Honor’s second wave of phones has reached Australian stores. While the brand’s previous entries have been focused on the high end, the X9d 5G is its newest midrange device that puts value where it counts.
Durability is one of the key features on this device, which checks all the water and dust resistance boxes up to IP69K and reaches a 2.5-metre drop resistance rating.
Battery is another highlight, with a huge 8300mAh silicon-carbon unit in a chassis just 7.76mm thick.
The third piece of the puzzle is the excellent main camera lens, with a 108-megapixel sensor that can produce detailed images.
The Honor X9d handles daily tasks without complaint and it meets all the expectations the above specs set.
However, there are a few trade-offs like a weak secondary ultrawide lens, no eSIM compatibility, a questionable bloatware situation, and a shorter software support tail than market standards.
Overall Rating: 4 / 5
Pros
- Outstanding battery life, lasting two days comfortably
- Strong main camera performance
- Impressive durability credentials
Cons
- Only two OS updates are guaranteed
- No eSIM compatibility; a noteworthy omission at this price point
- Ultrawide lens feels like an afterthought
Price: $699 RRP | For people who prioritise battery life and durability
Setup & First Impressions
The box inclusions are quite minimal. Inside, you’ll find the phone, a charging cable, a SIM eject tool, documentation, and a pre-applied screen protector. There’s no charger or case included, meaning you’ll have to purchase them separately.
Setup is frictionless, and follows the standard Android 16 procedure that MagicOS 10 is built upon. Sign in, migrate your data across, skip the features you don’t need, and you’re done.
From there, you may want to spend some time cleaning up the pre-installed apps and accepting permissions from the features you’ll be using. MagicOS 10 delivers permission prompts for all of its main functions, so it’s worth evaluating each function and seeing if you want to opt in or work around it.
Design & Aesthetics
The unit we have in for review sports the Reddish Brown colourway. It looks more red than brown, and the gold-tone frame accents it well. Midnight Black and Sunrise Gold are the other colours available for Australia, but this one is my pick for sure.
Coming in at 193 grams with such a large battery is an impressive feat that means the phone sits in the pocket well and doesn’t feel too bulky to carry around, even though it reaches two days of screen-on time.
The 6.79-inch AMOLED display features a 120Hz refresh rate that makes for smooth scrolling, and a peak brightness of 6000 nits that ensures it’s legible in direct sunlight.
The leather-texture finish on the rear of the device provides a good grip, while the large camera ring houses the two camera sensors and the flash. The polished metal finish on the frame of the device is a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
The Honor X9d comes in a bit too large for one-handed use, especially for smaller hands, but the slim profile makes it more useable than you might think at first.
With durability being one of the key marketing points, it’s worth noting that the preinstalled screen protector cracked during the review period when the phone made contact with another device in my pocket. The display itself was unaffected, but you may want to budget for a more durable screen protector.
Life With the Honor X9d
In day-to-day usage, the Honor X9d fits the role nicely. All the regular apps load promptly, scrolling is smooth, and there’s nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to usage for calls, messages, browsing, and streaming.
AI features are woven throughout the Honor X9d’s interface and features, including camera functions like Magic Text to extract text. There’s also AI Subtitles, AI Translate, and AI Writing tools present alongside Google Gemini’s functions.
Positives
The battery is the highlight of the device. In a one-hour YouTube streaming test at half brightness, the phone only dropped one percent. If you extrapolate that out to a real-world mixed usage figure, two full days between charges becomes a reasonable expectation.
The screen offers excellent brightness that keeps it useable outdoors. It’s not the brightest screen I’ve used recently, but it feels like a cut above its price point in terms of peak brightness and colour.
While I haven’t been able to thoroughly test its durability claims, IP69K water and dust resistance at this price point is a real differentiator that places this device ahead of the market. If you’re accident-prone with your devices or work in areas unfriendly to electronics, this feature may just save the phone.
Negatives
The permission prompts from Honor’s inbuilt services have been a persistent irritant throughout the review process; not just during the initial setup. Even basic functions like searching your own app drawer prompt you to accept a privacy policy before they work.
These are mostly opt-in agreements for Honor’s own features, and not malware, but the frequency at which it asks them gives the impression that it’s constantly bartering with you for your data to access the phone’s most fundamental functions.
Beyond these prompts, the preinstalled apps require some cleanup; these include Facebook, TikTok, Booking.com, Temu, LinkedIn, and more alongside folders recommended from the Honor App Market. All of this can be deleted, but it feels like a chore you must go through to enjoy the device.
The included USB cable is an A to C model, meaning it’s a mismatch for most newer chargers. Additionally, the USB-C port on the device itself only reaches USB 2.0 speeds, meaning it’s fine for photo transfers but not bulk data offloading.
Camera
The Honor X9d’s camera system is built around the 108-megapixel main sensor, and it shows. In good lighting conditions, it produces sharp, detailed images with accurate colours.
Under low light conditions the phone is quick to slow down the shutter speed, which may result in blurry shots unless you’ve got steady hands. That said, colour reproduction under low light is still quite good thanks to automatic AI processing.
The 5-megapixel ultrawide lens is a different matter. It delivers washed out colours with low sharpness, and it feels more like the brand ticking a checkbox than an actual photography tool.
There is no telephoto lens, instead the phone creates a 3x digital crop that produces solid results in good light. Quality quickly degrades when you extend the digital zoom up to 10x.
The 16-megapixel front facing camera is great for video calls and social media selfies. Beauty smoothing is available as a slider, but it’s worth disabling for a natural result.
Video options reach 4K30 and 1080p60 with no advanced footage options like HDR recording or LOG footage. That places the phone firmly in everyday video territory, not content creation.
Performance & Reliability
The Honor X9d’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset handles regular tasks easily; apps load quickly and streaming, browsing, and social media all work smoothly.
Gaming is the main caveat here. Benchmark testing returned fairly low figures, and the device struggles to keep up with demanding titles like Neverness to Everness. Lighter games run fine, but this is a day-to-day use phone first.
Consistency has been solid. I haven’t noticed any crashing or unusual app behaviour during the review period, suggesting it should be a good device for those needing durability and reliability.
Practical Considerations
Since there’s no included charger, you’ll have to consider a third party option. The X9d pairs nicely with a 65W charger compatible with USB PD, and a good GaN charger will charge it from flat to full in under 90 minutes.
Beyond charging, it’s also worth mentioning there’s no expandable storage, no wireless charging, and no eSIM functionality. The X9d offers NFC tap-to-pay and Bluetooth 5.2 for good wireless audio quality.
Software support is a downside here. Honor has only officially guaranteed two operating system updates from Android 16, while competitors are increasingly offering up to seven thanks to EU regulations. If you tend to keep your phone for longer, this is a gap that matters.
The speakers don’t sound the best, but they do get extremely loud at the cost of some distortion at maximum volume. There’s not much bass to speak of, and the sound signature comes off a little tinny.
Honor offers a 24-month warranty, which is solid at this price point.
Value & Alternatives
Coming in at $699 RRP, the X9d is in a highly competitive segment. It’s up against phones like the Motorola Edge 70, the Nothing Phone 3a, and the Samsung Galaxy A56.
Motorola and Samsung both offer longer software support tails, which is a big advantage if you’re planning to hold onto the phone for years to come.
The Nothing Phone option competes mainly on its camera versatility and its distinctive design.
Where the Honor X9d stands out is the battery life and durability credentials. The huge 8300mAh silicon-carbon battery cell and the IP69K ratings are the highlight features at this price point.
Would I Buy It With My Own Money?
Yes, but know what you’re getting into first. The Honor X9d 5G is a phone for people who prioritise battery life, durability, and day-to-day use over long-term software support and gaming performance. The X9d makes a strong case for those seeking reliability at a midrange price point.
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