Review: HONOR X7c (8GB+256GB)

HONOR Philippines recently launched the new HONOR X7c, a budget-friendly phone under its X series model, designed to be both tough and durable.

Many of the features from the previous model the HONOR X7b, which we were able to review, are found in this new model that is positively good. However, the brand has focused on making this phone more durable adding more value to it.

After spending over a week with the HONOR X7c, we’ve found several features we really like and we are excited to share our hands-on experience. Let’s dive into the review.

Unboxing

Looking at the packaging design of the HONOR X7c, it still is minimalistic that features just a few printed elements. The top cover has a large image of the phone, with the HONOR logo on all sides, along with a sticker detailing company information, IMEI, certification marks, and phone specifications found in one side.

The first thing you’ll see when you lift the top cover is the HONOR X7c and just beneath it, there’s a compartment box and an additional tray holding the other accessories.

Included inside the box you’re getting the following contents:

• HONOR X7c Unit
• SIM Ejector Tool
• Clear Protective Case
• Quick Start Guide
• USB-A to USB-C Cable
• Power Adapter

It also comes with a pre-applied screen protector, so you can start using it right away with added protection.

Design and Construction

We have the Forest Green color variant for our review, while you can choose from two more colorway in Midnight Black and Moonlight White.

The phone has a thickness of 8.24mm and weighs at 201 grams including the battery.

The back panel is made of polycarbonate plastic material that features an attractive faux-leather material with a diagonal checkered dotted pattern design and a large square camera module in the top-left corner. At the bottom, you’ll find the HONOR logo and certification marks.

The phone encompasses an aluminum frame around all its sides with rounded corners for a sleek finish.

There’s a SIM card tray on the left side edge, as well as the volume rocker and power/sleep button, that doubles as a fingerprint scanner, found on the opposite side.

The bottom edge holds the USB-C port, microphone, speaker grille, and a 3.5mm headphone jack to connect your wired headphones. The top edge has another secondary microphone and an IR Blaster.

The front bezels surrounding the display are thin except for the bottom chin, which is slightly more raised. The front camera has a punch hole cutout housed centrally at the top of the screen and doesn’t disrupt my viewing experience.

The standout feature of the HONOR X7c is its overall durability, offering resistance to water, dust, and accidental drops.

It gets an all-angle water resistance for up to 3 minutes, proven through rigorous testing, including a full wash and even a drop into a pool. With an IP64 rating, it offers reliable protection against dust and water. Topping it off, it earns a prestigious 5-star rating from SGS for its drop and crush resistance.

We were able to test this durability firsthand while producing our reels, where the HONOR X7c withstood spills from milk, soda, soy sauce, and ketchup. We also washed it under running water and performed a submersion test. Check out the video reels to see the phone in action.

With its remarkable durability, the HONOR X7c is a dependable choice for users prone to drops or those needing a phone that can handle harsh conditions.

Display

The HONOR X7c has a large HD+ screen at 6.77 inches that uses a TFT LCD display panel which consumes less power to help extend battery life.

The screen has a resolution of 1610×720 pixels and an improved refresh rate of up to 120Hz from its previous model.

HONOR has paid more attention to visual health with the X7c, incorporating features like eBook and Eye Comfort Mode to help users reduce eye strain and fatigue for those extended use whether its gaming or binge-watching.

It’s display panel has good brightness and contrast with viewing angles still visible. It’s also has details given its size and resolution.

Performance

At its core, the HONOR X7c runs on a 6 nanometer Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 octa-core processor with maximum clock speeds of 2.8GHz. It is paired by a Adreno 610 for its GPU.

The internal storage limit of the HONOR X7c offers a generous 256GB which ia more than sufficient for an entry level phone. It also supports a secondary storage via MicroSD up to 1TB for those who need more space.

It is equipped with an 8GB of RAM enough to manage normal task on the phone but with the HONOR RAM Turbo it can boost an additional 8GB of RAM. This gives you a total of 16GB RAM on your memory for multitasking, smooth gameplay, and able to open multiple apps at the same time.

We had no problem using the productivity apps like Google docs or even the WPS app if we need to open and edit important documents or excel sheets.

Using the HONOR X7c for gaming was still good especially those popular light graphically demanding games lile Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Call of Duty or PUBG at default settings. Casual games are a breeze and smooth on the phone if you like playing Candy Crush, Plants Vs Zombies, Card games etc.

On the audio of the HONOR X7c, it is fitted with dual stereo speakers and the quality of the mids are very strong, vocals are clear, and the loudness can go pretty high with its 300% high-volume mode feature.

Maxing out the 300% volume is good for video or regular calls if you want more on vocal clarity especially when your in a noisy environment.

Aside from the fingerprint scanner, you get face unlock for another biometrics and a lock screen password for additional safety measures.

Camera and Photo Samples

The HONOR X7c has dual cameras equipped on the back with an LED flash and one on the front.

The rear camera comprises of a 108MP resolution with aperture of f/1.75 that takes 12MP shots by default. Using the High-Res mode will allow you to shoot the full 108MP resolution. The second lens is a 2MP depth camera with aperture of f/2.4. There’s no ultra-wide lens but you can use the Panorama mode if you need wider shots.

For selfies, the front camera has an 8MP resolution with aperture of f/2.0.

Both cameras can record video footages with available resolutions of 1080p and 720p with a default frame rate of 30fps only.

The camera app is easy to use with all the necessary functions easily available on the top except for the aspect ratio which is placed under the settings.

You get a total of 15 shooting modes including a Night mode for low light conditions, then you have the following other modes with Aperture, Portrait, Photo, Video, PRO, Slow-Mo, Panorama, HDR Photo, Time-Lapse, Watermark, Dual-View, High-Res, Scan Document, and Story.

Our photos and videos shot on the main camera during well-lit conditions or bright ambient lighting can produce good image quality with natural colors, a decent amount of contrast, and sharpness. They are already more suitable for social media posting.

An ultrawide sensor would have been a good addition, as it was included in the previous model. It’s unclear why it wasn’t placed here, but perhaps it was to keep the price point reasonable while focusing more on its durability features. But given the price, I think this is understandable, and hopefully, HONOR will improve it in future iterations.

As for video quality, it offers 1080p resolution, which is suitable for video calls. There’s not much else to say, except that good lighting is essential, and a tripod or gimbal is recommended to have stable footages.

The front camera for selfies is also decent, producing images that are social media-ready.

1x Photo mode, Outdoor, Sunny Weather

1x Photo mode, Outdoor, Sunny Weather

1x Photo mode, Indoor, Ambient Lighting

2x Photo mode, Indoor, Ambient Lighting

1x Photo mode, Indoor, Low Lighting

1x Night mode, Indoor, Low Lighting

1x Photo mode, Indoor, Ambient Lighting

1x Photo mode, Outdoor, Sunset

8x Photo mode, Outdoor, Sunset

When zoomed in to the maximum 8x using the zoom slider, photos tend to appear slightly muddy, with still noticeable image, a few noise and reduced sharpness.

Software

The HONOR X7c ships out with the latest MagicOS 8.0 based on Android 14.

Browsing through the pre-installed apps, it includes Booking.com, Facebook, Netflix, ReelShort, TikTok, Trip.com, and WPS Office. There are also several of HONOR’s proprietary apps along with common Google tools such as Gmail, Chrome, Drive, Maps, and Meet that we use especially for work.

Some features we liked on the software is the inclusion of the Magic Capsule, Knuckle Screenshot, Three-finger Swipe Down, and Parental Controls if you wish to manage the apps being used by your kids.

HONOR did not mention of how long on its software support but from today’s standard all phones will usually have up to two major OS upgrades and two years of security patches on the X7c, we will probably update our review when we got information from the brand.

Battery

With the HONOR X7c now made more durable, its battery is also built to last longer as it is fitted with a higher capacity.

It is equipped with a massive 6000 mAh battery and paired with a 35W HONOR Super Charge to quickly juice up the phone.

While the phone doesn’t support wireless charging, it’s great to see it includes reverse wireless charging, allowing us to power up the earbuds case or another phone.

To prolong battery usage you can allow to turn on the Power Saving mode or Ultra Power Saving mode to extend battery life.

What We Like

• Faux Leather On Rear Panel
• All Angle Water Resistant
• IP64 Rating
• Drop Resistance
• 120Hz Refresh Rate
• 6000 mAh Battery
• 256GB Storage
• Expandable Storage
• 8GB RAM with HONOR RAM Turbo
• Dual Speakers
• Price

What We Want

• 60fps
• Ultra-wide Lens
• IPS Display

Conclusion

The HONOR X7c emphasizes durability for this model with its IP64 rating, drop resistance, and all-angle water resistance. We believe there’s a market for users who prioritize these features, and they’ll likely be impressed by how well it can withstand tough conditions.

On the camera department, the HONOR X7c sports a reliable a 108MP main sensor that can produce good image quality during daylight. For videos, good thing it has an 1080p resolution at 30fps on both cameras.

Endurance-wise, the HONOR X7c boasts a remarkable full day battery with its 6000 mAh battery capacity that can go around 1.5 to 2 day with moderate use. However, I just find the fast charging a bit slow.

In terms of performance, it can handle everyday tasks such as calls, web browsing, social media posts, and a variety of media consumption. However, if you’re looking for a gaming phone, especially for graphic-intensive games, this might not be the best choice, you may try out the HONOR X9b which is a better fit.

Overall, the HONOR X7c still offers some impressive and capable features at a good price point, even if there’s room for a few improvements. The HONOR X7c is an ideal phone for those looking for a budget-friendly device that’s durable and built for long-lasting use.

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR X7c is priced at Php 8,999 plus you may avail its exclusive promo with a FREE HONOR Gift Camping Light Speaker from November 8-10 only.

You can purchase the HONOR X7c at any HONOR Experience and Partner Stores and thru our official e-commerce partners online on:

• Lazada – https://bit.ly/Laz_X7c_Media
• Shopee – https://bit.ly/Shop_X7c_Media
• TikTok Shop – https://bit.ly/TikTok_X7c_Media

Full Specifications – HONOR X7c

• Price: PHP8,999
• Color: Forest Green, Midnight Black, Moonlight White
• Height: 166.9 mm
• Width: 76.8 mm
• Depth: 8.09 mm Midnight Black, 8.24 mm Forest Green, Moonlight White
• Weight: Midnight Black: Approx.199g, Forest Green, Moonlight White: Approx. 201g (including the battery)
• Display Size: 6.77-inches
• Display Panel: TFTLCD
• Refresh Rate:120Hz
• Resolution: 1610 x 720 pixels
• Color: 16.7 million colors
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 Octa-core
• CPU Dominant Frequency: [email protected] + [email protected]
• GPU: Adreno 610
• OS: MagicOS 8.0 (Based on Android 14)
• Storage: 256GB
• Memory: 16(8+8) GB RAM
• Camera (Rear): 108MP Main camera (f1.75), 2MP Depth Camera (f/2.4)
• Camera (Front): 8MP (f/2.0)
• Video Resolution: 1080p, 720p
• Video FPS: 30fps only
• Battery Capacity: 6000 mAh
• Type: Li-ion Polymer Battery
• Wired Charging: Support up to 35W (11V/3.2A) Super Charge