Honor Play 9T
The Honor Play 9T, launched by Honor in 2024, aims to appeal to budget-conscious consumers who want solid features in a reasonably priced smartphone. It combines a mix of modern specifications, reliable performance, and long-lasting battery life in an attractive design, making it a compelling option in its price range. This review provides an in-depth look at its design, performance, camera, battery, and software experience.
Design and Display
The Honor Play 9T features a sleek and minimalist design, with a large 6.77-inch TFT LCD display that dominates the front. The display offers a refresh rate of 120Hz, a feature that is commonly seen in higher-end devices, providing smoother scrolling, better gaming visuals, and an overall more fluid experience. With a resolution that supports vibrant and sharp visuals, the display is quite adequate for everyday browsing, media consumption, and gaming.
The LCD panel, while not as vivid as an AMOLED, has been optimized to reduce color distortion and provides decent brightness levels, making it viewable in most lighting conditions, though direct sunlight might present a challenge. The phone is ergonomically designed, making it comfortable to hold, even with its larger screen size. Honor has managed to keep the design visually appealing, with a glossy finish on the back and subtle color options.
Performance and Software
Under the hood, the Honor Play 9T is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, built on a 4nm process. This is a budget-friendly, energy-efficient chipset that delivers a stable performance for everyday tasks, like browsing, social media, and multitasking. The phone offers either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, along with 128GB or 256GB of storage, which gives users flexibility depending on their needs. These specifications ensure smooth app transitions, quick loading times, and decent multitasking capabilities, even with heavier applications.
While the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 may not handle high-end gaming with ultra graphics, it does provide a satisfactory experience for lighter and medium-level games. It keeps temperatures under control, preventing any uncomfortable heating issues during extended sessions. Magic OS 8, layered over Android 14, delivers a clean and user-friendly experience. This custom interface is designed with efficiency in mind, offering additional features such as enhanced customization, gesture controls, and accessibility improvements over stock Android. Magic OS 8 also brings a range of tools that integrate with Honor’s ecosystem, though it does retain some bloatware, which could be seen as a downside for users looking for a cleaner interface.
Camera Quality
The camera setup on the Honor Play 9T is simple but effective. It features a dual-camera setup with a 50MP main sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. The 50MP primary lens captures decent detail in good lighting conditions, making it suitable for capturing outdoor landscapes, portraits, and daily snapshots. Colors are rendered accurately, and the HDR feature helps maintain balance in high-contrast scenes, although results can be inconsistent in challenging lighting.
In low-light situations, the camera struggles, especially with noise and detail retention, which is common among budget phones. However, Honor includes some AI enhancements that attempt to improve night photography by adjusting the exposure and reducing noise. The 2MP depth sensor supports portrait photography by adding a bokeh effect, though it’s more of a basic implementation that can sometimes struggle with edge detection.
The camera interface is easy to navigate, with modes like Portrait, Night, and Panorama to offer a more flexible shooting experience. Video capabilities, while not groundbreaking, allow for stable recording, but there is a noticeable drop in quality in dim lighting conditions, where footage can become grainy.
Battery Life and Charging
One of the standout features of the Honor Play 9T is its massive 6000mAh battery. Combined with the power efficiency of the 4nm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, this device can easily last a day and a half or even two days on a single charge with moderate use. This longevity makes it a reliable choice for users who are constantly on the go or don’t have regular access to charging.
The phone supports 35W fast charging, which, while not the fastest on the market, is effective enough to juice up the large battery in a reasonable timeframe. With the 35W charger, the battery can be brought to about 50% in just over 30 minutes, which is adequate for users who need a quick top-up during the day. Given the battery size and the energy efficiency of the chipset, the device’s standby time is also impressive.
Software and User Experience
The Honor Play 9T comes with Android 14 out of the box, paired with Magic OS 8, Honor’s custom UI. Magic OS 8 is designed to deliver a seamless and intuitive experience, providing options for customization that allow users to tailor the interface to their preferences. The OS also introduces some productivity-focused features, such as split-screen mode and app clones, which are particularly useful for multitasking.
While Magic OS 8 is largely smooth and user-friendly, it does have some pre-installed apps that may not appeal to all users. However, these can be uninstalled or ignored. Overall, the software runs efficiently, and Honor has worked on refining Magic OS 8’s performance to minimize lags and glitches. Honor has also promised regular security updates, though long-term OS updates may be limited given its price range.
Verdict
The Honor Play 9T is a well-rounded budget smartphone that offers a generous battery capacity, a smooth display, and decent camera capabilities for its class. It stands out for its 6000mAh battery, ensuring extended usage without frequent charging, and its 120Hz display adds to a smooth user experience, particularly for casual browsing and media viewing. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset is more than adequate for daily tasks and light gaming, though it’s not designed for high-end performance needs.
Its minimalist, contemporary design, combined with Honor’s Magic OS 8, delivers a smooth user experience that should satisfy most users in the affordable segment. Although it lacks premium features like an AMOLED display or high-end camera capabilities, the Honor Play 9T strikes a good balance between performance, battery life, and value. For users looking for a budget-friendly smartphone that handles essential tasks with ease, the Honor Play 9T is a viable option. It’s tailored to those who prioritize battery life and a large display, and it competently meets the needs of everyday mobile users.
Specifications
General
| Announced | September, 2024 |
| Released | September, 2024 |
| Status | Available |
| Model | ALT-AN00 |
| Price | 140 USD |
Design
| Build | Glass front, plastic frame, glass back |
| Dimensions | 166.9 x 76.8 x 8.1 mm |
| Weight | 197 g or 199 g |
| Protection | IP64, dust and water resistant |
| Colors | Black, White, Green |
Network
| 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G Network | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G Network | 1, 3, 5, 8, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 |
| 5G Network | 1, 5, 8, 28, 41, 78 SA/NSA |
| SIM SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is a small card that contains mobile network subscriber's account information. This allows the phone using the card to attach to a mobile network. The SIM card is most commonly associated with GSM and UMTS mobile networks. Moving a SIM card from one phone to another allows a subscriber to switch mobile phones without having to contact their mobile network carrier. SIM cards can also be used by a phone to store limited amounts of data, such as phone numbers and text messages. | Dual (Nano SIM) |
Display
| Display Type Display Technology => A number of display technologies and types used in mobile phones => TFT (Thin Film Transistor), IPS (In-Place Switching), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode), Super AMOLED (an even advanced version of AMOLED), Resistive Touchscreen (Resistive touchscreens contain two layer of conductive material with a very small gap between them which acts as a resistance), Capacitive Touchsceen (Capacitive touchscreen technology consists of a layer of glass coated with a transparent conductor) | TFT LCD, 120Hz |
| Size | 6.77 inches, 86% screen-to-body ratio |
| Resolution | 720 x 1610 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio |
| Touch Screen | Yes, Multitouch |
| Display Protection Display Protection => Gorilla Glass is a special alkali-aluminosilicate glass shield with exceptional damage resistance that helps protect mobile displays from scratches, drops, and bumps of everyday use, It is always better to go for a smartphone with Gorilla Glass for that added protection and peace of mind. | N/A |
Media
| Audio Playback | Yes, MP3, WAV |
| Video Playback | |
| FM Radio | |
| Alert Types | Vibration, ringtones |
| Ring Tones | 64, MP3, WAV |
| Loudspeaker | Yes (stereo speakers) |
Camera
| Primary Camera is able to capture photographs and usually videos, The most important characteristics of a camera are the resolution (measured in megapixels), lens focus type (fixed or automatic), higher megapixel cameras are known to capture higher quality photos, but not always a good measurement of the photos quality. | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| Camera Features | HDR, panorama |
| LED Flash Flash Light => There is commonly two types of flash lights are used in camera mobile phones, LED Flash (LED flash offers lower power consumption with drive circuitry that takes up very little room, LEDs can be strobed faster than any other light source), Xenon Flash (xenon flash produces an extremely intense full-spectrum white light for a very short duration) | |
| Secondary | 5 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1080p@30fps |
Software
| Operating System OS => Every computer system run on a base software called Operating System (OS). Operating System controls all basic operations of the computer (such as smartphone, PDAs, tablet computers and other handheld devices). The Operating System allows the user to install and run third party applications (apps), apps are used to add new functionality to the device. | Android 14 |
| User Interface UI or user interface of a device is the look and feel of the on-screen menu system. How it works, its color scheme, how it responds to button presses, all of these things are part of the user interface. | Magic OS 8 |
| Java Support Java for Mobile Devices is a set of technologies that let developers deliver applications and services to all types of mobile handsets, ranging from price efficient feature-phones to the latest smartphones. Java is currently running on over 3 billion phones worldwide, and growing. It offers unrivaled potential for the distribution and monetization of mobile applications. | Yes, via Java MIDP emulator |
| Facebook Facebook is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. The site is available in 37 different languages. | |
| Youtube Youtube is a popular free video-sharing website, Youtube is the largest video sharing site in the world, Millions of users around the world have created accounts on the site that allow them to upload videos that anyone can watch. |
Hardware
| Chipset Chipset is a group of integrated circuits designed to perform one or a more dedicated functions, often with real time computing constraints, Popular smartphones are equipped with more advanced embedded chipsets that can do many different tasks depending on their programming. | Qualcomm SM4450 Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 (4nm) |
| CPU CPU (Central Processing Unit) mostly known as processors, CPU processes instructions in order to carry out certain functions that make your device operate properly. Processors are often described as the brain of computers, smartphones and tablets, Smartphones and tablets rely on processors to carry out their every task, Processors are an incredibly important factor in selecting any type of computing device, including your smartphone. | Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is a single-chip processor designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display, This includes things such as lighting effects, object transformations, and 3D motion. | Adreno 613 |
| RAM (Memory) RAM (Random Access Memory) is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes that allows information to be stored and accessed quickly from random locations. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computer systems, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices. | 8 GB, 12 GB |
| Internal Storage Internal Storage is a data storage space (flash memory) mostly used in smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices where operating system, apps, music, photos, videos, files and other user data Is stored. | 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB |
| Storage Type | UFS 3.1 |
| Card Slot Memory Card Slot is a special slot for inserting a memory card. Memory cards allow you to expand the phone's built-in memory, A memory card (sometimes called a flash memory card or a storage card) is a small storage medium used to store data such as text, pictures, audio, and video, for use on small, portable or remote computing devices such as mobile phones, mp3 players, digital cameras. | |
| Sensors Sensors are electronic components that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure and location, The output is generally a signal that is converted to use in computing systems, a location sensor, such as a GPS receiver is able to detect current location of your electronic device. | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity (ultrasound), compass |
Connectivity
| Bluetooth Bluetooth is a wireless communications technology for exchanging data between mobile phones, headsets, computers and other network devices over short distances without wires, Bluetooth technology was primarily designed to support simple wireless networking of personal consumer devices. | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared Infrared connectivity is an old wireless technology used to connect two electronic devices. It uses a beam of infrared light to transmit information and so requires direct line of sight and operates only at close range. | |
| Wi-fi Wi-Fi is a popular wireless networking technology using radio waves to provide high-speed network connections that allows devices to communicate without cords or cables, Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming the preferred mode of internet connectivity all over the world. | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Wi-fi Hotspot | |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| GPS GPS The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based radio navigation system, GPS permits users to determine their position, velocity and the time 24 hours a day, in all weather, anywhere in the world, In order to locate your position, your device or GPS receiver must have a clear view of the sky. | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC NFC (Near field communication) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish peer-to-peer radio communications with each other by touching them together or bringing them into proximity, usually no more than a few inches. | |
| Wireless Charging Wireless Charging (Inductive Charging) uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device, which can then use that energy to charge batteries or run the device. | No |
Messaging
| SMS SMS (Short Messaging Service) is a text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages over the networks. | Yes (threaded view) |
| MMS MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content (audio clips, video clips and images) to and from mobile phones over wireless networks using the WAP protocol. | |
| Email Email (Electronic Mail) is a system for receiving, sending, and storing electronic messages, Similar to a letter, email is text messages that may contain files, images, or other attachments sent via the internet to a recipient by using applications and software prograps. An email address is required to receive email, and that address is unique to the user. | Yes |
| IM IM (Instant Messaging) is an exchange of text messages through a software application, it enable you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual in order to communicate in real time over the Internet. | Yes |
Battery
| Battery Type Battery Type => Cell phones run on various kinds of batteries depending on the manufacturer, phone size or shape and features. There are basically four types of cell phone batteries => Lithium Polymer, Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride and Nickel Cadmium. | Li-Poly (Lithium Polymer) |
| Capacity Battery Capacity is a measure (typically in Amp-hr) of the charge stored by the battery, and is determined by the mass of active material contained in the battery. The battery capacity represents the maximum amount of energy that can be extracted from the battery under certain conditions. | 6000 mAh |
| Placement | Non-removable |
Benchmarks
| Antutu | 4,27,552 (v10) |
| Geekbench |
Single core: 929 Multi core: 2241 |
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