Review-of-Honor-X9a-(5G)-smartphone-in-the-UAE
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On 14th January 2023, Honor launched the Honor X9a smart mobile in the Middle East. The latest addition to the HONOR X Series delivers remarkable upgrades across the display, battery, and performance with a 120Hz AMOLED Curved Display, massive 5100mAh battery, and 256GB large storage all packed in a compact design.
We got the opportunity to get the Honor X9a handset that was given to us at the launch event and below are the details and the review.
Body & Specification
The Honor X9a (5G) smartphone (Model – RMO-NX1) smartphone has a dimension of 6.36 x 2.91 x 0.31 in and it weighs 175 grams which includes a non-removal battery. It has an AMOLED 120Hz, 800 nits capacitive touchscreen and a size of 6.67 inches with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels with a screen ~395ppi density. It has an ~89.9% screen-to-body ratio and a resolution of 20:9 ratio. The body build has a plastic back and matt black aluminum frame with the front AMOLED display which is very tough and the back panel comes with a colour that the company calls – Midnight black which is a shiny mirror finish.
The Honor X9a smartphone comes with Android 12 as the operating system with the Magic UI – 6.1.0.104 as the user interface. It uses Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm) + (GPU) Adreno 619 with 8GB RAM + 5GB (HONOR RAM Turbo) and 256 GB ROM internal storage for the UAE market.
It comes with Triple cameras on the rear 64 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP. The front round in-screen camera has a single 16 MP lens embedded into the display. The cameras and the LED light are arranged on a circular disc that jute out of the body frame of the back panel. In the centre of the ring, you have “MATRIX AI VISION CAMERA” printed in gold colour.
The main camera can shoot video at 1080p@30, and gyro-EIS and the front camera can shoot video at 1080p@30fps, and gyro-EIS. Honor X9a (5G) smartphone features Dual-LED flash, HDR, and panorama
The Honor X9a (5G) frame is thin as the display and back panel edges are curved to make the body very sleek and thin. The right side of the frame has the power button and volume rockers and the left-hand side is clean with no buttons or controls. Honor word is on the back panel on the lower side in gold print.
The fingerprint sensor is enabled in the OLED display. The phone has a Dual SIM (2 Nano SIMs, 5G + 5G) Card slot. The phone supports GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS. The bottom side of the phone has the dual SIM Tray, USB Type- C super-charge (40W) input, speaker grills and mic and the top side is clean with a single mic and thin ear speaker.
The Review
The device which I have received for review is Midnight Black and the back panel is made of plastic with a glossy shiny finish.
With the ~89.9% screen-to-body ratio and a resolution of 20:9 ratio, the bezel of the phone is thin and almost merges with the frame of the phone. The curved back panel and display make the phone sleek and very thin. The only thing you will notice is in the top area where it houses the single-lens camera in punch hole type embedded in the screen.
Honor X9a (5G) is a mid-range smartphone created for the audience who is looking for a good camera and work-horse phone with and budget of around AED1299.
Honor X9a (5G) – Strong Reinforced Glass Display
The Honor X9a (5G) comes with a strong Reinforced Glass Display which is 0.65mm thick and withstand enhanced stress of over 900Mpa2. According to rigorous laboratory tests, Honor claims, the phone can endure most bumps in life without a problem, whether being dropped, squeezed or impacted. It has passed through various tests like Marble Drop Test, Random Roll Test, Squeeze Test and Steel Ball Impact Test.
Honor X9a (5G)-Cameras
The front camera is a single 16MP (F2.45) and the photo resolution is 2304 x 1728px at 72dpi and has a focal length of 3.25mm. The camera comes with a sensor for instant Face detection & Auto tracking and the supports Bokeh effect. The camera in selfie photo mode also supports at least 2 face recognition with AI. In video mode too, the camera supports multiple face recognition and via face lock, the camera lens remains focused on the subject which is great for vloggers.
Some of the additional features of the front selfie camera under photo mode, in the AI setting, Auto Smile Capture and the palm gesture, so when you hold your open palm in front of the front camera, it gives you a 3-sec count and clicks a selfie. Multi-Video option where you can record with main cameras and selfie camera recording simultaneously. You can record videos at 1080p@30 and gyro-EIS. Under the photo and video option, you can shoot with Ai, FHD, and also HDR. During Selfie with flash, where it uses the screen is full brightness white light as a flash. You can also shoot selfies mode. Under more options, you have Dual Capture photo and video. Under the portrait mode, you can also get the Bokeh effect.
The back panel of the Honor X9a (5G) houses the triple cameras and the LED flash on the left-hand side of the 2 circular shapes jutting out a little. The triple cameras consist of 64MP Main Camera (F1.8 + 5MP Ultra Wide & Depth Camera (F2.2) + 2MP Macro Camera (f2.4）
The main camera general setting can click images in 3264px X 2448px in 72dpi. In Hi-res mode, you get 9216 × 6912px in 72 dpi. In the video mode, the camera clicks 1080p@30, gyro-EIS
The autofocus is good, with half-second delays measured under even easy lighting conditions. It also has the pro mode where you can do manual adjustment of exposure value (EV), white balance (WB), Auto Focus (AF), Exposure (ISO) and also 54 MP mode.
Under the aperture mode, you can change the aperture from F 0.95 to F 16.
In the video, you can do a time-lapse and story. You shoot video in Wide, 1x, 2x and 8x which is digitally zoomed. The camera records FullHD 1920 x 1080 at 30FPS and sound capture is pretty good the camera automatically focuses on the subject and creates a Bokeh effect and also allows to fix focus (AE/AF lock) when clicking on the subject via holding the finger for few seconds on the screen.
(Please note: AE/AF Lock to be used sensibly as it may cause out of focus of the video if moved from the subject with the locked to another far away subject)
Operating System and Software
The operating system of Honor X9a (5G), has the latest Android 12 as the operating system with the Magic UI – 6.1.0.104 as the user interface. So, with Android 12.0, the Honor X9a (5G), has all the latest features like AI beautification, creamy Bokeh for portraits, and AI recognition of up to 500 scenes. It uses Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm) + (GPU) Adreno 619 with 8GB RAM + 5GB (HONOR RAM Turbo) and 256 GB ROM internal storage for the UAE market. Android 12 also helps in better more accurate facial brightness, contrast for selfies on the front cameras and scene-by-scene optimizations for shots taken on the rear and enhancing the photography effects. There was no major lag between screens or scrolling the apps, it was quite smooth and fast.
The phone comes with Honor Share, Nearby Share, 5G button, Screenshot, Screen Recorder, link to Windows and other buttons from the top of the screen menu.
Benchmark Testing
The Honor X9a (5G), was tested with various benchmark testing Apps. On the PC Mark benchmark, it scored 10075. On the 3DMark benchmark, under the Wildlife test, it scored 1203. On GFX scored Aztec Ruins Open GL – 726.6 frames (11FPS) and 4K Aztec Ruins Vulkan – 229.9 frames (3.6FPS). On AI Benchmark scored 55.9. On the Geek benchmark, it scored 666 on single-core and 1960 on multi-core.
While on benchmark testing the smartphone, the temperature of the body rose to 34°C and the CPU temperature rose to 38°C.
(Please note: Most of the smartphones while reviewing and testing had an average body temperature of 32°C to 37°C.)
Sound & Audio
Honor X9a (5G), has a single-side speaker grill you can hear sound coming from the bottom side when you are holding the smartphone vertically and horizontally.
The trebles, mid-level was clear and the bass was decent for the value of the smartphone. The volume is quite clear. The device comes with two mics – on top and bottom and on the bottom beside the USB Type C charging port. The device supports Hi-Res audio format.
Honor X9a (5G) was tested with various types of videos played and different genres of music and it passed above average compared to other competitors in a similar price range.
(Please note: The smartphone was held at a distance of 1- 2 feet while testing the audio quality)
Honor X9a (5G) for Gaming
The performance while playing Asphalt 9 was excellent. With 8GB RAM + 5GB (HONOR RAM Turbo) and 120Hz refresh rate screen and good audio, my experience while playing was satisfying. The smartphone speakers are good and loud. And you have the option to take screenshots while playing the game and a lot more.
Connectivity & Battery
The smartphone has a fingerprint sensor, face detection, pattern and pin for accessing the smartphone. The Smartphone supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth which supports 5.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X HD. The smartphone comes with a non-removable Li-Po 5100 mAh battery which can last more than 2+ days with average usage. The smartphone comes with USB Type- C charging input which can charge the phone at 40W fast charging and I could get 60% charge in 20mins.
Conclusion
Honor X9a (5G) is a good smartphone for the price, the phone is a mid-range with all the great features for gaming, and watching online entertainment. The built quality and colour make the phone very rich and stylish. The display screen and body are solid and reliable. Even though the phone dropped from 5 to 6ft, nothing happens to the body and the display. The screen is scratch-proof, except if you try to purposely do heavy scratches. 64MP triple cameras with AI support make this smartphone one of the best in the competition. As for the selfies, the single 16MP lens can make difference with the Ai function. which can give a very nice creamy Bokeh effect and focus on your face with auto tracking when clicked on the screen for focus. It has a quick and sharp focus system.
With 256GB ROM is quite good enough for storage and with the Dual Card SIM Tray, it is a good smartphone for the price and can run for the money to its competitors.
With all the AR and AI effects and functions, it is a very young, stylish and perfect companion the teens, and gamers.
The daylight shot was sharp and good and 16MP selfies were natural and the colour output was great. The zoom has 8x which could have been better.
Under low light or night photography, the output was good with the colour saturated with the AI.
Overall, for the price and in the Mid-range phone, it is a good buy for the consumer.
Packaging of Honor X9a (5G) & Price
The Honor X9a (5G) smartphone comes in white packing with 4 colour printed images of the device and “Honor X9a” with 5G” mentioned on the package. On opening the box, you will find the smartphone in a translucent cover in a plastic tray. Digging further you will find the white paper sleeve which has a transparent protective back cover with a SIM removal tool, quick guide and warranty card. Below the sleeve, you will find the 40W super-charger plug, and the USB Type C charging cable.
The Honor X9a (5G) launch price was AED 1299 and is available at the Hihonor store in various online and retail stores.
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