Honor X8C Review: Is it good for the price?

Honor, since its debut, has been growing its presence in the midrange segment of Nepal. The Honor X8c is its latest addition to the segment, which boasts an eye-catching design with midrange specs on the table. Launched at NPR 33,999 for the sole 8/512GB version, is it the best one you can get in the segment? Let's find that out in our Honor X8c Review. Before heading in, why not take a look at its specifications?

Honor X8c Specifications

• Dimensions: 161.05 x 74.55 x 7.12mm
• Weight: 174g
• Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED, FHD+ (2412 × 1080), 120Hz refresh rate, 2800nits peak brightness
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 4G (6nm)
• Memory: 8GB RAM, 512GB storage
• Rear Camera: 108MP main (f/1.75) with OIS + 5MP ultrawide
• Front Camera: 50MP
• Video: 1080p@30fps (both cameras)
• Battery: 5,000mAh with 35W fast charging
• Operating System: Android 15 with MagicOS 9.0
• Others: IP64 rating, under-display fingerprint sensor
• Price in Nepal: NPR 33,999 (8/512GB)
• Buy Honor X8c here

Design & Build

Like last year’s Honor X8b, the Honor X8c also has a sleek, flashy design. The unit I have is in the Mars Green color, which looks very elegant. It features a vegan leather finish, and even though it has a flat frame, it still feels quite comfortable to hold. The front also gives off a modern vibe because the bezels are extremely minimal. The hole-punch cutout resembles the iPhone's Dynamic Island. So, despite being in the midrange price segment, it definitely delivers a premium feel. Speaking of ingress protection, it even has an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance, and a Swiss SGS 5-star Performance Certification for Drop & Crush Resistance. So, in terms of durability, it’s fair to say this phone is very decent.

Display

The phone has a large 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Last time, the X8c only had 90Hz. However, for some reason, even though I selected High Refresh Rate mode, most apps still run at 90Hz only. Honor phones generally use good-quality AMOLED panels, and this one is no different. Whether for normal use or multimedia sessions, the visuals are punchy and bright, perfect for a binge-watcher like me. Outdoor readability is also good, reaching 1200 nits in High Brightness Mode, and peaking up to 2800 nits.

Performance

On the performance side, you get a 6nm Snapdragon 685 chipset, with 8GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage. However, for this price, calling the Snapdragon 685 the best chip wouldn’t be accurate, especially when you get better ones like the Dimensity 7300 on the CMF Phone 1 or the Dimensity 7025 Ultra on the Redmi Note 14 5G. Still, for normal tasks, the phone performs decently—though it may feel slightly slow at times, there’s no heavy lag or freezing. The best part is Honor’s MagicOS 9.0, which has an ad-free UI. You don’t see any unnecessary ads here, and there are enough customization options to make it enjoyable to use. When it comes to gaming, don’t expect too much. You can play PUBG at Smooth + Ultra settings. So, if your main goal is gaming, this phone isn’t built for that. But if you only play light games occasionally, it’s fine. Overall, performance is decent—if not the best—for the price.

Camera

You get a dual camera setup here: a 108MP main camera with OIS and a 5MP ultrawide unit. I’ve even compared this with what I consider one of the best cameras in this range—the Galaxy A16.

Daylight

In daylight conditions, both phones deliver good output. Honor has a warmer tone, while Samsung looks a bit more contrasty. The dynamic range is decent on both.

Portraits

For portraits, Samsung has the edge with better contrast and overall dynamic range. Honor struggles with exposure handling in bright backgrounds. But in normal lighting, the X8c’s portraits are still quite good.

Selfies

For selfies, Honor is the clear winner. Compared to the soft and washed-out skin tones of the Galaxy A16, Honor’s selfies are sharper and more pleasing. The front also includes a flash for better low-light selfies.

Lowlight

Speaking of lowlight, both phones have dedicated night modes. Personally, I prefer Honor’s night shots for their sharpness and detail.

Videos

In video recording, both phones support up to 1080p at 30fps. As expected at this price, the video quality is just average, nothing extraordinary.

Battery, Charging & Connectivity

Moving on to the battery, you get a 5000mAh unit. Based on my usage, it easily lasts a full day. You also get a 35W fast charger included in the box, which takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes for a full 0–100% charge. On the connectivity side, you get VoLTE support for both NTC and Ncell. It also supports NTC’s Band 20, so 4G+ (Carrier Aggregation) works well for NTC users, and it’s supported on Ncell too. However, VoWiFi is currently supported only on NTC.

Honor X8c Review: Conclusion

So, overall, the Honor X8c brings some slight upgrades over last year’s X8b—but the price has also gone up by around NPR 4,000. For NPR 34,000, I feel the performance could have been better. For regular users, it’s decent enough, but it won’t satisfy those who play heavy games. Aside from that, there’s not much to complain about. The display is excellent, the camera is decent, and the UI is clean and ad-free. Just that—if they had kept last year’s pricing, it would’ve been a better value, especially given the tough competition from phones like the Redmi Note 14 5G and CMF Phone 1.

Honor X8c Review: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Elegant-looking design
• Great Display
• Good battery life and Big 512GB storage

Cons

• Average Performance
• Pricing could have been better