One of the most important purchase considerations is durability. This goes for literally anything you spend your money on. That’s if you want to get the ROI from your latest expenditure. Recently HONOR made a splash with its new and extremely robust midrange smartphone — the HONOR X9a 5G. It features an OLED curved screen. Is it really everything that they say? Find out in this review.
Design and build
Ergonomics-wise, the smartphone is effortlessly likeable. The combination of the slim (7.9mm) and lightweight build (175g), as well as the curved frame, make it easy and comfortable to grip.
The design looks sleek and elegant with its matte finish. It comes in two colorways: Emerald Green and Titanium Silver. Given that the X9a 5G possesses a subtle design language, it won’t be difficult to attract consumers of all ages — it’s versatile that way.
We’ve put the screen durability of the X9a 5G to the test. After doing several drops tests, running it over with a car, smashing hard-shelled nuts with it, we’re happy to announce that it didn’t crack under pressure. We have the deeply reinforced glass to be thankful for. With its light physique, don’t be deceived because it can withstand whatever you throw at it.
Display
For someone who loves spending de-stress hours streaming Netflix series, the 6.67-inch OLED screen is a piece of work. It’s admirable how crisp the details and vibrant the colors are. Since it doesn’t weigh a ton, you can take entertainment wherever you go. That includes the bright outdoors, wherein the screen display was able to retain its visibility due to the 800 nits of brightness. It also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, providing additional delight with its snappy performance — every swipe and click.
Camera
In favorable lighting conditions, the 64MP main shooter did a good job capturing the details of the scenery. Colors were striking given its vividness. It’s impressive considering the price range the device falls under. However, I wish I could do the same about its performance in low-light situations; it needs a little work when it comes to minimizing image noise.
In addition, you get a narrower dynamic range, so you end up with either underexposed or washed out photos. Other lenses include a 5MP ultra-wide camera and 2MP macro camera. But if you know better, you’d definitely stick to the main shooter than resorting to the other shooters.
The outcome from the 16MP selfie camera is decent enough for social media posting. However, it lacked some pop in colors, making it slightly dull. On a good note, one can take advantage of the natural soft light in dark scenarios to retain the details of your facial features.
Performance
It didn’t disappoint in the gaming arena. Powered by a Snapdragon 695 processor and running on 8GB + 5GB RAM, it’s able to handle titles such as Mobile Legends and Asphalt 9 at the default visual setting. I didn’t encounter stutters during my brief experience.
For everyday light usage, you can count on it to give you a buttery smooth experience. Safe to say that multitasking won’t be a problem.
Packed with 256GB ROM, storage will be the least of your concerns when taking photos and videos or downloading several apps.
Battery
Another proud moment for HONOR has something to do with the battery life of the X9a 5G. It generously houses a 5100mAh battery in a small package. And with light to moderate use, you can enjoy a maximum of two days with your device. As for heavy users, they can still get a little over a day, which isn’t bad at all. Nonetheless, this means minimal downtime — ideal for the always on-the-go users.
Charging time isn’t really a long wait, though. The 40W charger can power up the phone to 100% in just an hour.
Verdict
If your usage is heavy on entertainment — binge-watching and gaming — then the HONOR X9a 5G is undoubtedly a great pick. The OLED curved screen is just difficult to resist, especially with its price tag — PHP 16,990. Further, you can rely on its screen’s tried and tested durability. Yes, that means you won’t have to replace your smartphone or repair its screen every clumsy episode. That said, you know you’re all set to getting that ROI. With all its other features faring above average, it’s a great contender in the midrange segment.
