HONOR has launched the successor to the X9a from 2023, the HONOR X9b.
Like its predecessor, the HONOR X9b‘s claim to fame is its extra durable display that should withstand accidental drops, even without the case.
More than that, the newer model has a couple of upgrades over its predecessor. Today, we’ll see which was improved, or if there’s anything that’s been downgraded. Here’s our HONOR X9b vs HONOR X9a comparison.
| HONOR X9b | HONOR X9a | |
| Operating System | Android 13 Magic UI 7.2 | Android 12 MagicUI 6.1 |
| Display | 6.78-inch AMOLED 2652 x 1220 pixel resolution 431ppi 120Hz refresh rate 300Hz touch sampling 1920Hz PWM dimming HONOR Ultra-Bounce Anti-Drop Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution 394ppi 120Hz refresh rate 300Hz touch sampling 1920Hz PWM dimming Reinforced Glass |
| Processor | 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 | 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 |
| RAM | 12GB | 8GB RAM |
| GPU | Adreno 710 | Adreno 619 |
| Storage | 256GB non-expandable | 256GB non-expandable |
| Front Camera | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Rear Camera | 108-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) 5-megapixel (ultra-wide) 2-megapixel (macro) LED flash | 64-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) 5-megapixel (ultra-wide) 2-megapixel (macro) LED flash |
| Audio | Single loudspeaker No headphone jack | Single loudspeaker No headphone jack |
| Connectivity | HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.1 GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS NFC IR blaster USB-C port | HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.1 GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS NFC USB-C port |
| Security | Under-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock | Under-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock |
| Colors | Sunrise Orange Midnight Black Emerald Green | Emerald Green Titanium Silver Midnight Black |
| Dimensions and Weight | 163.6 x 75.5 x 8mm 185g | 161.6 x 73.9 x 7.9mm 175g |
| Battery and Charging | 5,800mAh 35W wired charging | 5,100mAh 40W wired charging |
| Price | Php16,999 | Php16,990 (launch price) |
One of the most obvious upgrades is in the processor department. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 offers a noticeable improvement over the good ol’ Snapdragon 695 of the HONOR X9a, especially due to its Adreno 700 series GPU. It also got a RAM upgraded with 4GB more for a multitasking boost.
The X9b 5G also received a camera upgrade with twice the megapixels — at least for the main shooter, as the ultra-wide, macro, and selfie sensors stayed the same.
HONOR has also made the screen sharper and has increased the battery capacity substantially. Sadly, the charging speed has been downgraded to 35W from 40W for some reason.
You can all those upgrades, and one minor downgrade, of the HONOR X9b for a similar price of Php16,999 — a Php9.00 increase over the HONOR X9a.