Honor X9c 5G review: Sturdy and stylish

Rating 3/5Honor's return to the Indian smartphone market has been marked by strategic releases targeting the competitive mid-range segment. The company has been steadily rebuilding its smartphone lineup in India, focusing on design, durability, and balanced performance.

The Honor X9c 5G, launched at Rs 21,999, represents the brand's attempt to carve out a niche in the crowded sub-25K category.

With promises of flagship-level durability, a massive 6,600mAh battery, and AI-enhanced photography, the X9c aims to appeal to users seeking reliability without breaking the bank. The smartphone comes powered by a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset and features a 108MP camera. We spent several weeks with the Honor X9c 5G, putting it through daily tasks including photography, gaming, streaming, and productivity work.

Here’s how it performed:

Design and Build

The Honor X9c makes a strong first impression with its curved AMOLED display and slim build. With a tall stance, the smartphone strikes a balance between premium aesthetics and practical durability. At 7.98mm thickness and weighing 189g, it feels lightweight in the hand despite the large battery. The Jade Cyan variant we tested looked eye-catching and felt substantial yet comfortable in hand.

The device features an IP65M rating for 360-degree water resistance, ensuring it can withstand splashes and dust without issue. Combined with SGS drop resistance, it feels more rugged than many glass-backed phones in this segment. These features add peace of mind for everyday use. The phone's ability to operate safely in extreme temperatures from -30°C to 55°C, thanks to its special battery coating and power management system, makes it particularly appealing for users living in diverse climatic conditions.

The Titanium finish and the curved display not only make it look stylish but also offer a premium in-hand feel. On the back, the circular camera island adds to the premium look, while the matte finish reduces smudges. In everyday use, the phone felt sturdy yet stylish, fitting comfortably in the pocket.

Display

The Honor X9c features a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution (2700x1224) and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Scrolling feels smooth, animations are fluid, and HDR content pops with rich contrast.

With up to 1.07 billion colours, the panel delivered vivid visuals while watching movies like Transformers and Avengers, and playing games like BGMI and Modern Warships. The 3,840Hz PWM dimming and TUV Rheinland certifications for low blue light meant less eye strain during long sessions.

Whether it was streaming Netflix or browsing social media, the curved edges and near bezel-less design made the screen immersive.

However, they occasionally register accidental touches during one-handed use.

Performance and Software

At its core, the Honor X9c runs on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset, paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The octa-core processor is quite old, but it handles basic daily tasks smoothly. From app launches to multitasking between social media, productivity apps, light gaming, browsing and attending video calls, everything felt snappy on this phone.Games like BGMI and Modern Warships ran smoothly at medium settings without heating issues. The Adreno A710 GPU provides adequate graphics processing for most users' needs.

However, on higher settings, the phone heated up a little but never got too uncomfortable to hold in our hands. We also noticed occasional lags and stutters during such situations. For multitasking, the phone’s RAM expansion option also helped in keeping apps running in the background.

The device comes with MagicOS 8.0 based on Android 14, with an upgrade to MagicOS 9.0 (Android 15) available. Honor’s interface adds AI features like AI Motion Sensing for smart interactions, AI Erase for removing unwanted objects in photos and AI Magic Capsule & Portal 2.0 for quick access and multitasking. These features add practical value and particularly helped us with photography and productivity tasks. The

The UI felt clean, without excessive bloatware, and offered valuable additions that enhanced day-to-day use.

With the pre-installed apps, Honor seemed to focus on usefulness rather than cluttering the interface with unnecessary software.Honor claims that the dual stereo speaker setup can increase the phone’s audio by 300%. The phone was able to stand up to the claims. The audio experience while playing games, watching movies and scrolling reels was really immersive. The phone’s audio is loud and doesn’t crack at higher levels.

Cameras

The dual rear camera setup, headlined by a 108MP primary sensor with f/1.75 aperture and OIS support, delivers impressive results for the price point. The inclusion of both optical and electronic image stabilisation significantly improves low-light performance and reduces camera shake in handheld shots.

In daylight conditions, the primary camera captures detailed photos with good dynamic range and natural colour reproduction. The lossless zoom functionality, which can be up to 3x, proves beneficial for portraits and distant subjects. The 5MP wide-angle camera, while not groundbreaking, adds versatility for group shots and landscape photography. Here are some camera sameples:

Low-light performance benefits from the Night mode and OIS combination, producing usable images with reduced noise and better detail retention than expected in this price segment.

The AI photography features intelligently adjust settings based on scene detection, making it easier for casual photographers to achieve good results.

The 16MP front camera performs admirably for selfies and video calls. Portrait mode with beauty enhancement works well, while the support for 2D face recognition provides convenient unlocking functionality.

Video recording capabilities on the rear camera extend up to 4K resolution, with stabilisation features ensuring smooth footage for social media and casual videography needs.

Battery and Connectivity

The 6,600mAh silicon-carbon battery is one of the X9c’s highlights. In our testing, the device consistently delivered a day-and-a-half to two-day battery life with moderate to heavy usage patterns. This included tasks such as streaming, gaming, photography, and productivity throughout the day. The silicon-carbon battery technology not only provides high capacity but also contributes to the phone's durability in extreme conditions.

With 66W fast charging, the phone reached around 50% in under 30 minutes and a full charge in just over an hour. What stood out was how the battery held up during heavy sessions — long video calls, GPS navigation, and gaming didn’t drain it as quickly as many rivals.The phone’s Standby time is quite impressive, with minimal overnight drain ensuring the phone is ready for full-day usage without requiring frequent charging cycles.

Honor also claims it can handle extreme temperatures (-30°C to 55°C), making it more reliable for travellers.The Honor X9c 5G covers all essential connectivity bases with 5G support, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC. The inclusion of NFC enables mobile payments and quick device pairing, while OTG support adds functionality for external storage and accessories. The USB Type-C port supports both charging and data transfer, maintaining the modern standards for connectivity.

Verdict

The Honor X9c 5G successfully positions itself as a well-rounded mid-range smartphone that prioritises durability, battery life, and reliable performance over flashy specifications. At Rs 21,999, it offers excellent value for users seeking a dependable daily driver that can withstand challenging conditions while delivering consistent performance.While it may not excel in any single area compared to specialised competitors, the combination of robust build quality, excellent battery life, competent cameras, and a clean software experience makes it an attractive option for users. The phone particularly appeals to those who prioritise longevity and reliability over cutting-edge features.So if you’re planning to invest in a smartphone that's built to last, both in terms of physical durability and day-to-day usability, the Honor X9c can be a worthy consideration.