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Honor X8 review - Affordable mid-range smartphone with 64 MP camera

Savings package. The Honor X8 presents itself with a large LCD screen, a lot of storage, and a quad camera with a high-resolution 64 MP sensor at its core. However, we also noticed a few small pitfalls in the test. We will find out what they are and whether the X8 is still worth it.
Android Smartphone Touchscreen
Honor X8 (X Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G 8 x 1.8 - 2.4 GHz, Kryo 265 Gold (Cortex-A73) / Silver (Cortex-A53)
Graphics adapter
Qualcomm Adreno 610
Memory
6 GB 
, LPDDR4x
Display
6.70 inch 19.9:9, 2388 x 1080 pixel 391 PPI, Capacitive, TFT-LCD, glossy: yes, 90 Hz
Storage
128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 128 GB 
, 97.83 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), Audio Connections: Audio Jack (3.5 mm), 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, compass, OTG
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, 2G (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (Band 1, 2, 5, 8), LTE (Band 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.45 x 163.4 x 74.7 ( = 0.29 x 6.43 x 2.94 in)
Battery
4000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 11
Camera
Primary Camera: 64 MPix (f/1.8) + 5 MPix (f/2.2) + 2 MPix (f/2.4) + 2 MPix (f/2.4); Camera2-API-Level: Level 3
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix (f/2.5)
Additional features
Speakers: Mono, Keyboard: Onscreen, Magic UI 4.2, 24 Months Warranty, Head-SAR: 0.84 W/kg, Body-SAR: 1.24 W/kg; DRM Widevine L3, GNSS: GPS (L1), Glonass (L1), BeiDou (B1), Galileo (E1), fanless
Weight
177 g ( = 6.24 oz / 0.39 pounds), Power Supply: 70 g ( = 2.47 oz / 0.15 pounds)
Price
249 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible competitors in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
78.5 %
07/2022
Honor X8
SD 680, Adreno 610		177 g128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.70"2388x1080
79 %
11/2021
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2		181 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.50"2400x1080
76.5 %
05/2022
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1		195 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.60"2408x1080
78.8 %
04/2022
Realme 9i
SD 680, Adreno 610		190 g128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.60"2412x1080

Case and features - Honor X8 with audio jack, but without microSD slot

The Honor X8 convinces with an appealing and straightforward design and is available in black, silver, and blue. The build quality is good and convinces with tight and even gaps; hardly any ripples can be seen even when the display is pressed hard.

The display-to-surface ratio (89%) is really good, only the bezel on the chin side is a bit thicker. Although Honor does not declare special protection against dust and water penetration, the SIM tray has a small rubber seal.

Big leaps in features are not to be expected in this price range. Thus, it is not surprising that Honor relies on a USB 2.0 port that supports OTG. Due to the large storage capacity, the lack of a microSD slot is acceptable. The X8 also has an audio jack and an FM radio receiver. However, the lack of DRM certification is not understandable.

Size comparison

❌
165.1 mm / 6.5 inch 76.4 mm / 3.01 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 195 g0.4299 lbs164.4 mm / 6.47 inch 75.7 mm / 2.98 inch 8.4 mm / 0.3307 inch 190 g0.4189 lbs161.95 mm / 6.38 inch 75.53 mm / 2.97 inch 8.92 mm / 0.3512 inch 181 g0.399 lbs163.4 mm / 6.43 inch 74.7 mm / 2.94 inch 7.45 mm / 0.2933 inch 177 g0.3902 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Communication, software and operation - Only Android 11 in Honor smartphone

The Honor X8 is shipped with Google Android 11 and the in-house Magic UI 4.2 user interface. The security updates are up to March 1, 2022, at the time of the test and thus are not quite up to date. Probably, Honor aims for a semi-annual update rhythm, but the company does not want to make a concrete statement about that so far. Unfortunately, this also applies to a potential upgrade to Android 12.

The Wi-Fi 5 module of the Honor X8 works at a reasonable speed, but it is not very consistent in terms of transmission performance in combination with our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture AXE11000. However, this does not impact everyday use negatively. The frequency coverage is limited to the necessary bands in Europe, so the X8 is not a globetrotter.

The voice quality of the Honor smartphone is good when held to the ear, but the suppression of ambient noise is rather mediocre. The user's voice reverberates a bit in speaker mode, but the intelligibility remains good. The X8 has a dual-SIM slot (2x nano-SIM) and supports VoLTE and Wi-Fi calls.

A screen protector is already applied ex-factory, which allows decent gliding properties. The fingerprint scanner is located in the power button and excels with high recognition rates. The unlocking speed is quite good; facial recognition via the front-facing camera is available as an alternative or in addition.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Xiaomi Redmi 10
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
293 (284min - 301max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Xiaomi Redmi 10
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
333 (299min - 358max) MBit/s
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
356 (293min - 370max) MBit/s +17%
Realme 9i
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
306 (89min - 380max) MBit/s +1%
Honor X8
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
303 (108min - 372max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AXE11000
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
328 (300min - 339max) MBit/s +33%
Realme 9i
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
268 (181min - 318max) MBit/s +9%
Honor X8
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
247 (47min - 312max) MBit/s
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340360Tooltip
Honor X8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Qualcomm Adreno 610; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø247 (47-312)
Realme 9i Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Qualcomm Adreno 610; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø268 (181-318)
Honor X8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Qualcomm Adreno 610; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø297 (108-372)
Realme 9i Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Qualcomm Adreno 610; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø307 (89-380)

Cameras - Honor X8 with Quad Optics

Selfie with the Honor X8
Selfie with the Honor X8

On the front of the Honor X8, a 16 MP camera is embedded in the display, which can take high-contrast and balanced selfies even in the backlight. The resulting photos are not detailed enough for prints but are really good for social media. A bokeh and beauty filter are also on board.

The nominal quad camera (aspect ratios: 4:3, 1:1, or full frame) can rely on a 64 MP lens. The photos shot with it show comparatively much dynamics, but the details in close-ups are not always captured optimally. The ultra-wide-angle is certainly not a highlight, but it shows quite a few aberrations and gets a bit blurry in the peripheral areas. The macro and depth lenses also appear on the spec sheet, but they do not offer any real added value in everyday use.

The X8 can record videos in Full HD with 30 FPS on both sides.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Main cameraMain cameraUltra wide-angle5x ZoomLow-Light
click to load images
ColorChecker
8.8 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
3.1 ∆E
9.9 ∆E
3.8 ∆E
3.2 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
8.8 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
2.4 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
4.7 ∆E
6 ∆E
2.7 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
3.2 ∆E
5.7 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
ColorChecker Honor X8: 6.24 ∆E min: 2.39 - max: 9.93 ∆E
ColorChecker
27.8 ∆E
52.9 ∆E
39.2 ∆E
38.8 ∆E
43.3 ∆E
64.7 ∆E
53 ∆E
33.9 ∆E
40.4 ∆E
25.2 ∆E
65 ∆E
64.3 ∆E
29.3 ∆E
50.7 ∆E
35.5 ∆E
76.6 ∆E
41.4 ∆E
46.1 ∆E
89.9 ∆E
70.5 ∆E
51.4 ∆E
36.2 ∆E
23.1 ∆E
13 ∆E
ColorChecker Honor X8: 46.35 ∆E min: 12.97 - max: 89.88 ∆E

Display - 90 Hz panel in the Honor X8

Subpixel structure
Subpixel structure

The Honor X8 has a 6.7-inch TFT LCD that has a high pixel density thanks to Full HD+ resolution. The brightness of the display is on par with the competition when the ambient light sensor is deactivated. If it is activated, the brightness in the center of the screen is slightly lower at 495 cd/m², whereas the APL18 measurement is slightly higher (516 cd/m²).

Unfortunately, the increased black value (0.82 cd/m²) of the display prevents crisp contrasts. Nevertheless, the color reproduction is largely accurate. The refresh rate can be set to 60 or 90 Hz. Alternatively, the system can also switch between the two settings automatically.

445
cd/m²		502
cd/m²		423
cd/m²
450
cd/m²		510
cd/m²		440
cd/m²
545
cd/m²		466
cd/m²		443
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 3
Maximum: 545 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 469.3 cd/m² Minimum: 2.32 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 78 %
Center on Battery: 510 cd/m²
Contrast: 622:1 (Black: 0.82 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.45
Honor X8
TFT-LCD, 2388x1080, 6.70		Xiaomi Redmi 10
IPS, 2400x1080, 6.50		Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
PLS, 2408x1080, 6.60		Realme 9i
IPS, 2412x1080, 6.60
Response Times
-71%
-50%
-20%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
28.94 ?(13.65, 15.29)
42 ?(22.8, 19.2)
-45%
47 ?(27, 20)
-62%
34 ?(17, 17)
-17%
Response Time Black / White *
14.62 ?(5.589, 9.032)
28.8 ?(16.4, 12.4)
-97%
20 ?(9, 11)
-37%
18 ?(7, 11)
-23%
PWM Frequency
Screen
54%
2%
-4%
Brightness middle
510
542
6%
553
8%
508
0%
Brightness
469
518
10%
506
8%
513
9%
Brightness Distribution
78
93
19%
87
12%
97
24%
Black Level *
0.82
0.22
73%
0.44
46%
0.6
27%
Contrast
622
2464
296%
1257
102%
847
36%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.5
3
-20%
4.64
-86%
3.68
-47%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.8
6.7
-16%
7.86
-36%
8.36
-44%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.1
1.4
66%
5.6
-37%
5.7
-39%
Gamma
2.45 90%
2.27 97%
2.18 101%
2.153 102%
CCT
6307 103%
6450 101%
8002 81%
7733 84%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-9% / 29%
-24% / -8%
-12% / -7%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
14.62 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.589 ms rise
↘ 9.032 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 31 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
28.94 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 13.65 ms rise
↘ 15.29 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 33 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Grayscale (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Grayscale (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Colors (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Colors (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Color Space (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Color Space (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Saturation (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Saturation (Profile: Normal, White Balance: Warm, Target Color Space: sRGB)
Outdoors
Outdoors
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance, emissions and battery life

The Honor X8 relies on a Snapdragon 680 4G which can draw on 6 GB of LPDDR4x working memory. The graphics acceleration is handled by the Adreno 610 integrated into the SoC. The chipset is still up-to-date but also uses quite old Cortex cores. Honor smartphone manages an appealing system speed, however, those who like gaming will have to be content with reduced details and frame rates.

While the X8 can heat up noticeably under load, the cooling of the SoC is sufficient to ensure constant performance. The memory delivers high transfer rates, which is not a matter of course in this price range since many competitors use even older eMMC memory.

The speaker of the Honor X8 has very distinctive high mids and still sounds quite decent, but listening pleasure does not come up. The audio jack can play all the better and convinces with very low noise (SNR: 98.77 dBFS).

The 4,000 mAh battery supplies very good runtimes and easily gets the user through the day. The included 33-watt power adapter also allows recharging the Honor X8 quickly.

Geekbench 5.5 | PCMark for Android | 3DMark | GFXBench
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
379 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
365 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
155 Points -59%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
374 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (323 - 384, n=14)
373 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 2138, n=219, last 2 years)
913 Points +141%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
1571 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
1265 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
586 Points -63%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
1557 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (1287 - 1738, n=14)
1580 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 6681, n=219, last 2 years)
2996 Points +91%
PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
7645 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
8842 Points +16%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
4966 Points -35%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
8730 Points +14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (4535 - 8730, n=14)
6497 Points -15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (4761 - 21385, n=214, last 2 years)
11787 Points +54%
3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
2135 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
1833 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
1295 Points -39%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
2166 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (975 - 2254, n=10)
2051 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=114, last 2 years)
9351 Points +338%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
2040 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
1713 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
1175 Points -42%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
2046 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (1425 - 2187, n=10)
1990 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=113, last 2 years)
16352 Points +702%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
2552 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
2426 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
2015 Points -21%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
2722 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (463 - 2866, n=10)
2480 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=113, last 2 years)
4426 Points +73%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
1394 Points
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
888 Points
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
1332 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (1231 - 1441, n=13)
1342 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=105, last 2 years)
2755 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
1250 Points
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
771 Points
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
1159 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (1077 - 1273, n=13)
1170 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=105, last 2 years)
2751 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
2339 Points
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
1899 Points
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
2789 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (2301 - 2930, n=13)
2708 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=105, last 2 years)
3163 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
1347 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
1416 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
916 Points -32%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
1353 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (267 - 1429, n=14)
1264 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=182, last 2 years)
6737 Points +400%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
1186 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
1265 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
791 Points -33%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
1185 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (240 - 1309, n=14)
1130 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=181, last 2 years)
9723 Points +720%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
2571 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
2427 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
2054 Points -20%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
2683 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (441 - 2853, n=14)
2386 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=181, last 2 years)
4224 Points +64%
Wild Life Score (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
456 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
712 Points +56%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
513 Points +13%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
446 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (437 - 589, n=14)
461 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (395 - 9839, n=135, last 2 years)
2555 Points +460%
Wild Life Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
442 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
721 Points +63%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
509 Points +15%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
417 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (417 - 574, n=14)
448 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (394 - 20068, n=203, last 2 years)
6280 Points +1321%
Wild Life Extreme (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
127 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
182 Points +43%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
139 Points +9%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
108 Points -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (22 - 130, n=15)
115.6 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 5226, n=207, last 2 years)
1689 Points +1230%
Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
124 Points
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
181 Points +46%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
112 Points -10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (112 - 130, n=13)
122.4 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (110 - 5248, n=202, last 2 years)
1698 Points +1269%
GFXBench
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
7.8 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
9 fps +15%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
5.3 fps -32%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
8.6 fps +10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (4.6 - 17, n=14)
9.51 fps +22%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=226, last 2 years)
44 fps +464%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
9.5 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
9.7 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
6.1 fps -36%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
9.7 fps +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (5.1 - 9.8, n=14)
9.08 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=226, last 2 years)
64.3 fps +577%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
4.6 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
5.9 fps +28%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
3.3 fps -28%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
5.1 fps +11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (2.7 - 11, n=14)
5.65 fps +23%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 119, n=226, last 2 years)
32.8 fps +613%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 6144
3.2 fps
Xiaomi Redmi 10
Mediatek Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096
3.5 fps +9%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
2.2 fps -31%
Realme 9i
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G, Adreno 610, 4096
3.3 fps +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G
  (1.4 - 3.3, n=14)
3.07 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=226, last 2 years)
25.6 fps +700%
Honor X8Xiaomi Redmi 10Samsung Galaxy A13 4GRealme 9iAverage 128 GB UFS 2.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-57%
-58%
2%
-28%
63%
Sequential Read 256KB
926.58
321.3
-65%
308.5
-67%
976
5%
760 ?(427 - 1011, n=113)
-18%
1508 ?(226 - 4512, n=218, last 2 years)
63%
Sequential Write 256KB
510.25
178
-65%
236.8
-54%
719
41%
297 ?(13.6 - 719, n=113)
-42%
1118 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=218, last 2 years)
119%
Random Read 4KB
189.38
100.7
-47%
104.4
-45%
176.8
-7%
152.9 ?(92.6 - 239, n=113)
-19%
247 ?(22.2 - 543, n=218, last 2 years)
30%
Random Write 4KB
195.75
95.8
-51%
67.3
-66%
137.4
-30%
131.6 ?(18.2 - 290, n=113)
-33%
272 ?(13 - 709, n=218, last 2 years)
39%

Temperature

Max. Load
 36.2 °C
97 F		35.7 °C
96 F		40 °C
104 F		 
 35.8 °C
96 F		36 °C
97 F		39.5 °C
103 F		 
 36.4 °C
98 F		34.4 °C
94 F		34.7 °C
94 F		 
Maximum: 40 °C = 104 F
Average: 36.5 °C = 98 F
33.4 °C
92 F		35.2 °C
95 F		35.8 °C
96 F
33.5 °C
92 F		35.2 °C
95 F		36.7 °C
98 F
33.6 °C
92 F		34.4 °C
94 F		36.4 °C
98 F
Maximum: 36.7 °C = 98 F
Average: 34.9 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  31.6 °C = 89 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated) & Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.5 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.9 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.


Speaker

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203938.22524.4353120.430.34018.336.25030.738.86325.536.38023.935.510018.134.31252035.316025.241.120016.847.525014.451.83151749.240011.857.650012.963.463014.666.980013.670.2100012.274.7125013.676160013.874.9200013.474.2250013.473.7315013.478400013.586.8500013.482630013.575800013.276.41000013.579.41250013.668.71600013.358.2SPL25.991N0.779median 13.5median 73.7Delta1.79.441.543.435.538.831.730.930.835.532.235.925.12619.423.720.92617.630.215.837.71340.411.743.910.65510.561.711.96813.874.815.478.212.780.81679.812.478.611.676.113.175.713.174.113.775.714.270.114.76715.369.315.967.216.56617.161.626.1880.769.9median 13.8median 69.31.910.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHonor X8Realme 9i
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Honor X8 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.2% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 27% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 64% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Realme 9i audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 35% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 55% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery life

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Realme 9i
5000 mAh
1056 min +23%
Average of class Smartphone
  (424 - 2844, n=228, last 2 years)
914 min +7%
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G
5000 mAh
864 min +1%
Xiaomi Redmi 10
5000 mAh
858 min 0%
Honor X8
4000 mAh
858 min
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 103)
14h 18min

Pros

+ decent camera setup
+ fast memory
+ good audio jack quality

Cons

- no DRM certification
- uncertain update policy
- high black value of the panel

Verdict - Good midranger with small deficits

In review: Honor X8. Test device provided by Honor Germany.
In review: Honor X8. Test device provided by Honor Germany.

Technically, the Honor X8 does a lot right and offers a very attractive price-performance ratio. The 90 Hz panel has decent brightness, the memory size is large and it's working fast, the audio jack has a low-noise playback, the battery delivers good runtimes and fast charging is also included.

The Honor X8 is definitely a technically good smartphone, but the unclear update policy is annoying

5G is still not mandatory in this price range, and Honor is not alone. The situation is different for the DRM certification, which would have been a must. The unclear update supply policy is also annoying, especially since the Honor smartphone was still shipped with Android 11. At least Android 12 should be available. As with all new smartphones from Honor, Google services are once again included in the X8.

Alternatives are the realme 9i or the Samsung Galaxy A13.

Price and availability

The price of the Honor X8 has already dropped to 210 Euros in the Honor store at the time of the test and is offered with further discounts in kind. Alternatively, it is also available on Amazon or Otto available

Honor X8 - 07/12/2022 v7
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
83%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
84%
Connectivity
46 / 70 → 65%
Weight
90%
Battery
90%
Display
85%
Games Performance
16 / 64 → 25%
Application Performance
71 / 86 → 82%
Temperature
90%
Noise
100%
Audio
72 / 90 → 80%
Camera
61%
Average
73%
79%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Honor X8 review - Affordable mid-range smartphone with 64 MP camera
Daniel Schmidt, 2022-07-14 (Update: 2022-07-14)