Honor X9d keeps AI in reach of all

Honor has launched the X9d midrange smartphone into a market where prices are under growing pressure, even as expectations for AI features continue to rise. The device arrives at R9,999 as the company argues that AI should not be limited to flagships.

Honor, like many other manufacturers, expects smartphone prices to increase as the industry braces for what some are calling the “smartphone AI tax”. At a media roundtable last week for the South African launch of the X9d, Honor Africa CMO Mark Lei addressed concerns about potential price increases.

“It’s challenging,” he said. “It’s common this year. The cost of memory has increased extremely high for the whole industry. It is one thing no one can forgo, and it is challenging for the whole industry.

“But what we want to do is delay the time of the increase. We want to delay this kind of influence on the real customers. We can’t stop this change, because the whole industry changes because of the price of memory, but we want this moment to come as late as possible. That’s our commitment to our customers.”

The first model in the series, the Honor X9a, launched back in 2023 at R11,999. Its successor, the X9b, saw an increase to R12,999. This was followed by a drop in price for the third model, the X9c, to R10,999. At the X9d launch, Honor Africa CEO Fred Zhou revealed that the new device would be R9,999, the lowest in the series to date.

Contract offers for the X9d start from R449 per month over 36 months, but buyers should still assess the full cost over time. Depending on usage, data and airtime add-ons can push the monthly spend beyond the entry price.

Honor is adding value through launch promotions. Customers who take up an offer before 8 March 2026 can choose a R1,999 launch offer, either the Honor Choice Earbuds Clip or the Honor Choice Airfryer. The company is also offering an Honor Care Service Benefit valued at up to R2,999, which includes 12 months of free accidental damage protection for the Honor X9d, valid until 31 July 2026.

Beyond the hardware value, South Africa’s shifting regulatory landscape may soon provide additional value for the “real customers” Honor says it is prioritising. While the company is working to keep device pricing in check amid an industry-wide smartphone AI tax, new ICASA regulations are set to strengthen consumer protections around mobile data, limiting the automatic forfeiture of paid-for bundles.

From January 2027, the introduction of mandatory rollovers is expected to help entry-level bundles stretch further than before. For a smartphone positioned around long-term durability and affordability, the shift can make the day-to-day experience more practical, particularly for users who rely on smaller bundles. It also means the data needed to use AI-driven features will be less likely to expire before it is used.

Together, the pricing, launch incentives and regulatory shift reinforce Honor’s positioning of the X9d as a practical long-term smartphone rather than a short-term spec race. In a market where AI features are increasingly tied to rising component costs, Honor is betting that durability, value and everyday usability will matter more to most buyers than headline AI performance. That focus sits at the heart of what the brand calls its “unbreakable series”, and it may prove to be the more convincing kind of intelligence for South African consumers.

“If you compare durability and AI, from my side, I think durability is more important than AI when we talk about decision making, about people needing to spend the cash for a smartphone, because durability means whether you can use the phone for one year, two years, three years or four years,” said Lei. “So that’s something directly tied to durability.”

Despite this, the Honor X9d brings a strong set of AI features to the mid-range.

“AI is a very hot topic,” said Honor Africa CEO Fred Zhou. “This trend, from the software part, AI functions will continue going. From our side, AI definitely will be a very important part for the handset. The basic AI functions, like the AI translator, AI editor for photos and Gemini, whether from the cloud or on device, mean the device will have the majority of AI functions, sometimes even better than other brands’ flagships.

“But why we choose another aspect, which is durability for the Honor X9d, it’s a balance. For South African consumers, AI makes life better, more convenient, and improves quality of life, but the durability of the phone also contributes a very important part. It has all the AI functions, but durability, for this particular phone, we think it’s a very important selling point.”

Lei said: “It’s Honor’s belief that AI shouldn’t be only for flagships. It should be for everyone.”

* Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and deputy editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.