Introduction
A few days ago, we unboxed the HONOR 9X and gave our first impressions, which is a huge relief when we found out that the phone did come with Google Mobile Services (GMS). The phone has just been launched in Malaysia, and it’s time for a full review treatment! Without further ado, this is the HONOR 9X review.
Unboxing & First Impressions
Design
We’ve pretty much covered the design of the phone in the first impressions article, so here’s just a quick one. The front of the phone is all about its 6.59-inch Full HD+ IPS HONOR FullView display with a 91% screen-to-body ratio. There’s no notch nor camera cutout, this is because the 16MP selfie shooter is now a pop-up camera.
The back of the phone has curves on both sides for better handling. If you thinking to get the phone, just get the Sapphire Blue variant, which has the glimmering pearl X effect. Like most mid-range phones, the back of the phone isn’t glass material, but acrylic, instead, which also means it’ll get scratched easily.
The top of the phone houses the pop-up selfie camera and SIM tray, while the right has the volume rocker and power button. At the bottom, there’s a 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port, and mono speaker.
Display
The phone sports a 6.59-inch Full HD+ IPS HONOR FullView display without a notch or camera cutout. Having a Full HD+ is definitely a plus point since there are quite a few phones at this price point only have an HD+ screen. The screen is sharp but not as vibrant as an OLED panel, and color temperature tends to be on the cooler side.
Performance
Powering the phone is a Kirin 710F processor with 6GB RAM and 128GB expandable storage. To be honest, it’s a disappointment knowing that the phone actually has the same chipset as its predecessor. The Chinese version actually comes with a Kirin 810 processor, no idea why there’s a processor swap, could be because of GMS?
In terms of performance, the 9X might not be a good phone for gaming. Let’s take Call of Duty: Mobile as an example, you can only play the game in low graphics quality and medium frame rate, and the overall gameplay experience wasn’t buttery smooth too. The phone is said to have GPU Turbo 3.0 feature for a better gameplay experience, but it seems that CoD: Mobile isn’t optimized at the moment.
Software
The HONOR 9X runs on EMUI 9.1 based on Android 9.0, that’s a lot of nines, I know. Basically, the software experience is pretty much the same as before. It still comes with bloatware, which thankfully, you can uninstall if you want. You still get the same two choices for the home screen style — Standard and Drawer. There’s still magazine unlock, which shows a different image on the lock screen each time the screen turns on.
Camera
In terms of camera, the phone packs a triple-camera setup on the back — 2MP depth sensor + 48MP f/1.8 main camera + 8MP ultra-wide lens. The rear camera also supports the AIS Super Night Mode feature for a better low-light photo. Selfie wise, there’s a 16MP pop-up front-facing shooter.
Image quality generally is quite decent for a smartphone at this price point. It shoots nice photos when the lighting environment is well-lit with great dynamic range. The phone shoots 12MP photos by default, changing to 48MP mode won’t have the AI photography optimization. Low-light photography can be better with the AIS Super Night Mode feature, but the noise level is higher compared to broad daylight images.
Battery
The phone packs a 4,000mAh battery, which can be charged through the USB-C port. Like many other smartphones at this price point, it doesn’t come with fast charging. In terms of battery life, getting through a day with this phone is not a problem, with more than 6 hours of screen-on-time.
Final Words
Retailing at RM999, the HONOR 9X isn’t a bad deal at all, but it’s not convincing enough to consider it over its rivals. Surely, having last year’s processor is a major drawback, but at least it still comes with GMS. Anyway, we all know that the company is now having a tough time, let’s just hope that it will get resolved soon, even though it’s been so long.
Yay
- FullView display without notch or camera cutout
- Comes with Google Mobile Services (GMS)
- Good battery life
Nay
- Unimpressive build quality
- Same processor as its predecessor
- Slow charging speed