Honor 8X review

Verdict

The Honor 8X is a great summation of what the Honor brand is about. It offers phones that look and feel more expensive than they are.

This particular model focuses on the front-on look. Extremely slim screen borders and a display notch aren’t yet expected in a phone of the price. And yet we get them.

There are some compromises in the hardware, like a weak secondary rear camera, micro USB connection and mid-range chipset. Even with these considered, though, the Honor 8X is an appealing buy.

Who’s this for?

The Honor 8X is for those who expect a lot of tech for every pound, dollar or dime they spend on a phone. If you care about substance, and even style, but don’t care about the cred of the brand of the phone in your pocket, Honor phones are a perfect fit.

Should you buy it?

Excellent value, a great day-to-day experience and a few little high-end touches that are missing from most at the price make the Honor 8X extremely easy to recommend.

The Honor Play is still a better bet for big mobile gaming fans thanks to its significantly better graphics chipset. But that phone has a slightly less trendy aluminum shell.

As long as you don’t wince at the sight of Huawei’s custom software, the only off-putting parts are the extras it lacks: USB-C, stereo speakers and a higher-end secondary rear camera.

First reviewed: October 2018

Not sold? Consider one of these alternatives:

Honor Play

You can consider this the gamer’s alternative to the Honor 8X. It has a more powerful Kirin 970 chipset, which has a much punchier GPU. It’s demonstrably better for demanding games.

However, the 8X has a better camera setup and a more dynamic design. It has a glass back instead of a metal one, and even higher screen-to-surface ratio.

Read our full Honor Play review

Moto G6 Plus

A slightly earlier option in the budget phone world, the Moto G6 Plus does not have a notch or ultra-slim screen borders. However, it is a fundamentally pleasant phone, with a more recognizable curved glass rear, front fingerprint scanner and solid Snapdragon 630 chipset.

Read our full Moto G6 Plus review

Motorola One

The closest non-Honor rival to the Honor 8X is the Motorola One. It has a smaller screen with far fewer pixels and a less capable camera. In the sheer value stakes, the Honor 8X has this one in the bag.

However, there are still compelling reasons to choose the One. It uses ultra-clean Android One software, and many will find its smaller size easier to live with.

Read our hands on Motorola One review