Fearless, reckless, or clumsy? Whichever it is, the HONOR X9b 5G is a must companion for it can survive drops and hits with a style.
The HONOR X9b 5G is now available for purchase but you’re probably curious if this smartphone is worth every penny. In our unboxing and first impressions, we shared the initial things we noticed and reasons why you should get this innovative smartphone.
Unboxing
The HONOR X9b 5G comes in a sleek, minimalist box with the phone’s big image on the front and its name written in a subtle way. Inside, you’ll find the phone neatly nestled in a protective mesh. Below the device is a white separator/package that hides the phone’s power components.
The phone is accompanied by a clear phone case, a card ejector pin, and paperwork, which you should read. Lift the white separator to get the USB-C cable and 35w fast charger.
Unfortunately, there are no free headphones for this device because the HONOR X9b 5G doesn’t have the legacy 3.5-mm headphone jack. You need to use direct USB-C headphones or a special dongle to connect the legacy jack to USB-C.
Design
The HONOR X9b 5G has gained some buzz because it doesn’t skimp on features and it’s tough.
The back panel is both stylish and fingerprint-resistant, with the phone being surprisingly light and thin. You can comfortably hold it with one hand and walk around while doing so.
The back is made of a grippy, textured material that feels great in the hand. This material is impressive as it isn’t a fingerprint or grime magnet and lets you hold the phone’s body without a single sign of slipperiness.
The bare feel of the phone seems better than putting the phone case on. Some may find that as the best option since HONOR X9b 5G is robust, while others may opt for the familiar touch of a phone case.
The circular camera module has a neat visual trick too, near-iridescent finish that changes based on the light. Our HONOR X9b 5G is the orange leather model which looks even more luxurious than the black version.
The bottom of the phone features the USB-C port, card tray, a microphone, and a speaker grille. The other microphone is placed at the top, while the volume rockers and power key are on the right side. Nothing is obstructing the beauty of the phone’s side profile on the left.
The Display
The HONOR X9b 5G has a 6.78-inch AMOLED display panel with 1.5K or 1200p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It’s bright, crisp, and perfect for watching videos or browsing online content. The colors are amazing and visual elements look alive on the phone’s screen. Gamers will surely love it!
The bezels are also quite thin, giving it a more premium look. Combine the curved screen, thin bezels, and leather design and you’ll get an eye-catching device.
But HONOR didn’t just want a visual king. The brand actually added these nifty features on the phone’s screen:
| 1920 Hz PWM Dimming | Less flicker in dim light to protect your eyes |
| Dynamic Dimming | Reduces eye fatigue by dynamically shifting the dim level in natural light. |
| Circadian Night Display | Adjusts screen color temperature to help you sleep. |
| Blue Light Filter | Filters harmful blue light to protect your eyes |
| Automatic Brightness Adjustment | Supports 4096-level brightness adjustment for more comfortable viewing |
Additionally, the display of HONOR X9b 5G comes with 1.07 billion colors, 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, and 429 pixels per inch.
Performance
With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, 12 GB RAM, and a massive 5800 mAh battery, the HONOR X9b 5G is a powerful device in its own right. Our initial experience with scrolling and browsing is awesome.
The user interface of MagicOS is very responsive, including the Recents section. It easily appears even when using gesture navigation. Apps load fast and smoothly, thanks to the big physical memory.
Our orange model has 256 GB of internal storage and 12 GB of RAM plus 8 GB of dynamic memory expansion. However, we can’t find the option to turn this off. We hope that HONOR will include the option to enable/disable this feature in future updates.
By the way, HONOR X9b 5G features a triple-rear camera setup. It has the 108MP ultra-clear main sensor, 5MP ultrawide lens, and 2MP macro sensor. The selfie camera is a 16MP sensor.
Battery
HONOR X9b 5G has the juice for the entire day, possibly up to three days depending on how you use it. The 5800mAh battery and 35w charging are also augmented with the following features:
| Performance Mode | Optimizes the settings to unleash full performance, but may raise the temperature |
| Power Saving Mode | Optimizes the settings to conserve as much power as possible |
| Stay Connected While Asleep | Keeps the device connected to the internet even when the screen is turned off |
| Smart Charge | Preserves battery health by delaying charge level past 80% |
| Smart Battery Capacity | Charges the device just near the battery’s true capacity |
Special Features
We listed some of the special features we found on HONOR X9b 5G:
- EBook Mode: Turns the screen to grayscale for better experience when reading.
- Easy Projection: Quick wireless projection for Miracast and DLNA devices.
- Game Manager: Dedicated UI during gaming which includes tools like FPS counter, CPU/RAM percentages, and game modes.
- Multi-window: Handy tool for multitasking.
First Impressions
HONOR X9b 5G shines bright because of its unusual take on durability, performance, battery, and camera. These four are not easy to balance when the overall price is considered.
The eye-candy is the phone’s design – flashy and trendy – yet hiding impeccable durability. The phone has a 360-degree anti-drop protection and IP53 rating for water and dust protection, perfectly daring users to embrace accidental drops without worry.
So, what are the reasons why you should get this phone?
- Very thin but not fragile.
- Light but with strong build quality.
- Robust yet curved AMOLED screen.
- Stylish without sacrificing performance.
- Fits every user profile from fashionistas to tycoons.
You can now buy the HONOR X9b 5G on Shopee and the TikTok Shop for ₱16,999. You can choose between three colorways in Sunrise Orange, Midnight Black, and Emerald Green.
You can also check the specs of this lightweight and tough smartphone below.
