While most smartphones on the market are becoming more of the same type and indistinguishable from each other, HONOR successfully sets aesthetic trends and constantly comes up with something new.
And this applies not only too expensive flagship devices, but also to the middle price segment, in which most manufacturers pay less attention to the exterior and, at best, use solutions from top models of past years.
For example, HONOR has already successfully experimented with boring colors, spectacular gradients, and unusual rear panel textures. Moreover, at the moment when other companies pick up their decisions, brand designers come up with something new and continue to stand out in the market.
IN HONOR 9X the manufacturer decided to bet on a combination of the brand name for the brand in deep blue and an unusual, shimmering in the light texture in the form of the Latin letter X. It looks very cool because even with the slightest tilt of the device, the pattern on the back changes significantly in the light.
Specifications of HONOR 9X
Operating system: EMUI 9.1.0 based on Android P
Display: FullView IPS bezel-less screen, 6.59 inches, 2340×1080
CPU: Octa-core Kirin 710F
RAM: 4 GB
Storage: 128 GB
Memory card support: hybrid microSD slot up to 512 GB
Main camera: dual, 48 MP (PDAF phase detection autofocus) + 2 MP
Front camera: 16 MP retractable
Communication: 2 nano-SIM cards
Wireless Connections: Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
Connector: USB Type-C
Security: rear fingerprint scanner, face recognition
Battery: 4000 mAh
Dimensions: 163.5 × 77.3 × 8.8 mm
Weight: 196.8 g
Price: 16 990 rubs.
In addition to the spectacular design, HONOR 9X It turned out to be convenient to use and ergonomic. It is neither heavy nor fat, it fits comfortably in the palm of the hand due to the smooth bending of the back and the presence of a slightly protruding frame that provides a more reliable grip without the risk of accidentally dropping the smartphone.
In addition, even with a sufficiently large display – and this is a Full View panel with a diagonal of 6.59 inches – the device does not feel too large. Thin frames around the perimeter of the screen and the lack of a camera in the upper part of the case help this.
Thereby HONOR 9X It looks stylish, modern, and expensive. It gives the impression of a technological product in which non-standard technical solutions were applied for the sake of aesthetics. By the way, the screen itself is very high quality. However, this is already the standard for the HONOR brand.
I can’t remember a single time when their displays would raise some questions from me. Color reproduction and calibration are excellent, Full HD + resolutions are enough to provide high detail pictures, viewing angles are maximum, the margin of brightness is enough for use in direct sunlight.
Frontal HONOR 9X – a retractable module with a 16-megapixel sensor. By default, the camera is placed inside the case and extends only when necessary, that is when you need to take a selfie or unlock the smartphone using the face recognition system.
At the moment, the attitude to the sliding elements in smartphones is ambiguous. On the one hand, not everyone likes curly cutouts at the top of the screen, where the front camera and speaker are located, due to the overlapping part of the content. At the same time, some buyers are confused by the complexity of the design of the smartphone and the appearance of an electric drive for the camera module.
However, in fact, worrying about this is not worth it. Such a system works very quickly (the camera appears and folds in just 1 second), and the mechanism itself is very reliable and undergoes numerous tests before the smartphone enters the market.
In particular, the retractable camera is paired with the sensors of the smartphone and is able to detect emergency situations. If HONOR 9X “Feels” the acceleration of free fall – the front camera automatically hides inside the case.
The design is also protected from other influences, for example, it is able to withstand fracture pressure up to 15 kg, and this is a fairly serious indicator. We ourselves arrange HONOR 9X stress tests to test the ultimate endurance did not.
They threw the smartphone over a soft surface to make sure the camera’s ability to hide inside the case before hitting it and also tried to bend the module in different directions with their hands and were convinced of the reliability of the design.
However, there is one minus. Since the camera is located inside the case, it can sometimes take dust particles with it and is not capable of cleaning itself on the fabric of pockets, as is usually the case. From time to time it will have to be wiped. As for the quality of shooting on the front camera, HONOR 9X shows itself on the good side.
Due to the low price, there are no outstanding technological solutions, but the pictures are good enough so that it would be impossible to complain about the implementation of the front-end. 16-megapixel resolution is enough for detailed self-portraits, smart algorithms help to embellish reality within reasonable limits and hide possible flaws when shooting. In general, a normal camera with normal photos. On Instagram, publish a fresh photo or take a story – just right.
A dual module with 48 megapixel and 2-megapixel sensors is used as the main camera. The first is the main one and serves for most frames, the second is used to measure the depth of the field and helps to make high-quality and spectacular blur when shooting people and objects in portrait mode.
By the way, the smartphone also has a 3D lighting function, which allows you to change the light scheme for greater expressiveness when shooting on the front camera or the main camera. The main camera uses a 1/2 inch sensor with a resolution of 48 megapixels and light optics with an aperture of F / 1.8.
The module is very high quality and allows you to take great photos and shoot videos in any conditions. However, in addition to a good physical base, HONOR 9X an important role is played by artificial intelligence algorithms. For example, they work to stabilize video and significantly improve the quality of photographs at night and in low light conditions.
HONOR 9X – A great choice in terms of performance. The smartphone runs on a mid-range Kirin 710F chip in combination with 4 GB of RAM. This is a sufficient configuration for both games and everyday use.
In the AnTuTu synthetic test, the smartphone gains about 155 thousand points, which is considered a worthy result not only for the price category HONOR 9X but also for more expensive devices. In addition, proprietary GPU Turbo 3.0 technology is supported, which adds performance to the games by efficiently managing background processes and accelerating the graphics core.
We played HONOR 9X in the most popular and demanding games now: Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG, Asphalt 9: Legends, and the latest GRID Autosport.
In all cases, I liked the result. Even if not all games have the opportunity to set the graphics settings to the maximum, but they play perfectly and the smartphone does not create barriers to mobile entertainment. We don’t even have to talk about the work of the proprietary EMUI 9.1 shell and the use of applications – HONOR 9X works perfectly.
Autonomy is another strength of this smartphone. A 4000 mAh battery is installed in it, which, combined with other characteristics of the device, provides a full day of mixed-use without restrictions.
You can see the charge indicator approaching zero only late in the evening, and even then after active work in the morning. According to the manufacturer, the user can count on 120 hours of music, up to 13 hours of video, 8 hours of games, and 24 hours of calls on 3G networks. In fact, laboratory measurements under ideal conditions show somewhat overestimated indicators, but in reality, nevertheless, they are not very far from them.
However, few people will occupy a smartphone for such a long time with anyone’s tasks such as continuous play, so you still need to focus on mixed-use. And in this case, the smartphone holds steady all day without intermediate recharges.
Special mention deserves the connection of the smartphone with the outside world. Wi-Fi module is fast, 802.11a / b / g / n / ac standards are supported, Bluetooth version 4.2. For physical connections, a headphone jack is used, and finally, a convenient symmetrical USB Type-C connector finally settled in inexpensive smartphones.
Moreover, in HONOR 9X There is an NFC module in demand in our country. So it can be used to pay for goods and services instead of a bank card. This is convenient, we hold a smartphone in our hands much more often than a wallet, and there are fewer chances to forget it at home, without money.
By the way, the presence of the NFC module is one of the differences sold in Russia HONOR 9X from the earlier Chinese version. In Asia, other payment instruments are used, so NFC in devices is almost useless. What can not be said about Russia, eastern Europe, and some other countries?
As a result, we get a well-equipped, very beautiful, and powerful smartphone at an attractive price. It has everything the user needs, starting with an excellent screen, productive filling, high-quality cameras, and ending with such nice little things as a USB Type-C connector and an NFC module.