OPPO A9 2020 vs HONOR 9X - Affordable mid-range photography battle!

HONOR has recently released a camera phone designed to compete with higher-priced devices, the HONOR 9X.

OPPO A9 2020 vs HONOR 9X

At PHP 12,490, HONOR 9X is the direct successor of the well-loved HONOR 8X a year ago. It now has a triple-camera setup versus the dual-cam of its predecessor.

To see if it is as good as advertised, we decided to pit it against the OPPO A9 2020 with a starting price of PHP 13,990 and could go as high as PHP 15,990.

OPPO A9 2020 vs HONOR 9X Camera Specs

Device	OPPO A9 2020	HONOR 9X
Back Camera	48MP f/1.8 w/ PDAF, EIS + 8MP f/2.24 119-degree ultra wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 monochrome + 2MP f/2.4 depth w/ LED flash	48MP f/1.8 Sony IMX582 + 8MP f/2.4 120-degree ultra wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 depth w/ LED flash
Selfie Camera	16MP f/2.0	16MP f/2.2

Let's check the tale of the tape. OPPO A9 2020 has a quad-camera setup. The primary camera is a 48MP f/1.8 shooter paired with an 8MP ultra-wide cam, 2MP monochrome sensor, and a 2MP depth camera.

A9 2020 camera UI

A9 2020 notch selfie cam

On the other hand, HONOR 9X uses a triple-camera setup at the back with a 48MP f/1.8 Sony IMX582, an 8MP f/2.4 120-degree ultra-wide secondary camera, and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. For selfies, you'll find a 16MP f/2.2 snapper in its pop-up camera module.

HONOR 9X cam UI

HONOR 9X pop-up selfie cam

Both devices have their own AI scene detection tech and night mode interpretation.

Based on specs, OPPO A9 2020 has more cameras than the HONOR 9X. But does that mean that it is really better?

Here's our comparison!

Scene 1 - Daylight

In the first image, details are about the same. Both captured plenty of details in daylight. The difference is in the exposure and colors. The 9X shot is brighter and it got the more accurate color. The scene is a bit warm the time I took these photos.

In the next scene, OPPO did a finer job in my opinion. It is still a very close match, but the A9 2020 retained the details in the clouds.

In real life, this scene is warm and 9X got the colors more accurately. Details are about the same.

100 percent crop (A9 2020 left, 9X right)

When cropped, the A9 2020 shot is a bit softer. 9X is sharper with better contrast, but artifacts are present.

Scene 2 - Close-up

The A9 2020 shot is noticeably warmer in this scene. The 9X got more accurate colors. It got the blue-green tint on the subject better. The details on the 9X are not as soft as A9 2020. The 9X shot is just a bit overexposed.

Scene 3 - Portrait mode

Using the portrait mode, A9 2020 got the warmer shot with softer details on my face. HONOR 9X got a more detailed shot with accurate colors.

100 percent crop

Via 100 percent crop, the bokeh on the A9 2020 is creamier. Edge detection on 9X is a bit better in my opinion. A close match.

Scene 4 - Indoor

On this indoor shot, I slightly prefer the 9X shot. Contrast is better and details are a bit sharper. 9X just has slightly truer colors.

Scene 5 - Low light

In low light, both performed just okay. The 9X just got the sharper image. It has less noise as well. The dynamic range is not that good on both images though.

Scene 6 - Night mode 1

With the use of the Night mode, both can take images with sharper details, brighter exposure, and wider dynamic range.

OPPO A9 2020 did a finer job with exposure control while the HONOR 9X got the image with brighter exposure.

Scene 7 - Night mode 2

On the next night scene, the A9 2020 shot looks brighter with slightly sharper details. HONOR 9X delivered the shot with a warmer tone and a wider field of view.

Scene 7 - Low light wide

For the wide cam, 9X doesn't have a Night mode feature. But to our surprise, it even got the image with brighter exposure and wide dynamic range. Exposure control and details are a bit better on the A9 2020 though.

Scene 8 - Selfie daylight

A9 2020's daylight selfie is brighter, but it doesn't mean that it is better. Colors are saturated and exposure is a bit too much. HONOR 9X got the crisper details with truer colors/contrast and a wider field of view.

Scene 9 - Indoor face beauty bokeh

This time, A9 2020 got the image with crisper details. The auto Face beauty is a bit stronger on the A9 2020. The field of view is just wider on the HONOR 9X.

100 percent crop

Bokeh looks unnatural for 9X, but I like its edge detection better.

Scene 10 - Low light selfie

The last scene showed that the A9 2020 got the shot with slightly sharper details and more natural-looking colors. 9X made my face a bit paler. But if you want a selfie cam with a wider field of view, we won't blame you if you will pick the 9X.

Verdict

In some scenarios, OPPO A9 2020 showed why it is the device with a higher PHP 13,990 starting price tag. But, there are scenes where the PHP 12,490 HONOR 9X bested OPPO's pricier offering in exposure, detail, color accuracy, and the field of view.

This photography comparison showed that despite its more affordable price tag, the HONOR 9X can compete with the OPPO A9 2020.

So, depending on your budget, either is a good pick.

See also: HONOR 9X vs Redmi Note 8 Pro - Photography fight, 64MP is better?