HONOR Philippines has officially launched the new HONOR X8c at an affordable price of PHP 13,999. If you remember, we reviewed its predecessor, the HONOR X8b, last year, and it quickly became one of our favorites due to its luxurious design.
Now, let’s see how our experience with the X8c compares and whether its upgrades make it a better option.
Camera
One of the major upgrades in the HONOR X8c is its 108MP main camera, now equipped with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)—a feature I had wished for in the X8b. This addition makes a noticeable difference, especially for users with shaky hands, as it improves both photo and video stability.
The image quality from the main camera is decent, but there’s a trade-off—HONOR removed the 2MP macro lens. However, since macro lenses are rarely used, this omission isn’t a big deal.
The 5MP ultra-wide lens is still present and usable, though you shouldn’t expect the sharpest or most detailed images. One downside I noticed is the color processing. Some images appear oversaturated, an issue that was also present in the HONOR X8b but seems worse in the X8c.
With its 50MP selfie camera, I was able to capture decent image quality. It delivers almost the same results as the X8b, so I have no complaints. One thing I appreciate is that it still comes with an LED flash next to the selfie camera, which means taking selfies in low-light conditions won’t be a problem.
This effect is particularly noticeable in low-light conditions. While the overall image quality is sufficient for documentation purposes, this phone is not the best choice for mobile photography enthusiasts.
Another issue I encountered was the camera app’s responsiveness. It often lags, causing a delay in capturing photos. This was also a problem with the HONOR X8b, so I’m unsure whether it’s a software bug or a camera app optimization issue. I hope HONOR addresses this in a future update.
On the video side, the quality is acceptable, and the inclusion of OIS is a welcome bonus, making it a more attractive option than its predecessor for video recording.
Here are some sample photos taken with the HONOR X8c:
Display and Multimedia Experience
The HONOR X8c also comes with a display upgrade. While it retains the same 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution, it now features a smoother 120Hz refresh rate and an impressive peak brightness of 2,800 nits. This makes the viewing experience more enjoyable, as colors are vibrant and well-saturated, perfect for watching videos.
However, for its price, it’s disappointing that the phone only has a single-firing speaker. Most competitors in this price range already offer dual stereo speakers, which would have significantly enhanced the listening, watching, and gaming experience. Despite this, I had no major complaints about the display itself—it remains visually appealing.
Performance
Performance-wise, the HONOR X8c delivers an experience similar to its predecessor. It is powered by the 6nm Snapdragon 685 chipset, which is only a slight improvement over the Snapdragon 680. However, the latest MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15 seems to contribute to a smoother overall experience.
The phone is equipped with 8GB of RAM, along with an additional 8GB of HONOR RAM Turbo, allowing for decent multitasking, especially with lightweight apps. It also boasts a generous 512GB internal storage, which is more than enough for photos, videos, apps, and files. Honestly, I couldn’t even utilize all the storage on the HONOR X8b, but having this much space ensures long-term usability.
As for gaming, the HONOR X8c can handle light to moderate games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Call of Duty: Mobile, Honor of Kings, and League of Legends: Wild Rift. My gaming experience was decent, but frame drops occurred during intense scenes, as the Adreno 610 GPU isn’t particularly powerful.
For benchmarks, the HONOR X8c got 387,961 on AnTuTu Benchmark and 8,562 on PCMark Work 3.0. While these numbers are on the lower end for its price range, the real-world experience felt smooth enough for everyday tasks.
Battery Life
One noticeable improvement in the HONOR X8c is its battery capacity, which has been increased from 4,500mAh to 5,000mAh. This results in slightly better battery life, making the device more reliable for extended use.
The HONOR X8c got 12 hours and 56 minutes in the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life benchmark. It is very similar to what the HONOR X8b got (12 hours and 35 minutes). That result is just decent for a 5,000mAh battery.
However, despite the larger battery, it still supports only 35W HONOR SuperCharge, meaning charging times remain relatively slow.
Verdict
HONOR markets the X8c towards university students, e-learners, fresh graduates, and corporate professionals. For this audience, the phone offers a solid experience. However, at PHP 13,999, it faces strong competition, including HONOR’s own X9c Smart 5G.
That said, the X8c does bring notable upgrades: OIS for the camera, a brighter display, an in-display fingerprint scanner, a faster refresh rate, a bigger battery, and slight improvements in processing power. While it’s a decent option, the decision ultimately depends on your needs. If you prioritize camera stability and a vibrant display, the HONOR X8c is worth considering. But if performance and stereo speakers are your top priorities, you might want to explore other alternatives.
HONOR X8c Specifications
- Display: 6.7-inch SuperAMOLED, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 3840Hz PWM Dimming, 2,800nits peak brightness
- CPU: 2.8GHz 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 octa-core processor
- GPU: Adreno 610
- RAM: 8GB + 8GB HONOR RAM Turbo
- ROM: 512GB
- Rear Camera: 108MP + 5MP wide & depth lens + LED flash
- Front Camera: 50MP
- Battery: 5,000mAh, 35W HONOR SuperCharge (Type-C)
- OS: MagicOS 9, Android 15
- Connectivity: 2.4GHz & 5GHz WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, Dual SIM (nano)
- Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope
- Colors: Marrs Green, Midnight Black, Moonlight White
- Weight: 174g
- Dimensions: 161.05mm (L) x 74.55mm (W) x 7.12mm (D)
- Others: In-display fingerprint sensor, AI face unlock, USB-C, IP64 rating, Hi-Res audio, Single speaker,
Price and availability
HONOR X8c – PHP 13,999 | Shopee link | Lazada link | TikTok Shop
The HONOR X8c is now available nationwide, as well as online through HONOR Philippines’ official stores on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop for PHP 13,999.
