HONOR X8d Review | Geek Lifestyle

The new HONOR X8d is device that aims to be easy on the eyes and wallet, while being absolutely tough on the competition. Sporting a 6.77″ AMOLED display, a 108MP main camera, a whopping 7000mAh battery with 45W SuperCharge, and IP65 dust and water resistance all wrapped in a design that punches well above its price bracket–he tagline ‘My Style, My AI Phone’ definitely has a few layers beneath a simple statement.

Now, the question is, does it cut corners to allow us to live that style, or can we live it freely without compromise?

Let’s talk about it.

Geeksthetic

First impressions right out of the box? Lovely. The Light Blue colorway we reviewed is a breath of fresh air amidst the monochrome madness that is the lower midrange to budget price range. We exaggerate, of course. 

It’s airy, cheerful, and unmistakably youthful while maintaining a certain aura of seriousness if need be. The matte finish does a stellar job keeping fingerprints at bay throughout the day, so the clean look stays clean. Again, we tried. Unless you purposely slather grime on it, you’ll be fine.

At 162.9mm × 76.31mm × 7.5mm and only 188 grams, the X8d is slim, light, and a genuine pleasure to hold for extended periods. One-handed use is comfortable and natural—this is a phone that disappears into your pocket and your hand alike. It may not be exactly compact, but it definitely feels that way.

Also, to the left you’ll see the nifty new dedicated AI Mobile Assistant button. More on that later.

What really caught our eye, though, is the camera module. The square tri-clops housing is familiar enough, but the triangular aesthetic surrounding the sensors is a thoughtful nod to HONOR’s higher-end lineup, specifically reminding us of the HONOR 400 Series. It’s a premium design cue that quietly elevates the X8d’s visual identity beyond what the price tag suggests–at least, in our opinion.

Light Blue, Velvet Black, and Velvet Grey round out the colorway options—something for every personality in the mix, though we believe our Light Blue is the clear showstopper of the trio.

Binge-watching Factor

The 6.77″ HONOR FullView AMOLED display gets the job done and it gets it done well.

Videos are bright and vivid, with colours that pop without veering into oversaturated territory. What we particularly appreciated: cranking the brightness all the way up won’t punish your eyeballs. The 3000 nit peak brightness is there when you need it for outdoor visibility, but the panel won’t feels harsh or aggressive. Day or night, indoors or out, the X8d adapts adequately.

The 120Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling and swiping fluid and satisfying, while the 3840Hz PWM Risk-Free Dimming looks after your eyes during those extended late-night sessions. The panel covers 100% DCI-P3 and renders 1.07 billion colours at a 2392 × 1080 resolution—solid across the board for everyday media consumption and K-pop streams and Frieren marathons alike.

There’s also an E-Book Mode for the bookworms and e-learners in the audience, reducing eye strain during long reading sessions. A small but genuinely thoughtful addition for the student demographic this phone is squarely aimed at. We’ll never use it, but we know someone will.

It’s not the most technically breathtaking display we’ve reviewed. But for what the X8d is and who it’s built for, it’s a pretty decent display.

Gaming Prowess

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 is a capable chip for everyday tasks and casual gaming. Ask it to run something truly demanding, though, and you’ll feel the ceiling pretty quickly. We tested with two titles from opposite ends of the mobile gaming spectrum: Rainbow Six Mobile and Wuthering Waves.

Rainbow Six Mobile tells the better story. At default and medium settings, the experience was smooth, stable, and genuinely enjoyable, with responsive controls, consistent frame rates, no complaints worth raising. Push the graphics and FPS sliders further north, though, and the stutters start creeping in. The sweet spot is firmly in the default-to-medium range, and at that level, the X8d delivers a fun, capable gaming session.

Wuthering Waves is a different story altogether. Even at the lowest default settings, loading times stretched longer than we’d like, movement occasionally felt janky, and the visual output left something to be desired. To be clear, the game is playable but it demands patience, and plenty of it. If Wuthering Waves is a core part of your gaming diet, you won’t be having a good time. If it’s an occasional indulgence you’re happy to experience at a more relaxed pace, you’ll get through it.

Thermals ran fine and didn’t get too toasty under pressure, which was nice. The in-game engine does what it can to boost your performance, but it can only do so much. 

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

Now, on to something a bit more light-hearted.

The 108MP f/1.75 Ultra-Clear main camera captures decent photos in good lighting, and the AI processing suite works tastefully in the background. Sure, you can see a bit of that processing if you pinch and zoom, but why would you? Portrait bokeh also comes out decently, with the same AI not aggressively consuming your subject.

The 5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera is where the gap shows. The step down in quality from the main lens is noticeable, with detail softening, dynamic range narrowing, and in lower light the contrast becomes even starker. There’s quite a discrepancy in colors compared to the main camera as well. It’s functional for casual wide shots, but it’s clearly the supporting act here rather than a co-lead. Nice to have, but you’re better off just taking a step back and using the rear shooter.

Selfies from the 16MP f/2.45 front camera look clean enough for social media, reasonable skin tone rendering in natural light, and portrait mode produces acceptable depth effects. Perfectly serviceable for the everyday selfie crowd. Don’t get too excited about videos, though. As you cap off at 1080p at 30fps on both sides. Would not recommend.

The suite of Magic Retouch tools is genuinely useful: AI Eraser, Remove Reflection, Erase Passers-by, and AI Outpainting give you solid post-processing power right in the camera app. For students and content creators snapping everyday moments, the main shooter is a reliable companion.

All-Day, Every Day

The 7000mAh Li-ion Polymer battery is one of the largest you’ll find at this price point, full stop. TÜV Rheinland-verified at 52 hours of battery life and 31 hours of video playback, this is a phone that will outlast your day, every day.

When it’s finally time to top up, 45W HONOR SuperCharge brings things back quickly. Not the fastest wired charging in the game, but absolutely competitive at this tier and a very welcome inclusion.

Day-to-day, MagicOS 10 based on Android 16 runs smoothly for the everyday essentials. Browsing, messaging, social media, and light productivity all flow without complaint. The side-mounted button launches the AI Mobile Assistant offering contextual smart recommendations that shave a few taps off your daily routine. As such, the overall software experience feels clean and considered rather than bloated.

AI Translate, AI Notes, AI Writing, Circle to Search, and Google Gemini integration round out a surprisingly well-equipped toolkit for students and young professionals who need their phone to do the heavy lifting.

The IP65 splash and dust resistance paired with the SGS-certified 2-metre drop resistance means the X8d is ready for the unpredictable rhythm of student and young professional life. That being said, please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t go out of your way to use this as a kitchen utensil.

Geek Lifestyle Final Verdict

The HONOR X8d is a well-considered affordable smartphone that knows exactly who it’s for and plays to its strengths with real confidence. The design is genuinely attractive, the 7000mAh battery is class-leading, the 108MP main camera delivers for everyday photography, and the AMOLED display punches above its weight for streaming and scrolling. For students, fresh graduates, young professionals, and anyone after a reliable, stylish daily driver without the premium price tag, the X8d ticks most of the right boxes.

The gaming ceiling is a real consideration for the more intense mobile gamer, and the ultra-wide camera is where the budget DNA is most visible. But in the broader context of everything the X8d brings to the table, these are trade-offs that are easy to make peace with—especially at this price.

If you accept it for all its capabilities and can overlook its limitations, you’ll have the easiest day-to-day–every day.

To snag one for yourself, make sure to check out HONOR’s official website, or head on out to Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop.