Honor 9X Pro review
Honor 9X Pro review - Honor 9X Pro is the successor of Honor 9X, released last November and reviewed by us. But many things have changed in that time. In fact, Honor also had to say goodbye to Google services due to the American ban. A situation that prompted the company to embrace the world of Huawei Mobile Services.
No Play Store, no Gmail, no official YouTube application, no Google Drive.
How then to push users to focus on new smartphones without having all these services? The answer is surprisingly simple: offering excellent performance, first choice hardware and maintaining excellent value for money.
Will they have succeeded with this device? Let's find out what this new one has to tell Honor 9X Pro.
READ ALSO: Huawei smartphones without Google Apps: complete guide to the use of HMS devices
What do we have in the pot?
In the Honor 9X Pro package we find a transparent silicone cover, a pair of medium quality earphones, the USB-A / USB-C cable and the charger from 10W. In my opinion, a more performing charger would have been preferable: 10W now seem few in a sea of super, warp and fast charge that we find among the rivals.
What is immediately striking is the glass back cover with an intriguing effect holographic to X that stands out particularly in the coloring in our possession: Phantom Purple (iridescent purple). The other color available is black, perhaps more anonymous. Compared to the previous model, we find greater attention to details and finishes: the external edges are in satin metal, a choice that increases its elegance. The sensor for unlocking with fingerprints changes place: no longer on the back, we now find it laterally incorporated in the power button, under the volume rocker. In the upper part we find the SIM trolley (dual SIM or SIM / MicroSD) and pop-up camera, on the lower edge the USB-C input, the speaker (mono) and the beloved jack from 3.5mm for headphones.
On the front we find a display LCD IPS FULLVIEW da 6.59 inches diagonal, with resolution Full HD + (2340 x 1080 pixels) and density of 391 PPI. The presence of the pop-up camera allows for a clean and uninterrupted screen, with a body / screen ratio of 92%. Too bad only the slight asymmetry in the lower margin, thicker than the other three.
In the hand it feels, with its 206 grams of weight. The dimensions have in fact remained unchanged compared to the previous model, the one-handed grip is not the simplest.
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The hardware equipment
On board we find the new Kirin 810 octa core 2,27 GHz with Mali G52 MP6 GPU and 6 GB of RAM. The internal memory, in the only variant available for sale, is 256 GB, an excellent point in favor of this smartphone if we think of the mid-range in which it is placed. And if 256 GB are not enough, you can also expand the space available to you with a microSD. In addition to Bluetooth 4.2 and dual band Wi-Fi ac, connectivity is present NFC, with a but. Since there are no Google services, you will not be able to access either Google Pay.
In daily use it has always shown up to what was required of it, without slowdowns or sudden blocks. The transition between applications takes place smoothly, and the loading in gaming mode is equal to that of more famous and expensive smartphones. A sign that the chipset / software optimization has reached good levels.
The autonomy given by the 4000 mAh battery has satisfied us. With an average use you can arrive safely even the following morning.
Honor 9X Pro review: the photos?
From a photographic point of view, we struggle to find major differences with the previous model. We have again a triple rear camera module, with the main sensor from 48 MP ś / 1.8 which shoots at 12 megapixels thanks to pixel binning. The Pixel binning is a system that combines the brightness and data of four pixels into one. The second sensor is an 8MP ƒ / 2.4 wide-angle, finally accompanied by a 2MP depth sensor. The front chamber pop-up instead contains a 16MP sensor.
Only the 48MP sensor gives us noteworthy shots, suitable for the mid-range in which the smartphone is placed. With the wide angle we lose definition, the images become not very detailed even with a lot of light. The selfie camera is only acceptable during the day, the work of the AI helps a lot to improve the shots.
At night, despite the intervention of the Honor artificial intelligence which improves the shots, we still have subdued results. In short, the photographic sector is not the reason that will push us to focus on this device. Here is a small gallery of photos taken with the Honor 9X Pro.
Android 9 and no Google Apps
Honor 9X Pro is still equipped with Android version 9 and therefore also with its EMUI. And it's a shame, since switching to version 10 of both would gain that extra touch that would make the smartphone more in step with the times. EMUI 9 is aesthetically "old", we hope that the update arrives as soon as possible.
But one thing that won't come is Google Apps. Don't miss UAF YouTube, Google Drivee, gmail and company is impossible. For those who are particularly attached to these services and applications, it will be a limit that is difficult to cross. Even when setting up the phone, having to install applications via APK and not find them directly on the AppGallery is sometimes frustrating. The user experience improves over time and with habit, but are you willing to "waste" this time?
AppGallery, we remind you, it is the official store of the Chinese company that is enriched with new features every day. To help him we find the search engine FindApp, which allows you to find all the software you need on the Amazon App Store and ApkPure.
ALSO READ: FindApp: Searching for apps on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro has never been easier
Honor 9X Pro: the technical sheet
Before concluding, some technical data on this smartphone:
dimensions: 163.1 x 77.2 x 8.8 mm
Weight: 206 g
Display: 6.59 ”1080 x 2340 FHD + IPS LCD with 391 ppi density
CPU: Kirin 810
GPU: Mali-G52 MP6
RAM: 6 GB
Memory: 256 GB expandable with Micro SD
Network: 4G LTE – Dual SIM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 con A2DP/LE, USB Type-C 2.0, jack 3.5mm, A-GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou
Battery: 4000 mAh
Rear camera: 48 MP f/1.8 + 8MP f/2.4 + 2MP f/2.4
Front Camera: 16 MP f / 2.2
Videos: posteriore 4K (30fps), anteriore Full HD (30fps)
Operating system: Android 9.0 Pie EMUI 9.1
HONOR 9X Pro review: buy it or not?
Honor 9X Pro is currently available for online purchase only in the official HiHonor store, but at a special price. With a discount of 50 €, you can buy it for only € 199 instead of € 249, and at this price it's a bargain. If you are looking for a performing mid-range, with a lot of internal memory and good autonomy, then this is the smartphone for you. If the photographic sector and Google Apps are essential for you, then the advice is to opt for the top of the range Honor 20 Pro (here our review).
Honor 9X Pro
For 
- Performances
- Autonomy
- Memory
- Price
Cons 
- Photo gallery
- No Google Apps
- Android 9
