The recently-launched Honor X9b‘s camera setup is typical of what you get in the price segment. The handset boasts a high-res primary camera, paired with an ultra-wide lens and a macro unit. In our review, we found the camera quality acceptable for the price range. However, to assess how it compares with its rivals, we will evaluate the Honor X9b’s camera performance against one of the most popular smartphones in the segment, the OnePlus Nord 3. Before diving into the results, let’s take a quick glance at the camera specs of the Honor X9b (review) and OnePlus Nord 3 (review).
| Honor X9b | OnePlus Nord 3 |
| 108MP primary sensor | 50MP primary sensor |
| 5MP ultra-wide lens | 8MP ultra-wide lens |
| 2MP macro lens | 2MP macro lens |
| 16MP selfie camera | 16MP selfie camera |
Table of Contents
Daylight
There is no day and night difference in the daylight shots captured by the Honor X9b and the OnePlus Nord 3 from the primary camera. Both smartphones are equally good at capturing images with bright and punchy colours. Having said that, the OnePlus smartphone produces relatively sharper images and a superior dynamic range. The Honor X9b leans towards brighter shots at the expense of affecting the shadows.
Winner: OnePlus Nord 3
Ultra-wide
The 8MP ultra-wide camera on the OnePlus Nord 3 offers a 112-degree field of view (FoV) as opposed to 110-degree on the Honor X9b’s 5MP ultra-wide camera. While the FoV difference is minuscule, there is a stark difference in the performance. Much like the primary camera, Honor captures brighter results with its ultra-wide lens, minimising the graininess that is particularly noticeable on the OnePlus Nord 3. Given that both smartphones struggle with capturing details, I prioritise brighter results over dynamic range in well-lit areas.
Winner: Honor X9b
Macro
The OnePlus Nord 3 captures sharper macro shots as opposed to the Honor X9b. It is evident from the image on the right (above), which looks slightly more detailed than the one on the right. The OnePlus Nord 3 image can also be credited for its vibrant colours.
Winner: OnePlus Nord 3
Portrait
Both smartphones use computational skills to separate the background from the foreground. After analysing the results, there is noticeable warping around the edges of the subject on both smartphones. However, the edge detection on the Honor X9b is marginally better than its counterpart. Nevertheless, if exposure to details and near-accurate skin tones is what you are after, then the OnePlus Nord 3 deserves consideration.
Winner: Tie
Selfie
Whether it is selfies or selfie portraits, the OnePlus Nord 3 is a clear winner even though both smartphones are equipped with a 16MP snapper. The handset exhibits superior facial details and skin tones compared to the Honor X9b. The latter overly brightens the results, making the selfies look unrealistic.
Winner: OnePlus Nord 3
Lowlight
The winner of the lowlight performance depends on your preferences. The OnePlus Nord 3 outputs brighter images that look more appealing than the X9b, but smoothen out the details. Conversely, the Honor smartphone keeps things realistic but it fails to keep the noise level down. The handset also faces challenges in controlling the light flare.
Winner: Tie
Night mode
For the extremely low light shots, you might want to consider the OnePlus Nord 3 owing to its quick processing speed. Even though both smartphones lose out on colour accuracy and details, the OnePlus night mode shots are more likeable and sharp than the Honor X9b.
Winner: OnePlus Nord 3
Verdict
- The OnePlus Nord 3 appears to be a better choice here, but it does have a few weaknesses. While the handset excels in daylight, macro, and night shots, it struggles with edge detection in portrait mode and smoothing out the details in lowlight photography. Additionally, despite the bigger 8MP sensor, the OnePlus smartphone outputs average ultra-wide images.
- The Honor X9b, on the other hand, may be slightly off with its skin tones, colour accuracy, and dynamic range, but it excels in ultra-wide images and portraits with superior edge detection. If these are the things that appeal to you, then the Honor smartphone is worth considering over its rival.
