Honor’s X9d smartphone launched last night at a function held in Kramerville, Johannesburg. Marketed as the “unbreakable AI smartphone”, it is the follow-up to the widely successful X9c, which sold 13 million units globally. Having used the Honor X9d now for close to a week, here are the features that at this stage impressed us the most.

Massive battery

While the phone’s durability might be the drawcard, the Honor X9d’s 8300 mAh silicon-carbon battery is the trump. It’s a big step up from the previous version’s 6600 mAh and provides a battery that outperforms even high-end devices.

Honor notes the possibility of three days of battery power, but in our experience two is doable if you don’t lean too far into your gaming or video binges. To see your battery life at only 50% at the end of the evening is quite impressive.

We can imagine less charging can lead to better overall battery durability and in this case, Honor states the battery can provide six years or reliable performance, at about 1000 full charges.

Oh yes, the X9d’s battery can also reverse charge in case any of your peripherals (or friends’ phones) need a bit of juice.

Durability

The amount of pain the X9d can be put through is seriously impressive. At the launch event it was used as a hammer in chipboard, shot with a paintball gun, and drenched in water. There were also videos being shown of the phone being run over by a SUV and tied to a Caterpillar bucket to scoop gravel – surviving both. 

In real-world scenarios the X9d might fall into water or dropped by accident. And for the latter it’s comforting to know that the X9d currently holds a Guinness world record, having survived intact a drop from a height of 6.133 meters. However, Honor states the X9d is more commonly drop resistant up to 2.5m, with an IPX9K rating to offer the highest level of waterproof protection, alongside an IP6X rating which makes it “dust tight”.

In the test unit received, Honor did not include a protective case. This finally forces one to  experience a phone without the added plastic, but we can’t help but feel that if the phone is dropped on the floor, it might not break the screen but can ruin the sides.

AI options

AI is increasingly being incorporated into smartphones, and in the case of the X9d the majority of benefits lies in imaging. Highlights include an AI Eraser where you can erase objects, passersby’s or reflections from an image; AI Outpainting which expands the borders of the photo by incorporating what the AI thinks could be in the frame; and AI Cutout to separate your subject and place it on a different background. 

If you are a constant traveller, AI Translate might come in handy, interestingly splitting the screen so that the person you are talking to can both see and hear what you are saying.

Google Gemini is also onboard by long pressing the power button, with one of our most used features being able to search an object displayed on the screen.

How much you appreciate these AI features is dependent on how often you might actually use them. For the most part, we see Honor’s features as nice-to-haves.

At this stage the #HonorX9d holds the Guinness world record for the highest drop at 6.133m and surviving. It also has top level dust and water resistance, as seen in the photo. pic.twitter.com/vcjirY58B6

— TechSmart (@TechSmartZA) February 4, 2026

Price and availability

At R10k for the Honor X9d, it surprisingly comes in at R1k lower than the previous model retailed for when it was released. For those who buy ASAP, you also score either HONOR Choice Earbuds Clip or an HONOR Choice Airfryer, alongside HONOR Care service benefit valued up to R2 999. It can be found at most of the major carriers.