Techviews – Honor 7X
Welcome to the second edition of Techviews (know more about Techviews here or click on the Techviews in the main menu).
On 7th December 2017, Huawei decided to enter the 18:9 ratio display segment in the smartphone industry with its mid-range smartphone Honor 7X.
Honor 7X has two basic variants, 32GB variant, priced at ₹12,999 and the 64GB variant, priced at ₹15,999.
Specification wise, apart from the internal storage, both devices are identical.
Specification:
- 2.36GHz octa-core Kirin 659 processor
- Mali-T830 GPU
- 5.93 inches Full HD 18:9 display (1080 x 2160 pixels resolution)
- 4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB internal storage (expandable up to 256GB).
- 3340 mAH lithium-polymer battery
- Dual SIM (4G+4G)
- 16MP+2MP rear dual camera setup
- 8MP front facing camera
Apart from the specifications, the phone looks pretty decent and that is why it’s so popular among the youth in that particular price point.
On paper, the phone looks pretty solid and one can understand why people would prefer it over options like Xiaomi Mi A1 or Moto G5S+.
And getting hands-on is almost impossible as it’s an Amazon exclusive and is not available for display and review elsewhere.
But guess who was lucky enough to find a person with the phone and interview her!
So, during the recent Amazon sale, just like any other person, Miss Kadambari Pathania went on the website and decided to get the Honor 7X for herself.
Kadambari is a post-graduate in Zoology and was teaching students the same at Akash Institute before leaving the job and dedicating her free time to pursue her dream of being an artist.
Personally speaking, her art is pretty unusual and always make you think.
You should definitely check it out. I’ll put the link below.
It was again not a well thought out interview and we had a random chat about Honor 7X and her experience with the same.
But still, I will try to divide our chit-chat into a questionary to keep it simple rather than a cluttered mess.
What do you think of Huawei as a Company?
Kadambari: This is my first Huawei device apart from the dongle I used a long time ago, so, I didn’t exactly know what to expect from the company.
What options did you consider before settling down to Honor 7X?
Kadambari: There were quite some phones on sale that day. My final four were Honor 7X, Honor 8, Moto G5S+ and Xiaomi Redmi 4.
But after reviewing the options, cashback and exchange offer, I ordered Honor 7X.
How much did Honor 7X cost you?
Kadambari: The phone cost me ₹9,000 after exchanging it with my Oneplus 2 and 10% cashback on the credit card.
Why exchange Oneplus 2?
Kadambari: Despite being a 2015 flagship killer, it’d have put the current phones to shame.
The camera was really good and Oxygen OS is the best version of Android I have ever used.
The main and the only reason was that Oneplus had no major upcoming plans for the Oneplus 2.
And as I am not a very big fan of rooting a device and messing with the stock ecosystem, I decided that it was time for Oneplus 2 to go.
The phone went for a fairly low price though but I was not expecting much out of it anyway. Resale value is low for smartphones nowadays.
How does it feel using an Honor 7X after being a Oneplus user?
Kadambari: The Honor 7X is really sleek and light compared to Oneplus 2. I’d give it points for the aesthetics. Apart from that, it actually feels like a downgrade.
The camera is subpar, especially the front camera which is horrible.
Even though the phone is fast and smooth cuz of the octa-core Kirin 659 processor and 4GB RAM, I am not a fan of the EMUI skin over the Android and the bloatware which shouldn’t be there in the first place.
The more I use the phone, the more I miss Oxygen OS and its smooth UI and customizations.
Things you like and dislike about the phone?
Kadambari: There is nothing much that can be said about the phone. It ticks all the boxes one needs from its phone but isn’t exceptionally good in one.
Somethings are there which I’d like to talk about.
Battery Life: The battery life is pretty amazing. Once fully charged, the battery easily lasts a day and a half with moderate usage.
Getting that amount of juice from a phone this sleek is actually surprising.
Camera: Cameras are getting better in the mid-range phone but ever compared to those, this camera is simply not up to the mark.
With the help of the 2MP secondary camera, the back camera can actually click some decent portrait mode pictures.
Apart from that, there’s nothing special about it.
As I have already said, the front camera is a really bad.
I am not the photographer kind, neither do I click many pictures, but this camera still managed to bother me.
Fingerprint sensor: The fingerprint sensor is really snappy but the positioning is not at the place where people with small fingers like me can reach easily.
I personally prefer fingerprint sensor at the front for the ease of usage.
Is Honor 7X worth it?
In my opinion, ₹9,000 is ok for this phone.
I’d definitely not have paid ₹15,999 for this.
Maybe Oneplus has spoiled me but I expect a little something extra from a phone if I am paying 16,000 bucks for it.
I might change it during the next new year sale, I think.
Conclusion:
Honor 7X is a phone for the trendy people who like a good looking phone instead of one that actually works well.
Anything over ₹10,000 is a little too much for a phone of this quality.
I’d personally suggest that you get Moto G5S+ if you want a device in that ₹15,000 and below price bracket.
Thank you so much Kadambari for your precious time. The whole conversation was a delight. Thanks for being such a cooperative interviewee.
This will help a lot of people who are going to buy the phone.
You can check Kadambari’s art here.
Or through the following link: https://www.instagram.com/kad.pat/
If you wish to contact me, you will find the links on the right side of the page.
If you have any questions or doubts, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.
Thanks for stopping by.
See you in the next one.