If you're looking for a new 5G smartphone that won't break your bank account too much, HONOR has today launched their latest affordable 5G smartphone, the HONOR X9b 5G, which also comes with a number of interesting gimmicks.
Specifications
HONOR 90
6.78″ AMOLED screen, 1220 x 2652, 120Hz
Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor
4x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 chips
4x 1.5 GHz Cortex-A55
Adreno 710 Graphics Chip
12GB RAM + 8GB Virtual
256 GB Internal Storage
Main Camera 108MP f/1.75 OIS (Wide Angle)
5MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
2MP f/2.4 (Macro)
Selfie Camera 15 Megapixel f/2.45
5800 mAh battery
35W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof None
Scan System Under-screen fingerprint scanner
Selling Price RM 1499
Design And Screen
Starting with this HONOR X90b 5G screen display, it comes with a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen display with a resolution of 1200×2652 with a refresh rate of 120Hz and is capable of processing 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. This screen display is the same used on the previous Honor X9b device, and one of the main claims by HONOR is that it is a very durable screen.
In terms of design, the uniqueness of this HONOR X9b comes from the back design of this device, which is seen with three different patterns. These include the Sunrise Orange design which uses artificial leather, Titanium Silver which gives a unique shine, and Midnight Black, if you want a device with a classic design.
Also on the back of the device is a tri-camera system consisting of a 108MP main camera, a 5MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera. All of these camera lenses are housed in a room that takes up 1/3 of the back of the device.
The power buttons and audio volume adjustment are also loaded on the left side of the device, while the USB Type-C plug below the device allows the device to be charged with a 35W charger.
The uniqueness of this HONOR X9b 5G device comes through the combination of the screen display and its design called HONOR Ultra-Bounce, which ensures that the screen and frame of this device are durable and shock-resistant.
Honor X9b 5G is the first device in the world to come with an All-Angle Drop Resistance rating certified by SGS Industry in Switzerland. This means that the display side as well as the sides of the frame of this device are durable, and this we will explain a little below.
Software
HONOR X9b 5G uses MagicOS 7.2 operating system which is based on Android 13. The interface of this operating system is clean in my opinion, and not too many fat applications are shown. With the combination of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen1 processing chip, scrolling the screen of this device is also very smooth, and there is no problem of stuttering.
Two features that may interest you, especially if you also use a laptop or tablet by HONOR are the HONOR Connect and HONOR Share functions that allow you to share files with other HONOR devices, and also share the screen of this smart device with your HONOR tablet or laptop.
Unfortunately like what brands like Apple and Huawei offer through the file sharing feature between their devices, it is only limited to devices of the same brand, so if you only use HONOR smart devices, for me it does not take advantage of the true capabilities of this device .
Usage Experience
For day-to-day use, the HONOR X9b is a pretty good device. For me, there is no time delay in terms of using basic applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X and so on.
This device is also suitable for watching videos from streaming platforms such as YouTube, Netflix and Prime Videos as a way to pass the time. No issues like not having the required video codecs to run certain apps, in fact when I unboxed the device for the first time, the Netflix app was already loaded on the device, and I just had to log into my account to use it.
One shortcoming that may be noticeable in terms of the performance of this device is from the gaming aspect. The display of this gaming screen is seen to come with a refresh rate of 120Hz, but this device on average will not be able to take advantage of it with most modern devices.
If you are a first time fan like Genshin Impact, this HONOR X9b will be out of breath trying to move this game even with low or medium graphics. But for games like Honkai Star Rail or Bloons TD6 (one of my favorite games right now) can be played by this device with minimal delay.
Durable
Another uniqueness of this HONOR X9b is its durability from almost all directions. Normally only the display part of the screen would show good durability, but with the HONOR Ultra-Bounce design, the sides of the frame of this device are also seen to be durable.
This was proven during the HONOR X9b media event that we attended a few days ago, where HONOR Malaysia demonstrated the durability of the screen display and the frame of this device by allowing us to break the wooden panels and also shoot parts of the screen using paintballs.
Interestingly, even after being bumped and shot several times, the HONOR X9b has no flaws, and can be used without any problems. If you ask me, no device is completely drop or shockproof, and the probability that a screen crack can happen is still high if you are not careful.
Even so, the added durability of this device, especially when it is also matched with the device casing will ensure that it lasts longer, even if the user of this device is someone who often loses his hand when holding the device.
Because of this, once again I say that this HONOR X9b is a device that is very suitable for use by children, the elderly and even those who are unlucky and often drop their devices by accident.
Camera
HONOR X9b 5G comes with a tri-camera system where the main camera comes with a 108MP main sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. In terms of picture quality, this camera is seen to be able to take pictures with sharp quality, but has a less prominent color saturation, even with the help of built-in artificial intelligence.
Battery
Another advantage of this HONOR X9b 5G device is the long battery life, thanks to this gigantic 5800mAH battery. HONOR promises a battery life of three days with one full charge on this battery, and this depends on the battery mode you use, whether you use normal mode, performance mode or power saving mode (the longest battery life).
For a device with such a large battery, it's a little surprising that it only comes with 35W charging support. Our previously reviewed HONOR 90 with 4900mAH also has 66W fast charging.
Bench mark
These are the scores for the three benchmark software used to test the performance of this HONOR X9b 5G device:
Geekbench 6
AnTutu Benchmark
3DMark Wildlife
Audio
The HONOR X9b comes with a mono speaker next to a USB Type-C charger, and as expected, the audio quality produced is only average. Even so, it's loud enough, and can be leveraged to play content even when you're not in front of the device.
Like 95 percent of smart devices on the market right now, the HONOR X9b doesn't have a built-in 3.5mm audio plug, and that means you'll need to buy TWS earphones to listen to audio alone.
In the box
Here's what's in the box for the HONOR X9b test unit:
1x HONOR X9b
1x 35W charger
1x USB-A to USB-C cable
1x SIM Pin
1x silicone frame
1x guide book
Closing
At the price of RM1499, I think it's a little difficult for me to express my opinion whether this HONOR X9b 5G device is worth the price. Based on the performance of this device alone, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen1 processing chip used, combined with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage can run most applications without so much trouble.
But when you want this application to do more demanding tasks, such as running modern devices, the weaknesses of the processing chip used are easily visible, and for me this can cause frustration.
With that amount of money, you can buy devices that use a more powerful SoC, but at the same time, features like the HONOR Ultra-Bounce all-round durability that keeps your entire device safer and more durable are also not something to be ignored. arbitrarily, especially if you or your family members are not careful and often drop their smart devices.
Pro
A very durable device
The battery is large and long lasting
The screen is bright and can process colors well
Interesting design
Cons
Sharp camera, but poor color processing
Performance is satisfactory, but not good enough
Slow charging