Honor does not want to be a supporting player in Brazil, but entry into the country has not yet been confirmed

This Wednesday (24), Honor presented the X8b in Brazil, an entry-level cell phone that promises to attract users through the experience. But there is one detail: This is not the brand’s official debut here, as it still has no plans to start selling in the country or set prices for the local market..

The X8b has good features, such as a resistant 6.7-inch AMOLED screen, 108 MP camera and the Magic Capsule, a solution for the screen that resembles the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. It also has configurations with 8 GB of RAM (with an additional 8 GB of virtual memory) and up to 512 GB of storage, as well as a 4,500 mAh battery and 33 W fast charging.

Revealed in December 2023, the Honor X8b is priced at around US$210, or around R$1,100 in direct conversion. Although there is still no estimate for actually arriving in Brazil, the company reveals that it wants to “arrive with everything”.

The Honor X8b smartphone is not yet officially available in Brazil.

In an interview with TecMundoCaio Parente, public relations manager at Honor in Brazil, says that the company is still in the embryonic phase of launching in Brazilbut reveals high expectations.

“The X line [de smartphones] will not be officially launched in Brazil. At least not at this point,” she said. Regarding the presentation of the device, Parente says that it is to “really feel the perception of the market” and the Brazilian public. “But it is not yet the official arrival and the official device of the brand in the country at the moment.”, he reinforces.

According to Parente, Honor is preparing the ground to launch other smartphone models in Brazil in the future, but with no date set. The expectation, he reveals, is to also bring more advanced cell phones to the country.

“At this moment we have to understand that everything is a learning experience for Honor. The brand has never had any type of operation here in Brazil”, says Bernardo Chianca, marketing manager at Honor.

Honor does not want to be a supporting player in Brazil

According to Parente, there is an expectation of launching the Honor X8b in Brazil as one of the first cell phones. But in this phase of market “study”, he mentions that the company is now making “a formal presentation of devices to precisely understand what Brazilians will want”.

Regarding the company’s still possible arrival in the country, he reinforces that the Chinese company seeks to be attractive to the consumer. Parente states that the study phase “is precisely to have a solid and effective debut and launch”.

During the interview, I asked about other companies that had already arrived in the country and, for marketing reasons, had to leave. This is the case of Xiaomi, which began direct operation in 2015 and, in 2018, announced its exit. The “solid” arrival, he guarantees, is so that the company has a “fixed” space in the Brazilian market.

The Honor 100 line of cell phones features more advanced models than those in the X line.

“So we can be sure that, eventually, if an entry into Brazil is confirmed, the brand is, in fact, one of the first on the market and will not want to be a supporting player. And this involves several points — not just structure, but the brand’s efforts in the country as well. All of this takes time. All this study we are doing is to find this best path”, says Bernardo.

The executives mention that they are studying an official and direct launch of Honor in Brazil, but do not highlight partnerships with distributors and telephone operators. “We do not have a defined arrival of the brand, the official launch in Brazil, nor the devices that will be presented at this time. But the brand’s intention is to arrive with an official launch, bringing Honor to Brazil”, says Parente.

Regarding the details of this arrival, the company guarantees that local production is a possibility, which must offer guarantees and technical assistance in the country, in addition to local support for consumers, respecting local market laws.

What good does the Honor X8b bring?

In terms of design, the Honor X8b is reminiscent of some recent cell phones. The device has straighter sides and curved corners, is available in green, cyan, gray and black, and has intermediate specifications.

The chipset used is the Snapdragon 680, the same as the Galaxy A05s and Moto G32. There is still MagicOS 7.2, based on Android 13, compatibility with 4G networks and Bluetooth 5.0, but without the presence of NFC.

In cameras, the set has 108 MP on the main sensor, 5 MP (depth and wide angle) and 2 MP for macro photography. On the front, the company is betting on a camera with 50 MP resolution and the cell phone can generally film in Full HD (1080p).