HONOR X8b Review; Flagship-Like for Less the Price?
INTRODUCTION:
HONOR introduced its new mid-range device, the HONOR X8b, alongside its first foldable phone offering in the Philippines, the HONOR Magic V2. That's without worrying about the possibility that a sub-P12k smartphone could be overpowered by its opening salvo to the foldable smartphone market. This is pretty understandable, especially with the quality of the HONOR X8b.
 |
| HONOR X8b Review; Flagship-Like for Less the Price? |
Launched just a month after the HONOR X9b 5G which was released a few months after the brand rolled out the HONOR 90 5G, the HONOR X8b is the brand's newest entry to its winning streak – benefitting budget-savvy Filipino techies.
DESIGN and BUILD:
The HONOR X8b looks like an iPhone. Whether this is intentional or not, it's a wise marketing ploy that's as if HONOR is telling everyone that it can offer features that some consider flagship-exclusive in a more accessible way.
 |
| Titanium Silver |
Its hero variant comes dressed in a gorgeous 'Glamorous Green' with a diamond-dotted pattern on a vegan leather. Other color options are Titanium Silver with an iridescent mix of hues, which is the one we have for this review, and a solid Midnight Black.
 |
| Fingerprint Sensor/Power Button and Volume Keys |
Rounded corners and flat edges with a metallic touch accentuate the overall design of the HONOR X8b. A power button which also serves as a fingerprint scanner is situated on the right side of the device, alongside the volume rockers. On the upper part of the opposite side is a dual SIM tray that can hold two SIM cards but not a microSD card.
 |
| Microphone, USB Type-C, Loudspeaker |
At the bottom is a single speaker, a USB-C port, and the main microphone. The secondary microphone is placed at the top of the HONOR X8b. A 3.5mm port is absent on the HONOR X8b, which means sound from the HONOR X8b is better delivered personally to the user through a wireless audio device.
The HONOR X8b is a looker that's light in the hands. It's a good move from HONOR to use vegan leather on the device as it gave the HONOR X8b a premium feel despite its mostly plastic build. Plus, the vegan leather material on the HONOR X8b is not a fingerprint and smudge magnet.
Apart from the smartphone itself, the HONOR X8b's simple white packaging brings a USB-A to USB-C cable, a 35W HONOR SuperCharge wall adapter, a SIM ejector tool, and a free silicone case.
HONOR X9b 5G Review; Mid-Range Beast
DISPLAY:
One of the highlights of the HONOR X8b's display is the Magic Capsule, HONOR's version of Apple's Dynamic Island. Through this, HONOR used the usually bland black space concealing the front camera for smart and convenient functions like real-time app information, notifications, and status indicators.
 |
| 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED 90Hz Display |
The HONOR X8b's screen is a marvel to look at in its 6.7-inch, 2412 x 1080 AMOLED glory. Images, texts, and videos are immersive enough, thanks to the display's delivery of vibrant colors and sharp details.
With a refresh rate of 90Hz, this smartphone display moves fluidly. Outdoor use is also not an issue with the HONOR X8b, as its screen can go as high as 2000 nits for brightness.
The cherry on top – the HONOR X8b has slim bezels surrounding its screen which makes the display look more akin to an almost all-screen flagship smartphone.
Combining strength and style, the HONOR X8b has a Five-Star Overall Drop Resistance Certification from SGS Switzerland. This means that even its bare screen is sturdy enough to withstand multiple accidental drops. But it's always advisable to use a screen protector for added caution.
PERFORMANCE:
Concealed beneath the beautiful physique of the HONOR X8b is a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 platform, plus 8GB RAM and an internal storage of up to 512GB. This maximum capacity might be enough for some and insufficient for others. We still wish the HONOR included a MicroSD card slot in the HONOR X8b's screen tray. Anyway, those planning to get the HONOR X8b and eventually exhaust 512GB of onboard storage may still opt for cloud storage.
 |
| 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED 90Hz Display |
A noteworthy thing about this, though, is that 512GB of storage is more common in flagship devices. That's an HONOR again inculcating a previously high-end feature in a more affordable package.
Switching apps and multitasking with several applications opened in the background is an easy challenge for the HONOR X8b – no lags and no stutters at all. However, it is advisable to keep gaming settings at mid-levels to experience steady gameplays on the HONOR X8b.
Here are the HONOR X8b benchmark results for reference.
- Antutu - 323,241
- Geekbench Single-Core - 308
- Geekbench Multi-Core - 1,210
- Geekbench Compute - 346
- PC Mark Work Performance 3.0 - 7,334
- PC Mark Work Storage 2.0 - 15,652
- 3D Mark Wild Life - 447
- 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test - 446
- 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme - 122
- 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test - 125
- 3D Mark Sling Shot - 2,015
- 3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme - 1,302
Out of the box, the HONOR X8b is an Android 13 device with MagicOS 7.2 on top. Customization is a key feature in this version of the UI. Users can change the HONOR X8b's themes and the look of its icons and widgets, complete with a variety of animations.
CAMERA:
At the back part of the HONOR X8b is a camera module that will remind you of an iPhone. It comes with four circles, but only three are actual lenses while the other one is an LED flash.
 |
| 108MP Triple Rear Cameras |
HONOR X8b's rear camera lineup is a combination of a 108-megapixel f/1.75 main lens, a 5-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide shooter, and a 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera. The device takes selfies through a 50-megapixel f/2.1 front snapper.
 |
| 50MP Front Cameras |
Shooting modes for the rear cameras include portrait, video, slow-mo, panorama, super macro, dual-view, high-res, scan documents, capture smiles, and more. The HONOR X8b supports 1080p video shooting and up to 8x digital zoom. Meanwhile, the front camera has the same shooting modes with the addition of capturing smiles, mirror reflection, and gesture control.
The HONOR X8b is an adequate photography tool. Colors are dynamic and accurate while detail sharpness is not overwhelming. As expected, this is another device that's good in daylight photography but slightly struggles to capture excellent pictures at night.
Selfies taken using the HONOR X8b look average with some appearing with harsh edges for background blur. Check out the sample photos on our Facebook page here.
HONOR Pad X9 Review; The Next Budget-Friendly Tablet To Beat
BATTERY:
The 4,500mAh battery of the HONOR X8b makes the device a trusty busy-day companion. With this, the device can last a whole day of moderate to heavy usage. Thanks to its 35W HONOR SuperCharge-supported free wall charger, the HONOR X8b only entails an hour and a half of waiting for it to be refueled back to 100%.
CONCLUSION:
 |
| HONOR X8b |
For Php12,999, the HONOR X8b packs features that make it easily one of the best buys in the lower mid-range segment. Its fair share of strong suits and caveats is warranted from it being a relatively budget-friendly device.
How much is the HONOR X8b price in the Philippines?
- The HONOR X8b price Philippines is Php12,990.
- HONOR X8b on Lazada Philippines
- HONOR X8b on Shopee PH.
When will the HONOR X8a be available in the Philippines?
- The HONOR X8b is now available in the Philippines.
HONOR X8b Specs Philippines:
- Dual SIM, dual standby, supports 4G/LTE connectivity
- 6.7-inch FHD+ (2412 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display, 90Hz refresh rate, 2000 nits brightness, 3240Hz PWM dimming
- Dimensions: 161.1mm x 74.6mm x 6.8mm
- Weight: 166 grams
- Magic UI 7.2 based on Android 13
- Octa-core (4x2.4GHz Kryo 265 Gold + 4x1.9GHz Kryo 265 Silver) CPU, Adreno 610 GPU, Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G 6nm chipset
- 8GB RAM physical + 8GB RAM virtual
- 512GB storage, non-expandable
- 108MP f/1.8 PDAF main + 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 2MP macro triple rear cameras with LED flash, 1080p video recording at 30fps
- 50MP f/2.1 front camera with LED flash, 1080p video recording at 30fps
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth v5.0
- 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
- Battery: 4,500mAh non-removable lithium-ion polymer; supports 35W fast charging
- Colors: Glamorous Green, Titanium Silver, Midnight Black
- HONOR X8b Price Philippines: Php12,990