Honor X9c review: The unbreakable* beast

Honor is no longer just another name in the smartphone industry. It’s actually among the heavyweight champions if we’re talking about durable phones. After the massive success of the Honor X9b (review) last year — which went viral for being nearly indestructible — Honor is back with a new contender. And throughout this review, you’ll see exactly how the new Honor X9c is tougher and even more badass than ever before.

A quick flashback

Before we dive into the X9c, let’s remember the insanity that was the Honor X9b. We cracked walnuts with it, dropped it from heights, and even rolled a scooter over it! And you know what? The phone was still running ✨ perfectly ✨ fine.

Now the X9c takes things up a notch. It’s got better water and drop resistance, better heat resistance… making it basically the superhero of smartphones. If you’ve seen the Honor Philippines ads, you know exactly what I mean.

From boiling hot water to a drill gun attacking the screen and even being dropped from a freaking helicopter, Honor sure is making some big promises with the X9c. And of course, we had to see if this beast really lived up to the hype. So, we put it through four brutal tests, and the results were unbelievable. In addition to increased durability, the Honor X9c packs some other notable improvements like battery life and storage as well.

But before we get into all that, let’s take a quick look at its specs.

Honor X9c Specifications:

• Design and Build: 162.8 x 75.5 x 7.98 mm, 189 gm, IP65M rating
• Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED panel, 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 5G (4nm mobile platform)
• Memory: 8/12GB RAM, 256/512GB storage (non-expandable)
• Software & UI: Android 14 with Honor’s MagicOS 8.0 on top
• Rear cameras: Dual (108MP primary, 5MP ultrawide)
• Front camera: 16MP sensor (hole-punch)
• Security: Fingerprint sensor (ultrasonic in-display)
• Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C, NFC, 5G
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity
• Battery: 6,600 mAh with 66W fast charging (66W power adapter inside the box)
• Price in Nepal: NPR 48,999 (12/256GB)
• Check the full specifications of Honor X9c here

Honor X9c review: Durability test results

As I just said, we did 4 different tests to see if the Honor X9c could survive the ultimate battle of durability.

1. Drop test

First, we did the classic drop test for clumsy folks using different materials provided by Honor. We even tossed it from a height of 2 meters. But that turned out to be just a warm-up since the X9c had nothing to show for all those tortures.

2. JCB!

For the second test, we took last year’s scooter drop test and took it to the next level. We had a JCB (yes, you read that right) drive over it and the X9c once again passed this test with flying colors.

3. Noodles?

Then came a real noodle-y challenge: we dropped it into a pot of boiling noodles! Before I spill the beans on this, let me talk a bit about the Honor X9c’s water resistance. This bad boy comes with 360° water resistance and a unique IP65M certification. The “M” thing might be new to you but what it basically means is that the device can handle the same level of dust/water protection even when it is in motion.

4. Threw It On The Ground!

Now for the grand finale, we threw it on the ground from a drone. Yep, ’cause renting a helicopter was just too expensive! And guess what? Even after all of that, this phone was working fine. I know reading about all these test results seems a bit dull but don’t worry about that, folks. We’ll be uploading the test video on our YouTube channel soon so you can see it in action.

Design and Battery

• 162.8 x 75.5 x 7.98 mm, 189 gm
• Glass front, plastic back/frames, IP65M rating
• 6,600 mAh battery with 66W charging

Let’s move on.

So when I first picked up the Honor X9c, I was immediately impressed by how premium it felt. The sleek curves and smooth, matte surface give it a really nice, polished look, while the thin form factor makes it so comfortable to hold. Also, I’ve got its “Titanium Purple” variant, which feels more like my color. I mean… I’m just a girl, you know.

And despite packing a massive 6,600 mAh battery, Honor X9c is surprisingly light and easy to carry around. That is thanks to its high-density silicon-carbon battery tech, which enables manufacturers to fit in higher capacity batteries without also making the phone thicker and heavier.

Anyway, the Honor X9c’s battery life is fantastic as well. I can easily get two full days of use out of it, which is pretty impressive. And the 66W charger that comes inside the box is quick enough to fill it as well since that 0 – 100% journey takes just a little over an hour.

Display

• 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel
• 120Hz refresh rate, 4,000 nits peak brightness (HDR)

In terms of the display, the Honor X9c is pretty similar to last year’s X9b. You’re looking at a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, which looks sharp and vibrant. While the 120Hz refresh rate makes everything feel smooth and responsive. Even under bright sunlight, I found this screen to get bright enough.

Honor does mention that the X9c can now hit 4,000 nits of peak brightness, but you should know that that number refers to just 1% of screen space when watching an HDR image/video.

Its speakers are a definite upgrade though since Honor has finally given proper stereo speakers here. So the X9c is pretty great at media consumption as well. I did find its vibration motor to be a bit underwhelming like before but I guess you can’t have it all, right?

Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 5G (4nm)
• 8/12GB RAM, 256/512GB storage (fixed)
• Android 14 with Honor’s MagicOS 8.0 on top
• No software update commitment

Similarly, I was a bit let down by the Honor X9c in the performance department since it still comes with the same Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 as the previous model. Seriously, why stick with that? With the price bump, they could’ve at least bumped up to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 or even MediaTek Dimensity 8200.

Sure it’s decent for regular tasks, but if you’re into gaming, it’s not going to wow you. On the bright side, the 12GB of RAM helps keep things from feeling sluggish when you’re multitasking but it’s still nothing groundbreaking.

Now you may know that Honor has always been a bit behind on the software front on its non-flagship phones, and this year is no different. Last year when Android 14 was already out, the X9b launched with Android 13 at first (though we got the updates later on). Whereas the X9c arrives with Android 14-based MagicOS 8.0 even though Honor has already released MagicOS 9.0 (Android 15) on a bunch of its phones.

The good news is that Honor has updated its software policy to offer 7 years of updates for flagship phones, so we are hoping this mid-range phone will get 3 years of OS updates at the minimum. As for MagicOS 8.0, it’s pretty similar to what I’ve seen on Huawei phones. It’s stable, free from bloatware, and basic. There are also a few AI features like “AI eraser” but I’m hoping for more with the upcoming MagicOS 9 update.

Cameras

• Dual camera setup at the back
• (108MP main, 5MP ultrawide)
• 16MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)

Like performance, there aren’t any major upgrades in the camera department either. Honor X9b was a mediocre camera phone and the same goes for the X9c. At least its 108MP main camera now features OIS so… that’s something.

And during the day, you can actually end up with pretty nice-looking photos given that there’s ample light. I found that its low-light shots are decent as well, although I could clearly notice how they had a sorta yellowish tint to them.

Camera samples

1 of 8

Since there’s no telephoto lens, it’s good to see that Honor has at least given a 2x option for portraits by making use of that high-res sensor. The subject cutout obviously isn’t that nice but like in daytime photos, the X9c can shoot nice-looking portraits under good lighting conditions.

When it comes to videos the results aren’t anything to write home about. You can record at up to 4K 30fps from the main camera — but unfortunately — I found that Honor hasn’t enabled OIS for the videos. So… although the videos turn out fine when I’m sitting still, the footages are visibly shaky when I’m moving.

Honor X9c review: Conclusion

To wrap up this review, I’d say the Honor X9c is definitely a little pricey looking at the specifications. Especially in terms of performance and cameras. But there are definitely other areas like display and battery life which the X9c excels at.

And of course, Honor definitely has found its target audience with this phone. Aka those who want a robust build quality. So if you are a clumsy person who frequently has to send their phone in for repair, I bet you’re gonna love the Honor X9c.

• Our video review of Honor X9c is coming up soon

Honor X9c review: Pros and Cons