HONOR X7d Review: A Tough Companion for Everyday Life

The HONOR X7d smartphone next to its retail box. The phone is a light peach/gold color with a black, circular camera module that reads 108MP. The box has the phone's name and an "AI Button" label.

Unlike what you’d usually find in other parts of the world, the Philippines only has two seasons: dry and wet.

Unlike what you’d usually find in other parts of the world, the Philippines only has two seasons: dry and wet. Depending on the day, it can either be scorching hot or pouring rain.

One day you could be sweating from all extremities, and the next, you might be knee deep in floodwater. Having a strong immune system helps you endure these sudden weather shifts, but it’s not just your body that needs to adapt. Your devices should too.

Close-up of the front of the white HONOR X7d smartphone box. The phone image on the box is a light peach/gold color with a prominent circular black camera module that shows a 108MP inscription.

So what if I told you there’s a phone built exactly for that purpose, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg? Meet the HONOR X7d, the phone built to endure whatever life throws at you.

Unboxing

There’s really not much fanfare when it comes to the unboxing experience. The HONOR X7d comes in a white box with the name and the model of the phone highlighted at the front. Slide that top part open and you’ll find all the things you need to get started.

Unboxing contents of the HONOR X7d. Laid out next to the box are the light-colored phone, a clear silicone case, a white charging adapter, a white USB cable, a SIM ejector tool, and documentation.

Those include the following:

  • The HONOR X7d itself
  • A clear silicone phone case
  • Documentation including the Quick Start Guide and Safety Information
  • The 35W SuperCharge power brick
  • USB Type-C cable
  • SIM ejector tool

Design

If I asked you to picture a rugged phone, you’d probably imagine something big, black, boxy, and heavy, with bezels so thick you’d think it’s encased in concrete. And honestly, you wouldn’t be wrong.

Ruggedized smartphone, possibly a concept image, resting on a wet rock outdoors with a waterfall and stream in the background. The phone is black and orange with a prominent compass display on the screen. (Note: This image appears to be for a different, rugged device and not the HONOR X7d shown in the other photos).

But when you first see the HONOR X7d, your first thought might be, “Matibay ba talaga ’yan?” It looks sleek and unassuming, even premium, like something that could easily cost double or triple the price.

The HONOR X7d smartphone next to its retail box. The phone is a light peach/gold color with a black, circular camera module that reads 108MP. The box has the phone's name and an "AI Button" label.

The micro nano textures on the back give it a silky smooth feel, available in Desert Gold (the one we’re reviewing), Ocean Cyan, and Velvet Black.

Side profile view of the HONOR X7d smartphone, showing the volume rocker (two buttons) and the power/lock button on the right side.
Side profile view of the HONOR X7d smartphone, showing a light-colored body and a single, small physical button on the right side near the top, close to the camera bump.

You’ll find the power and volume buttons on the right side, while the dedicated AI button (more on that later) sits on the left. Up top, there’s what appears to be a sensor and a microphone pinhole, while the bottom houses the speaker grille, the Type-C port, another mic, and the SIM tray.

Bottom edge view of the HONOR X7d smartphone showing a speaker grille, a USB-C port, a microphone hole, and the SIM card tray slot.
Top edge view of the HONOR X7d smartphone showing two small microphone holes. The phone's main camera module is visible in the background.

Underneath that refined design lies a beast. HONOR claims the X7d can take the chaos of everyday life and more, backed by a 5-star SGS Premium Performance Certification for Drop and Crush Resistance and an IP65 dust and water resistance rating.

A hand touching the screen of the turned-on HONOR X7d smartphone. The screen shows the time (16:55), date (Mon, 27 Oct), and a colorful home screen with various app icons, including Facebook and Google. The screen has simulated water droplets on it.
Close-up of a hand tapping a social media app icon (Facebook) on the HONOR X7d's home screen. The screen is on, displaying the time and date, and has simulated water droplets.

There’s even a Wet Hand Touch Enhancement, ensuring the screen stays responsive even when your hands are wet. Whether you’re delivering parcels in the rain or following recipes in the kitchen, the HONOR X7d recognizes every tap and swipe.

Display

The HONOR X7d sports a 6.77 inch 720p TFT LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. “Why TFT?” you might ask. Compared to AMOLED, TFT panels are more durable because they don’t degrade as easily over time, which makes sense for a phone built for endurance.

The front of the HONOR X7d smartphone displaying a vibrant, abstract wallpaper with swirls of blue, orange, and green. The phone is standing upright against a warm-toned, vertically-striped background.

We just wished they’d use at least an IPS LCD in the display to give it a better viewing experience. But for casual use, the HONOR X7d’s display is more than enough to get you through the day.

Close-up of the bottom right corner of the HONOR X7d's display showing a small, black hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. App icons (Google Chrome, messages, phone) are visible on the home screen.

That being said, we do wish HONOR had gone with at least an IPS LCD for a better viewing experience. There’s also a bit of a chin which can be a bummer for some people but it could be intentional from a durability standpoint.

A hand holding the HONOR X7d smartphone with the screen on, showing the home screen. The time is 16:11, and a notification at the bottom reads, "400% high volume mode on." The person is wearing a gray and orange wrist strap.

But despite the lack of an IPS LCD display, HONOR instead focused on eye comfort with DC Dimming, Dynamic Dimming, and Low Blue Light Mode to reduce eye strain during long sessions. And thanks to Sunlight Enhancement, content stays visible even under harsh sunlight.

Performance

Powering the HONOR X7d is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 685. Yes, it’s a 4G chip, but still a capable one. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage, expandable virtually to 16GB RAM through HONOR’s RAM Turbo technology. It’s not just virtual RAM, it actually optimizes performance to keep things smooth and responsive.

Close-up of the "About Phone" or specifications screen on the HONOR X7d. Key specs are visible: Processor is Qualcomm Snapdragon 685, RAM is 8 GB (+8 GB HONOR RAM Turbo), Battery is 6500 mAh, Resolution is 1610 x 720, and Internal storage is 512 GB total.

You can play games on it, sure, but don’t expect it to handle heavy AAA titles. Then again, this isn’t meant to be a gaming phone. Much like the Toyota Vios of the smartphone world, the HONOR X7d gets you from point A to point B without fuss or drama.

A person's hands holding the HONOR X7d horizontally while playing a mobile game with a jungle-themed map and on-screen controls. The person is wearing glasses.
A close-up of a person's hands holding the light peach/gold HONOR X7d horizontally. The prominent black, circular rear camera module is visible, with a "108MP" inscription.

Battery and Charging

Here’s where the HONOR X7d truly shines: battery life. It packs a massive 6500 mAh dual cell battery, built for efficiency and longevity. Dual cell batteries are generally safer and more durable than single cell ones.

A hand holding the HONOR X7d smartphone while it is charging. The screen shows a green charging animation with the text "22.90% SuperCharge." A message suggests long-pressing to enable a "Boost charging speed.

HONOR claims it can retain up to 80% capacity even after five years of daily use, which is impressive endurance.

Close-up of the white HONOR SuperCharge power adapter. The label shows input voltage (100-240V) and output ratings, including 5V=2A, 9V=2A, or 11V=3.2A MAX. It has a two-pronged US-style plug.

And when it’s time to recharge, the 35W SuperCharge tops up the battery surprisingly fast for its size.

Camera

Extreme close-up of the triple-camera module on the back of the light-colored HONOR X7d phone. The black, circular module features three lenses, a flash, and a clear label indicating "108MP 24mm f/1.75 ASPH."

The HONOR X7d isn’t marketed as a camera phone, but it still takes surprisingly solid shots. Despite the quad camera look, it actually features a dual camera setup: a 108MP Ultra clear AI main camera and a 2MP depth sensor.

A photograph taken by the HONOR X7d (indicated by the watermark at the bottom). The image shows a bright yellow retro rotary telephone with a coiled cord, sitting on a light wooden table with a vertically-striped background. The camera's settings are watermarked as 24mm f/1.75 1/100s ISO113.
A close-up shot of several miniature die-cast cars (Hot Wheels or similar) on a wooden surface, including a white Honda Civic, a white and black Ford GT, a yellow sports car, a red sports car, a white Nissan GT-R, and a white off-road truck. The background is a wooden panel wall.
A selfie-style portrait of a man with a mustache and a black shirt, looking directly at the camera. He is wearing glasses on top of his head. The background shows a white wall and a doorway with a dark frame.

Photos look great for its price range, and HONOR spices things up with clever AI editing tools.

  • AI Eraser removes unwanted objects with a single tap.
A photograph of a red and gold Iron Man-themed Infinity Gauntlet toy standing next to a blue water bottle covered in colorful stickers. Both are on a light wooden table with a vertically-paneled wooden background.
Before
A close-up, slightly angled shot of a red and gold Iron Man-themed Infinity Gauntlet toy displaying all six colorful Infinity Stones. It is placed on a light wooden surface in front of a vertical wooden paneled background.
After
  • AI Outpainting expands photo borders intelligently for creative framing.
A straight-on, close-up photograph of a red and gold Iron Man-themed Infinity Gauntlet toy with the six Infinity Stones. It stands on a wooden surface against a vertically-paneled wooden background.
Before
A slightly wider shot of a red and gold Iron Man-themed Infinity Gauntlet toy, showing more of the wooden table and the wooden paneled background above it, which has warm, upward-shining ambient lighting.
After
  • AI Eyes Open fixes photos where someone blinked, saving you from retakes.
A waist-up portrait of three men posing. The man in the center is wearing a blue t-shirt and has a serious expression, with his hands making 'shaka' signs. The two men on the sides are wearing dark shirts and are pointing at the man in the middle while smiling slightly.
Before
A waist-up portrait of three men posing. The man in the center is wearing a blue t-shirt and has a slightly pouting expression, with his hands making 'shaka' signs. The two men on the sides are wearing dark shirts and are pointing at the man in the middle while smiling slightly. (Very similar to FR 27 but with a slightly different expression).
After

These AI tools are surprisingly handy and not something you often see at this price point.

A close-up macro shot of a smartphone screen showing photo editing options in an app. Visible options include "AI Eraser," "AI Upscale," "AI Cutout," and "AI Outpainting" at the top, and "Crop," "Adjust," "Filter," and "Doodle" at the bottom. A hand is lightly gripping the phone on the right side.

Other Notable Features

A close-up of the bottom half of a smartphone screen displaying the home screen with app icons (My HONOR, App Market, Google, Play Store, Phone, etc.). A small, transient notification pop-up reads: "400% high volume mode on."

There’s more under the hood. The 400% Volume Boost for its dual speakers is surprisingly clean, hindi sabog ang tunog, even at high volume.

A close-up, angled shot of the side of a smartphone, highlighting the power/lock button with an integrated fingerprint sensor, being touched by a thumb. The background is a soft, warm, blurred orange and brown vertical wooden panel.
A smartphone screen is displayed, showing the "AI Mobile Assistant" menu with a list of quick actions and tools, including Cleanup, Open apps, Enable Do Not Disturb, My day, Screenshot, Turn Torch on, Calculator, and Note. The phone is held in a hand against a vertically-paneled wooden background.

That AI button we mentioned earlier gives you one tap access to apps, or hold it down for Smart Recommendations through MagicOS.

A smartphone screen is shown with the "HONOR AI" settings menu. Listed AI services include AI Suggestions, Magic Portal, AI Subtitles, AI Translate, and AI Writing, with an option for the AI button under Smart Interaction.
A smartphone screen displaying the "Magic Portal" settings and explanation. The text describes it as a feature to "Touch and hold text, images, or other elements to open Magic Portal" and instantly share content to other apps. Toggles for "Magic Portal" and "Knuckle circle" are visible.
A smartphone is held in a hand, displaying the home screen with the date (Mon, 27 Oct) and time (16:19). At the bottom of the screen, the "Ask Gemini" prompt with a microphone and keyboard icon indicates the integration of the Gemini AI assistant.

Speaking of which, the HONOR X7d runs on Android 15 with MagicOS 9.0 on top. This version introduces neat tricks like Magic Portal, which launches services by circling items on screen with your knuckle, and Magic Capsule, HONOR’s answer to Apple’s Dynamic Island.

A close-up of the top portion of a smartphone screen, highlighting a pill-shaped cutout, possibly functioning as a notification or status area, showing a small clock icon and the time 04:38. The main screen shows the time 16:18 and battery status (82%).

And last but not the least, the HONOR X7d also supports NFC so you can take advantage of the tap to pay feature of certain banking apps.

Final Thoughts

The HONOR X7d is one of those phones that doesn’t just look tough, it actually is tough. It packs a massive 6500mAh dual cell battery that keeps going long after other phones tap out, and with its 5-star SGS drop proof certification plus IP65 water resistance, you don’t have to worry about a few bumps or splashes.

Add to that a smooth 120Hz display, a 108MP AI camera that punches above its weight, and up to 512GB of storage, and you get a phone built for people who need something reliable, long lasting, and ready for anything life throws at them.

Pricing and Availability

HONOR X7d is available in 3 captivating colorways: Desert Gold, Ocean Cyan, and Velvet Black. Only until October 24, 2025, you can pre-order the HONOR X7d (512GB Variant) for only ₱9,999 to get a FREE HONOR Camping Light Speaker worth ₱4,999 at any HONOR Experience and Partner Stores. 

HONOR X7d (256GB Variant) is now available also exclusively online for only ₱7,299: Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop. 

For more information about the HONOR X7d, you may visit: https://bit.ly/WEB_X7d_PR. Stay updated by visiting www.hihonor.com or following HONOR’s official social media platforms: Facebook (@HonorPhilippines), Instagram (@honorph), and TikTok (@honorphilippines). To explore HONOR’s full list of retail stores, visit https://www.hihonor.com/ph/retailers/.

Do you think the HONOR X7d can survive your daily grind?

Let us know what you think!