The Toughest Phone in the Philippines? HONOR X9c 5G Review

The Toughest Phone in the Philippines? HONOR X9c 5G Review

Review verdict: The toughest phone of the year is here, and compared to last year’s model it sports higher elemental resistance and a bigger battery. People looking for a substantial upgrade may not like that there hasn’t been a major change to the processing or imaging package. Still, the good news is that the HONOR X9c retains the price of its predecessor, a custom that’s quickly becoming rare in the tech world.

Pros

  • Same pricing as its predecessor
  • Significantly bigger battery and longer battery life
  • Better overall durability

Cons

  • Still the same processor as last time

We’ve all seen the extreme tests that HONOR has subjected to the X9c, so we already know that it’s a tough phone that’s hard to crack. But does it give you more than just a display that you can throw at the floor with reckless abandon, or is it just a tough guy with nothing behind the ears? You’ll be surprised with the answer.

HONOR X9c Review Philippines: Design

Despite being a supposedly mid-range phone, the HONOR X9c looks more like a premium device with its sleek-looking external finish and skinny proportions. While I’m not a fan of the giant camera module that holds cameras not deserving of its size (more on this later), the aesthetics and ergonomics of the phone have won me over during the time it’s been with me.

And even though it looks fragile and dainty, it’s anything but—HONOR has massively improved the durability of the X9c to withstand the elements, thanks to its IP65M water resistance. The display also gets a new protection layer (specifically Super Double Tempered Glass AGC Dragon Tail Star2 Plus protection) along with improved rubberized support on the inside to take higher drops, which is one of the reasons why this phone is so tough when it comes to shock and drops.

Despite being somewhat rugged, the phone feels and looks as slim as other fashion-centric phones in the market today. As pretty as it looks on the outside, it’s tougher on the inside.

 

HONOR X9c Review Philippines: Display

The HONOR X9c uses a curved, AMOLED display that’s 6.78 inches big sporting a resolution of 1224 x 2700. Despite being a more affordable mid-range model, the display is surprisingly good, and is very bright, able to pump out 4000 nits (peak) brightness. It’s very easily visible under direct sunlight and should come in handy if you’re using the phone as an external navigation device if you commute via motorcycle, which isn’t always the case with LCD-equipped phones, or even other phones in the same price range.

The sound is fine, the speakers won’t blow you away but they’re perfectly serviceable for a daily driver. HONOR’s X9c’s speakers can also go into overdrive mode, essentially pumping out almost 300% more volume than normal. Take note that at that volume you’re barely getting decent sound quality and you’re basically just annoying the people around you.

 

HONOR X9c Review Philippines: Camera

The HONOR X9c re-uses the HONOR X9b’s camera module, so you’re still getting the same 108-megapixel f/1.8 main camera, 5-megapixel f/2.2 wide-angle camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor from last year.

 

The difference this year is that you’re getting OIS, which dramatically improves the image quality of the photos you get especially when you’re shooting in low-light situations.

Overall image quality is good, though it’s not the phone to get if your priority is mobile photography.

 

HONOR X9c Review Philippines: Internals and Battery Life

The biggest complaint that I have with the HONOR X9c is that it retains the same Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor that was on the X9b from last year. This particular processor isn’t bad per se, but it’s not the type of chip that we expect to be put in a phone that has this price.

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 is capable of light to moderate gaming depending on the title and graphics settings, but if you want something that can handle higher graphic settings at a consistent 60FPS in Genshin Impact and other games as well as problem-free emulator use, this ain’t it.

I do have to point out though that the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 is a perfectly OK processor when it comes to normal, everyday use, like browsing social media, using apps like Grab, and general navigation. HONOR’s MagicOS 8 and Android 14 make the HONOR X9c fast and fluid, and I didn’t encounter a single problem in terms of software or lag during my time with the HONOR X9c in this regard.

The phone’s battery has been significantly upgraded from the X9b, jumping from a 5800mAh battery from last year’s phone to 6600mAh. The phone also still uses a Silicone Carbide battery, which explains the phone’s thin dimensions, as SiC is more energy dense, which means you can store more power in it using less space when compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

PCMark’s battery benchmark was having issues with Android 14 and MagicOS 8, so we used AccuBattery to find out our average screen on time while doing battery drain runs using a looped YouTube video until the phone died from 100%. We recorded a 14-hour and 55-minute screen-on-time with the HONOR X9c which is very good—we have no doubt that this phone can last you more than a day fully charged. There’s also 66W fast charging available if you run out of juice.

If there’s one thing I’m going to fault HONOR for in the software department, it’s their limited software support policy. As far as I know, they’ve been supporting the phone for just 2 years, which is weird considering they’re positioning it as a tough phone that’ll take whatever punishment you throw at it and still survive. That typically means most people who buy it will use it for more than two years, which makes the 2-year software support a head-scratcher.

 

HONOR X9c Review Philippines: Wrap-up and Conclusions

The HONOR X9c is the toughest phone in the Philippines so far this 2025, and tests done by us and the practical demos done by other people prove it. It’s great for people who need a phone that’s capable of taking what mother nature dishes out (it’s perfect for motorcycle riders who use their phones to navigate), and its long battery life means you won’t have to worry about running out of juice when you need it.

Unfortunately, the processing package isn’t the most impressive, and the camera, while good, isn’t great, which might not impress discerning mobile photographers out there.

HONOR X9c Review Philippines: Price

The X9c is priced at Php 16,999 and is available at HONOR stores nationwide and at your nearest Cyberzone. It’s pretty rare in the smartphone world that a newer model retains the same price as the phone that came before it, but that’s what you can expect from this particular device.

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1 Comment

  • joberta , January 11, 2025

    Mahal sya for a device with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. Halos lahat ng budget napunta sa toughness nya, mas ok pa bilhin yung poco x7 pro, atleast balanced sya. Tt also has the same price as this. Bili ka matibay na branded case, 2 lang naman ang panahon dito sa atin, umaaraw at umuulan.

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