Honor has released the Honor X9c, a mid-range smartphone designed to withstand the rigors of daily life, succeeding the X9b launched last October.
The X9c is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 (4 nm) chipset and boasts a large 6,600mAh battery—an 800mAh increase from its predecessor, the X9b. Marketed as Honor’s toughest phone, the X9c includes numerous durability features, such as improved drop and scratch resistance, making it an appealing option for users prioritizing resilience alongside capable specifications.
1. Build and durability:
Honor has significantly focused on durability for the X9c, highlighting its improved build quality. Rated for a drop resistance of 2 meters (6.6 feet), the phone has successfully passed SGS’ Comprehensive Reliability test, and it’s claimed to withstand up to 3,000 rubs with steel wool without noticeable damage.
The device is IP65M rated, providing comprehensive protection from water jets. Honor does offer other IP69-rated models, but the unique combination of durability features makes the X9c its toughest phone yet, ideal for those needing enhanced ruggedness.
2. Display:
The Honor X9c features a 6.78-inch curved OLED display with a resolution of 1224 x 2700 pixels, supporting a 10-bit color depth with an effective 8+2 bit rendering. It reaches a peak brightness of up to 4,000 nits, making it highly visible even in direct sunlight. The screen includes a 3,840Hz PWM dimming feature, which reduces screen flicker and provides a smoother viewing experience.
3. Performance and battery:
At its core, the Honor X9c is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, the same chipset as the X9b, ensuring capable mid-range performance suitable for everyday tasks. Available memory configurations include 8GB or 12GB of RAM paired with storage options up to 512GB.
One of the standout features of the X9c is its upgraded 6,600mAh battery, a notable increase from the X9b’s 5,800mAh. With 66W fast charging support, the battery is capable of lasting for up to 26 hours of online video playback.
4. Camera:
The X9c includes a robust 108MP main camera with a 1/1.67-inch sensor, f/1.75 aperture, and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). This camera can bin pixels in a 9-to-1 ratio for improved low-light performance and offers a 3x lossless zoom using in-sensor technology.
Alongside the main sensor, the X9c features a 5MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 16MP front camera with 1080p video recording. While similar in some aspects to the X9b’s camera setup, the X9c enhances user experience with an upgraded display that supports higher brightness and improved durability.
5. Software experience:
The Honor X9c ships with MagicOS 8.0 based on Android 14, which brings many of the company’s latest features and optimizations, including “Magic Capsule” and “Magic Portal”.
For connectivity, the phone supports Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and has GPS positioning via Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou. However, it lacks a 3.5mm audio jack, though it includes stereo speakers with a 300% volume boost to compensate.
6. Pricing and availability
The Honor X9c is available globally, including in regions like Malaysia and Singapore. In Malaysia, the 12GB/256GB variant is priced at MYR 1,500 (about $345), while the 12GB/512GB model goes for MYR 1,700. Singaporean consumers can pre-order the device with shipping set for the upcoming week, priced at SGD 450 (around $340) for the 12GB/256GB variant.
(Source)
