HONOR X9d 5G Review: The Mid-Range King Just Got Tougher, Smarter, and More Powerful

When it comes to mid-range smartphones in Malaysia, HONOR has been dominating the conversation for the past two years, and for good reason. The HONOR X Series has become the nation’s go-to choice, balancing price, performance, and durability in a way few competitors can match.

Now, HONOR is back with its latest contender: the HONOR X9d 5G, and trust me, it’s not just another mid-ranger. This device introduces six major upgrades that push the limits of what you can expect from a phone at this price point. From its industry-first certifications to a monster 8,300mAh battery, the HONOR X9d is positioning itself as the Best-in-Class Smartphone of the year.

To put it in perspective, the phone’s quality has been so widely recognized that it even received a nod from the Sultan of Pahang and was the only phone showcased during the National Day Parade. A clear sign that HONOR isn’t just building hype – they’re setting benchmarks.

Let’s dive deeper and see if the HONOR X9d truly deserves the crown.

First Look & Design: Slim, Premium, and Built to Last

The first thing that strikes you about the HONOR X9d 5G is how surprisingly slim and lightweight it feels in the hand. Despite housing the largest battery ever seen in a mainstream smartphone, an enormous 8,300mAh unit, the phone manages to stay sleek at just 7.76mm thick and weighing only 193 grams. That’s lighter than many phones with far smaller batteries, which instantly makes it more comfortable for daily use. You don’t get that “brick in your pocket” feeling, even with its powerhouse hardware.

HONOR has clearly put a lot of thought into the design, opting for a premium flat display instead of a curved one. While curved screens often look stylish, they can be fragile and frustrating to protect with screen guards or cases. By going flat, HONOR not only improves the phone’s durability but also makes it far more practical for everyday users. If you’re applying a screen protector yourself or slipping on a rugged case, the flat design makes the process hassle-free. For a device that’s built on the promise of toughness, this is a smart design choice that aligns perfectly with its durability-first branding.

Size-wise, the phone measures 161.9mm x 76.1mm x 7.76mm, which gives it a modern, balanced feel in the hand. It’s tall enough for immersive video streaming and gaming but not too wide that one-handed use becomes awkward. The flat edges and subtle curvature on the back frame add a level of grip security, which is something you’ll definitely appreciate if you’ve ever dropped a slippery glass-backed phone.

HONOR has also paid close attention to aesthetics, making sure that the HONOR X9d 5G doesn’t just feel tough but also looks premium. The phone is available in four standout colors that suit different personalities and styles:

• Reddish Brown for those who want a bold, distinguished look that stands out without being flashy.
• Forest Green, a more refined, earthy tone that feels refreshing and modern.
• Sunrise Gold, which catches the light beautifully and adds a touch of luxury.
• Midnight Black, the classic choice for users who prefer an understated, timeless design.

What I love about these finishes is that they give the HONOR X9d an identity beyond just being “the durable phone.” It proves that ruggedness doesn’t have to come at the cost of style. You could walk into a meeting with this device, and it looks every bit as premium as a flagship phone without the worry of it cracking at the first accidental drop.

Overall, the design of the HONOR X9d 5G strikes a really impressive balance between elegance and practicality. It’s slim and stylish enough to appeal to users who care about aesthetics but engineered tough enough to live up to its promise of next-level durability. This dual personality, premium on the outside, rugged at its core, is exactly what sets it apart in the mid-range smartphone crowd.

Performance: Snapdragon Power Meets Visual Brilliance

When it comes to performance, the HONOR X9d 5G makes a solid leap forward compared to its predecessor. Under the hood, it’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset, which is a nice bump up from the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 seen in the X9c. Built on a 4nm process, it also means greater power efficiency, so you’re getting better speed without sacrificing battery life. According to HONOR, we’re looking at an 11% increase in CPU performance and an impressive 29% improvement in GPU performance. In real terms, this translates to smoother gaming sessions, faster app loading, and snappier multitasking when you’re juggling multiple apps at once.

For everyday users, this is the kind of difference you’ll feel when switching between WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify without the lag hiccups that mid-range phones often struggle with. For gamers, it means titles like Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile, or Genshin Impact run more fluidly, especially when paired with HONOR’s performance optimization under MagicOS 9.0. It’s not aiming to compete with ultra-high-end flagships, but within the mid-range category, the HONOR X9d easily pulls ahead of the pack.

Now, let’s talk about the display, because this is where the phone truly shines. The HONOR X9d comes with a massive 6.79-inch HONOR FullView AMOLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rate, 1.07 billion colors, and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut. But the showstopper here is the industry-leading 6000 nits peak brightness. To put this in perspective, most flagship smartphones hover around 2000–3000 nits, with very few pushing past 4000. At 6000 nits, the HONOR X9d sets a new benchmark.

This kind of brightness isn’t just a bragging number, it’s genuinely useful. Ever tried reading a message or navigating Google Maps under Malaysia’s scorching midday sun? Most phones wash out completely, forcing you to squint or shade your screen. The HONOR X9d, thanks to its Deuterated Organic Light-Emitting Materials, stays sharp and clear even in direct sunlight.

The audio experience also deserves a nod. HONOR has equipped the HONOR X9d with a Bass Dual Speaker setup, something you don’t often see in this price range. It delivers richer lows and clearer highs, which means movie nights and gaming marathons feel more immersive without always needing headphones. On top of that, HONOR introduces a quirky but useful 400% Ultra Volume Mode. This cranks up sound output for things like ringtones, navigation, or media playback. The catch? It doesn’t work with headphones or Bluetooth, but for speaker output, it’s a lifesaver in loud environments.

Storage and memory options are also generous, with configurations of 12GB + 256GB or 12GB + 512GB. And thanks to HONOR’s Turbo RAM technology, the phone effectively functions with 24GB of RAM (12GB physical + 12GB virtual). That means even heavy multitasking remains smooth without apps constantly refreshing.

Daily Usage: Built for Real-Life Scenarios

Durability and specs on paper are impressive, but what really matters is how those features translate into everyday life. The HONOR X9d 5G has been designed with real-world usage in mind, and it shows in the small but thoughtful details that make a big difference when you’re actually living with the device.

For starters, the flat-screen design isn’t just about aesthetics or easier screen protector application, it also improves daily resilience. If you’ve ever dropped a curved-edge phone, you’ll know how much more vulnerable those edges are to shattering. With the HONOR X9d’s flat display, you get a much stronger front panel that can handle accidental slips better, while still being friendly to protective accessories like tempered glass covers and rugged cases. This makes the phone ideal for anyone who wants a sleek design but doesn’t want to baby their device all the time.

Then there’s the way the HONOR X9d handles wet and challenging conditions. HONOR has built in AI Heavy Rain Touch and AI Glove Touch, which sound like fancy terms but basically mean the phone stays usable even when you’re caught in a downpour or wearing gloves.

HONOR also went the extra mile with a very practical feature that many brands overlook: the Drainage and Dust Removal mode. If water or dust gets into the speaker grilles or charging ports, the phone can actually vibrate and play specific sound frequencies to expel liquid or debris. It’s one of those features you may not use every day, but when you do need it, say after accidentally dropping the phone in a sink, you’ll be glad it’s there.

And here’s where HONOR really earns consumer trust: their New Triple Assurance Protection Policy. In a market where most brands will try to upsell extended warranties, HONOR includes peace of mind as part of the package. You’re covered with:

• 365-day Front & Back Crack Protection, which takes care of both the display and the rear camera glass if either cracks.
• Liquid Damage Protection Warranty, giving you one free repair for water-related damage in the first year.
• One-Year Extended Warranty, automatically included at no additional cost.

These policies show that HONOR isn’t just bragging about durability. They’re willing to stand behind it. For everyday users, this means less anxiety about drops, spills, or unexpected accidents. Parents with young kids who love grabbing phones, outdoor enthusiasts who bring their devices on hikes, or even everyday commuters who just want reliability, all benefit from this extra level of protection.

When you combine these thoughtful features, the HONOR X9d 5G isn’t just a phone that can survive tough conditions. It’s a phone that’s built to make your life easier no matter where you are.

AI Features: Smarter Everyday Experience

One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing in smartphones right now is how much AI is woven into daily use, and HONOR isn’t holding back with the HONOR X9d 5G. Running on MagicOS 9.0 (Android 15), the phone integrates a whole suite of AI-driven optimizations that go beyond just “fancy buzzwords.” Instead, they focus on making your everyday interactions smoother, smarter, and more personal.

Take Smart Assistant AI, for example. It learns your habits over time and anticipates what you need before you even tap. It also helps manage background processes intelligently, prioritizing the apps you use the most while keeping the less important ones on standby to save battery and RAM.

AI also plays a huge role in battery optimization. HONOR’s adaptive AI system monitors your phone usage patterns and adjusts power distribution accordingly. If you’re binge-watching YouTube or Netflix, it ensures smoother playback without draining too much battery. On the flip side, when your phone is idle, AI goes into “smart power-saving” mode, trimming unnecessary background activity so you get the most out of that 5,600mAh cell. Over time, this kind of optimization adds up. You’ll notice your battery lasting longer compared to other mid-range phones with similar capacities.

On the communication side, HONOR’s AI-powered Magic Text and Smart Translation features are incredibly practical, especially in Malaysia where we often juggle between Malay, English, Mandarin, and Tamil. With Magic Text, you can point your camera at any text, like a restaurant menu, road sign, or flyer, and instantly copy, translate, or share the information. It’s one of those features that sounds minor on paper but ends up being a daily lifesaver.

What ties all of this together is that HONOR’s AI doesn’t feel intrusive or “in your face.” Instead, it works quietly in the background, streamlining tasks so you can focus on what matters. It’s the kind of smart integration that makes the HONOR X9d stand out: not just a durable powerhouse, but also a phone that learns and adapts to you.

Battery: The Monster 8,300mAh Silicon-Carbon Breakthrough

Here’s where HONOR leaves the competition in the dust. The 8,300mAh Silicon-Carbon battery is the largest on the market, and yet the phone is thinner than many flagships.

With HONOR’s MagicOS 9.0 Power Saving Tech, you’re looking at up to three days of usage on a single charge. In real numbers:

• 52.5 hours of music streaming,
• 23.8 hours of video playback,
• 16.8 hours of gaming,
• 12.3 hours of video calling.

It supports 66W HONOR SuperCharge, so topping up is quick, and it even doubles as a power bank with 7.5W wired reverse charging. Fun fact: You can fully charge an iPhone and still have enough juice to last a whole day.

For emergencies, the Ultra Power Saving Mode gives you up to 60 minutes of talk time on just 2% battery. That’s game-changing reliability.

Features: Durability That Redefines the Standard

When it comes to durability, the HONOR X9d 5G isn’t just another “tough” phone with a marketing gimmick slapped on it—it’s literally redefining what resilience means in the smartphone world. HONOR has equipped this device with not one, but multiple industry-first certifications that you usually don’t see in consumer-grade phones, especially not in the mid-range segment.

Let’s start with the SGS Triple-Resistant Certification, which sets the tone for the HONOR X9d’s durability promise. This isn’t just a sticker for show; it’s a serious badge that confirms the phone can handle drops, dust, and water with performance that goes beyond standard durability tests. HONOR claims the X9d is 25% tougher than its predecessor, the X9c, and that’s thanks to the all-new Ultra-Bounce Anti-Drop Technology 3.0.

This involves a 6-layer Bulletproof-Inspired Shock-Absorption Framework that absorbs impact and disperses it more effectively. In practical terms, this means you can accidentally drop the phone from up to 2.5 meters onto various hard surfaces like marble or asphalt, and it has a much higher chance of surviving intact compared to the typical glass sandwich phone we’re all too familiar with.

But it’s not just about the frame. The HONOR X9d also levels up its display durability with ultra-deep tempered Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. HONOR says the tempering depth has been improved by 31%, making the glass significantly tougher against scratches, cuts, and even sharp objects. The term they use is “blade-level scratch resistance,” and while I wouldn’t recommend stress-testing it with a kitchen knife, it’s good to know the display is built for real-world accidents like keys or coins scraping against it in your pocket.

Now, let’s talk about water resistance, because this is where HONOR goes above and beyond the industry norm. Most flagship phones these days boast IP68, which is already solid. But the HONOR X9d takes it to the next level with an IP69K rating, the absolute highest you can get. What does that mean in real life? Complete dust-tightness, plus the ability to withstand high-pressure, high-temperature water jets at 85°C. In other words, you could rinse this phone under a hot shower, or accidentally drop it into a muddy puddle during a hike, and it’ll keep ticking.

On top of that, it also carries IP66 and IP68 certifications, making it practically waterproof for extreme conditions. HONOR even tested it to survive submersion up to 6 meters deep, and astonishingly, the phone can endure 30 days submerged in 1 meter of water without giving up. That’s unheard of in the smartphone market right now.

Taken together, these durability features mean the HONOR X9d 5G isn’t just tough on paper, it’s tough in real-life scenarios. Whether you’re clumsy with your phone, working in outdoor environments, or just want the peace of mind that your device can survive more than a light splash or a drop off the sofa, the HONOR X9d has you covered. HONOR is clearly positioning this phone as a game-changer in consumer durability, raising the bar so high that competitors will have to play catch-up.

Camera: 108MP Ultra-Sensing with AI Magic

HONOR has clearly put a lot of thought into making the HONOR X9d 5G’s camera system a strong contender in the mid-range category, and it all starts with the 108MP Ultra-Sensing Main Camera. Thanks to its large 1/1.67-inch sensor and f/1.75 aperture, the phone is able to capture a lot more light than your average mid-ranger. The result? Sharper, brighter, and more detailed shots. Paired with 9-in-1 pixel binning technology, the camera combines pixels into larger 1.92μm super pixels, which helps improve low-light performance dramatically.

In real-life use, you’ll notice how effortlessly the phone balances exposure in tricky lighting situations. Shooting during golden hour? Colors pop without looking oversaturated. Night shots? The AI Night Mode steps in to reduce noise while still keeping textures and highlights intact. So neon signs stay crisp, and skies don’t dissolve into grain. It’s the kind of detail you wouldn’t expect unless you’re holding a flagship, yet HONOR has managed to trickle it down into this tougher, more budget-friendly device.

The supporting cast of lenses also adds versatility to the system. The 2MP Depth Camera may seem modest on paper, but it plays a big role in delivering more natural-looking portrait shots with creamy bokeh effects. Meanwhile, the 16MP Front Camera is backed by AI Beauty and HDR features, making selfies look clear and well-balanced even when taken against bright backgrounds like a sunny beach or city skyline. HONOR has also integrated AI-based portrait optimization, which detects facial features and lighting conditions to ensure skin tones look natural.

But what really elevates the experience is HONOR’s AI image processing. Scene Recognition can instantly identify whether you’re shooting food, landscapes, text, or people, then fine-tune the camera settings on the spot. For example, a plate of nasi lemak will get boosted colors to look more appetizing, while a night skyline shot will prioritize clarity and reduced blur. And for video creators, the camera supports 4K video recording with AI stabilization, making handheld vlogging or casual content creation much easier without always needing a gimbal.

One neat addition is HONOR’s AI Motion Capture, which helps lock onto moving subjects like pets, kids, or even fast-paced street performers. Instead of ending up with blurry shots, the phone intelligently adjusts shutter timing and stabilization to keep subjects sharp. Pair that with the phone’s Ultra-Clear Zoom capabilities, which use high-res cropping from the 108MP sensor, and you can get surprisingly crisp details even when zooming in on distant subjects like signboards, building details, or concert stages.

In short, the HONOR X9d’s camera isn’t just about megapixels. It’s about how the hardware and AI software come together to create a flexible all-rounder camera system. This setup delivers reliability and polish that’s rare in its class.

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Final Thoughts: Raising the Bar for Mid-Range Phones

After spending time with the HONOR X9d 5G, it’s clear that this isn’t just another incremental update to the X series. HONOR has taken the lessons from the X9c’s success and doubled down on what really matters to users: durability, performance, battery life, and practicality. And in doing so, they’ve set a new benchmark for what a mid-range smartphone should offer.

What really impressed me most is how well-balanced this device feels. On one hand, you get a phone that can take a beating such as certified with SGS Triple-Resistant standards, the highest IP69K rating, and even a “bulletproof-inspired” anti-drop framework. It’s the kind of phone you don’t need to baby, which is rare in a market where even premium flagships can feel fragile. On the other hand, it doesn’t compromise on modern luxuries. That ultra-bright AMOLED display, Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 performance, and 108MP AI-powered camera system ensure that it doesn’t just survive your daily life.

Then there’s the 8,300mAh Silicon-Carbon battery. Honestly, this is a game-changer. Phones often force you to choose between slimness and endurance, but HONOR somehow managed to give us both. The result? A device that lasts days on a single charge, can even charge other gadgets, and still feels surprisingly sleek in hand. It’s these thoughtful engineering decisions that make the HONOR X9d stand out not just as a tough device, but as a genuinely practical one.

The New Triple Assurance policy, covering screen cracks, liquid damage, and extending warranty coverage is something I wish more brands would adopt. It shows that HONOR isn’t just selling a phone; they’re backing it up with real consumer protection. For everyday buyers, that translates to peace of mind and a sense that their investment is genuinely safeguarded.

So, who is the HONOR X9d 5G for? Honestly, it hits a wide audience. If you’re a student looking for an all-day device that won’t give up during long classes and gaming sessions, this phone delivers. If you’re a professional who values reliability and can’t afford to have a phone die or crack mid-task, this phone’s toughness has your back. And if you’re simply someone who wants the best value for money without constantly worrying about battery anxiety or accidental drops, the HONOR X9d is a no-brainer.

In many ways, the HONOR X9d 5G feels less like a mid-range device and more like a flagship challenger cleverly disguised with a friendlier price tag. By combining groundbreaking durability with high-performance features and marathon battery life, HONOR has redefined what we should expect from this segment. The competition now has some serious catching up to do.

At the end of the day, the HONOR X9d isn’t just about specs on paper. It’s about giving users a phone that fits seamlessly into their real lives, and that’s where it truly shines. If you’ve been holding out for a smartphone that can do it all like stay tough, stay smart, and stay powered for days, the HONOR X9d 5G is, without a doubt, raising the bar for mid-range phones in 2025.

More info: https://www.honor.com/my/shop/new-launch/

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