In a month packed with big-name launches, Honor has quietly revealed its fourth model: the Honor X70i. While siblings like the Honor Power, X60 GT, and GT Pro boast top-tier Snapdragon chips, the X70i takes a different path. It aims to bring solid performance on a tighter budget. Even though it shares the stage with flagship devices, this newcomer stands out by pairing a modest price tag with a handful of notable features.
Right from the start, the Honor X70i feels balanced. It doesn’t try to compete on raw power alone but instead focuses on giving users a smooth daily ride. The phone’s main board houses a Dimensity processor rather than a premium Snapdragon unit, letting Honor keep costs down. Yet, the device still promises crisp visuals on its large panel and dependable battery life.
Underneath its simple exterior, the Honor X70i hides engineering choices that help explain its price point. Honor chose a single rear camera instead of a multi-lens array, and the large battery omits some fast-charge frills seen in pricier models. Despite these cuts, the phone retains essentials like 5G support and an under-display fingerprint sensor.
Sleek Design and Vivid Display
The Honor X70i arrives in a slender frame that measures roughly 161 mm tall, 74.5 mm wide, and just over 7 mm thick. At around 179 g, it feels light and balanced in the hand. Its standout feature is the 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate. This display offers a crisp 2412 × 1080 Full HD+ resolution and covers a wide DCI-P3 color space. On bright days, the screen can climb to 3,500 nits of peak brightness, keeping content clear outdoors.
Honor also packed 10-bit color depth into the X70i, allowing smoother gradients and richer shades for videos and photos. The display edges curve gently. The under-display fingerprint sensor is both fast and accurate. The Honor X70i proves that elegant design and strong visuals don’t have to come with a steep price tag.
More About the Screen
The Honor X70i has a good screen for its price. It uses AMOLED technology, which is known for making colors look vibrant and blacks appear very dark. The screen also has a 120Hz refresh rate. This means the picture updates 120 times every second, making scrolling through websites and animations look much smoother.
The screen can also get very bright, reaching up to 3,500 nits. This high brightness level helps you see the display clearly even when you’re outside in bright sunlight. Additionally, the screen can show a wide range of colors, making photos and videos look more realistic and detailed.
Performance, Battery, and Charging
Under the chassis, the Honor X70i runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 7025 Ultra chipset. This mid-range processor pairs with either 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. Day-to-day tasks like web browsing, social media, and video playback feel smooth and responsive. While it may not match higher-end phones in raw benchmarks, it handles most apps without stutter.
Powering the package is a hefty 6,000 mAh single-cell battery. Honor supports 35 W fast charging via USB-C, which can refill the tank to a usable level in under an hour. Though some rivals push 50 W or even 100 W speeds, the X70i’s setup remains competitive in its class.
Camera and Software Experience
Camera-wise, the Honor X70i keeps things simple with a lone 108 MP main sensor featuring an f/1.75 aperture. This lens captures fine detail in daylight and surprisingly good shots in low light, thanks to pixel-binning that combines data from multiple pixels. For selfies and video calls, an 8 MP front camera with an f/2.0 aperture sits neatly in a small punch-hole on the display.
On the software front, the device runs MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15. Honor’s interface brings handy features like smooth animations, dark-mode scheduling, and an easy-to-navigate settings menu. Connectivity options include 5G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and GPS. The IP65 dust- and water-resistance rating adds peace of mind for everyday spills.
Variants, Pricing, and Market Outlook
The Honor X70i comes in three memory configurations: 8 GB + 256 GB at 1,399 CNY (about $190), 12 GB + 256 GB at 1,699 CNY (around $230), and 12 GB + 512 GB at 1,899 CNY (roughly $260). Buyers can choose from Magnolia Purple, Moon Shadow White, Velvet Black, or Sky Blue finishes. Such options help the phone stand out in a crowded budget segment.
Thinking About the Price and What You Get
For the money it costs, the Honor X70i seems to offer a good balance of features. You get a large, quality screen, a battery that should last a full day of typical use, and a capable main camera for taking good photos in various lighting conditions. While its processor isn’t the most powerful available, it should be fast enough for everyday tasks like social media, watching videos, and browsing the internet to run smoothly.
Even though it’s more affordable than high-end phones, it still includes useful features. It can connect to fast 5G networks, and the under-display fingerprint sensor offers a convenient way to unlock the phone. The added dust and water resistance provides some protection against accidental spills or light rain. Overall, the Honor X70i appears to be a solid option for those seeking a well-rounded phone without a premium price tag.
Interestingly, the Honor X70i is a close cousin of the global Honor 400 Lite, but with tweaks for China. It gains a larger 6,000 mAh battery and a single, high-megapixel rear camera, while the 400 Lite offers dual rear lenses and a slightly smaller battery. Whether Honor will bring the X70i abroad remains uncertain, but this launch shows the brand’s push to cover every price point.
