Honor X8a Cyan Lake 128GB

The 100MP main camera is the headline grabber, but the Helio G88 processor is a real letdown, scoring in the 31st percentile for performance. You get a smooth 90Hz display and generous 8GB of RAM, but the lack of 5G and just average battery life make this a tough sell at $224. It's a spec-sheet warrior that stumbles in daily use.

The Helio G88 is an older 8-core chip, and it shows. Our benchmarks place it in the 31st percentile for performance, which is disappointing. You'll get through social media and web browsing without too much trouble, helped by that 90Hz display, but don't expect snappy app load times or smooth gaming. The 8GB of RAM is a nice touch for multitasking, but it's like putting good tires on a car with a weak engine. The 4500mAh battery hits the 67th percentile, which is solid but not spectacular. You'll get through a day, but the 23W charging isn't fast enough to bail you out in a hurry.

Stacked against the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, the Honor's camera resolution wins on paper, but Google's software processing will almost certainly produce better real-world shots. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max are in a different league for performance and connectivity, though they cost significantly more. The OnePlus 13 is also a far stronger performer, with a chip that leaves the Helio G88 in the dust. If you can stretch your budget, even a last-gen Pixel will feel like a massive upgrade in speed and camera reliability.

At $224, the Honor X8a is fighting in a tough arena. You're getting a lot of RAM and storage for the money, plus that high-res camera sensor. But the weak processor and lack of 5G make it feel less like a deal and more like a compromise. The 23W charging is also a letdown when competitors are pushing faster speeds. You're paying for the spec sheet highlights, but the day-to-day experience doesn't always back them up.

The Honor X8a is a budget phone that bets big on its 100MP main camera and a smooth 90Hz display, but the numbers tell a more complicated story. In our database, its overall score lands at 28.7 out of 100, which puts it near the bottom of the pack for unlocked phones. The 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage look decent on paper, but the MediaTek Helio G88 processor drags things down, scoring in the 31st percentile for performance. That means everyday scrolling is fine, but anything heavier will feel sluggish.

Anyone who values snappy performance or future-proof connectivity should skip this one. The 31st percentile performance score means it'll feel slow out of the box, and that will only get worse over time. If you take a lot of photos, the 59th percentile camera score suggests you won't be happy with the results, despite the 100MP label. And with a build quality score in the 47th percentile, it doesn't feel as premium as the spec sheet implies.

The Honor X8a is a phone of extremes. The 100MP camera and 8GB of RAM look great on a spec sheet, but the sluggish processor and mediocre build quality make it hard to recommend. Unless you absolutely need that 100MP sensor and can't spend a dollar more, there are better options out there. It's a classic case of a phone that looks better on a store page than it feels in your hand.