Honor 8X vs Honor 8X Max Specs, Price, and Design Comparison

Huawei sub-brand Honor has just unveiled two new 2018 midrange Android smartphone models that I believe are made to rival the OPPO F9, Huawei Nova 3i, Xiaomi Pocophone F1.

So what's interesting about these yet-to-be released devices?

Well, not only do the Honor 8X and Honor 8X Max look great on the outside but they also have more than decent technical specifications to boot.

Update as of October 10, 2018: Honor 8X has just been officially launched in the Philippines. The model has an official suggested retail price of PHP 12,990.

In terms of design and build, like Huawei Nova 3i, the Honor 8X and 8X Max both have a glass-metal-glass sandwich identity, an all-screen face, and a square with rounded sides form factor.

As for technical specifications, it's a mixed bag. Heck, at first glance, it's hard to say which model is particularly better - overall - in this department. That said, let's take a look at their key features.

Honor 8X Specs

160.4 x 76.6 x 7.8 mm
175 grams
6.5 inches, FullHD+, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 396 ppi, 19.5:9 Aspect Ratio, IPS Display
84.4% Screen-To-Body Ratio
Notch, Rounded Corners
Dual Rear Camera Module:
20 MegaPixels, f/1.8 Aperture, PDAF + 2 MegaPixels Depth Sensor, LED Flash
Front Facing Camera for Selfies: 16 MegaPixels, f/2.0
Full HD 1080p 30fps Front and Back Video Recorder
Back Video Recorder HD 480 fps Slo-Mo
EMUI 8.2
Android 8.1 Oreo Operating System
Octa Core Kirin 710 Processor
Mali-G51 MP4
4GB and 6GB RAM Options
64GB, 128GB, and 256GB ROM Options
Dedicated microSD Card Slot
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2
4G LTE Cat13
USB On-The-Go
Dual nanoSIM, Dual Standby
Fingerprint Scanner at the Back
Facial Recognition
microUSB 2.0 Charging Port
10W Charging Support
Non-Removable 3,750 mAh Li-Po Battery Pack
Metal Mid-Frame, Glass Front and Back
Blue, Red, Black, Pink

Honor 8X Max Specs

177.6 x 86.3 x 8.1 mm
210 grams
7.12 inches, FullHD+, 1080 x 2244 pixels, 350 ppi, 18.7:9 Aspect Ratio, IPS Display
83.4% Screen-To-Body Ratio
Waterdrop Notch, Rounded Corners
Dual Rear Camera Module:
16 MegaPixels, f/2.0 Aperture, PDAF + 2 MegaPixels Depth Sensor, LED Flash
Front Facing Camera for Selfies: 8 MegaPixels, f/2.0
Full HD 1080p 30fps Front and Back Video Recorder
Back Video Recorder HD 480 fps Slo-Mo
EMUI 8.2
Android 8.1 Oreo Operating System
Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Processor
Adreno 509 GPU
4GB and 6GB RAM Options
64GB and 128GB ROM Options
Dedicated microSD Card Slot
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2
4G LTE Cat13
USB On-The-Go
Dual nanoSIM, Dual Standby
Fingerprint Scanner at the Back
Facial Recognition
microUSB 2.0 Charging Port
18W Charging Support
Non-Removable 5,000 mAh Li-Po Battery Pack
Metal Mid-Frame, Glass Front and Back
Blue, Red, Black

Here are the differences between these two midrange models, strictly in terms of the technical specifications detailed above:

Dimensions and Weight: Honor 8X is smaller, slimmer, and lighter than Honor 8X Max.

Screen Size: Honor 8X Max has a large display and smaller notch than the Honor 8X. But the latter's screen is more pixel dense and has slightly smaller bezels.

Dual Rear Camera: Honor 8X is the clear winner as it has a higher resolution primary shooter with wider aperture for better low light performance.

Front Camera: Again, Honor 8X is better because its selfie shooter has a higher megapixel count.

Video Recorder: Suffice it to say, Honor 8X has superior cameras -- even for recording videos.

UI and OS: They're the same in this area.

Processor: It's Kirin 710 for Honor 8X vs Snapdragon 636 for Honor 8X Max. Based on Antutu Benchmark Scores of other handsets powered by these smartphones, Kirin 710 is slightly more powerful. I believe Honor 8X also supports GPU Turbo technology from Huawei, which is great for gamers.

RAM and ROM: Again, they are even.

microSD Card Slot: Both models have a dedicated slot for microSD card. No need to sacrifice Dual SIM Capability to get more storage space.

Connectivity Options: Honor 8X and 8X Max support the same WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE categories and generations.

Privacy and Security: The two phones have a Fingerprint Scanner at the back and Facial Recognition Software integrated in the front-facing camera.

Battery: Honor 8X Max, as its name suggests, is the clear winner in this department. Not only does it has a massive 5,000 mAh battery pack but it also supports faster 18W charging.

Overall, Honor 8X has a more pixel dense display, better front and back cameras, and a slightly more powerful processor. On the other hand, Honor 8X Max has a larger screen with smaller notch and a far bigger battery pack for longer uptime.

Here are the official prices of these models in China:

Honor 8X Prices
4GB + 64GB: CNY 1,399 ($204 USD or PHP 11,050 with current conversion and before taxes)
6GB + 64GB: CNY 1,599 ($234 USD or PHP 12,630)
6GB + 128GB: CNY 1,899 ($277 USD or PHP 15,000)

Honor 8X Max Prices
4GB + 64GB: CNY 1,499 ($219 USD or PHP 11,480)
4GB + 128GB: CNY 1,799 ($263 USD or PHP 14,210)

In China, these two new Android smartphones will be officially released on September 11, 2018 after a pre-order period starting on September 6 until September 10, 2018.

As of writing, I haven't heard any official word from Honor Philippines about the availability of Honor 8X and Honor 8X Max in our country. Nonetheless, I think the company is keen on bringing these models here given the success of their recent offerings. Kindly stay tuned for updates!