HONOR pulled no punches for its Philippine comeback. The smartphone brand marked its return with the introduction of four new smartphones: the Magic4 Pro and the X series—X7, X8, X9.
The HONOR X7 and X9 have some similarities in terms of specs and features, but of course, they’re not the same given the P5,000 difference in their prices. The X7 costs P9,900 while the X9 sells for P14,990.
We’re here to check if the phones are priced just right for what they offer.
Design & construction
One of the features that the HONOR X7 and X9 share is the glossy finish of the back panel. Both of our review units came in Titanium Silver, which produces a rainbow of colors when light hits the back at certain angles.
There are a few distinctions between the two. The first would be the camera module design: the X7 has a two-lens setup at the upper left of the rear while the X9 sports a circular module at the center.
The power button (which doubles as a fingerprint sensor) and volume keys are located on the right side of both phones. However, the X7’s SIM card/microSD tray is at the top while the X9’s can be found at the bottom.
The X7 is slightly taller, wider, and thicker than the X9, but not by much. The two phones are huge and weighty; one-hand use can be a challenge sometimes. It helps that they have curved backs, which ai with the handling and grip.
Display & multimedia
The HONOR X7 and X9 use IPS panels for their screens. This is not a huge issue for the X7. However, we would have loved the X9 to have an AMOLED screen given the price.
Nonetheless, the displays produce great colors—more so in the X9, which provides more vibrant hues and higher-quality images. The 6.74-inch screen on the X7 has an HD+ (1600 x 720) resolution, while the X9’s 6.81-inch screen comes with a Full HD+ (2388 x 1080) resolution. Both devices boast 90Hz refresh rates.
In terms of appearance, the HONOR X7 sports a teardrop notch for the front camera while the X9 opts for a punch-hole one. The X9 also has thinner top and side bezels compared to the X7.
Both phones have down-firing speakers that crank out decent audio. A huge difference is that the X7 still has a 3.5mm audio jack, while the X9 has none.
Overall, watching content is more enjoyable on the HONOR X9. Still, the Honor X7 offers a decent experience.
Cameras
Despite having different camera designs, both the HONOR X7 and X9 feature quad rear cameras and can shoot up to 1080p videos.
The X7 houses a 48MP f/1.8 main, 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 2MP f/2.4 macro, and 2MP f/2.4 depth lenses. Meanwhile, the X9 has the following: a 64MP f/1.8 main, 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 2MP f/2.4 macro, and 2MP f/2.4 depth.
When put to test, the HONOR X9 comes out as a winner. It is quick to take photos, can handle low-light scenarios well, and produce better-quality images overall. The output from the X7 is decent at best, but you can clearly see the struggle in terms of the shutter speed and focusing. Images taken in low-lit settings tend to lose details most of the time.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the photos taken from the HONOR X7 and X9:
We see the same results from the front cameras of the two devices. The X9’s 16MP selfie camera takes better photos than the X7’s 8-megapixel one.
Performance
Another similar feature of these two phones is the Snapdragon 680 processor paired with an Adreno 610 GPU. Both have 128GB of internal storage, which is still expandable via microSD. The X7 comes with 4GB of RAM and the X9 has 8GB.
Overall, the Snapdragon 680 provided smooth and lag-free performance for both of the devices. Even when playing, we did not experience any issues—granted the graphics settings of the games are either in the low or mid configurations.
Out of the box, these HONOR phones run MagicOS 4.2, which is based on Android 11. It comes with bloatware, but nothing you can’t remove if you don’t need or like them.
The HONOR X7 has a bigger battery capacity of 5000mAh compared to the X9’s 4800mAh. Both lasted more than a day—the X7 longer than the X9—of web browsing, mobile data or Wi-Fi always on, watching content, and some gaming. Charging is quick as well thanks to the X7’s 22.5W Supercharge and the X9’s 66W charging capability.
Speed says
The HONOR X7 and the HONOR X9 are clearly meant to cater to different needs and budgets.
The X7 is a decent sub-P10,000 phone. It has an attractive design and the performance is good for the most part. Meanwhile, the HONOR X9 keeps up with the competition within its price range by providing quality camera performance as well as premium features and design. Both phones have great battery life and quick charging support.
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