The HONOR X9 series is known as one of the toughest smartphones around. The HONOR X9d 5G even made a splash with its Tesla Cybertruck marketing, but the real question is: does it still hold up after months of use?
After two months with it, the answer is yes. Here’s what I found.
The HONOR X9d 5G retails for PhP 18,999, and it’s surprising the price only went up by PhP 1,000, especially given how much smartphone prices have increased recently.
Durability, durability, durability
If you’ve followed the X9 series, you already know the drill. Previous models were slammed onto concrete, dropped from extreme heights, shot with paintballs, and even run over by vehicles. At this point, HONOR has pushed durability marketing pretty far.
For the HONOR X9d 5G, the brand raised the spectacle again. This time, the phone was thrown from an airborne plane, slammed around, and even slingshotted onto a Tesla Cybertruck before being run over. While it sounds more extreme, it’s honestly not that far off from earlier torture tests involving helicopters and a Hummer.
Still, the important part is this: it survived. And that’s what really matters.
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| HONOR X9d 5G dented frame |
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| HONOR X9d 5G Dents after two months |
Our own unit also went through its fair share of abuse. We slammed it against a Cybertruck and even dropped it from the second floor of our condominium. It came out of those tests fully functional, which already says a lot.
What makes this more interesting is that we’re still using the exact same unit today. Two months after those drops and hits, the phone continues to work without any issues. You’d think problems caused by that kind of abuse would start showing up by now, but so far it has held up surprisingly well. Only time will tell how it performs long term, but after two months of use, it has already survived the worst we could throw at it.
HONOR claims improved durability this time around, though in practice it’s difficult to measure just how much better it is. The X9c was already a very tough phone in our experience, and the X9d feels more like a refinement rather than a dramatic leap.
Design changes and real-world wear
Design-wise, the HONOR X9d shifted to a flatter look. You get a flat back, flat sides, and a flat display, moving away from the more curved design of previous generations.
One thing we did notice is that this new design shows wear more easily. After a few drops, dents were more visible compared to older models, where the curved edges helped mask damage better.
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| HONOR X9d 5G close up |
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| HONOR X9d 5G side frame |
As always, design is subjective. Some people will prefer the cleaner, flatter look of the X9d, while others might miss the curves of the X9c. Even at home, opinions were split. I slightly prefer the new design, while my wife still likes the older one more.
So while the X9d continues the series’ tough-as-nails reputation, the changes feel more evolutionary than revolutionary, especially when it comes to durability and design.
Display
The shift to a flat display on the HONOR X9d 5G will likely get mixed reactions. This time, it uses a higher resolution 2640x1200px AMOLED panel, and overall, it’s pretty solid.
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| HONOR X9d 5G Display |
Personally, I prefer flat displays since they’re easier to use with gesture navigation, though I still get why some people like curved screens for that more “premium” look.
I did notice that contrast and saturation lean a bit strong, but again, that’s subjective. Some users will actually prefer the punchier colors.
What’s hard to complain about is brightness. The screen gets incredibly bright, and assuming it holds up just as well as the rest of the phone in terms of durability, it’s a great fit for a device built to survive rough use.
Performance
The HONOR X9d 5G didn’t escape criticism, particularly around performance. Some critics were quick to point out that it uses a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor, questioning whether it’s really an upgrade over the previous Gen 3.
That judgment may be a bit premature. While it’s still part of the Snapdragon 6 series, the generational jump does bring noticeable improvements. In our initial testing, the X9d managed to break the one million mark on AnTuTu, which is impressive for this class.
Benchmarks aside, gaming performance backed this up. We tested games like Genshin Impact at max graphics with 60FPS mode enabled, and the experience was decently smooth. There were occasional frame drops, which is expected, but it’s still impressive to see a Snapdragon 6 series phone handle this game so well.
For daily use, the phone feels responsive and smooth. It’s not running the latest MagicOS yet, but an update is expected around the next quarter.
Bottom line on its performance, given the processor and the price, no this isn't the best performance you can get at this price. You do have to consider the whole package it its offering but by no means is this a slouch as critics suggest it to be.
Battery and charging
The HONOR X9d 5G sees a massive jump in battery capacity, packing an 8300mAh single-cell carbon battery. On paper, this should already translate to significantly better endurance compared to the previous generation.
In our PCMark battery test, the score we got was around 19 hours, slightly lower than we expected given the battery size, but still more than enough for a full day and then some for most users. In real-world use, battery anxiety was never really an issue.
Camera
The HONOR X9d 5G comes with a 108MP main camera with OIS, a 5MP ultrawide, and a 16MP front camera. On paper, the specs aren’t groundbreaking, but they’re solid for this category.
The X9 series has never been known for its cameras, but having used models since the X9b 5G, it’s clear HONOR has made improvements in the right areas. Photos are cleaner, more detailed, and handle low light much better than two generations ago.
HONOR X9d 5G lowlight camera samples
HONOR X9d 5G Camera zoom samples
HONOR X9d 5G Selfie camera samples
While it’s not a huge leap from the X9c 5G, the X9d 5G is a decent shooter. Camera performance might be one of the weaker aspects of the phone, but it’s far from a dealbreaker. It still captures good shots, and if you check HONOR Philippines’ Facebook group, you’ll see plenty of users getting the most out of this camera.
Conclusion
After two months of use, the HONOR X9d 5G lives up to its durability promise.
It’s not a major leap over its predecessor, and it was never meant to be a high-performance smartphone. Instead, it targets users who value durability. While the specs may not wow on paper, the phone still makes sense for those who need what it offers.
Performance is smooth enough for everyday tasks, the cameras get the job done, battery life comfortably lasts a full day, and durability remains its strongest asset. It’s a dependable choice for anyone who wants a phone they don’t have to constantly worry about.
The price increase feels unnecessary, especially since the HONOR X9c 5G will likely drop in price soon, making it another solid, durable option.
The bigger question is how long HONOR can keep leaning on extreme durability marketing. It’s starting to feel a bit repetitive, but as long as the phones deliver on that promise, there’s clearly still a place for devices like the HONOR X9d 5G.