 |
| The Honor X70 Refresh Edition (pictured) has the same design as the Honor X70. |
Just when we thought smartphone brands couldn’t get any more creative with their mid-cycle refreshes, Honor has stepped up to prove us wrong. A few weeks after Xiaomi launched a special edition of the Redmi Note 15 5G, many expected Honor to counter with something meaningful – a bigger battery, a new camera sensor, or maybe a faster chip. Instead, the company quietly unveiled the Honor X70 Refresh Edition. And if you already thought the Google Pixel 10a (available on Amazon for $499) was a pointless exercise in minimal upgrades, well… the Honor X70 Refresh Edition takes the cake.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a sequel, a Pro model, or even a meaningful spec bump. The Honor X70 Refresh Edition has almost the exact same specifications as the original Honor X70 that launched last July. The only real difference? Software.
Same Phone, New Android Version
The original Honor X70 shipped with MagicOS 9 based on Android 15. The new Refresh Edition, however, comes preloaded with MagicOS 10 based on Android 16 – an update that is already available (or will be very soon) as a free over-the-air update for the original X70. So in essence, Honor is asking you to pay for a software patch wrapped in a fresh coat of paint.
Speaking of paint, the Refresh Edition does add one other tiny novelty: a new Sunrise Gold color option. It joins the existing four colors from the original lineup. That’s it. No larger battery, no upgraded camera sensor, no hidden surprises.
Same Specs, Same Everything Else
If you were hoping for any hardware changes, you’ll be disappointed. The Honor X70 Refresh Edition retains the same 6.79-inch AMOLED display with a sharp 2640 x 1200 resolution, a buttery 120Hz refresh rate, and an eye-searing 6,000 nits peak brightness. The bezels measure just 1.3mm, which is still impressively slim.
Under the hood, it’s still the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset, paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The camera setup is untouched: a 50MP f/1.8 main shooter with OIS on the back, and an 8MP f/2.0 front camera for selfies and video calls.
Battery life remains a strong point – an 8,300mAh cell with support for 80W wired fast charging. If you splurge for the top-tier 12GB/512GB configuration, you also get 80W fast wireless charging. Other staples include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, dual SIM, an IR blaster, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Honor has kept the phone’s rugged credentials too: IP66, IP68, and IP69K dust/water resistance ratings, plus a one-click dust and water ejection feature (a neat party trick). There’s also a glove mode and support for touch input even in heavy rain – genuinely useful for outdoor workers or clumsy coffee drinkers.
Pricing and Availability (For Now, Only in China)
The Honor X70 Refresh Edition is available to buy now in China. Pricing is as follows:
- 8GB + 128GB – ¥1,699 (~$247 / €214)
- 8GB + 256GB – ¥1,899 (~$276 / €239)
- 12GB + 256GB – ¥2,099 (~$305 / €265)
- 12GB + 512GB – ¥2,399 (~$349 / €303)
For comparison, the original Honor X70 launched at similar price points. So you’re not paying extra for the “Refresh” label – but you’re also not getting anything extra besides a gold backplate and Android 16 out of the box.
For more official details (in Chinese), you can visit the Honor X70 product page.
The Verdict: A Refresh in Name Only
Look, smartphone refreshes are nothing new. But there’s a difference between a meaningful mid-gen update (better battery, faster charging, improved camera) and… this. The Honor X70 Refresh Edition is essentially the same device you could have bought six months ago, just with a newer Android version pre-installed. It’s the hardware equivalent of hitting “update now” on your settings menu.
If you already own the original Honor X70, there’s zero reason to upgrade. If you’re in the market for a new mid-ranger, the Refresh Edition is fine – but so is the original, which you can probably find at a discount. Either way, don’t expect any surprises. The only thing truly “new” here is the color, and that’s a pretty thin reason to get excited.
Bottom line: Honor pulled a classic “change nothing, call it new” move. The Pixel 10a at least has Google’s software magic going for it. This? This is just Android 16 in a gold dress.
 |
| The Honor X70 Refresh Edition is available in a new Sunrise Gold color. |
 |
| The Honor X70 Refresh Edition is packed with features including a glove mode. |