Honor 9 Review and User Feedback

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Credit: pexels.com, Top-down view of two modern smartphones with home screens displayed on a textured surface.

The Honor 9 is a solid choice for those in the market for a new smartphone. It features a 12-megapixel rear camera with a f/2.2 aperture.

In our review, we found the Honor 9 to be a well-rounded device with a sleek design. The phone is powered by a Kirin 960 processor, which provides smooth performance.

The Honor 9's battery life is impressive, lasting up to two days on a single charge. This is thanks to the phone's 3200mAh battery.

Users have praised the Honor 9's camera, citing its ability to capture high-quality photos in a variety of lighting conditions.

Additional reading: Pixel 9 Pro Front Camera

Specifications

The Honor 9 has a HiSilicon Kirin 960 octa-core processor, which is a powerful chip that handles tasks with ease.

The phone's processor is paired with a Mali-G71 MP8 GPU, which is great for playing games and watching videos.

The Honor 9 comes with 64 or 128 gigabytes of storage and 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM, depending on the region.

Credit: youtube.com, Huawei Honor 9 specification , price & Opinion

The phone's display measures 5.15 inches and has a pixel resolution of 1920x1080, resulting in a crisp and clear picture.

The pixel density of the display is 428 ppi, which is perfect for watching videos and browsing the web.

The Honor 9 has a dual rear camera setup, consisting of a 12 MP RGB lens and a 20-megapixel monochrome lens.

The phone can record video in 4K and has electronic image stabilization for Full HD video, making it perfect for capturing smooth and steady footage.

The Honor 9 has a 3,200 mAh non-removable battery, which provides all-day battery life.

The phone also features a fingerprint reader located on the lower bezel and a USB-C port for convenient charging and data transfer.

Readers also liked: Pixel 9 Always on Display

User Feedback

Some users have reported issues with the Honor 9's battery, with one owner replacing their 7-year-old phone's battery but still experiencing charging problems.

A faulty battery is a possible cause of charging issues, as one user discovered by replacing their battery and finding it still didn't charge after tightening all the screws around the connector, which cost them 13 euros.

Replacing the battery may be a solution, but it's essential to ensure the new battery is properly connected and secured to avoid further issues.

Readers also liked: Pixel 9 Bluetooth Issues

Real Life Review

A stylish man with sunglasses and dreadlocks stands outdoors, using a smartphone in an urban setting.
Credit: pexels.com, A stylish man with sunglasses and dreadlocks stands outdoors, using a smartphone in an urban setting.

In real life, users have shared their experiences with the Honor 9, and it's been a mixed bag. Some users have reported that the phone's theme options are quite extensive.

The Honor 9 offers a range of theme options, including a custom icon pack and a dark theme. These themes can be easily accessed and applied through the phone's settings.

Users have also reported that the phone's stock apps can be customized and even removed, giving users more control over their home screen. The phone also has a built-in theme editor, which allows users to customize the look and feel of their phone.

Some users have also reported that the phone's camera app can be replaced with a third-party camera app, such as the Google Camera Port. This can be a big plus for users who want more advanced camera features.

Here are some of the theme and app mods available for the Honor 9:

  • Icon Pack Studio
  • FONT STYLE
  • Arnova8G2's Google Camera Port
  • EMUI 9 Dark Theme
  • Lost stock apps
  • PartyMode App for EMUI 8.0 huawei/honor devices
  • Airlike Theme EMUI 8
  • Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium / EMUI 8.0

User Reviews

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Credit: pexels.com, A young man using a smartphone while sitting in a lush urban garden setting.

User reviews of the Honor 9 are overwhelmingly positive, with an average rating of 8.8 out of 10.

Many reviewers praised the phone's performance, design, and features, with some calling it a "great all-rounder" and "one of the best phone deals around." The phone's dual cameras, sleek design, and IR blaster were particular highlights.

Gary Sims of Android Authority gave the phone a rating of 8.7 out of 10, while PC Magazine's Thomas Newton assigned it a rating of 4 out of 5, meaning "excellent." Swedroid rated the phone 8.3 out of 10 overall.

Some reviewers noted that the phone's build materials can be slippery, and it lacks toughened glass over the display. However, these issues did not seem to detract from the phone's overall appeal.

Here are some ratings from various reviewers:

Overall, the Honor 9 seems to be a solid choice for those looking for a high-end phone at a more affordable price.

Pros and Cons

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The Honor 9 has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the main pros is its impressive camera performance, featuring a dual 12-megapixel rear camera and a 13-megapixel front camera.

The Honor 9's camera capabilities are a significant upgrade over its predecessor. Its improved low-light performance and advanced features like phase detection autofocus make it a great option for photography enthusiasts.

However, some users may find the Honor 9's battery life to be a con, lasting around 8 hours of heavy use. This may not be sufficient for users who require a phone that can last all day.

A unique perspective: Sony Xperia X Performance

Pros

The Honor 9 has some really great features that make it a standout phone. One of the main pros is its attractive design, which is sure to turn heads.

The phone's affordable price is another major advantage. With a price tag that's competitive with other high-end phones, you can get a lot of bang for your buck.

Here are some key specs that highlight the phone's great performance:

  • 5.15-inch screen size
  • 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • HiSilicon Kirin 960 CPU
  • 4GB or 6GB of RAM
  • 64/128GB storage options

The phone's battery life is also a major plus, with a 3,200mAh battery that's sure to last all day long.

Cons

Flat lay of HONOR phone case, charger, and warranty documents on a table.
Credit: pexels.com, Flat lay of HONOR phone case, charger, and warranty documents on a table.

The Honor 9 has some drawbacks to consider. The phone has only one speaker driver, which may not provide the best audio experience.

One of the most notable cons is the lack of optical image stabilization, which can affect the quality of photos taken in low light conditions.

The Honor 9 also has a heavy bezel, which may not be ideal for those who prefer a more compact device.

Here are the Honor 9's cons in a nutshell:

  • One speaker driver
  • No optical image stabilization
  • Heavy bezel

Release and Price

The Honor 9 was released in China on June 12, 2017, and in the UK on June 27, 2017. It's available for pre-ordering in the UK on the same day.

You can buy the Honor 9 SIM-free in the UK for £379.99, which is a relatively low price compared to other flagship phones. The price is even lower in the UK, sometimes costing around £340.

The Honor 9 is not available in the US or Australia, but it's possible to import the device if you live in one of these countries. However, be sure to check compatibility with your network before making a purchase.

Here are some deals available in the UK:

  • £20 a month with 1GB of data on Three's network
  • £379.99 SIM-free price has dropped in the UK

Design and Performance

Credit: youtube.com, Honor 9 Lite Best Features - What makes this a class apart?

The Honor 9's design is a major selling point, with its shiny glass body that diffracts light at various angles to create a great effect. This is a major departure from the usual metal unibody design, and it's a bold move that pays off.

The phone's dimensions are 147.3 x 70.9 x 7.45mm, weighing in at 155g, making it easy to slip into your pocket without feeling weighed down. The camera sensors on the rear sit flush with the body, eliminating the camera protrusion that many people dislike.

The Honor 9 is available in four colors: Glacier Grey, Sapphire Blue, Midnight Black, and gold, although some colors are not available in certain markets. You can also opt for a limited edition "Robin Egg Blue" variant, but this is only available in China and the UK.

The phone's build quality feels premium, with a glass body and a 3D curved glass rear that's achieved through nano textures carved into the glass by photo etching. This creates a unique light-refracting composition that's both visually striking and durable.

Here's an interesting read: Light Phone

Review: Light Catcher

Top view of anonymous woman in casual wear sitting on floor with laptop and smartphone and creating plan on notebook while resting during break in modern living room
Credit: pexels.com, Top view of anonymous woman in casual wear sitting on floor with laptop and smartphone and creating plan on notebook while resting during break in modern living room

The Honor 9 is a sleek device, and its shiny design is a major part of its appeal. It's a bargain compared to the Huawei P flagship.

The Honor 9's camera is a standout feature, with a dual sensor setup that includes a 20 MP monochrome lens and a 12 MP RGB lens. This setup promises better light sensitivity.

You can produce 12 MP images by default, but there's an option to bump the resolution up to 20 MP. This involves some form of up-scaling of the 12 MP RGB data combined with the full resolution data from the monochrome sensor.

The camera app offers a range of modes, including HDR and Panorama, as well as a full manual mode and a shallow depth-of-field mode. The shallow depth-of-field mode allows you to refocus pictures post-capture.

Other camera modes include night shot, time-lapse, slow-mo, and watermark. There's also a light painting mode, which can be used to capture light trails created by moving objects.

A smartphone capturing a peaceful newborn baby sleeping in a crib, highlighting modern parenthood.
Credit: pexels.com, A smartphone capturing a peaceful newborn baby sleeping in a crib, highlighting modern parenthood.

The Honor 9 can record video in 4K and includes Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) for 1080p video. It encodes 4K video in H.265, which should help reduce the size of the resulting video files.

The 8 MP front-facing camera is solid, and includes a standard beautification mode and a bokeh mode that automatically blurs the background.

Hardware and Performance

The Honor 9's hardware is impressive, with a HiSilicon Kirin 960 octa-core processor that provides smooth performance.

This processor is paired with a Mali-G71 MP8 GPU, which is capable of handling demanding tasks and games. The phone also features a 3,200 mAh non-removable battery, which should provide all-day battery life.

The Honor 9 measures 147.3 millimetres by 70.9 millimetres by 7.5 millimetres and weighs 155 grams, making it a compact and lightweight device.

The phone comes in various storage and RAM configurations, including 64 or 128 gigabytes of storage and 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM, depending on the region.

Here's a breakdown of the Honor 9's key specs:

The Honor 9 has a 5.15-inch display, which is crisp and punchy, and perfect for watching videos and browsing the web.

Design

Black Smartphone on Black Table Top
Credit: pexels.com, Black Smartphone on Black Table Top

The Honor 9 has a glass body with a shiny finish that's reflective, but not like a mirror. It diffracts light at various angles to create a great effect that catches the eye immediately.

One of the standout features of the Honor 9's design is the fingerprint sensor on the front of the phone, below the screen. This is a major change for the Honor brand, and it's generally easier to use than having the sensor on the back.

The back and multitasking keys are built into the body of the phone, but you can also turn them off and use swipe gestures across the fingerprint sensor for those functions. This is a fun feature to play around with once you've gotten used to it.

The Honor 9 is relatively small and lightweight, measuring 147.3 x 70.9 x 7.45mm and weighing only 155g. This makes it easy to slip into your pocket without feeling weighed down.

Team members brainstorming and collaborating on a design project in a modern office setting.
Credit: pexels.com, Team members brainstorming and collaborating on a design project in a modern office setting.

The camera sensors on the rear of the phone sit flush with the body, so there's no camera protrusion. This is something many people dislike on modern smartphones, but the Honor 9 gets it right.

The Honor 9 comes in four color choices: blue, grey, silver, and black. In the UK, you can choose from Glacier Grey or Sapphire Blue, but other markets have additional options like gold and black.

Here's a rundown of the color options available for the Honor 9:

Our Verdict

The Honor 9 is a great value for its price. It offers a lot of what high-end flagship phones do, but for a much lower price.

You'll get a great design, fantastic performance, and lots of nice touches. This phone is an all-round impressive and affordable option.

With an official starting price of €449 in Europe, you're getting a lot of phone for a lot less than most other high-end phones. The Honor 9's specs are remarkably similar to the HUAWEI Mate 9 or the P10.

Patricia Dach

Junior Copy Editor

Patricia Dach is a meticulous and detail-oriented Copy Editor with a passion for refining written content. With a keen eye for grammar and syntax, she ensures that articles are polished and error-free. Her expertise spans a range of topics, from technology to lifestyle, and she is well-versed in various style guides.

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