Honor’s 8X and 8X Max Are Fantastic Budget Phablets

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor is bringing updates to the most-popular mid-range phone in the series with the new Honor 8X. The phone is accompanied by an even bigger Honor 8X Max this time which directly competes with Xiaomi’s Mi Max series.

Design and Display

The design of the Honor phones is quite svelte, bordering on 8mm on the Max variant despite housing a massive battery on the latter. The phones have a screen-to-body ratio of around 90% with a notch.

The display on the normal 8X measures 6.5″, while the 8X Max stretches it to a mammoth 7.1″.  Both sport IPS LCD panels with 1080p Full HD+ resolution.

Internals and Storage

Under the hood, the 8X comes with an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710 chip, with either 4 or 6 GB RAM.

The 8X Max swaps the Kirin for a Snapdragon 636 in its 4 GB versions. Additionally, a 6GB version will launch with a Snapdragon 660. Both phones come with 64 and 128 GB of storage.

Camera(s)

The regular 8X comes with a 20 MP + 2 MP setup, with a LED flash and usual features like HDR, bokeh effect and PDAF. The front camera is a 16 MP sensor.

The 8X Max, on the other hand, comes with 16 MP + 2 MP lenses, with an 8 MP shooter on the front. So clearly, if you’re photography focused, Huawei is trying to push you towards the standard 8X.

Battery and Price

The regular 8X comes with a 3750 mAh battery, while the 8X Max ups it to a massive 5,000 mAh pack which, along with the display, brings it much closer to a normal tablet. Both support fast-charging.

The 8X’s price starts at just $200, while for the 8X Max it is set at $220 for the base variants of the two phones. The Snapdragon 660 model of the 8X Max will be available in October, pricing hasn’t been announced for it yet. Expect those prices to inflate substantially as the phones leave China, however.

Honor 8X Specifications

• CPU: 2.2GHz octa-core Cortex-A73
• GPU: Mali-G51 MP4
• Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 710
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Dual-SIM
• Display:
  • 6.5″ 19.5″9 IPS LCD with Full HD+ (2340 x 1080) resolution
• Memory:
  • RAM: 4/6 GB
  • Internal: 64 GB
  • Card slot: yes, by 256 GB.
• Camera:
  • Primary: 20 MP f/1.8 + 2 MP, LED
  • Secondary: 16 MP f/2.0
• Connectivity: microUSB, 5GHz Wi-Fi, audio-jack, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
• Fingerprint scanner
• Battery: 3750 mAh; fast-charging supported
• Price: $205 (4GB, 64GB), $234 (6GB, 64GB), $277 (6GB, 128GB)

Honor 8X Max Specifications

• CPU: 1.8GHz octa-core Kryo 260
• GPU: Adreno 509
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 636/660 (6GB RAM variant)
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Dual-SIM
• Display:
  • 7.12″ 18.7:9 IPS LCD with Full HD+ (2244 x 1080) resolution
• Memory
  • RAM: 4/6 GB
  • Internal: 64/128 GB
  • Card slot: yes
• Camera:
  • Primary: 16 MP f/2.0 + 2 MP, LED Flash
  • Secondary: 8 MP, f/2.0
• Connectivity: microUSB, 5GHz Wi-Fi, audio-jack, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
• Fingerprint scanner
• Battery: 5000 mAh; fast-charging supported
• Price: $220 (4GB, 64GB), $263 (4GB, 128GB)