Julia Christine Botin

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div> <span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297419888honor x9d front.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">The HONOR X9d midrange smartphone. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — HONOR likes to showcase the durability of its X9 series of midrange phones, but I think the true standout feature of its latest model, the X9d, is its massive battery. It likely has the largest power pack ever crammed into a midrange smartphone right now, excluding the niche powerbank phones that go over 20k mAh.</p><p>HONOR says the phone is rated as IP68/IP69K dust-tight and water-resistant. This means that dust can’t easily get in between its openings and it can withstand high pressure water jets and be submerged in up to 6 meters of water. The X9d is also rated to survive falls from 2.5 meters or over 8 feet high. </p><p>Of course, if you’ve seen any of the videos that influencers have posted about this phone, you already know how ridiculously tough it is. It&#x27;s been slammed against a Tesla Cybertruck, dropped from heights that would crack a normal phone, and even firehosed with enough water that should’ve ruined its circuitry. And the X9d just kept working through all this.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297450629honor x9d back.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">The HONOR X9d midrange smartphone. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>But beware if you plan to subject it to any of those torture tests. My advice? Don’t try to do a JerryRigEverything if you are buying this phone for your own personal use. </p><p>Its durability, however, means that the targeted buyers of this phone don’t need to worry about ruining the device during everyday work, because this is clearly a real workhorse of a smartphone. </p><p>But first, here are some of the most relevant specs:</p><ul style="margin-left:20px;list-style-type:disc"><li style="line-height:1">Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset</li><li style="line-height:1">Adreno 810 GPU</li><li style="line-height:1">12GB 256GB (configurable to 512GB) </li><li style="line-height:1">6.79-inch AMOLED screen, 1200 x 2640 pixels at 120Hz, with 1800 nits on high brightness mode and 6000 nits peak</li><li style="line-height:1">a 108 MP wide-angle main camera, and 5 MP ultrawide</li><li style="line-height:1">16 MP selfie camera</li><li style="line-height:1">8,300 mAh battery</li><li style="line-height:1">P18,599 on official HONOR online stores</li></ul><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297477568honor x9d cameras.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">The HONOR X9d midrange smartphone. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>Its chipset is clearly midrange, so don&#x27;t expect it to rip through benchmarks. While the 108 MP camera takes good, clear shots, the 5MP wide-angle is just OK. The 16MP selfie camera is also pretty good for a phone in this price range. </p><p>The main camera can shoot 4K video, while the front camera can shoot 1080p. Here are some sample shots:</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297494168hanoi old quarter 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A street scene in Hanoi&#x27;s Old Quarter shot with the HONOR X9d. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297557908hanoi train street 2.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">A scene at Hanoi&#x27;s &#x27;Train Street&#x27; shot with the HONOR X9d. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297584565hanoi old quarter.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A street scene in Hanoi&#x27;s Old Quarter shot with the HONOR X9d. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297627068hanoi train street.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A scene at Hanoi&#x27;s &#x27;Train Street&#x27; shot with the HONOR X9d. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297710824selfie train street.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Selfie taken at Hanoi&#x27;s &#x27;Train Street&#x27; shot with the HONOR X9d. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>Focusing is not as fast as you would like, and the stabilization is what you would expect from a sub-20k device. If you’re serious about content creation, there are other, slightly more expensive smartphones out there that do a better job. </p><p>This is not a gaming device either. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 is good enough for a lot of games at mid settings, but hardcore gamers are better off getting a phone with a faster chip. </p><p>Casual gamers, however, will get a lot of game time thanks to the X9d&#x27;s truly exceptional features. And these are its humongous battery and its bright screen. If you use your phone for long stretches of time, and you often use it outdoors, the X9d is the kind of device that would suit you. </p><p>Its 8,300 mAh battery is bigger than what’s in my iPad, which has a screen that is three times larger. The X9d screen’s 1800 nits of high brightness and 6000 nits of peak brightness also help a lot when you need to look at a map or read messages in direct sunlight.</p><p>I have tried using this as my cycling computer/head unit for some bike rides around the city, and it performed admirably well. I could use Google Maps to navigate to hard-to-find cafes, and record everything on Strava, while at the same time listening to some podcast or music, with the 5G turned on. On other non-flagship phones, this kind of use would have quickly drained the battery. But the X9d was more than a match for the task, and it still had a lot of power to spare. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771297749145bike.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">The HONOR X9d used for ride tracking and navigation with Strava and Google Maps. <em>Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>During the launch of the X9d last month, HONOR touted its partnership with Grab Philippines about making this smartphone the chosen device of its riders. And it makes perfect sense. </p><p>Riders need a tough smartphone that can take a drop, resist vibration, and withstand rain, while at the same time lasting a whole day’s work without needing to be recharged.</p><p>It&#x27;s not a bad looking phone either--in fact, it looks quite elegant for a device designed to withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous phone testers. HONOR sent us a review unit with the reddish brown colorway, which featured a synthetic leather back and a gold-colored frame. For a non-flagship phone, the X9d really oozes elegance.</p><p>The X9d is a very worthy successor to last year&#x27;s X9c, which was already a very good sub-20k phone. And so far, this is one of my favorite non-flagship phones right now, and I wouldn’t mind having it as a backup. </p>

<p>The X9d's massive 8,300 mAh battery, bright screen and elegant design make it a very good midrange contender. They also make it stand out, aside from its much-touted toughness.</p>

The X9d's massive 8,300 mAh battery, bright screen and elegant design make it a very good midrange contender. They also make it stand out, aside from its much-touted toughness.

REVIEW: HONOR X9d is the reigning battery king and a dependable, durable workhorse

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REVIEW: HONOR X9d is the reigning battery king and a dependable, durable workhorse

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 17, 2026 11:16 AM PHT

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HONOR X9d

midrange phone

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