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Honor X8a: 100MP Camera Test

Ethan Martinez

The evolution of smartphone cameras continues with the release of the Honor X8a, a mid-range device boasting a headline-grabbing 100MP main sensor. As megapixel counts climb and photographic expectations grow, many mobile enthusiasts are eager to find out if the Honor X8a lives up to its promises—especially in real-world performance. With more pixels, the assumption is sharper detail and better low-light capabilities, but can the device truly deliver? This in-depth camera test aims to answer that question.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

The Honor X8a is equipped with a 100MP main camera that impresses in good lighting, delivering sharp and color-accurate images. In lower light, performance dips slightly, although AI processing helps retain detail. The camera app is user-friendly and supports a range of modes, including Pro mode for advanced shooters. While it shines in well-lit environments, it slightly struggles in low-light and high dynamic range scenarios, making it a solid, though not perfect, contender in the mid-range market.

Key Camera Specifications

The 100MP Hype – Does It Translate to Quality?

On paper, a 100-megapixel camera sounds impressive—and in most cases, it is. The Honor X8a indeed produces extremely detailed images when lighting conditions are optimal. In daylight, landscapes captured with the phone deliver vibrant colors, sharp textures, and minimal noise, often rivaling photos taken with more premium devices.

The sensor uses pixel binning, a technique that combines multiple pixels into one to enhance image quality, especially in low-light environments. This means the camera defaults to producing 12.5MP images with better exposure and less noise, although users can manually switch to full-resolution 100MP mode when needed.

Low-Light Performance

Low-light scenarios often reveal a smartphone camera’s limitations. The Honor X8a makes good use of software-driven night mode to enhance visibility in dark environments. However, even with night mode activated, some noise creeps into the image, and sharpness is slightly affected. The highlights and shadows are reasonably balanced, and colors remain fairly accurate. But on closer inspection, textures become soft, and finer details are lost.

Switching to 100MP mode in low light is not recommended. The larger image file size and extended capture time can result in more motion blur and odd software artifacts. Fortunately, the AI system detects this and automatically suggests using standard or night modes instead.

Macro and Ultra-Wide Lens Performance

The secondary 5MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro lenses provide additional functionality but do not match the clarity of the main sensor. The ultra-wide struggles with edge distortion and reduced dynamic range, while the macro lens is serviceable—enough for basic close-up shots but lacking in fine detail due to its limited resolution.

Color Accuracy and Dynamic Range

One of the strengths of the Honor X8a’s main sensor is its color reproduction. Colors generally appear natural with a slight tendency toward warmer tones, which many users find pleasing. Greens and blues are especially well rendered in daylight.

Dynamic range is adequate, particularly with HDR mode enabled. In tricky lighting conditions—such as heavily backlit scenes or high-contrast environments—the camera does a decent job of retaining both highlight and shadow details, although some users may notice minor overexposure on bright surfaces.

Video Recording Capabilities

While the Honor X8a can record videos up to 1080p at 30fps, its lack of 4K support may be seen as a downside. Video quality is good enough for casual use, with decent stabilization and consistent exposure management. Autofocus works fairly well, though it can occasionally “hunt” in low-contrast scenes.

The audio recording is solid for a mid-range device, picking up voices with clarity and minimizing background noise to a certain extent.

User Experience and Camera App Features

The built-in camera interface on the Honor X8a is intuitive and responsive. Users can swipe between shooting modes, and the main modes include:

Honor has added a few touches like AI enhancement, which automatically adjusts the image based on scene recognition (e.g., food, nature, architecture). The shutter lag is minimal, and image processing is fairly quick, although there’s a slight delay when capturing in 100MP mode.

Battery Life and File Management

Shooting with the main camera in high-resolution mode is more demanding on both battery life and storage. A single 100MP photo can take up several megabytes (up to 25MB per image), which may strain devices with limited storage space. That said, Honor provides this as an optional feature rather than the default, giving users the flexibility to use it selectively.

The phone’s 4500mAh battery holds up well during extended photo sessions, draining moderately even while using power-hungry features like Night Mode or HDR. However, users who regularly shoot in 100MP should be mindful of charging needs during long photo walks or events.

Final Verdict

The Honor X8a’s 100MP sensor delivers impressive results—but only under the right conditions. If you often shoot in well-lit environments and care about fine detail, you’ll appreciate the capability this phone offers. For casual shooting or sharing on social media, the default 12.5MP images are more than sufficient and easier to manage.

Shortcomings in low-light performance and secondary lenses are to be expected in this price range, yet Honor has managed to produce a compelling camera experience with excellent on-device software optimization. While not revolutionary, the X8a proves that even budget-conscious phones can carry serious camera hardware—it just takes some know-how to get the most out of it.

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