HONOR phones are making a mark in the so-called mid-range smartphones in the local market.  Photograph courtesy of Honor
BUSINESS

New force emerges in tight mobile market

DT

Honor Philippines said its Honor X9 smartphone series has emerged as a dominant player in the country’s mid-range market, citing sustained consumer reception and high-profile durability demonstrations since the line’s introduction in 2023.

The series debuted with the Honor X9a 5G in 2023, followed by the X9b 5G and X9c 5G, which the company said outperformed its predecessors in market impact.

Honor Philippines vice president Stephen Cheng said the company initially launched the Honor X9a 5G with modest expectations, but its reception exceeded projections. The company then released subsequent models that gained wider traction, with the X9c 5G becoming its most successful iteration to date.

A key selling point of the Honor X9 series has been durability, which the company has highlighted through increasingly extreme drop tests.

These demonstrations progressed from five-foot drops in earlier models to a 50-foot drop test, and most recently, a helicopter drop test involving the Honor X9c 5G.

Challenging momentum

Cheng said maintaining momentum for the series has become increasingly challenging as expectations rise, but noted that the company continues to invest in technology and product development.

Honor Philippines also earned a Guinness World Records title after 264 participants simultaneously conducted a mobile phone drop test using the Honor X9c 5G. The company said the record underscored its focus on durability and reinforced consumer trust in the brand.

Honor Philippines positioned the Honor X9 series as a benchmark for durability and innovation in the local smartphone market, as it continues to build on the line’s popularity heading into the new year.