Honor X8A 5G review
The X8A suits someone who texts, calls, and browses on a tight budget and prioritizes battery life and screen size over anything else. Anyone who games, uses heavy apps, or takes photos seriously should save a bit more for a modern Snapdragon 695 phone or similar, where charging and cameras are less of a frustration."
This review is based on Honor’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Honor X8A 5G, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The Honor X8A 5G is a 2023 budget phone that trades performance and camera quality for battery life and a large, 90Hz screen. It's a sensible pick for light daily use—calls, messaging, browsing—but the Helio G88 chipset and dated camera will frustrate anyone expecting more than basic functionality.
Design & Build
The X8A is reassuringly light at 179g and thin at 7.5mm, with a glass front and plastic frame and back. The build feels hollow in hand rather than durable, and the plastic back is a fingerprint magnet, but the proportions are balanced enough that you won't tire of holding it. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor works fast and reliably, avoiding the usual in-display lag. For a budget phone in 2023, this is no-nonsense industrial design—nothing fancy, nothing broken.
Display
The 6.7-inch IPS LCD with 90Hz refresh is the phone's clearest strength. Scrolling through social media and web pages feels noticeably smoother than 60Hz phones, a real-world difference you'll notice every day. The 1080 x 2388 resolution at 391 ppi is adequate; text is legible, though fine details like small icons lack the crispness of modern OLED or higher-res LCDs. Colors are muted—not vibrant—and brightness is decent indoors but dims noticeably in direct sun. For the price, this screen justifies the phone's existence.
Performance
The Helio G88 is a 2021-era midrange chip designed for light work. WhatsApp, email, and casual browsing happen without lag, and everyday apps load smoothly with 6GB or more of RAM. Sustained gaming or heavy multitasking reveals its limits fast: demanding 3D games drop frames, running a dozen apps in background causes noticeable stalls, and switching between power-hungry tasks stalls noticeably. By 2023 standards at this price, it's a known weakness—rivals offer the Snapdragon 695 or better—but it is not a surprise for 170 EUR.
Camera
The 100MP spec is marketing. In daylight, the main camera delivers passable detail and decent color balance, but it lacks the dynamic range and processing finesse of phones even slightly more expensive. Low light is where it falters: images turn grainy and flat, with poor shadow recovery. The 5MP ultrawide is thin and soft, and the 2MP macro is a gimmick. The 16MP selfie is serviceable for video calls and casual snaps but lacks the selfie-tuning of mainstream budget phones. Video is locked to 1080p at 30fps. For Instagram or WhatsApp content, it works; for anything aspirational, it falls short.
Battery & Charging
The 4500 mAh battery lasts a full day with moderate use (browsing, messaging, short video viewing), stretching to 1.5 days if you avoid heavy video streaming. In a pinch, this is reliable. The frustration is charging: 23W is slow by 2023 standards, and rivals at this price now routinely offer 30W and up, meaning you'll spend noticeably longer waiting for a full charge. A full recharge from empty takes around 90 minutes, whereas a faster charger would cut that to under an hour.
Software
Android 12 with Honor's Magic UI 6.1 feels dated by mid-2023. Magic UI is bloated with Honor apps you will not use and aggressive notifications that clog your home screen. It is not broken, but it is cluttered and drains battery faster than stock Android or cleaner skins. Update support is unclear for a budget Honor phone; expect two years of security patches, if you're lucky. Software does not ruin the experience, but it does not elevate it either.
Value & Verdict
At 170 EUR, the X8A is cheap, but cheapness alone is not a virtue. You are paying for battery life, a big screen, and the 90Hz smoothness—all things a heavy user notices daily. You are not paying for gaming performance, camera quality, or fast charging. It is an honest trade-off: this phone does one thing well (lasting a day and scrolling smoothly) and accepts weakness everywhere else. In early 2023, this positioning made sense; by mid-2023 and onward, rivals offer better all-round value for the same outlay.
Verdict
The X8A suits someone who texts, calls, and browses on a tight budget and prioritizes battery life and screen size over anything else. Anyone who games, uses heavy apps, or takes photos seriously should save a bit more for a modern Snapdragon 695 phone or similar, where charging and cameras are less of a frustration."
- 4500 mAh battery and efficient chipset deliver a full day of casual use without strain
- 6.7-inch 90Hz IPS LCD display feels smooth and spacious for the price
- Side-mounted fingerprint sensor is reliable and faster than under-display alternatives at this tier
- Lightweight at 179g and slim at 7.5mm, making it genuinely comfortable to hold and pocket
- Helio G88 is a budget chip that struggles with sustained gaming or heavy multitasking—okay for casual play, rough for demanding apps
- 100MP main camera lacks depth; low-light performance is grainy and dynamic range is soft compared to modern rivals in its price band
- 23W charging is slow by 2023 standards; competitors at this price offer 30W and up, cutting charge time noticeably
Honor X8A 5G Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2023, February 08 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches, 108.7 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio), IPS LCD, 90Hz |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2388 pixels (~391 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Mediatek MT6769H Helio G88 (12 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main camera | 100 MP, f/1.9, (wide), AF 5 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) |
| Selfie camera | 16 MP, f/2.5 |
| Battery | 4500 mAh |
| Charging | SuperCharge |
| Software | Android 12, Magic UI 6.1 |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 74.5 x 7.5 mm (6.41 x 2.93 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 179 g (6.31 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| NFC | Yes (CRT-LX1 only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Honor X8A 5G FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the X8A 5G support 5G?
No. The X8A 5G tops out at GSM / HSPA / LTE, without 5G.
What chipset does the X8A 5G use?
The X8A 5G runs on the Mediatek MT6769H Helio G88 (12 nm).
What display does the X8A 5G have?
A 6.7 inches, 108.7 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio) IPS LCD, 90Hz, 1080 x 2388 pixels (~391 ppi density).
How big is the X8A 5G battery?
The X8A 5G has a 4500 mAh battery. Charging is rated at SuperCharge.
Does the X8A 5G have NFC?
Yes, the X8A 5G has NFC.
Does the X8A 5G support a microSD card?
No, the X8A 5G does not support expandable storage.
Alternatives to consider
If the X8A 5G isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
X7a
X7b 5G (50 MP)
X7b 5G
90 Lite
Galaxy A06
