Honor X9c with AI launched in South Africa

The Honor X9c mid-range smartphone has launched in South Africa with AI capabilities.

The event took place in Johannesburg on 29 January with a Squid Game interactive experience to put the phone through its paces.

The X9c is powered by Android 14 and MagicOS 8.0, which brings AI features as seen on the Magic Series and the Honor 200 and 90 Series’ in 2024, such as Magic Portal, Magic Capsule and Parallel Space.

Magic Portal offers one-click drag and drop multitasking, based on apps in use; Magic Capsule is a pill-shaped cut out on top of your screen that lets you control apps without opening them; and Parallel Space allows for a separate virtual space outside of a personal profile.

The device’s camera also features AI photography, like Honor’s AI Motion Sensing capabilities for action shots and AI Eraser for advanced image editing.

Fred Zhou, CEO of Honor South Africa says the X9c mid-range handset brings flagship-level capabilities to the local market. “With a focus on providing competitive pricing and cutting-edge features, we’re making advanced technology accessible for South Africans,” says Zhou.

The X9c is priced at R10 999.

Honor X9c: Under the hood

Customers can expect a 6.78-inch phone with a curved AMOLED display powered by a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 octa-core chip – as seen on the X9b, Adreno A710 GPU, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The display has a 1.5K resolution, has a 120Hz screen refresh rate and a peak brightness of 4000nits, an improvement on the X9b’s 1200nits.

Its 108MP camera introduces optical image stabilisation (OIS) and electronic image stabilisation (EIS) and has a 1/1.67” sensor for various lighting scenarios.

The camera supports 3 lossless zoom, and three portrait modes with varying focal lengths and a 13MP selfie-cam. The rear camera shoots 4K videos, while the front does 1080p HD.

Another big update on the X9c is 66W fast charging, a huge upgrade from last year’s 35W, and a whopping 6600mAh battery, up from 5800mAh on the predecessor.

The battery is made from Honor’s Silicon-carbon technology, also seen on its flagships, which has a higher energy density than a Lithium-ion battery.

The X9c will recharge fully in 62 minutes on its 66W plug, while Honor’s AI Safe Charging System will prevent the battery from overheating.

Honor says the 6600mAh battery will allow for 48.4 hours of music playback and 25.8 hours of online video playback from a single charge.

The X9c is a dual SIM 5G handset, with NFC and Bluetooth 5.1 support, plus a fingerprint sensor and facial recognition. It weighs 189g.

The durability factor

Honor’s X Series is known for its durability, and the X9c now supports drop, water and heat resistance, according to Honor. The phone can be used in temperatures ranging from -30°C to 55°C.

The phone features Honor’s Anti-Drop Display with an “ultra-tempered glass” that can survive 2m drops.

It also has what Honor calls a “three-layer waterproof structure”, rated IP65M for water and dust resistance, including operating it with wet hands. It will function after five minutes underwater at a 25cm depth, says Honor.

Recharged had some hands-on time with the X9c ahead of the launch and can confirm the screen is rugged.

We tested it by dropping a steel ball onto it from a 50cm height; using the display as a hammer to wedge nails into wood; and putting it in a basin of water and operating it underwater, as prompted by Honor.

Keep an eye on TikTok for the video dropping tomorrow.

Honor X7c

Alongside the X9c, Honor also introduced the 6.77-inch X7c, with an IP64 dust-proof and water resistance rating. It packs 108MP camera, and a 6000mAh battery with 35W charging.

It is powered by a Snapdragon 685 octa-core chip, Adreno 610 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Other features include dual stereo speakers a 300% high volume, AI features like Magic Capsule, one touch QR code scanning, dual SIM 4G and NFC support.

Pricing and availability

The Honor X9c is available in two shades: titanium black or jade cyan and will retail for R10 999. The Honor X7c comes in forest green and midnight black, and is competitively priced at R5 999.

For more information, visit the Honor South Africa website.

Honor also teased the MagicBook X14 laptop that will be heading to SA soon. It’s a 14″ laptop powered by a 13th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It has full sized keyboard plus a thin and lightweight body, which weighs 1.43kgs. It will include a backpack and mouse, and retail for R13 999.