HONOR X9a 5G Review: Budget Phone with Premium OLED Curved Screen

In case you missed it, HONOR Philippines has recently launched its newest HONOR X9a 5G in the Philippines. The device is equipped with a 6.67-inch Super Reinforced Glass 45-degree curved OLED Display with 120Hz refresh rate, 2.2GHz Snapdragon 695 octa-core processor, 64-megapixel rear triple camera system, a 16-megapixel selfie camera, and a 5,100mAh Li-Pol with 40W HONOR SuperCharge.

We’re fortunate enough to get our hands on an early unit of the HONOR X9a 5G in Titanium Silver variant inspired by the wonder of nature. Here’s our unboxing and full review of HONOR most durable smartphone available today.

Unboxing/Accessories

The HONOR X9a 5G arrived on standard white packaging with the 5G logo printed on the front of the box and the smartphone model on the lower portion of the box. Inside the box, you will find the HONOR X9a 5G handset, 40-watt HONOR SuperCharge charger, USB Type-A to USB Type-C data/charging cable, TPU Protective case for protection, paper documentation, and the SIM ejector tool.

Honestly, it’s really nice to see that HONOR still includes a charger and a silicone case inside the box when most brands nowadays no longer have these accessories out of the box. However, it is unfortunate that HONOR did not include earphones.

Build Quality/Design

Designed with style in mind, the new HONOR X9a 5G is available in three stunning colors Titanium Silver, Emerald Green, and Midnight Black, all inspired by the wonder of nature. The HONOR X9a 5G is just 7.9mm thin and is incredibly lightweight at just 175g with a battery capacity of 5,100mAh, Which enables it to support up to two days of daily use for a truly uninterrupted user experience.

The HONOR X9a 5G offers a comfortable grip and fits nicely on your hand while in use thanks to the curved edges on both sides. Additionally, it also boasts high-end design elements, such as a circular camera system that is symmetrical.

Inheriting the same iconic circular camera layout of HONOR’s flagship Magic Series line-up, the HONOR X9a 5G features a symmetrical Matrix Star Ring camera design at the back that creates a ring-shaped bulge at the back. However, the camera bulge is less noticeable with the phone’s protective case on.

Here is our Durability Test video:

Overall, the HONOR X9a 5G looks and feels premium because of its metallic finish and curved design, which are often found on a more expensive flagship smartphone in the market today.

Camera

The HONOR X9a 5G is equipped with a rear triple camera system that allows users to take stunning photos with ease. The HONOR X9a 5G comes with a 64-megapixel Ultra-clear Main Camera, a 5-megapixel Wide Angle Camera, and a 2-megapixel Macro Camera, perfect for content creators to capture every precious life moment in fascinating quality.

In ideal lighting conditions, the primary camera creates sharp, detailed photographs with colors that look natural. In darker settings, noise does become a problem, but you may resolve this by switching to the specific Night mode.

Overall, the HONOR X9a 5G’s camera performance is average considering its low price tag. Here are some sample photos using HONOR X9a 5G:

In terms of video, either the front or primary rear cameras can take just 1080p videos at 30 frames per second. There is also a Multi-Video option in the camera app that enables users to simultaneously capture multiple perspectives using the front camera and the rear camera at the same time. Perfect for content creators and for people who wants to record and share memorable moments in life, Multi-Video Mode offers a high degree of flexibility and convenience for users to produce captivating video content.

Performance

The HONOR X9a 5G, like its predecessor, is powered by a Snapdragon 695 octa-core processor. It also boasts 8GB of RAM, and thanks to the HONOR RAM Turbo feature, you can add an additional 5GB of RAM virtually. Which can considerably increase its efficiency, especially while multitasking numerous programs. Furthermore, it features 256GB of internal storage.

According to our benchmark test results, the phone received 406098 points on the AnTuTu benchmark, really good for a mid-range smartphone.

Playing graphically-demanding gaming titles such as Call of Duty, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at their highest settings ran smoothly without causing any issues. As a matter of fact, I’ve been using HONOR X9a 5G for almost 2 weeks now playing Call of Duty and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

Battery

The HONOR X9a 5G is equipped with a 5,100mAh battery which allows it to support up to 2 days of daily use for a truly uninterrupted user experience. The phone also draws power from a 40W HONOR SuperCharge Charger that is capable of refueling the battery from 0% to 100% in about 1 hour 57 minutes.

The brand promises that the HONOR X9a 5G can stream videos for 12.5 hours after only 30 minutes of charging, so users won’t have to worry about their battery.

HONOR X9a 5G Specs

Price and availability

The HONOR X9a 5G is available for only PHP 16,990 and get a Free HONOR Earbuds X3 Lite worth PHP 3,999 when you pre-order from January 20 to February 3, 2023.

Visit any HONOR Kiosk and Partner Stores near you or check out HONOR’s official online stores via Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok.

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