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HONOR X9c 5G review

HONOR started 2025 by introducing the HONOR X9c 5G to the Philippines. Touted as the toughest phone of the year, it boasts an “all angle triple defense” that even broke a Guinness Guinness World Record.

Beyond durability, the phone features a 120Hz 1.2K AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, a 108MP camera, and a 6600mAh battery. With a starting price of ₱16,999, it offers value-packed features in the budget category. It appears promising on paper, but can they deliver? Let’s find out in this review.

Design and Display

The HONOR X9c 5G sports a similar design to its predecessors with a slim profile and a curved display. It has a thin circular camera module. Although there are four cutouts, it only contains two sensors and an LED flash. Meanwhile, the frame is constructed from a metal and plastic composite while the back cover is made of a premium plastic material.

Our review unit is the Jade Cyan variant. It is also available in Titanium Purple and the more traditional Titanium Black colorways.

HONOR X9c 5G review

Like previous HONOR X9-series devices, the X9c is designed to withstand not only bumps and scratches but also drops from significant heights. It features an “All-Angle Triple Defense” system, which includes three main components.

Firstly, it has Super Doubled Glass on both sides, protecting the display and the camera module.

Secondly, the device uses under-screen shock-absorbing materials. The gap between the screen and the mid-frame is filled with it, effectively reducing the impact transferred to the display from the supporting frame.

Lastly, it boasts a 3-layer defense system to ensure water resistance. The side keys, speakers, and SIM card tray have enhanced seals. All ingress ports (USB-C, SIM tray) have pinholes to control roughness and minimize leakage.

We tested the claims by abusing the X9c, rolling it down the stairs, dropping it on hard granite flooring from a height of 2 meters, and even dunking it on boiling water for almost 10 seconds.

The phone proved durable, escaping with an intact display, minor scratches on the frame, and small bubbles forming on the screen protector. Other than that, the device worked with no issues.

Remember, these features are meant to minimize damage in case of accidents. We do not recommend intentionally drop-testing or submerging the handset in boiling water. HONOR’s fine print states that “damage caused by immersion in liquids is not covered by the warranty.”

Here’s a short video of our tests.

@technobry Dropped, boiled, and dropped again. What else can the HONOR X9c 5G survive? Find out on launch day January 10! #HONORX9C5G #TheToughestPhone #AllAngleTripleDefense @HONOR Philippines @HONOR ♬ 오리지널 사운드 – 𝘀𝗰

At the front, the phone has a large 6.78-inch 1.2K display with a 2700×1224 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 4000 nits, and wet hand touch control, which allows responsive navigation even with wet fingers.

Unsurprisingly, the screen is bright with punchy colors, deep blacks, and high visibility in direct sunlight. The display is also sharp and smooth.

HONOR X9c 5G

Apart from the display and design, the X9c boasts dual speakers, a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a responsive in-display fingerprint scanner, an IP65M dust and water-resistant rating, and an SGS 5-star drop resistance certification.

Back to the stereo speakers, the sound quality is above average. It is clear and loud but, like other phones in the same range, exhibits limited bass and mids.

Cameras

The HONOR X9c 5G features a dual camera setup on the back with a 108MP main sensor and a 5MP ultra-wide lens. The main camera has an f/1.75 aperture while the secondary one with an f/2.2. It supports 4K video recording, night mode, and portrait mode.

The camera app is straightforward to use with the most common modes in easy reach.

HONOR X9c 5G

The camera quality of the X9c is what you would expect for a handset in this price range. The results won’t wow you, but it’s good enough for daily use.

In good lighting conditions, photos have good, natural colors with a wide dynamic range and ample details and sharpness. Again, it is nothing extraordinary, but it gets the job done.

Zoom quality is average, with results showing softer details and colors. The same can be said for indoor and lowlight shots, although with better sharpness but limited dynamic range. Meanwhile, selfies are satisfactory with results you won’t mind sharing on social media.

Overall, the phone’s cameras are decent performers, offering good options for various situations. As with most midrange phones, these cameras provide more than enough quality for social media in today’s smartphone landscape.

Here are some test photos.

Performance

The HONOR X9c 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor with 12GB of RAM and a spacious 256GB of storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card.

It runs on MagicOS 8 on top of Android 14. Basic navigation is smooth and responsive. In terms of updates, expect two years of Android updates and security patches.

The X9c has proven that it can handle most tasks and apps with no issues. There was no noticeable lag or stutter. It can also run most games at medium to high settings, with a stable frame rate and smooth gameplay.

HONOR X9c 5G

Here are the benchmark scores:

  • AnTuTu Benchmark
    Total: 534,443
  • Geekbench 6
    CPU Benchmark: 929 single-core; 2,747 multi-core
  • 3DMark
    Wild Life: 2,387

As you can see, the X9c’s scores are comparable to the HONOR X9b 5G, save for the AnTuTu Benchmark, which is almost 60,000 points higher due to better GPU and MEM results.

Battery and Charging

The HONOR X9c 5G has a massive 6600mAh battery while maintaining a 7.98 mm slim profile. During the review, the battery showed it can last for a whole day with mixed usage of streaming videos, social media, messaging apps, and web browsing. It can undoubtedly last longer, depending on your usage.

In the PC Mark Work 3.0 Battery Life test, the X9c scored 13 hours and 15 minutes. The test was conducted with brightness set at 80%, volume muted, and in airplane mode.

In the meantime, charging the large-capacity battery is pretty quick, despite the large capacity. Using the included 66W charger, a full charge from empty took only 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Final Remarks

HONOR X9c 5G

The HONOR X9c 5G emerges as HONOR’s toughest offering yet, prioritizing durability without compromising too much on essential features.

Performance remains competitive, aligning with its predecessor, the X9b 5G. Moreover, the X9c boasts enhanced drop resistance and an IP65M water resistance rating. Notably, these durability claims proved to be true. In our own assessment, the phone showed impressive resilience, surviving our drop tests and boiling water immersion with only minor cosmetic damage.

This makes the X9c an ideal choice for users who looking for a device that can withstand the demands of everyday life.

Furthermore, the phone is a viable alternative to other durable mid-range smartphones offered by major brands such as Samsung, OPPO, and vivo.

Price and Availability

The HONOR X9b 5G is priced at ₱16,999.  It is available for pre-order until January 24, 2025.

Pre-orders will get a chance to win a brand new Rolex Datejust watch worth over ₱600,000. You can find the handset on ShopeeLazada, and TikTok Shop.

HONOR X9c 5G specs

  • Display: 6.78-inch 1.2K AMOLED display, 2700×1224, 120Hz refresh rate, 4000 nits, wet hand touch control
  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
  • RAM/Storage: 12GB+256GB
  • Rear Cameras:
    108MP main, f/1.75, 3x lossless zoom
    5MP ultra-wide, f/2.2
  • Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.45
  • Network: 5G, 4G LTE, dual SIM
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC
  • Others: In-display fingerprint scanner, USB-C, Magic AI, stereo speakers, 2m drop resistance, scratch resistance, IP65M dust and water resistance, SGS 5-star drop resistance
  • OS: MagicOS 8, Android 14
  • Colors: Titanium Purple, Titanium Black, Jade Cyan
  • Battery: 6600mAh battery, 66W fast charging

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

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