Review Verdict: The HONOR X9c Smart fits in as the more affordable version of the highly-regarded X9c. There may be a few compromises made to make it affordable, but the X9c Smart keeps its promise as an affordable durable phone from HONOR.
Pros
- Same level of durability as the X9c
- Great battery life
Cons
- No 4K video recording
- Only a TFT display
The X9c is a hot seller in the Philippines. The demand for HONOR’s durable midrange phone is over the top, and it was just right for them to bring over its affordable sibling to the Philippines with the X9c Smart. HONOR’s timing to officially sell the X9c Smart to the Philippines is just in time for the upcoming 3.3 sale, and we expect it to be another blockbuster hit for the brand. We used the X9c Smart for over a week, and here are our insights on this budget midrange phone.
HONOR X9c Smart Review Philippines: Design
Looking at the design language of the X9c Smart, it reminds us more of the X9b with the Matrix banding on the huge camera module. Other than having a flat display, the difference with the X9c’s camera module over the X9b is that you only have two cameras—thankfully there are no filler cameras to be found here.
Like its more expensive sibling, the X9c Smart also has an IP65 rating and the same level of durability. We don’t need to go deep on its durability, as HONOR nailed the formula on that aspect. The button and port layout is the same as the X9c, though the X9c Smart only gets a single speaker and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
HONOR X9c Smart Review Philippines: Display
The X9c Smart’s biggest compromise is with the display, where it uses a 6.8-inch TFT LCD panel. While you get a 120hz display and a Full HD+ resolution, the quality of the display can’t match the AMOLED or IPS panels that the competition offers. Peak brightness is also limiting at 850nits, so you’ll need to manage your expectations with using the X9c Smart outdoors.
Another downside with the X9c Smart is that streaming YouTube videos is limited to 1440p resolution—which is partially due to its chipset of choice. There’s also the fact that you only get a single speaker. That’s one thing we don’t want to see in all midrange phones in 2025–even budget offerings get stereo speakers these days.
HONOR X9c Smart Review Philippines: Cameras
The X9c Smart’s two rear cameras consist of a 108-megapixel main camera and a 5-megapixel ultrawide shooter. The ultrawide camera is not great for its asking price, but the main camera is decent for general use.
We used the X9c Smart around Yokohama, and the main camera performed decently even while using 3x digital zoom.
Our complaint with the X9c Smart’s cameras is that video recording is limited to Full HD+ resolution at 30FPS—also because of limitations with its chipset of choice. You also don’t get OIS, which is why it’s hard to recommend the X9c Smart for taking videos unless you have a steady pair of hands or you use it with a gimbal.
HONOR X9c Smart Review Philippines: Internals and Battery Life
The X9c comes with a Dimensity 7025 processor that is paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, which is typical of most budget phones. We’ve tried the Dimensity 7025 in the past, and its performance is roughly below the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 used on the X9c. Overall, the X9c Smart is good enough for general use and a bit of gaming on the side—though you’ll need to manage expectations for demanding games for an enjoyable gaming experience.
Like its more expensive sibling, the X9c Smart comes with Android 14-based MagicOS 8.0. We wished for Android 15 out of the box, but we have yet to see any midrange HONOR phone available locally to have Android 15, so we might need to wait for a while before the X9c Smart gets it.
The X9c Smart gets a smaller 5800mAh battery inside, but that’s still generally larger than what its rivals have to offer. We’ve got a battery life of a little over 13 hours in PCMark—it may not be as high as expected, but with real-life use, we managed to get around 2 days of battery life. That’s proof that the X9c Smart is not just durable; it also has a long battery life that will benefit most Filipinos. You get 35w wired charging, which can top up the battery in around 2 hours.
HONOR X9c Smart Review Philippines: Wrap-up and Conclusions
Despite the compromises made to make it more affordable, the X9c Smart is still competitive for its price with HONOR’s acclaimed durability and class-leading battery capacity that’s proven to last long for the casual Filipino user.
HONOR X9c Smart Review Philippines: Price
The HONOR X9c Smart has an official price of Php 13,999, but you can get it for as low as Php 10,799 if you buy it during Shopee’s 3.3 sale.
