious money, you might as well spend a little more.
The Pro's case rests on three pillars: a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a dedicated 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 3.5x zoom, and 50-watt wireless charging — none of which appear on the base model. For buyers already in the Honor ecosystem, these additions apparently justify the leap from €700 to €1,000. In Malaysia, where the gap is narrower at 27 percent, the calculus shifts slightly, but the preference holds.
Still, a thousand euros is a significant ask, and the Honor 600 Pro arrives without some features consumers now expect at that tier — no LTPO display, no ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, and not the latest generation chipset. Commenters were quick to point out that the Honor Magic8 Pro and several Xiaomi and Poco models offer more complete flagship packages for comparable or lower prices. The consensus: the Pro needs a discount to justify itself.
The base model finds itself in equally uncomfortable territory. Nearly a fifth of poll respondents said they'd simply shop elsewhere at full price, and the Honor 400 Pro — last year's model, still available in Germany for €550 — quietly outclasses it on processor performance, display size, and charging speed. The 600's larger battery is a genuine advantage, but it may not be enough to close the argument.
The practical advice emerging from the poll is straightforward: the Honor 600 series is capable hardware, but patience is the best accessory. A discount of €150 or more, already appearing in the wild, transforms the value equation entirely. Until then, both phones occupy an awkward middle ground between bargain and premium — close to compelling, but not quite there.
Honor's new flagship phone is expensive—so expensive that when the company asked its audience which model they'd actually buy, the Pro variant won decisively despite costing 43 percent more than the standard version in Europe. The poll results suggest that consumers have made a calculation: the upgrades are worth the premium, even if the price itself remains a hard sell.
The numbers tell the story. In Europe, the Honor 600 Pro costs €1,000 for the 12GB/512GB model, while the base Honor 600 sits at €700. In Malaysia, the gap narrows to 27 percent—€2,600 versus €3,300—and that difference appears to matter. One-third of poll respondents expressed interest in the Pro, drawn by its faster Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a dedicated 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 3.5x zoom, and 50-watt wireless charging. These aren't trivial upgrades. The base model makes do with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 and no wireless charging at all. For people already considering an Honor 600, the Pro's feature set apparently tips the scales.
Yet the price remains the elephant in the room. A thousand euros buys you a lot of phone these days—actual flagships sit at or below that threshold. The Honor 600 Pro itself lacks some hallmarks of true premium devices: it doesn't have the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, no LTPO display, no ultrasonic fingerprint reader. Commenters on the poll noted they could grab an Honor Magic8 Pro for roughly the same money, or look at Poco F and Xiaomi T models, both of which offer more flagship credentials for less cash. The consensus was clear: the Pro needs a discount to move units.
The base model faces its own headwinds. At full MSRP, 19 percent of voters said they'd rather have the Pro, while 20 percent indicated they'd shop elsewhere entirely. One commenter reported finding a Honor 600 at €150 below list price with bundled extras—that's the kind of deal that changes the equation. Without it, the phone sits in an awkward middle ground: too expensive to be a bargain, not quite premium enough to justify the cost on specs alone.
There's an interesting alternative lurking in the background. Honor's older 400 Pro model, available on the company's German site for €550, undercuts the new 600 by €150 while packing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor that outperforms the 600's mid-range chip. It has a 50-megapixel 3x telephoto, a larger 6.7-inch display, and faster 100-watt wired charging. The battery is smaller—5,300 milliampere-hours versus the 600's 6,400—but the overall package suggests that waiting for a sale, or looking at last year's flagship, might be the smarter play. For anyone genuinely interested in an Honor 600, the advice is simple: don't pay full price. The phone is capable, but it needs a discount to be worth what Honor is asking.
Notable Quotes
If you have your heart set on an Honor 600, wait until you find a solid discount— GSMArena editorial recommendation
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the Pro win the poll so decisively if the price is such a barrier?
Because the people voting were already in the market for an Honor 600. Once you've decided on the brand, the Pro's upgrades—the faster chip, the telephoto lens, wireless charging—feel like the obvious choice. The question wasn't whether to buy a phone; it was which Honor to buy.
But you said 20 percent of voters looked elsewhere. That's significant.
It is. Those are the people for whom the price crossed a line. They'd rather have a different brand entirely than pay €1,000 for a phone that doesn't quite feel like a flagship. That's the real problem Honor faces.
What about the older 400 Pro at €550? Why would anyone buy the new 600 at all?
That's the uncomfortable question the article raises. The 400 Pro has a better processor, a bigger screen, faster charging. The only real advantage the 600 has is a larger battery. If you're not in a rush, the older model is the smarter buy.
So Honor's pricing strategy backfired?
Not entirely. The Pro did win the poll. But it won among people who were already committed to the brand. The real test is street price—what people actually pay, not what Honor lists. At a discount, the Pro probably sells fine. At €1,000, it's fighting an uphill battle.
Is this a problem unique to Honor?
No. Every phone maker struggles with this. You price a phone to maximize profit, but you price it too high and people just wait for a sale or buy last year's model instead. Honor's just more transparent about the tension because the poll made it visible.