Mobile device brand Honor Philippines said the Honor X9 series has become its strongest mid-range smartphone line in the country, driven by consistent sales growth since the release of the Honor X9a 5G in 2023.
The company traced the start of the series’ local momentum to the launch of the Honor X9a 5G, which exceeded internal expectations despite limited forecasts at the time.
“When we launched Honor X9a 5G, we literally had zero expectations,” said Stephen Cheng, VP at Honor Philippines. “What we had was hope and confidence in our capabilities, and then it exceeded all expectations. We did not let the success get into our heads; we just thought it was beginner’s luck.”
The company followed this with the Honor X9b 5G, which Cheng said also performed strongly in the market, prompting further investment in the series.
“Then Honor X9c 5G came and it was our biggest feat yet, outdoing everything we’ve done in 2023 and 2024,” Cheng said.
The X9 Series has gone through durability testing, which the company has used as a consistent product theme. Early demonstrations involved drop tests from around five feet. These later expanded to higher drops, including a 50-foot test. For the Honor X9c 5G, the company conducted a drop test from a helicopter at a much higher altitude.
“One can only think about how we can even top the past three generations of Honor X9 series. We must admit, it has become a challenge at this point, but with the technology and talent we have at Honor, it is indeed a good challenge. I’m very excited for everyone to witness what we have been planning for the past few months,” Cheng said.
The durability campaign also led to a Guinness World Records title after 264 participants dropped their Honor X9c 5G devices at the same time. The record was recognized under “The Most People Performing a Mobile Phone Drop Test Simultaneously.”
The company said the activity was meant to show product reliability in a clear and measurable way, rather than relying on traditional marketing claims. It added that the event helped reinforce its position among Filipino consumers who prioritize device durability and value in the mid-range segment.
With several successful releases behind it, the company has not yet disclosed details about the next model in the series. It said future plans are already in development, following the same approach of gradual improvements rather than major design shifts.
Whether the next X9 model can match or exceed the performance of earlier releases remains to be seen, as competition in the mid-range smartphone market continues to intensify.