HONOR X9b 5G Quick Review | Bigger, Bolder, Tougher

All this toughness for less than 20,000 Pesos? Why yes, yes it is.

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HONOR is set to break headlines (and sales records it seems) once again with the release of the HONOR X9b 5G, a superb update to their “controversial” release last year, the HONOR X9a 5G. Controversial because of how the guys at HONOR Philippines decided to showcase just how durable their devices are by inviting media and KOL’s to throw the phone to the ground and smash things using the units.

For 2024, they’re doing it again and this time with much crazier attempts – like a 50ft throw, an HONOR X9b 5G vs HUMMER experience, and dropping the phone 100ft above the ground. While eyebrow raising, it does prove the point of the #AllAngleToughness that the unit supposedly claims.

We’ve actually tested the unit out and did the some of the challenges ourselves to our (horror) amazement. Yes, the unit survived with nary a scratch.

While admittedly the scenarios done to test the durability of the phone are a bit on the extreme side, it does showcase that on everyday use, one can be assured that the phone should withstand the typical accidental scenarios.

 

Tough on the Outside

The HONOR X9b 5G gets a slightly bigger physical frame with a 6.78” curved AMOLED (2562×1200) display versus a 6.67” curved OLED (2400×1080) from previous generation. Overall peek brightness has been bumped up from 800 nits to 1200 nits so viewing your screen on a striking noon sun is made easier. Of course, the screen is reinforced with HONOR’s Ultra-Bounce Anti-Drop Display that garnered an SGS Five-star Overall Drop Resistance certification.

It’s also the first time that the HONOR X9 series will be getting an IP rating. This unit has an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance. Don’t submerge it in water, though (FYI:  IP68-rated phone can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes without damaging any internal systems).

Aside from this the side bezels seemed to be reinforced as well since we hardly saw any scratches or dents when we threw the phone around. Of course, if there’s something that’s going to give, it will most likely be the bezels first before the display cracks. So, think of it as an additional area to absorb impact/ collision damages.

Tough on the Inside

The exterior of the HONOR X9b 5G isn’t the only one putting up a fight, the internals are also something to content with as this device is powered by a 4nm chipset this time around in the form of Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 with up to 12GB of RAM and a steady 256GB of Internal memory.

To top it all off, the HONOR X9b 5G has a large 5800mAh battery with 35W SuperCharge capability. In our testing, the unit lasted almost 2 days before we had to top it up again, and we were abusing the unit by playing rounds upon rounds of MLBB set on Ultra.

Rounding everything off is a souped-up camera system with starting with a 108MP Main Shooter (f/1.75), 5MP (f/2.2) Ultra-Wide Camera, and a 2MP (f/2.4) Macro Camera comprising rear camera module. It still has a 16MP front-facing camera that adequately does the job (as long as you have enough light source).

Here a couple of sample shots from the phone.

Beautiful All Around

The Vegan Leather treatment on the HONOR X9b 5G is such a wonderful tough considering the price-point of the phone. Once upon a time, these embellishments are only reserved for special-edition flagship variants. It seems that the trickling down effect isn’t just for the tech component but on fashion as well. It’s high time that the mid-range market (especially the lower-midrange segment) get highly stylish options like these.

The Sunrise Orange Vegan Leather variant of the HONOR X9b 5G pairs so well with the gold bezels and slightly golden Triple Ai Matrix Camera Module especially with that fluted bezel surrounding the entire rear camera system. The design takes inspiration from high-end luxury watch bezels (think: ROLEX).

Overall, the HONOR X9b 5G starts the year strong by offering Filipino consumers a strong, sturdy device that not only looks good but is superbly capable as well. The best part in all of this is the price. The HONOR X9b 5G retails for just Php 16,999 – the same price as that of its predecessor. Now normally, brands would price an upgraded device quite differently but not HONOR.  We’ll be testing the phone some more so stay tuned for our full review soon.

HONOR X9b 5G Specs:

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 5G Processor (4nm)
  • Adreno 710 GPU
  • 12GB RAM (+8 GB VRAM)
  • 6.78-inch AMOLED  display, 120Hz refresh rate
  • 256GB storage
  • 108MP f/1.75 main + 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 2MP f/2.4 macro triple rear camera setup
  • 16MP f/2.5 wide front camera
  • 3G, LTE, 5G Dual SIM
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, fingerprint under display, USB Type-C,
  • 5800mAh battery with 35W fast charge support
  • Android 13 with Magic UI 7.02
  • IP53 Rated
  • Emerald Green, Midnight Black, Sunrise Orange (Vegan Leather)
  • Price: PHP 16,999

Get the HONOR X9b 5G starting today until January 19, 2024 during the pre-order phase and enjoy a FREE HONOR Gift Box and HONOR Choice X5 Earbuds worth Php 4,000.

Visit HONOR’s Official online stores to pre-order your device: