We tested Honor X8a: a safe step among mid-range phones

Honor It has entered the mid range of cell phones with force. His models look more aesthetic and bright at first glance, trying to give a new status to this consumer segment.

A few months ago we tested equipment that seems to be doing well in the Peruvian market: Honor X8. Now, a few changes later, we have one of his little brothers, Honor X8a, and the question is brewing: what does the brand offer us in this version? Is it really necessary to take a justified leap, such as launching this model?

Specifications

IPS LCD screen with 19.9:9 aspect ratio and 2388*1080 resolution

Processor MediaTek Helio G88

RAM: 8 GB

Storage Memory: 128 GB

3 Rear Camera Configuration 100MP (f/1.9) + 5MP Ultra Wide & Depth (f/2.2) + 2MP Macro (f/2.4). Selfie camera – 16 MP (f / 2.45).

4500mAh battery with 22.5W charger included

Latest version of Magic UI 6.1 on Android 12.

Honor X8a design

Design Honor X8a improves on the foundation we’ve seen throughout the X family.

Always reminding us of the iPhone, this command keeps the square rear sensor module at the bottom, with the bezel slightly raised. It is made of matte polycarbonate and maintains a comfortable feel in the hands without being too smooth and grungy.

Let’s go to the sides. On the right side are two volume +/- buttons, as well as a lock and a fingerprint sensor. It has an infrared port on the top; on the left it only has a slot for two chips but no microSD, while on the bottom we have the only hardware speaker, a reset slot and a microphone, and a USB-C port.

Attention! We don’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, but it’s curious that this type of headphone comes with a USB-C adapter. I’m not complaining, and in any case, it gives you additional options that you can use multiple times.

Compared with Honor X8 in particular, this cell is only a few millimeters deeper and slightly taller. In addition, it is only two grams heavier than its predecessor.

Where it strives to stand out is in the front panel with very small bezels (93.6% screen) and pronounced curves. The 6.7-inch screen works very well in this configuration.

Overall, it looks more luxurious and fixes some bugs like marks left on our hardware, except for the camera module itself, which really suffers from this issue.

performance

Overall, the device performs decently and the MediaTek Helio G88 runs smoothly on the system.

This time we get 8GB of RAM per se, plus a Turbo RAM option for extreme cases. With this add-on, multitasking will not be a problem, allowing us to move seamlessly between social networks, streaming and more. The usual thing is not to overuse, because we must remember that we have an average range of average advantages.

Our experience in this regard is always accompanied by gaming performance. Call of Duty: Mobile And pokemon unite They didn’t make the phone suffer, although they did cause some heat after half an hour of use. Medium graphics and refresh rate at high settings is the combination I recommend.

Our team software is Magic UI 6.1 based on Android 12. One year after the release of Android 14, what we demand from Honor It is that you are constantly updating the equipment to make our terminal more secure.

The IPS LCD screen works great, with great clarity for multimedia. He has a standard frequency of 90 hertz, and although I would like to see him with 120, I think that this is normal for the category in which he competes. Speaking of videos and movies, a common complaint is: Is it really that hard to put a new speaker on a mobile phone?

Autonomy is improved compared to Honor X8but not outstanding. Although it now achieves a day of continuous operation, it is not 100% safe, so I always recommend having a charger or portable battery for it. However, my main gripe with its predecessor was precisely its low life per day, so that’s a big advantage. Oh, and before I close this paragraph, I’ll also get back to charge “against its charge”: it still seems slow and impractical for emergencies. Wait up to an hour and 20 minutes for your team to reach 100%.

In the field of photography, there is certainly a strong improvement in all areas.

In this new version, the resolution jumped from 64 MP to 100 MP. In his standard photography, he makes very good use of natural light, although it is definitely recommended to use photos at maximum quality: we still have this loss of detail when zooming in on regular photos.

Taking photos in low light with this phone is highly discouraged as the photos will come out grainy and full of noise.

Selfie series with 16MP camera day and night.

In 1080p video at 30 frames per second. No more, no less. My opinion? I’d rather hit 60fps even for 720p, but the quality pays off. The best are the different recording modes that the brand offers us, such as the dual camera that will allow us to create social media content.

Should I buy Honor X8a?

He Honor X8a replaces its predecessor, improving the battery, improving the design and advancing in the field of photography. I think that for the general public, the big attraction of the equipment will be mainly in its aesthetics, so I think it is a balanced and recommended alternative in the market. The price is competitive and Honor spares no effort to win the sympathy of the Peruvian user.

Of course, if you have Honor X8 Yes, I wouldn’t recommend jumping in as while there are improvements, they don’t justify switching phones.

*Price in Honor Peru unlocked store: 1049 soles. Review with the device rented from Honor for 15 days.