HONOR X70 Puts Durability and Battery First, But There's More to This

The new HONOR X70 has officially launched in China – 4 months after the X70i-, and while phones are starting to look more and more alike, this one doesn’t quite play by the usual rules. It’s not trying to be the thinnest, flashiest, or even the most camera-obsessed phone of the year. Instead, HONOR has bet big—literally—on battery, durability, and long-term usability. And weirdly, it works. Let’s start with what everyone’s talking about: the 8300mAh third-generation silicon-carbon battery. That’s a massive number. For context, most modern flagships hover around 4500–5000mAh. This one? It crosses into tablet territory, yet somehow still keeps the phone’s weight under 200 grams and the thickness below 8mm. That’s not just unusual—it’s borderline absurd.

There’s also 80W wired charging and, for the top-end 512GB model, 80W wireless charging—a first for this class. So yes, not only does it hold more juice than most, but it fills up fast too.

A Display Built to Compete

HONOR didn’t cut corners elsewhere. The display is a 6.79-inch AMOLED panel with a 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and—this is the showstopper—up to 6000 nits of peak brightness. That number is difficult to test in real-world use, but even at a third of that, outdoor visibility should be outstanding. HONOR claims full DCI-P3 color gamut coverage and ultra-low PWM dimming at 3840Hz for eye comfort, though again, these things don’t always translate perfectly to daily experience. Still, it sounds promising.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 4: Not a Powerhouse, But…

Powering the device is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, a 4nm midrange chip paired with up to 12GB of RAM and as much as 512GB of storage. It’s not a flagship processor, and HONOR clearly isn’t pretending it is. That said, the target here seems to be reliable all-day use rather than pushing graphical limits.

If you’re gaming heavily or editing 4K video on your phone daily (and let’s be honest, how many people are really doing that regularly?), you might hit a ceiling. But for browsing, messaging, video calls, and even casual gaming, it’s more than enough. The efficiency gains from the newer process node might be part of what allows that huge battery to shine.

Built to Survive Almost Anything

The HONOR X70’s durability features are arguably even more unusual than its battery. IP69K certification means it can withstand high-pressure water jets—yes, really—and even boiling water immersion without breaking. That’s on top of more typical IP68 and IP66 ratings, and an entirely new internal “bulletproof vest” structure. There’s also some sort of non-Newtonian fluid cushioning inside for drop resistance. I didn’t expect to write that sentence about a phone today.

The company also touts AI Rainstorm Touch and AI Glove Touch, which sound gimmicky but may come in handy if you live somewhere cold or monsoonal. Will these features actually matter to most users? Probably not every day. But if you’ve ever had a phone freeze up in a downpour or refused to respond while wearing gloves, you might get the appeal.

Camera: Quietly Capable

The HONOR X70 isn’t chasing camera leadership, but it holds its own. The main camera is 50MP with OIS and support for 4K video, while the front camera lands at 8MP. Not revolutionary, not embarrassing—just competent. And that’s fine, especially since the battery and display are taking center stage here.

Colors, Price, and Availability

You can pick one up in Cinnabar Red, Bamboo Green, Moon White, or Midnight Black—HONOR is definitely leaning into poetic names lately. Pricing starts at 1,399 yuan (around $195 USD) for the 8GB+128GB version and climbs to 1,999 yuan (about $278 USD) for the 12GB+512GB variant.

The HONOR X70 will be available in China starting July 18. There’s no word yet on international availability, but if it does launch outside China, expect minor tweaks to software or radio bands.

Is This the Start of the Big Battery Era?

It’s hard not to wonder: are we finally moving past the race for thinness and toward phones that last? The X70 seems to answer that with a resounding “yes,” or at least “why not both?” It’s slim, fast-charging, and huge-batteried—a trifecta that felt impossible not long ago.

Of course, nothing’s perfect. Some users might be put off by the mid-tier processor, or skeptical of the brand’s durability claims. And while the phone sounds nearly indestructible on paper, it would be nice to see some real-world tests before buying into the hype.

But for now, the HONOR X70 feels like a confident swing at something different. And in a sea of sameness, that’s worth noticing.

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.Follow Gizchina.com on Google News for news and updates in the technology sector.