Huawei recently launched its latest smartphone, the Huawei Honor 8X, in China. The smartphone as claimed by Huawei features flagship-tier specifications at a budget-friendly cost. Right off the bat, the Huawei Honor 8 is a huge smartphone. It comes in two variants, the Honor 8X, and the Honor 8X Max. Both the smartphones are scheduled for launch in Pakistan on Oct 2nd this year.
Huawei is one of those smartphones brands that aspire towards more budget-friendly phones while making no compromises on the specs. We have seen this trend with other smartphones as well such as the immensely popular Pocophone F1 by Xiaomi.
Other than the two devices being enormous, there is a lot that the new smartphone offers. General features and a list of specs are provided below, the phone has originally been launched in China and is coming to the Middle East and Pakistan on Oct 2nd as previously mentioned, however, we are still unsure if the phone will be launched in Europe and the Americas.
Honor 8X
The Honor 8X features a beautiful 6.5 inches display and a 2,340 x 1,080 resolution to keep it nice and crisp. The phone at a glance bears all those qualities of a mainstream flagship device, however, it can be argued that the CPU and GPU are lacking in that regard, but hey! this is a sub $250 phone so of course, not all the specs will match those of a $1000 dollar flagship by other brands.
We will say more about the pricing later on in the article, for now, here is a full list of specs.
| Display | 6.5 inches 2,340 x 1,080 19.5:9 notched display 91% screen-to-body ratio |
| Processor | HiSilicon Kirin 710 |
| GPU | Mali-G51 MP4 |
| RAM | 4GB or 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB or 128GB |
| Battery | 3,750mAh |
| Cameras | Rear dual cameras: 20MP (f/1.8 aperture) + 2 MPSingle front camera: 16MP (f/2.0 aperture) |
| Software | Android 8.1 Oreo Skinned with EMUI 8.2 |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4 and 5GHz) Bluetooth 5 GPS GLONASS |
| Network | 900MHz, 1800MHz, 800MHz, 2GHz Bands 38, 39, 40, 41 (2555-2575 MHZ, 2575-2635 MHZ, 2635-2655 MHZ) Band 1, Band 3, 1.9 GHz, I, VIII |
| Ports | microUSB 3.5mm headphone jack |
| SIM | Dual nano SIM |
| Dimensions | 160.4 x 76.6 x 7.8mm |
| Weight | 175g |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Red, Purple |
As you can see the smartphone offers much of what you will find in a top-tier flagship with the exception of the featured processor that is a HiSilicon Kirin 710 which is not, of course, a competition for the likes of Snapdragon 840 or 845, a processor that can be found in all major flagships of 2018. The same can be said for the GPU which is Mali-G51 MP4, although not the most powerful mobile GPU out there it will still handle most of what is thrown at it, do note this configuration is by no means lacking in power, you will still be able to play resource hungry games such as PUBG and Fortnite with fair ease.
The RAM options seem adequate, the phone comes in either 4 GB RAM or 6 GB depending on which model you opt for. This as many would agree is more than ample to handle multitasking without compromising functionality.
As for the color options, the phone offers Black, Blue(featured above), Red and purple. Beautiful color choices in our opinion.
Honor 8X Max
If you think a 6.5 inches display is huge on a smartphone than wait till you hear this. The Honor 8X Max features an enormously large 7.12 Inches display. This is easily the biggest smartphone display we have seen till now. Also, note that the Max variant of the phone has a smaller notch than the other variant. One may not be able to judge by the price of the phone just how enormous it is but it really is that.
This phone is going for 1,499 Chinese yuan ($219) for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version and 1,799 Chinese yuan ($263) for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage version. These prices roughly translate into 26,997 PKR and 32,421 PKR respectively. (expect slight changes in terms of pricing as prices are dependent on many other factors depending on the region)
Below is a list of specs for the Honor 8X Max
| Display | 7.12 inches 2,244 × 1,080 18.7:9 notched display |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 or 660 |
| GPU | Adreno 509 or 512 GPU |
| RAM | 4GB or 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB or 128GB microSD slot (up to 256GB) |
| Battery | 5,000mAh |
| Cameras | Rear dual cameras: 16MP (f/2.0 aperture) + 2 MP (f/2.4 aperture)Single front camera: 8MP (f/2.0 aperture) |
| Software | Android 8.1 Oreo Skinned with EMUI 8.2 |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4 and 5GHz) Bluetooth 4.2 GPS GLONASS |
| Network | TD-LTE: B38/B39/B40/B41; LTE FDD: B1/B3/B5/B8; TD-SCDMA: B34/B39; WCDMA: B1/B5 ( Roaming) / B8; CDMA: 1X & EVDO BC0; GSM: B2 (roaming) / B3 / B8 |
| Ports | microUSB 3.5mm headphone jack |
| SIM | Dual nano SIM |
| Dimensions | 177.57 x 86.24 x 8.13mm |
| Weight | 210g |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Red |
So it is no secret that the phone has a huge display, the resolution to go with it is 2,244 ×1,080 which we assume should be plenty given the size of the display. The Max version of the smartphone comes with a slightly faster CPU that is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 or 660 depending on the specific model. RAM options are the same as the other variant,4GB, and 6 GB.
A welcome feature is the offering of the 3.5 mm headphone jack which seems too much to ask for these days. Both the phones feature a 3.5 mm audio jack which is always a welcome feature in our books.
Huawei Honor 8X and Honor 8X Max Price in Pakistan
The Honor 8X will go for 25,000 PKR for the 4GB/64GB version and 28,000 PKR for the 6GB/64GB version while the 6GB/128GB version will sell for around 34,000 PKR given the current dollar rate.
As for the Honor 8X Max, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version will go for 26,997 PKR and 4GB RAM and 128GB storage version will go for 32,400 PKR.
Note: These prices are not official nor final so expect a slight change in the final prices.
The budget aspect of these phones is what sets it apart from other brands in the market. In a developing country where the purchasing power of individuals is nowhere near those of people living in the West, it is a welcome surprise for a brand to offer the specs that it does at a price point that is highly competitive compared to the big fish.
At this price point, Huawei manages to offer a premium looking and feeling phone with glossy colors and huge displays. They offer dual cameras and other features like Dolby Atmos that is in the ballpark of much expensive phones.
Huawei Honor 8X and Honor 8X Max Availability and Concluding Remarks.
The phone is headed for launch on Oct 2nd in Pakistan and should be available from all major retailers henceforth. All in all, we think the Huawei Honor 8X and 8X Max offer great value for money in a market that is plagued by exorbitant smartphones by other manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple. We think its a great opportunity for those who want faster smartphones but can’t shell out the big bucks for the flagships that cost upwards of 100,000 PKR.
This is all for now, please leave us a comment below if the phone tickled your fancy or if you plan on buying one.