HONOR X8a Review; HONOR Maintains A Winning Streak

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever experienced upgrading to a newly launched smartphone from a brand you like, only for the said brand to release yet another promising device in a span of months? That's what HONOR is currently doing to its fans. It's a good problem, nonetheless.

HONOR X8a Review; HONOR Maintains A Winning Streak

HONOR's impressive momentum continues to build on with its recent rollout – the HONOR X8a. This smartphone can easily be classified as a jack-of-all-trades device with features that appeal to different kinds of mobile phone users. Curious about what we're talking about? Read on and find out.

DESIGN and BUILD:

The HONOR X8a is arguably one of the prettiest smartphones under its price segment. One of its main allures can be attributed to its rear cameras, which would remind you of the lenses of an iPhone Pro Max – except that the HONOR X8a has four protruding circles.

Cyan Lake

This smartphone joins the growing plethora of devices that carry more than a single color since its glittered hues change every time it is hit with light. It's available in beautiful shades of Titanium Silver, Midnight Black, and Cyan Lake, which we have for this review.

IR Blaster and Primary Microphone

While mostly clad in plastic, the HONOR X8a has a premium look. Plus, its back panel is designed with a matte finish, so it repels fingerprints and smudges.

Volume Keys and Power Button/Fingerprint Sensor

On the flat corners of the HONOR X8a are the standard buttons and ports. Its power button and fingerprint scanner lie on the right cheek, strategically placed so you can easily reach it even with one-hand use.

Card Tray

Its left side is a clean slate, save from the tray that can host two nano SIM cards.

Loudspeaker, USB Type-C, and Secondary Microphone

At the bottom is a USB-C port which you can use to charge the device or plug in earphones. As a courtesy, HONOR included a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter in the package of the HONOR X8a.

Retail Package

At 179 grams, the HONOR X8a is light and easy to hold. It also gives a good grip that assures you won't accidentally drop it on your face when you're using it while lying down. Its measurements are specifically 162.9 mm (height), 74.5 mm (width), and 7.48 mm (depth).

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DISPLAY:

If you use your smartphone more for watching videos than the other stuff, then the HONOR X8a suits you. Apart from its bright screen with colors and sharpness tweaked just at the right levels, this smartphone also comes with an almost bezel-less display. Its 6.7-inch HONOR FullView screen with a 93.6 percent screen-to-body ratio is surrounded by thin corners with only the chin that's remarkably prominent.

6.7-inch FHD+ 90Hz IPS Display

Plus, this smartphone has a 90Hz screen refresh rate that gives you easy scrolling and lag-less gaming frames. Overall, the display of the HONOR X8a is decent enough. We wish that the HONOR X8a's screen could be a bit brighter under outdoor use, though.

PERFORMANCE:

It's a bit of a letdown that the HONOR X8a runs with a Mediatek Helio G88 chipset. With it, the said smartphone can still perform multitasking but not without hiccups. We had to close two to three apps so that it wouldn't lag. But, if you're the kind of user who keeps only one or two active apps at a time, then there won't be any problem.

Although it's a 2023-released device, the HONOR X8a still comes with Android 12 out of the box with a Magic UI 6.1 on top. This is not a deal-breaker, though, as updating to the latest Android OS version is always easy as long as it's available.

Magic UI 6.1 adds smoothness and fluidity to the overall usage of the HONOR X8a. We liked that it supports dual-window mode, which is a good feature, especially with the maximized screen of the HONOR X8a.

Gaming-wise, the HONOR X8a is average. You have to keep the gaming settings at the middle level so you can enjoy playing. It gives a gaming experience that's smooth and immersive enough.

For reference, here are the HONOR X8a benchmark results.

Antutu - 194,085
Geekbench Single-Core - 433
Geekbench Multi-Core - 1,217
Geekbench Compute - 1,010
PC Mark Work Performance 3.0 - 7,550
PC Mark Work Storage 2.0 - 7,851
3D Mark Wild Life -748
3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test -751
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme - 157
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test - 190
3D Mark Sling Shot - 1,712
3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme -1,394

See Also: Awesome Reasons Why You Should Get the HONOR X7a for Php7,990

CAMERA:

Photography is one of the strongest suits of the HONOR X8a. Equipped with three cameras consisting of a 100-megapixel primary sensor, a 5-megapixel ultrawide shooter, and a 2-megapixel macro lens, the HONOR X8a produces pictures that don't need any touch-ups.

100MP Triple Camera

The primary 100MP camera of the HONOR X8a allows outstanding zoom on photos that you can crop a specific part out of an image, and the quality is still good. Just like other devices with the same price as the HONOR X8a, it struggles with night photography. Photos look hazy, and some of the details appear smudgy.

For shooting modes, the HONOR X8a comes with the normal photo, wide angle, aperture, time-lapse, watermark, dual-view, story, super macro, pro, panorama mode, HDR, high-res, night, capture smiles, and more.

16MP Front Camera

Selfies taken using the HONOR X8a look good. There's just the right amount of softness that emphasizes facial features more.

Camera Samples:

Lion's Head, Normal

Lion's Head, 2x Zoom

Bell Church, Baguio

Strawberry Farm, La Trinidad

Mirador Bell, Normal

Mirador Bell, 2x Zoom

Selfie, Normal

Selfie, Portrait

Video resolution supports up to 1080 x 1920 pixels. While the video quality of the HONOR X8a is middling, you have to remember that this smartphone doesn't have a built-in stabilizer, so you better have steady hands.

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BATTERY:

Apart from its cameras, the HONOR X8a also performed well in the battery department. Its 4,500mAh juice didn't require a recharge until after more than a day of moderate to heavy usage. This is an applaudable feat, making the HONOR X8a an even better choice for a daily driver.

Plus, this device supports fast charging with the HONOR 22.5W SuperCharge Charger, which equates a 30-minute plugged-in time to around 50% battery level.

CONCLUSION:

The HONOR X8a delivers just what a typical user would need in a smartphone – a decent display, a modest chipset, capable cameras, and a big battery. For Php10,990, it definitely gives you what you paid for.

HONOR X8a

Get the HONOR X8a at HONOR online and offline stores and via authorized resellers nationwide.

How much is the HONOR X8a price in the Philippines?

The HONOR X8a price Philippines is Php10,990, which is 2,000 pesos more affordable than the HONOR X8.
Get yours now via Lazada at https://bit.ly/honorphstore. or Shopee at https://bit.ly/honorstoreph.

When will be the HONOR X8a available in the Philippines?

The HONOR X8a is now available in the Philippines.

HONOR X8a Specs Philippines:

Dual SIM, dual standby, supports 4G/LTE connectivity
6.7-inch FHD+ (2388 x 1080 pixels) IPS LCD, 90Hz refresh rate
Dimensions: 162.9mm x 74.5mm x 7.5mm
Weight: 179 grams
Magic UI 6.1 based on Android 12
Octa-core (2x2.0GHz Cortex-A75 + 6x1.8GHz Cortex-A55), ARM Mali-G52 MC2 GPU, MediaTek Helio G88 12nm 4G chipset
8GB RAM
128GB storage, non-expandable
100MP f/1.9 PDAF main + 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 2MP macro triple rear cameras, 1080p video recording at 30fps
16MP f/2.5 front camera, 1080p video recording at 30fps
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth v5.1
USB 2.0 Type-C with OTG function
GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
Multimedia Player
3.5mm audio jack
Sensors: fingerprint (side-mounted), light, proximity, accelerometer, gyroscope
Battery: 4,500mAh non-removable lithium-ion polymer; supports 22.5W fast wired and wireless charging
Colors: Cyan Lake, Titanium Silver, Midnight Black
HONOR X8a Price Philippines: Php10,990

HONOR X8a Review; HONOR Maintains A Winning Streak