A new HONOR budget mid-range smartphone variant has arrived and it looks stylish enough that you won’t think it’s below Php 15,000. Meet the newly-launched HONOR X8c – an upgrade from last year’s X8b with better camera, display, and IP rating. Think of it as something that students, young professionals, or people on a budget looking for a solid phone would appreciate. Designed with a trendy aesthetic, the HONOR X8c sports a vibrant back cover that adds a pop of color to any OOTD. Plus, it’s lightweight and ultra-thin, making it easy to slip into your pocket or bag without weighing you down.

But is it more than just a pretty phone? Here’s what I know after using it for two weeks:

INSIDE THE BOX

Unboxing the HONOR X8c is a pretty straightforward experience. Inside, you get the device itself, a USB-C charging cable, a 22.5W fast charger, a SIM ejector tool, and the usual paperwork. No fancy extras here, but it has everything you need to get started right away.

DESIGN AND DISPLAY

Weighing just 174g and measuring only 7.12mm in thickness, the HONOR X8c feels light yet premium in hand. It also features a 93.7% screen-to-body ratio, which means more display and less bezel for a better binge-watching experience. With this is a bright 2800-nit panel with a 120Hz ultra-high refresh rate. Whether you’re outdoors or indoors, the visuals remain crisp and vibrant, thanks to the 3840Hz Risk-free PWM Dimming Display. This means extended screen time won’t strain your eyes.

Like its predecessors, the HONOR X8c is also designed to be somehow tough. It has an IP64 life-grade water resistance and SGS Premium Performance Certification of Drop and Crush Resistance. At the top part its 6.7-inch display is also a capsule-shaped front camera, strategically placed at the center for more balanced-looking selfies.

In terms of design, the vegan leather back panel is a scene-stealer albeit looking quite similar with the X8b. I prefer the current banig-like design on the Marrs Green variant, though! My only comment is that it’s called “green” although it’s more of a turquoise There’s also a subtle HONOR branding on the lower left side and some usage warnings printed on the right. The camera module looks premium, too, as it blends in well with the back panel’s color.

Ports are still in its usual places – volume rocker and power on/off button on the right, SIM tray on the left, and a USB-C port at the bottom, just right beside the single bottom-firing speaker. Another upgrade for the HONOR X8c is the availability of an in-display fingerprint scanner instead of its usual spot on the right side of the device.

CAMERAS

If you love taking photos for the ‘gram, the HONOR X8c won’t disappoint as long as you have enough lighting and use its 3x zoom feature wisely. It packs a 108MP main camera and a 5MP wide camera, making it capable of clear day to night photography. With Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), even low-light photos taken using the ultrawide camera come out quite sharp. Plus, there’s an AI Eraser feature that lets you remove unwanted photobombers with a simple circle-and-delete or brush-to-erase action. No more blurring people’s faces in the background nor strangers ruining your perfect shot!

Another thing I loved about its camera is its ability to automatically adjust brightness and saturation to photos taken at night or under minimal lighting. Just look at these food shots — complete with smoke and crisp edges:

If the brightness isn’t to your liking yet, you can always switch to Night Mode for even clearer shots:

I was also surprised that it can take good snapshots of moving elements, as long as there’s enough light source. Bird and wildlife photography can be hard but the HONOR X8c managed to take good shots during my recent travel. It was cloudy and gloomy outdoors and yet photos still came out vibrant:

It’s also capable of taking videos up to 1080p resolution, good for social media uploads. It’s not as stabilized as other smartphones I’ve tried when filming walking shots/tours but it’s good enough for livestreams or even unboxing videos.

Day shot samples:

Night shot samples:

As for the front camera, you have a 50MP camera which also supports Facial Recognition. The selfie cam can be used for Photo, Video, Portrait, Night, Watermark, Dual-view, HIGH-RES, Capture smiles, Mirror reflection, Gesture control, and more. Photos come out clear, may you be outdoors or indoors, too!

STORAGE AND PERFORMANCE

With 16GB (8GB+8GB virtual) RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a Snapdragon 685 processor, you won’t have to worry about going through a lot files or running out of space for your favorite apps, videos, work/school files and photos. HONOR claims you can store up to 120,000 photos, good enough for memory hoarders! While the processor can’t be considered a huge upgrade from its predecessor, the HONOR X8c still comes with Android 15-based MagicOS 9.

Performance-wise, it’s smooth and responsive, handling everyday tasks like social media, video calls, and casual gaming with ease. Whether you’re switching between multiple apps or streaming on the go, the HONOR X8c keeps up with minimal lag. There are times when it would take some time to load an app when you have around 10 running in the background but it’s not much of an issue, especially if you’re not in a hurry.

BATTERY

The HONOR X8c has a 5000mAh battery and 22.5W fast charging, so you can go an entire work or school day without constantly looking for an outlet. It’s suitable for those who need a phone that lasts through more or less 12 hours of online classes, gaming sessions in between, and social media doom-scrolling.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

This stylish smartphone is now available at HONOR Official Stores nationwide and on Shopee, TikTok, and Lazada for Php 13,999. If you pre-order now, you’ll get a FREE Bluetooth speaker!

I would recommend this for students, young professionals, or anyone looking for an affordable yet stylish smartphone. It a breath of fresh air from the usual black designs, it has a high-refresh-rate display, a capable camera, and ample storage. Whether you need a reliable daily driver or a secondary phone, this one ticks majority of the boxes.

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