HONOR Philippines recapped the growth of its HONOR X9 smartphone series, citing its impact on the brand’s position in the local mid-range market since its debut in 2023.
The company said the series began with the launch of the HONOR X9a 5G, followed by the HONOR X9b 5G and the HONOR X9c 5G in subsequent years. According to HONOR, each release became part of its annual new year campaign and has since become a recurring launch cycle for the brand in the Philippines.
Why It Matters: The mid-range smartphone segment remains one of the most competitive categories in the Philippine market. HONOR positions the X9 series as a key pillar of its local strategy, using durability-focused messaging and high-visibility stunts to stand out among value-driven consumers.
HONOR Philippines Vice President Stephen Cheng said the brand did not initially expect the first model to gain strong traction.
“When we launched HONOR X9a 5G, we literally had zero expectations. What we had was hope and confidence in our capabilities, and then it exceeded all expectations,” Cheng said. “We did not let the success get into our heads. We just thought it was beginner’s luck, so we leveled up with HONOR X9b 5G.”
Cheng added that the release of the HONOR X9c 5G marked what the company considers its strongest performance for the series so far, based on internal results from 2023 and 2024.
HONOR has consistently highlighted durability as a defining feature of the X9 lineup. The brand noted that its product demonstrations evolved from controlled five-foot drop tests in earlier models to higher-impact stunts in later releases. For the HONOR X9c 5G, the company said it conducted a public drop test involving a helicopter, which it described as an extreme demonstration of the device’s structural strength.
HONOR also pointed to a previous large-scale event involving the HONOR X9c 5G, where it said 264 participants simultaneously dropped their devices. The company stated that the activity earned recognition from Guinness World Records for “The Most People Performing a Mobile Phone Drop Test Simultaneously.” This claim was attributed to the brand, which said the record supported its durability-focused messaging.
Cheng acknowledged that continuing the momentum of the X9 series presents challenges for the brand.
“One can only think about how we can even top the past three generations of HONOR X9 series,” he said. “It has become a challenge at this point, but with the technology and talent we have at HONOR, it is a good challenge.”
HONOR has yet to disclose specific details about the next entry in the X9 lineup, but the company said preparations have been underway for several months.
With the success of previous models setting expectations, the question now is whether HONOR can sustain the momentum of the X9 series in its next release.
