Honor announces new X9b mid-ranger with a near-indestructible screen

This past weekend, Honor announced its successors to 2023’s X9a and X7a midrange smartphones – the inventively-named X9b and X7b.

The X9b is headlining the new group and while its spec sheet is fairly respectable, Honor is making the most fuss about the tech behind the display. The 6.78in 120Hz AMOLED display might not seem that impressive – you’ve probably seen those numbers before.

But you probably haven’t seen a smartphone display survive a 2-metre drop screen-first onto a concrete floor, an assault from a mini-wrecking ball, or a barrage of paintballs.

My phone can beat up your phone

We hadn’t either, until Honor’s event, and while the unfortunate test subject X9bs eventually cracked (a R25,000 cash prize is a big motivator), it still took a large group a good three hours of consistent effort and Honor relaxing some of the rules before that happened. Based on what we saw, we don’t think most people will need a screen replacement in a hurry.

Inside the X9b, behind the durable display, sits a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset powering the 5G-enabled device with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage in tow. A 108MP main camera sensor heads up the rear camera array, joined by familiar 5MP and 2MP sensors, with a 16MP sensor in charge of selfies.

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Read More: Honor X9a review – an admirable all-rounder

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We thought the 5,100mAh battery in the X9a was rather large but Honor has outdone that with the 5,800mAh battery in the X9b. Although, while the X9a claimed 40W wired charging, that’s been reduced to 35W in the new device. Still, Honor reckons the device is capable of lasting three days with a DXOMark Gold Label to back up its claim.

The Honor X9b in either Midnight Black or a familiar-looking Sunset Orange will be available from 01 February for R13,000.