HONOR is turning durability into a headline feature rather than a tired cliché. With the official Philippine debut of “The Toughest Phone,” the HONOR X9d 5G, Jan. 9, the company dropped the mic on the competition’s pricing strategies — and possibly on the concept of “sensible” giveaways.

Let’s rip the band-aid off the biggest question first: The HONOR X9d 5G is priced at 18,999 Philippine pesos (roughly $321). That’s for the 12GB/256GB model, and it’s available in three colors at HONOR’s official stores on Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop: Reddish Brown, which has a faux-leather texture; Midnight Black; and Sunrise Gold. But if you’re early to the party, specifically during the preorder period until Jan. 23, you can grab it for only 17,999 Philippine pesos ($304).

For a smartphone running on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 and packing a frankly ridiculous 8,300mAh battery, that pricing is aggressive. It puts the new X9 Series model squarely in the ring with the usual midrange heavyweights, but with a toughness sheet that makes them look fragile.

@revuphilippines The HONOR X9d 5G just pulled off the ultimate flex 🤯 — dropped, smashed, even run over by a Tesla Cybertruck… and it still survived! 💪 With media, creators, and the unstoppable Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto (JoshLia) hyping it up during HONOR’s recent Experiential Day, the #AllAngleUltraDefense phone proved it’s tougher than the spotlight. 🌟🔥 👉 www.revu.com.ph #RevuDotComDotPH #HONORX9d5G #TheToughestPhone @HONOR Philippines @monch @Alora Uy Guerrero ♬ original sound – REVU Philippines

HONOR’s toughest phone yet

Wait, did you say Cybertruck?

We need to talk about the raffle. We saw the teasers, and now, HONOR Philippines confirmed it. If you pre-purchase the HONOR X9d 5G, you are technically entering a raffle to win a Tesla Cybertruck.

Most brands give you a scooter or maybe a trip to Boracay. HONOR is dangling a stainless-steel electric tank. It’s brilliant marketing. Even if you don’t win the truck, the preorder officially comes with a free Jisulife Fan 5 and an HONOR Gift Box, which is a decent consolation prize for not driving home in a spaceship.

Beyond the stunts

The launch event was hosted by the Boys Night Out crew with performances from Sponge Cola and 6ENSE, and while the celebrity fanfare was loud, the spec sheet is doing the heavy lifting here.

If you read our previous coverage, you know the “All-Angle Ultra Defense” is the main selling point. The HONOR X9d 5G has an IP69K rating, meaning it can withstand high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. It’s not just “splash-resistant”; it’s “pressure washer-resistant.”

Even better, HONOR managed to shove an 8,300mAh silicon-carbon battery into a chassis that doesn’t feel like a brick. The company is claiming three days of use. Based on our time with the unit, that isn’t an exaggeration.

But a big battery needs a decent engine, so HONOR equipped this device with the 4nm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor we mentioned earlier, backed by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s running MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15 out of the box, all viewed through a 6.79-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen that hits a searing 6,000 nits of peak brightness. Rounding out the package is a 108-megapixel main camera paired with a 5-megapixel ultrawide, plus a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies.

Our full review should be up any time soon. In the meantime, if you were holding out for a price cut before making up your mind, 17,999 Philippine pesos ($304) is already a pretty convincing figure.

HONOR X9d 5G specs

• 6.79-inch AMOLED screen, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 6,000 nits brightness
• 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor
• Adreno 810 GPU
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• Dual 108-megapixel main, 5-megapixel ultrawide rear cameras
• 16-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 8,300mAh silicon-carbon battery
• MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15
• Shock-absorbing middle frame + IP69K rating
• Colors: Reddish Brown, Midnight Black, Sunrise Gold, Forest Green

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