It’s finally the start of a new year. For most people, this signifies a fresh start. But for us smartphone reviewers, this can only mean one thing – a new “unbreakable” smartphone release from HONOR.
Last year, we got the HONOR X9c which was then touted as the toughest smartphone around. Well it’s time for it to move aside as the HONOR X9d makes its entrance this January. But just how unbreakable are we talking about here?
Design and build
Building a durable smartphone doesn’t mean the device itself can’t be pretty. The HONOR X9d comes in three color options: Sunrise Gold, Midnight Black and Reddish Brown. For this Reddish Brown color, you can’t help but think Tony Stark was a part of HONOR’s design team.
Compared to the HONOR X9c, the new iteration is slightly heavier at 193g. It is somehow thinner though at just 7.76mm. You shouldn’t have a problem whatsoever with the device’s portability.
Build quality is where this smartphone truly shines (if that wasn’t obvious enough). It is equipped with the HONOR Ultra-Bounce Anti-Drop Technology, which allows it to withstand drops up to 2.5m. We did a few drop tests as well, which you can view on our Instagram page, so go check that out.
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS7wr-Tkp95/?igsh=MXdpOHJ0OXNkeTFiZw==
The HONOR X9d also features flagship-level IP69K, IP68 and IP66 water resistance. Furthermore, it comes with the highest IP6X dust-resistance rating as well. All these just further add to its durability and longevity.
Display
Multimedia consumption is quite a positive experience on this device. It features a 6.79-inch OLED display with a 94.6% screen-to-body ratio, thanks to the narrow 1.3mm bezels. It’s great to have more screen real estate to make use of.
Refresh rate is 120Hz, so the display is both smooth and responsive. The resolution is 2640 x 1200, while peak brightness has been upped to 6000 nits. Overall, I found the viewing experience to be enjoyable and basic usage of the display to be seamless.
Camera
The HONOR X9d makes use of a dual camera setup with a 108MP main camera and a 5MP ultra-wide. Both OIS and EIS are present to minimize blur and allow for more stable video recording respectively.
For taking selfies, you have a 16MP front camera. I found no issues with taking selfies, and the photos captured are more than usable. I’m just really not one to take a lot of selfies.
Under ideal lighting conditions, the main camera captures a good amount of detail. The color is good too, although it can be quite inconsistent in terms of saturation. On the other hand, photos captured in low light are decent. While the amount of detail is lacking, it does enhance the image to fill in some of the gaps.
For taking videos, the main camera can do 4K@30FPS. The front camera can capture 1080p@30FPS.
In relation to photography, the device does come with a suite of AI editing tools to further enhance the experience. You have access to tools such as AI Eraser, AI Upscale, and AI Outpainting to name a few.
Performance
The HONOR X9d is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor, and is paired with a Qualcomm Adreno A810 GPU. Storage is available at up to 512GB, while RAM at up to 12GB. In terms of everyday use, multitasking is smooth and easy.
When it comes to gaming, running Call of Duty Mobile (my clear and obvious go-to mobile game) had no issues. More graphic-intensive games such as Genshin Impact may require you to lower your graphics settings a bit.
For the OS, the HONOR X9d runs on MagicOS 9.0, which is based on Android 15. The interface is simple and user-friendly. AI productivity tools are also available to utilize such as AI Translate, AI Notes and AI Recorder.
Battery and charging
The HONOR X9d can boast longevity not just with its build quality, but with its battery life as well. It has an 8300mAh battery which HONOR claims to provide 52.5 hours of music streaming or 23.8 hours of video playback. With mixed or moderate usage, this translates to 2-3 days of battery life.
Charging won’t be an issue either as the smartphone supports a 66W HONOR SuperCharge. Charging to 50% and 100% from a completely drained battery takes around 20 minutes and close to an hour, respectively.
Verdict
Let’s be real. The HONOR X9d 5G is not unbreakable. No smartphone is. But it’s one of, if not the toughest, smartphones around. This, coupled with a long-lasting battery life and smooth everyday performance, makes an undeniably reliable device.
Priced at PHP 17,999 during the pre-order period from January 9–23, 2026, the HONOR X9d 5G makes for a solid early investment in 2026. It also comes with pre-order freebies, including a Jisulife Fan 5 and an HONOR Gift Box, plus a chance to enter a raffle for a Tesla Cybertruck.
SRP: PHP 18,999
