Honor X9b: A Stylish Mid-Range Phone With Promise But Falls Short on Performance and Value

The sub-brand of Huawei, Honor, has indeed made significant progress. After withdrawing from the market a few years back, the brand is now making its comeback in India, this time associated with a new parent entity named HTech, under which it has the authority to manufacture and distribute Huawei’s Honor smartphones in India. Since it operates under a different company structure in India, these Honor smartphones also encompass the standard Google service integrations and applications. The inaugural smartphone under HTech’s label is the Honor 90, positioned as a premium offering.

Following closely, the brand unveiled the Honor X9b, targeted towards the mid-range segment. While it boasts an attractive design, a substantial battery, and a seemingly competent camera (at least on paper), Honor is also promoting its ultra-bounce display technology, touted to provide a degree of shock resistance. I have been utilizing this smartphone for a while now, and despite its practicality as a mid-range device, I find it quite challenging to recommend, and here’s why.

Honor X9b Review: Pricing in India

The Honor X9b comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, priced at Rs. 25,999. It is available in two color options. The Midnight Black variant features a standard polycarbonate back panel, whereas the Sunrise Orange variant offers a vibrant orange vegan leather back. We received the Midnight Black version for assessment.

The Honor X9b certainly makes a positive first impression upon initial handling.

 

In addition to a transparent TPU case and documentation, Honor has also bundled a Type-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter and a pair of wired earphones. A standard Type-A to Type-C USB charging cable is included, but no charger is provided in the packaging. The 30W charger was supplied separately for our review at a price of Rs. 699.

Honor X9b Review: Aesthetics

The Honor X9b has a slim profile and makes an impression with its gracefully curved edges. Both the polycarbonate back and the display glass are designed to seamlessly curve at the left and right edges, making it easy to hold. Weighing in at 185g, it offers a surprisingly light feel with a thickness of just 7.98mm. The curved edges provide an excellent hand feel, and despite the slender polycarbonate frame, it feels robust and has a premium finish.

Honor asserts that the device can endure a drop from 1.5 meters, meaning that the display glass should withstand impact without shattering. While it isn’t a rugged smartphone (lacking heavy duty seals and bumpers), Honor relies on its proprietary shock-absorbing material (incorporating three layers) that is applied to the frame, supporting the curved display glass panel. Honor claims the phone can handle drops on both soft and hard surfaces, including marble. However, this doesn’t imply it’s completely shatter-proof; rather, the Ultra-Bounce Anti-Drop display technology can resist shattering to a certain extent.

After a few hours of usage, the Honor X9b quickly accumulates smudges and dust.

 

Considering the claimed durability, I decided to test it. The phone survived the initial drop onto its back and a subsequent one on its edge, but unfortunately, during the third drop with the screen facing down, a corner of the display cracked. Nonetheless, the display layer underneath remained intact and fully functional without issues.

While it’s evident that it won’t endure a direct hit to the display, the polycarbonate edges and rear panel showed minimal scratching, which is commendable. If you frequently subject your devices to rough handling or prefer to use them without a case, the Nokia XR20, which I reviewed over a year ago, would be a superior choice.

Despite its polished design, I was slightly disheartened to find that the rear panel became a magnet for dust and fingerprints. To compound the issue, removing these fingerprints proves quite difficult due to its matte finish. At its mid-range price point, the X9b carries an official IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, but this is quite basic compared to other ratings. Its closest rival, the Realme 12 Pro, features an IP65 certification at a similar price, which is a substantial advantage.

Honor’s Ultra-Bounce technology struggled to protect the screen from impact.

 

Despite the IP53 certification, I noticed the rubber seal around the SIM card tray easily detaches when inserting or removing the tray. This is something I rarely encounter on mid-range devices, so I wouldn’t place much trust in this phone being water-resistant amidst splashes.

On a positive note, I appreciated the design of the curved-edge 6.78-inch display, featuring thin bezels that confer a premium look to the device. It does attract smudges, but they can be easily wiped away.

Honor X9b Review: Features and Operating System

It’s a bit surprising to see a Huawei device running on Qualcomm’s silicon, but the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC is a reasonable choice for average users. This 4nm processor, announced in 2022, is somewhat outdated and has been largely succeeded by the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC, present in competing models like the OnePlus Nord CE4, which I recently reviewed. The phone comes with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage that isn’t expandable. In terms of connectivity, it offers dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and a USB-C port at the bottom. It supports dual 5G standby (with two nano SIM cards) and standard GPS functionality. Powering the phone is a substantial 5,800mAh battery with 35W wired charging support.

One aspect that hasn’t changed significantly compared to older Honor and Huawei models is the software experience. The Honor X9b operates with Magic OS 7.2, which is curious since it’s based on Android 13. Honor commits to just two years of Android updates and three years of security updates, which feels somewhat limited considering the phone is already on Android 13, while competing devices provide more substantial updates.

The Honor X9b has an official IP53 rating, but the SIM card tray seal was prone to coming off multiple times.

 

The software experience is akin to what you would expect from Huawei if you’ve used their smartphones in the past. Although the icons have a slightly modernized look, the overall interface remains similar to what Huawei offered before their exit from India. Essentially, Magic OS is a slightly modified version of EMUI tailored for Honor or globally sold devices, while EMUI still exists on devices available in the Chinese market.

The 120Hz refresh rate display definitely enhances the software experience, providing very fluid interactions. The revamped icons offer numerous customization options and themes, arranged similarly to the Personalization section of OnePlus’ OxygenOS. I’m also quite fond of the Honor Sans font, which, unlike many smartphone operating systems (or skins), maintains consistency across the interface (except for third-party apps that may not support a native font), somewhat resembling iOS. This font is also incorporated in the Chrome web browser, promoting a cohesive software experience.

I appreciate the swipe-up gesture on certain system icons that brings up their corresponding cards (or widgets). There are also several minor AI-driven features, including AI app suggestions (displayed as a widget on the home screen) and Magic Text, which allows users to extract text from a screenshot, a handy tool.

Honor X9b Review: Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 performs reliably as anticipated, aligning well with most devices at this price point, like the Realme 12 Pro and the OnePlus Nord CE4. However, it lags behind performance-centric options such as the Poco X6 Pro. This results in a smooth and lag-free software experience and acceptable gaming performance, albeit with a few hiccups.

The device achieved a score of 4,87,774 in AnTuTu and 939 and 2,763 points in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. In graphical performance, it managed respectable results of 60 FPS, 31 FPS, and 16 FPS in GFXBench’s T-Rex, Manhattan 3.1, and Car Chase tests, respectively.

The Magic OS software is built on Android 13 and runs smoothly.

 

When playing Call of Duty: Mobile (CODM), the phone didn’t give options for high graphics, but it did allow for a maximum frame rate capped at 60 FPS during gameplay. With settings at high graphics, the device did not overheat, however, the 240Hz maximum touch sampling rate felt laggy for fast-paced shooters such as CODM. Asphalt 9: Legends performed well on high-quality graphics with no issues at all and even provided a 60 FPS mode.

The 120Hz refresh rate doesn’t significantly impact the general mid-range gaming experience but enhances the fluidity of animations and transitions when interacting with the Magic OS. Outdoor visibility is impressive, as text and images remain clearly visible even in direct sunlight. Color reproduction is commendable, provided you use the natural screen color setting.

Battery life is one of the Honor X9b’s prominent strengths. Despite the slim design housing a substantial 5,800mAh battery, the results are impressive. You can expect around 1.5 days of battery life under heavy usage. For casual use without gaming or extensive camera engagement, the device can easily stretch to about 2 days of usage, which is quite remarkable.

Our standard video loop battery test yielded an impressive 25 hours and 43 minutes, slightly lower than what the OnePlus Nord CE4 achieved in the same scenario, but still commendable overall.

Honor’s software update policy includes merely two years of Android updates, which isn’t ideal considering it is already on Android 13.

 

Charging, however, is where the phone falls short. With a maximum charging capacity of 30W (or the supported 35W), it is relatively slow compared to most competitors that offer between 67-100W of wired charging. Moreover, there is no charger included in the box. However, the optional 30W charger sent for review charged the device to 37 percent in 30 minutes, 62 percent in an hour, and fully charged it in 1 hour and 54 minutes, which remains sluggish compared to rivals, even taking the larger battery into consideration.

Honor X9b Review: Camera Capabilities

The Honor X9b provides a basic camera array for a mid-range smartphone. It includes a primary 108-megapixel camera (without OIS), a 5-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Self-portraits are handled by a 16-megapixel front camera. Unlike the rest of Magic OS, the camera interface feels a bit cumbersome and unintuitive, with settings and toggles typically expected in the viewfinder hidden away in the camera settings. However, I appreciate the classic camera sounds when switching between modes.

The primary camera, with its substantial resolution, captures 12-megapixel binned images by default. In bright light, the photos produced are merely acceptable. Despite the large sensor, the detail resolution is average, and the camera often overexposes pictures, resulting in blown highlights. Additionally, there is a noticeable pink hue in nearly all captured images, whether they are landscapes, objects, or people.

Daylight samples from the Honor X9b’s camera. From top to bottom: Ultra-wide camera, primary camera, and a 2X digital zoom (tap to expand images).

 

Using the 2X digital zoom allows you to get closer to your subject, but there is a distinct decrease in image quality regarding texture and sharpness. Overall, the primary camera struggles with shot-to-shot consistency, a vital requirement for a smartphone at this price.

In low-light scenarios, image quality diminishes further in Auto mode, with image processing described as erratic, producing slightly pixelated images with flattened textures. Activating the dedicated Night mode significantly improves the results, yielding decent images with well-defined edges, but still not on par with what competitors offer.

Selfies taken in bright daylight using Portrait mode exhibit blown-out backgrounds (tap image to expand).

 

Selfies captured in Auto mode displayed decent levels of detail and a good dynamic range, ensuring the subject and background were well illuminated. However, switching to Portrait mode detracts from quality, leading to average edge detection and overly exposed backgrounds, rendering bright daylight pictures nearly unusable. Nighttime selfies are mediocre but can be salvaged with the on-screen flash, though they also suffer from heavy over-sharpening, excessive noise reduction, and the familiar blown highlights prevalent in Portrait mode.

Low-light images from the Honor X9b. Top: Primary camera (auto mode), bottom: Primary camera (Night mode) (tap images to expand).

 

The ultra-wide camera is somewhat underwhelming, featuring a mere 5-megapixel resolution. The results are telling, producing slightly overexposed photos with noticeable purple fringing. The textures on objects resemble oil paintings and lack definition. Low-light shots are soft and often appear blurry.

The 2-megapixel macro camera fulfills its role adequately for close-ups. While it allows for proximity shots, better results can be achieved by cropping images from the primary camera.

4K video recordings at 30fps result in shaky footage while in motion and during stationary panning. The exposure and detail are acceptable, but the shaky quality could be distracting. Shooting at 1080p 30fps yields better stabilization and overall footage quality, although it may frequently overexpose in bright conditions. In low-light scenarios, 4K recordings produce the best results but contain a significant amount of noise.

Honor X9b Review: Conclusion

Although the mid-range Honor X9b (priced at Rs. 25,999) showcases practical battery performance, the premium Honor 90 (First Impressions) is currently available for a significantly reduced price of Rs. 27,999, making the X9b less appealing due to the overall greater value offered by the Honor 90.

Even when compared with its competitors, the Honor X9b struggles to make its mark, despite its innovative ultra-bounce display technology. The OnePlus Nord CE 4 (Review) (starting at Rs. 24,999) provides impressive performance and battery longevity along with a superior software experience and reasonably better camera performance along with rapid 100W charging. The Poco X6 Pro (Review) (from Rs. 25,999) offers enhanced performance appealing to the gaming demographic. Additionally, there’s the Nothing Phone 2A (Review) (starting at Rs. 23,999), which boasts robust performance, standout design, and a software experience devoid of unnecessary bloat. Moreover, if you are open to spending a few thousand rupees more, the Realme 12 Pro+ (Review) (starting at Rs. 29,999) provides considerably better camera capabilities, telephoto options, a unique design, and an IP65 rating. Consequently, with a plethora of superior mid-range smartphones available, it’s indeed a challenge to recommend the Honor X9b.

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