If you happen to be looking for mid-range phones between PHP 15,000 to PHP 20,000, then the Honor X9a 5G and the OPPO Reno8 T are two of the good choices out there.
The X9a is powered by a Qualcomm chip versus the MediaTek chipset on the Reno8 T, with both devices having a triple set of cameras at the rear.
But with a two-thousand-peso price difference, which phone will give you more bang for your buck?
Let’s find out, shall we?
Table of Contents
Display
Starting with the display, both the X9a and the Reno8 T boast some crisp AMOLED panels.
The X9a looks more premium thanks to its 6.67-inch curved display combined with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Honor says that it has the ‘strongest display yet’ on a smartphone so you wouldn’t have to worry about slapping a compatible screen protector on the X9a.
Its display has a ‘reinforced glass’ that can endure instances like drops, impacts, and even being run over by a car.
The Reno8 T has got some protection too, because its 6.43-inch screen is sandwiched with a Gorilla Glass 5. But it has a lower refresh rate at 90Hz.
Chipset
Underneath the X9a is a 5G-enabled chip, the Snapdragon 695, while the Reno8 T, despite having a newer chip, the Helio G99 only has 4G connectivity.
Going over to nanoreview, the Snapdragon 695 scored a bit higher performance in all fronts as compared to the Helio G99.
Still, both chips are decent enough for your daily operations and entertainment purposes.
Memory and Storage
Both models are configured with 8GB or RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
The Reno8 T has quite the edge in this category having an additional 8GB of extended memory plus an up to 1TB microSD expansion.
Cameras
Like mentioned earlier, both phones have a triple rear camera setup.
The Reno8 T boasts a 100-megapixel main portrait camera as compared to the 64-megapixel on the X9a.
At the front, the Reno8 T, again has a higher megapixel count with a 32-megapixel selfie camera housed in a punch-hole notch on the upper left of the screen.
The X9a has a 16-megapixel selfie lens placed in a punch hole cutout too but it is placed at the center.
Sure, megapixel count does not necessarily equal to better camera quality, but on paper this gives your images much more detail.
Battery and Charging
The X9a packs a slightly bigger battery capacity at 5100 mAh.
It is coupled with 40 watts fast charging.
While the Reno8 T is default to 5000 mAh and has a slower charging rate at 33 watts based on OPPO’s SuperVOOC charging technology.
Connectivity and Other Features
The other similarities between the X9a and Reno8 T are an under-display fingerprint sensor, and an NFC feature.
The Reno8 T despite only having 4G connectivity, has an updated Android 13 out of the box overlayed with ColorOS 13.
The X9a, on the other hand has 5G support but runs on older version Android 12 with MagicUI 6.1 skin.
Well, the OS can be a minor thing because we should expect at least one major upgrade from both brands—considering these are mid-range phones.
The 5G capability—which most of us prefer—definitely makes the X9a a step ahead in this matchup.
Which one should you get?
On paper, the Honor X9a 5G has much more to offer. And at a lower price too!
For only PHP 16,990, it brings a stronger and more durable display, a better chipset with 5G support, and faster charging.
But if you prefer to have a phone that captures good photos with more detail, then the OPPO Reno8 T will not disappoint.
It packs better cameras, a newer Android version, and an option for expandable storage—retailing for only PHP 18,999.
Technical Specifications: Honor X9a 5G vs OPPO Reno8 T
| HONOR X9a 5G | OPPO Reno8 T |
| 6.67-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) 45° Curved AMOLED | 6.43-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED |
| 120Hz refresh rate | 90Hz refresh rate, 409 ppi |
| Reinforced glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 | MediaTek Helio G99 |
| 8GB RAM | 8GB RAM LPDDR4X (+8GB extended memory) |
| 256GB storage | 256GB storage UFS2.2 |
| Up to 1TB expansion via microSD | |
| Triple rear cameras:
• 64MP f/1.8 main • 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide/depth • 2MP f/2.4 macro |
Triple rear cameras:
• 100MP f/1.7 main • 2MP f/2.4 depth |
| 16MP f/2.45 front camera | 32MP f/2.4 front camera |
| Dual nano-SIM | Dual nano-SIM |
| 5G, 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G + 5GHz | WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz, 5.1GHz, and 5.8GHz |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| GPS, AGPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo | GPS, BDS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| NFC | NFC |
| Under-display fingerprint sensor | Under-display fingerprint sensor |
| MagicUI 6.1 (Android 12) | ColorOS 13 (Android 13) |
| 5100mAh battery | 5000mAh battery |
| 40W charging rate | 33W charging rate (SuperVOOC) |
| 161.6 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm | 160.8 x 73.84 x 7.8 mm (plastic)
160.8 x 73.84 x 7.85 mm (leather) |
| 175 grams
|
180 grams (plastic)
183 grams (leather) |
| Emerald Green, Titanium Silver, Midnight Black | Midnight Black, Sunset Orange |
| PHP 16,990 | 8GB + 256GB | PHP 18,999 | 8GB + 256GB |
…except that the picture of Oppo here is that of the Reno8 T 5G (until edited by author, commented 5-15-2023)