The HONOR X9 Series is probably the most popular line of HONOR smartphones in the Philippines. If the numerous durability test videos you see online is any indication, then HONOR releasing an X9 Series phone at the start of the year is a tradition at this point. With this year’s HONOR X9d 5G, we’re getting significant upgrades to the battery, durability, and performance but with a P2,000 price hike. Do all the upgrades justify the price hike? Find out in my HONOR X9d 5G review.
Disclaimer: HONOR Philippines sent over the HONOR X9d 5G review unit in Sunrise Gold. It arrived on January 7 and I’ve been using the X9d as my main Android phone for at least 3 weeks.
Inside the Box
Design
Unlike previous years, HONOR brought a design change to the X9 Series with the X9d. We now get flat sides alongside a flat display unlike its predecessors that favor a curved back. Thankfully there was a slight curve to the back so the phone wouldn’t have that sharp feel. I personally would have wanted to use the Reddish Brown color since that had the faux leather back. This Sunrise Gold color is growing on me though. Besides the flat sides and back, the look didn’t change that much.
Let’s Talk About the Durability
One thing I can commend HONOR Philippines for is its consistency for showcasing the durability of the HONOR X9 Series. This is definitely still the case with the HONOR X9d 5G, with its IP69K dust and water resistance rating and drop resistance of up to 2.5 meters. Despite all the dents and scuffs the phone got after dropping it multiple times, it still works even as of this writing.
I AM NOT SAYING you should do what I and many creators and KOLs did. Every time we do it is a game of chance and there is every possibility that any of the phones would break. This is just a testament to how confident the brand is with the durability of the X9d.
What’s also nice about the improved water resistance is the additional features such as One-Tap Water Ejection and Underwater Mode on the camera. (More on that footage in the camera section.) While it can seem gimmicky, it’s one less thing to worry about when you’re just by the pool and you wanna take pictures.
Display and Speakers
As mentioned in the design section, we now have a flat display on the HONOR X9d 5G. It’s a 6.79-inch AMOLED with a resolution of 2640 x 1200 and a 120Hz refresh rate. While HONOR claims it reaches a peak brightness of 6000 nits, that only happens to just a portion of the display. It does reach up to 1800 nits at HBM or high brightness mode. What matters is that the phone’s display is bright enough for most scenarios, even under some sunlight.
It’s also nice that HONOR has not skimped on its eye care features thanks to the X9d’s display being an HONOR Eye Comfort Display.
The X9d has dual speakers that are loud enough for most cases and can go up to a 400% volume mode for specific scenarios. I suggest you don’t use that feature often since that volume sounds really harsh when you get close.
Performance and Software
The HONOR X9d 5G uses a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor, a meaningful upgrade over the 6 Gen 1 used by the X9b and X9c. Supporting the new chip is 12GB of RAM (with an additional 12GB of virtual RAM or HONOR RAM Turbo) and 256GB of storage. While the old chip already ran Pokémon UNITE pretty well, I could tell that the 6 Gen 4 is so much better. If you need the benchmark results as proof, here they are.
This phone runs MagicOS 9 based on Android 15. While I would have loved to see MagicOS 10 pre-installed on here, this phone was first launched in Malaysia back in September of 2025. You still get AI Writing Tools for better writing productivity and Magic Portal for easy sharing of relevant content to apps you use most. While I’m personally not a fan of MagicOS, I find it very snappy on the X9d.
Battery Experience
One thing I looked forward to doing during the HONOR X9d 5G review process is testing the battery life. Why wouldn’t you be? On paper, its MASSIVE 8300 mAh battery is capable of lasting for more than a day of use! The phone also has support for 66W HONOR SuperCharge fast charging tech.
Based on the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Life test, I feel that 19.5 hours is kind of lacking considering there are other phones with smaller batteries that have better results. In the real world, I do generally get almost 2 full days of mixed use. That’s a combination of watching YouTube videos, social media scrolling, taking pictures, and some light gaming.
In terms of charging, it generally takes an hour to get to full charge. Since I don’t charge the X9d that often, I don’t mind waiting for that amount of time at all.
Cameras
The HONOR X9d 5G only has two rear cameras: a 108MP main camera and a 5MP ultrawide camera. There’s also a 16MP front camera for taking nice selfies. The rear camera is capable of recording video up to 4K resolution at 30 fps while the front camera is limited to just 1080p video recording at 30 fps.
I didn’t expect much from the X9d’s cameras since there isn’t much change compared to its predecessor. But are there any updates in terms of image processing? Let’s check out the photos together.
Click on the photos for full-resolution versions!
If you expected significant improvements compared to the X9c, then you’ll be disappointed in the X9d. The photos coming out of this phone are already good enough for most users if you give it enough light. What impressed me most with the X9d is how good its 3x zoom photos are.
While there is still some difference in color between the main and ultrawide cameras, I could still use the 5MP ultrawide camera for photos I can share on social media. However, I would only use it when there’s enough light.
While the X9d has a night mode, I would only use it if the lighting was really, really challenging. Just look at the shots I took below.
Front Camera
The 16MP front camera in the X9d does a good job in terms of handling details in faces. If the brand’s DNA is anything to go by, I never really doubted how good the front camera is on here.
Should You Buy the HONOR X9d 5G?
Thanks to the RAM shortage, I was already expecting phone makers to introduce price hikes in entry-level and midrange phones. Despite the P2,000 price increase, the HONOR X9d 5G has meaningful upgrades that completely justify the increase. Its massive 8300 mAh battery alone makes it justifiable, but it also helps that the X9d has IP69K dust and water resistance and the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor.
While there would have been phones from other brands that can beat this phone in terms of value, 2026 can prove to be a challenge in that department. It helps that HONOR Philippines tends to strike first when the new year comes. Good thing the HONOR X9d 5G is a good phone, even with the price increase.
Pros
- Better durability with up to IP69K dust and water resistance
- A good quality 6.79-inch 120Hz AMOLED with HONOR’s staple of eye care features
- Good quality dual speakers
- Upgraded performance thanks to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor + 12GB RAM
- Great battery experience thanks to the big 8300 mAh battery and 66W HONOR SuperCharge
- Good photos from the 108MP main camera and 16MP front camera
Cons
- Even with the 2.5m drop resistance, glass can still break
- The “6000 nits peak brightness” is sort of misleading, you mostly only get 1800 nits in high brightness mode
- 400% volume mode isn’t really effective
- Only comes with MagicOS 9 out of the box
- No change in terms of camera specs
- Subpar 5MP ultrawide camera
The HONOR X9d 5G is available in three colors: Reddish Brown, Midnight Black, and Sunrise Gold. It is priced at P18,999 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. You can get one at HONOR Experience Stores and authorized retailers nationwide, as well as through HONOR’s official stores in Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop.