Honor 9X Review - Affordable Smartphone with Design and display

Successor to the Honor 8X, the Honor 9X has managed, despite the embargo from Huawei, to reach European stalls decked out with Google services. But it is clear that this performance is mainly due to the fact that the Honor 9X looks a lot like the P Smart Z.

You know: Huawei has been under an embargo from the US government since the spring. This has several consequences, but one of them is the impossibility of certifying its new smartphones with Google and therefore of integrating into EMUI all the proprietary services of the Mountain View firm. One of the most iconic non-certified models is the Mate 30 ( the Pro version of which has arrived in Spain and Switzerland ).

Filler operation

However, in the heart of autumn, a new smartphone with all Google services arrived on the European and French market : the Honor 9X. How is it possible ? Because Huawei has in its catalog two brands with theoretically different positioning, but in practice quite similar in certain segments. They are notably present both in the mid-range.

So, when the need arises, Huawei and Honor swap models. Result: the Honor 9X is in fact the international version of the Enjoy 10 Plus, a smartphone that already stood out for its proximity to the P Smart Z (which is available from us). A model developed before the American embargo. And therefore not subject to the latter. Here is the trick.

Make something new with old

There are two consequences to this. First, the European Honor 9X does not benefit from the Kirin 810, the current mid-range chipset from Honor and Huawei (which you find precisely in the Chinese version of the Honor 9X), but from the Kirin 710F, supposed to be an improved version of the Kirin 710F from the Honor 8X. Then, the Honor 9X is sorely lacking in originality, by its proximity to the P Smart Z. Especially since the Honor 9X is offered 30 euros more expensive than its first cousin. That said, the Honor 9X is a respectable phablet that's fun to use. Here are the main technical points:

• 6.59-inch Full HD + LTPS display, or 391 pixels per inch
• Glass touchscreen protection, pre-installed protective film
• Kirin 710F chipset, octo-core clocked up to 2.2 GHz
• 4 GB of RAM
• 128 GB of expandable internal storage
• Triple 48 + 8 + 2 megapixel photo sensor
• 16 megapixel webcam in a mechanical drawer
• Fingerprint reader on the back
• 4000 mAh battery compatible with 10 watt fast charge (compatible charger included)
• Operating System: EMUI 9.1 (based on Android 9.0 Pie)

In comparison to the P Smart Z, the Honor 9X benefits from better photographic equipment (sensor with additional wide-angle lens), fast charging for the battery and double the internal storage. On the other hand, its Bluetooth connection goes down from the standard 5.0 to 4.2 and its NFC sensor disappears. For the rest, including dimensions, nothing changes.

A nice holographic design

There are two ways you can make the distinction. The first is just to look at the main photo block which has three lenses (not two). The second is to take a good look at the hull. By handling the phone lightly under the light, vertically or horizontally, you discover iridescent patterns in different tones. The pattern is in the shape of an X, the center of which is common with that of the frame of the mobile. This is a cosmetic reminder of the name of the mobile "9X". The Chinese Enjoy 10 Plus does not benefit from this little visual plus which also has the particularity of hiding unsightly fingerprints.

Let's continue with the ergonomic aspect of the phone by pointing out that the screen is very impressive at first. We then see that the borders are still quite wide. But thanks to this large tactile surface, it's not a problem. The technical elements on the edges are positioned in a very classic way, with the USB port at the bottom, surrounded by the jack port, the microphone and the speaker, the power on and the volume on the right, the SIM drawer on the top, with the secondary microphone and the motorized webcam drawer.

EMUI: a ROM that improves

The interface of the mobile is EMUI, based on Android 9.0 Pie. Regulars will not be disoriented. The application drawer is, by default, disabled. A Google Assistant screen is provided by sliding to the left. Additional apps are generally useful (see amazing, like Party Mode which syncs music from one device to other smartphones). But they are not all, like the commercial link to Booking.com or the preinstalled Honor store. Also, considering Huawei's issues with the US, we wonder if the phone will take advantage of Android 10 while continuing to integrate with Google services. Logically, yes.

In the Honor 9X, there are three interesting points to detail: the screen, the camera equipment and the performance. The first two are major marketing arguments and areas for improvement vis-à-vis the Honor 8X. Do they live up to the promise? We will see that in a few moments. Let's start with the technical platform first. As stated previously, the Honor 9X is based on the Kirin 710F accompanied by 4 GB of RAM, of which 2 GB are permanently monopolized by Android.

A sluggish platform, but a good autonomy

This platform, whose technical scores are comparable to those of the Honor 8X in many tests, offers a smooth experience, on two conditions. First of all, you can't use greedy apps, including games (which have an annoying tendency to slow down, like our stallion game Dead Trigger 2). Then, you should regularly eliminate background apps. That's not to say that the Honor 9X isn't capable of running 3D games.

But you will have to be careful not to choose the most demanding at the risk of seeing the autonomy melt. And that would be a shame, because, precisely, autonomy is a strong point of the Honor 9X. With its 4000 mAh battery, the smartphone enjoys an autonomy of more than 24 hours in 3G conversation and more than 12 hours in video. And the phone can stay on standby for several days. Autonomy is its strong point, but not its "fast" recharging which fills the smartphone battery by a quarter in half an hour.

A very large screen with good resolution

Another important point: the screen. Thanks to its webcam hidden in a motorized drawer, the Honor 9X's screen, which measures almost 6.6 inches, is unobstructed by any notch or hole. The borders are neither thick nor wide compared to a competing model. This LTPS Full HD + panel offers a resolution of 391 pixels per inch. A figure in the good average. Visibility is good and colors are well represented (if you choose Normal + display mode, otherwise there are some alterations due to over weighted contrast). The contrast ratio does not equal AMOLED panels, of course. But, even with an IPS panel, the Honor 9X could have done better.

48 megapixel camera

Finally, last point, photography. For everyday use, when the light conditions are good, you can expect good quality shots from the Honor 9X, whose main photo sensor is a Sony IMX586. The definition of the latter is 48 megapixels, but it captures photos in 12 megapixels by default to improve brightness. Moreover, the pictures that we have taken benefit from a good balance and a very suitable contrast. There is however a loss of detail which we believe comes from the Kirin 710F's image coprocessor which degrades the quality of the shots. At night, the shots take advantage of the strengths of the IMX586 to produce very correct images, but still constrained by this compression problem.

Too much competition

In conclusion, the Honor 9X is not a bad smartphone, even if a few weak points were noted (power and photo, in particular), which are, for the most important, due to the Kirin 710F platform. But the Honor 9X suffers above all from the comparison with some competitors. The Redmi Note 8 Pro , in particular, whose platform is much superior (and which also benefits from more RAM, a larger battery and photo equipment a little above). Difficult to do something new with old.