[Androidme2018]- Huawei's Honor 7 was the price-performance miracle of 2015, and the follow-up, the Honor 5X, is being sold at an even more attractive price. It's also the company's first phone to officially launch in the US. In our Honor 5X review, we look at what this new competitor has on the likes of the Moto X Play and Huawei GX8, and whether it belies its low price.
Best Chinese smartphones
Honor 7 review
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Release Date and Price
Design and Build Quality
Display
Special Features
Software
Performance
Audio
Camera
Battery
Technical Specifications
Early Verdict
Rating
Good
✓Good battery life
✓Good build quality and feel
✓Cheap
Bad
✕Average camera
Lowest price: Honor 5X
Best price $179.99 Check Offer
Honor 5X release date and price
Honor introduced the 5X at CES in Las Vegas in January. What caused a stir was the device’s pricing – it's being sold for a mere US$199. Similarly equipped smartphones, such as the Motorola Moto X Play or Huawei GX8, cost more than US$300.
The Honor 5X is priced similarly to the Moto G (2014), but promises performance on the level of the Moto X Play.
The Honor 5X is now available to order in the US through Amazon, Newegg and HiHonor.
Honor 5X design and build quality
The Honor 5X impresses from the moment you pick it up. It's visually similar to the Nexus 6P or Huawei Mate 8, but it doesn’t quite feel like a premium flagship. In that respect it's more comparable to the Honor 7; it has the same polished bevelled edges leading into the frame.
All of the Honor 5X's buttons are located on the right side of the frame. / © ANDROIDPIT
The power button and volume rocker are well-placed on the left-hand side of the phone. The Honor 5X weighs less than you'd expect for a 5.5-inch smartphone: 158 g. By comparison, the nearly identically equipped Huawei GX8 weighs 167 g.
The upper and lower edges of the back of the Honor 5X are made of plastic to ensure that the antennas can receive a clear signal. / © ANDROIDPIT
On the left side there are two slots: one is a dual-SIM slot and the other is for microSD cards. The Honor 7 only has one slot, meaning you have to decide whether to use two SIM cards or pair a SIM with a microSD card. The Honor 5X’s arrangement means that it is possible to house two SIM cards and a microSD card in the device simultaneously.
The dual SIM and the memory expansion options can be used in parallel. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X display
The Honor 5X has a 5.5-inch full HD display using IPS technology, which gives it a pixel density of 401 ppi. While there are smartphones with higher resolutions and thus higher pixel densities, they don’t offer any clear advantage over the Honor 5X display.
The 5.5-inch IPS screen is bright and sharp. The viewing angles are also very good. / © ANDROIDPIT
The Full HD display is consistently sharp and viewing angles are good, although the protective film seems to attract fingerprints. This film can be removed, at the expense of scratch protection – the display is not made of Gorilla glass or other reinforced glass.
Look closely and you'll see the protective film around the speaker and the front camera. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X special features
The Honor 5X is a dual-SIM device, has a microSD reader and a fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner, in particular, makes the Honor 5X unique in its price range.
The Honor 5X is the only smartphone in this price range to have fingerprint scanner. / © ANDROIDPIT
The two SIM brackets are different. One holds a nano-SIM, the other takes a micro-SIM. This makes the phone ideal for newcomers, who might not have a nano-SIM. Only one of the two SIM cards can be used for LTE operation, and you can determine which SIM the device should use in the software settings.
Unlike the Honor 7, the Honor 5X can hold two SIM cards and a microSD card. / © ANDROIDPIT
The fingerprint scanner doesn't take long to configure and it unlocks the device quickly and accurately. It is also possible to configure it for other functions in the settings.
Seven actions can be activated, ranging from answering calls or taking a photo to opening the notifications panel or recent apps: just about everything is doable.
The fingerprint sensor can be configured for additional actions in the settings. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X software
Our Honor 5X was running EMUI 3.1, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Honor has already confirmed that an update to Android 6.0 marshmallow will be along shortly.
To find out what to expect from the combination Android 6.0 Marshmallow and EMUI 4.0, take a look at the Software section of our Honor 7 review.
An update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow and EMUI 4.0 is on the way. / © ANDROIDPIT
We have already reported in numerous reviews, such as those of the Huawei P8, Mate S and the Honor 7, on the features that EMUI brings. Nothing has changed from these versions of EMUI to the one found on the Honor 5X.
As is often noted, Huawei and Honor devices do not feature an app drawer; instead, all apps are placed on the home screen. To maintain some order, you can group apps together in folders. If you’re not a fan of this approach, you could always download one of the numerous launchers from the Google Play Store. If you’re interested, you can take a look through our best Android launchers article.
The version of Android on offer here is, thankfully, protected against the Stagefright vulnerability.
No need to fear the Stagefright vulnerability: the Honor 5X is protected. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X performance
The Honor 5X is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615, the same processor used in the Oppo R7 Plus and the Moto X Play. The Huawei G8 was also meant to have the same processor, but Honor’s parent company ultimately decided upon a slightly modified Snapdragon 616. The Honor 5X is unremarkably solid in specs when compared with its competitors.
The performance benchmarks are solid if not overwhelming. / © ANDROIDPIT
But the Honor 5X does have one key advantage: it is at least US$80 cheaper than the other phones mentioned above.
The Honor 5X ranked alongside the Lenovo A7000 in both the above tests. / © ANDROIDPIT
In everyday life, the smartphone behaves inconspicuously. This is meant positively, in as much as it does not suffer from the annoying stuttering and lag that is common on other devices. Apps, especially games, were quick to load.
In our graphics-intensive test using Base Mark X 1.1, the Honor 5X delivers in the medium quality and... / © ANDROIDPIT
...scores acceptably well in the high-quality settings. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X audio
The Honor 5X audio is good during calls, even in very noisy environments. The voice quality is clear and understandable, and we got no complaints from the other end of the line when we conducted some test calls.
Those aren't stereo speakers. Only the holes on the left are used for audio. / © ANDROIDPIT
If you want to use the Honor 5X for music, games or videos, you might find the audio a little lacking. It only has a mono speaker, which, despite being sufficiently loud, is placed unfavorably at the bottom of the smartphone's frame, meaning that it'll often be covered by your hand, especially when holding the device in landscape orientation.
Honor 5X camera
The main camera is similar to those of other Huawei smartphones. Both the GX8 and the Honor 5X pack a 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front-facing camera. But, unlike the Huawei GX8, the Honor 5X has neither a dual LED flash nor optical image stabilization.
The main camera of Honor 5X shoot photos up to 13 MP. Pity there's no optical image stabilization. / © ANDROIDPIT
The camera app bears the typical hallmarks of an EMUI app designed for the Asian market; in selfie mode, there is a slider to soften out wrinkles, for example. Otherwise, the app and all recording modes are identical to those of the Honor 7.
With good lighting, the main camera captures strong 13 MP images. / © ANDROIDPIT
The image quality of the Honor 5X is highly dependent on the lighting conditions. As long as the light is good, both cameras capture good quality images with natural color reproduction. But in low light, noise increases sharply in the image.
In artificial and low-light image noise picks up quickly, as seen on the green of our table football pitch. / © ANDROIDPIT
The quality of photos is fine for sharing on social network sites. If you’re serious about your smartphone photography, however, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
All our Honor 5X test images in full resolution
Honor 5X battery
The Honor 5X carries a fairly average 3,000-mAh battery. In our AnTuTu test, it achieved a similar score to the Huawei GX8.
The AnTuTu test shows the Honor 5X to have nearly identical battery life to the Huawei GX8. / © ANDROIDPIT
The same picture is also reflected in the everyday use. With moderate use (frequent WhatsApping and emails, 30 minutes of phone calls, 30 minutes watching videos and playing games) the Honor 5X lasts a good day and a half.
If you reduce your use a little, you can easily squeeze two days out of it.
Honor 5X technical specifications
Dimensions:151.3 x 76.3 x 8.2 mm
Weight:158 g
Battery size:3000 mAh
Screen size:5.5 in
Display technology:LCD
Screen:1920 x 1080 pixels (401 ppi)
Front camera:5 megapixels
Rear camera:13 megapixels
Flashlight:LED
Android version:5.1.1 - Lollipop
User interface:Emotion UI
RAM:2 GB
Internal storage:16 GB
Removable storage:microSD
Chipset:Qualcomm Snapdragon 616
Number of cores:8
Max. clock speed:1.5 GHz
Connectivity:HSPA, LTE, Dual-SIM , Bluetooth 4.1
Early Verdict
The Honor 5X is an attractive smartphone with sturdy performance for its price range, a hearty battery life and agreeable camera performance. Specs-wise, there’s little to set it apart from its competitors, but when you consider it’s price, it has a clear advantage.
The Moto X Play costs around US$350, as does the Huawei GX8, and the Oppo R7 Plus sits at over US$400. At US$199, the Honor 5X is an absolute bargain and, therefore, sees four stars pinned to its chest at the end of its AndroidPIT review.
Honor 5X
To device database
Thank You Very Much - Androidme2018
Best Chinese smartphones
Honor 7 review
Jump directly to:
Release Date and Price
Design and Build Quality
Display
Special Features
Software
Performance
Audio
Camera
Battery
Technical Specifications
Early Verdict
Rating
Good
✓Good battery life
✓Good build quality and feel
✓Cheap
Bad
✕Average camera
Lowest price: Honor 5X
Best price $179.99 Check Offer
Honor 5X release date and price
Honor introduced the 5X at CES in Las Vegas in January. What caused a stir was the device’s pricing – it's being sold for a mere US$199. Similarly equipped smartphones, such as the Motorola Moto X Play or Huawei GX8, cost more than US$300.
The Honor 5X is priced similarly to the Moto G (2014), but promises performance on the level of the Moto X Play.
The Honor 5X is now available to order in the US through Amazon, Newegg and HiHonor.
Honor 5X design and build quality
The Honor 5X impresses from the moment you pick it up. It's visually similar to the Nexus 6P or Huawei Mate 8, but it doesn’t quite feel like a premium flagship. In that respect it's more comparable to the Honor 7; it has the same polished bevelled edges leading into the frame.
All of the Honor 5X's buttons are located on the right side of the frame. / © ANDROIDPIT
The power button and volume rocker are well-placed on the left-hand side of the phone. The Honor 5X weighs less than you'd expect for a 5.5-inch smartphone: 158 g. By comparison, the nearly identically equipped Huawei GX8 weighs 167 g.
The upper and lower edges of the back of the Honor 5X are made of plastic to ensure that the antennas can receive a clear signal. / © ANDROIDPIT
On the left side there are two slots: one is a dual-SIM slot and the other is for microSD cards. The Honor 7 only has one slot, meaning you have to decide whether to use two SIM cards or pair a SIM with a microSD card. The Honor 5X’s arrangement means that it is possible to house two SIM cards and a microSD card in the device simultaneously.
The dual SIM and the memory expansion options can be used in parallel. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X display
The Honor 5X has a 5.5-inch full HD display using IPS technology, which gives it a pixel density of 401 ppi. While there are smartphones with higher resolutions and thus higher pixel densities, they don’t offer any clear advantage over the Honor 5X display.
The 5.5-inch IPS screen is bright and sharp. The viewing angles are also very good. / © ANDROIDPIT
The Full HD display is consistently sharp and viewing angles are good, although the protective film seems to attract fingerprints. This film can be removed, at the expense of scratch protection – the display is not made of Gorilla glass or other reinforced glass.
Look closely and you'll see the protective film around the speaker and the front camera. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X special features
The Honor 5X is a dual-SIM device, has a microSD reader and a fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner, in particular, makes the Honor 5X unique in its price range.
The Honor 5X is the only smartphone in this price range to have fingerprint scanner. / © ANDROIDPIT
The two SIM brackets are different. One holds a nano-SIM, the other takes a micro-SIM. This makes the phone ideal for newcomers, who might not have a nano-SIM. Only one of the two SIM cards can be used for LTE operation, and you can determine which SIM the device should use in the software settings.
Unlike the Honor 7, the Honor 5X can hold two SIM cards and a microSD card. / © ANDROIDPIT
The fingerprint scanner doesn't take long to configure and it unlocks the device quickly and accurately. It is also possible to configure it for other functions in the settings.
Seven actions can be activated, ranging from answering calls or taking a photo to opening the notifications panel or recent apps: just about everything is doable.
The fingerprint sensor can be configured for additional actions in the settings. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X software
Our Honor 5X was running EMUI 3.1, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Honor has already confirmed that an update to Android 6.0 marshmallow will be along shortly.
To find out what to expect from the combination Android 6.0 Marshmallow and EMUI 4.0, take a look at the Software section of our Honor 7 review.
An update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow and EMUI 4.0 is on the way. / © ANDROIDPIT
We have already reported in numerous reviews, such as those of the Huawei P8, Mate S and the Honor 7, on the features that EMUI brings. Nothing has changed from these versions of EMUI to the one found on the Honor 5X.
As is often noted, Huawei and Honor devices do not feature an app drawer; instead, all apps are placed on the home screen. To maintain some order, you can group apps together in folders. If you’re not a fan of this approach, you could always download one of the numerous launchers from the Google Play Store. If you’re interested, you can take a look through our best Android launchers article.
The version of Android on offer here is, thankfully, protected against the Stagefright vulnerability.
No need to fear the Stagefright vulnerability: the Honor 5X is protected. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X performance
The Honor 5X is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615, the same processor used in the Oppo R7 Plus and the Moto X Play. The Huawei G8 was also meant to have the same processor, but Honor’s parent company ultimately decided upon a slightly modified Snapdragon 616. The Honor 5X is unremarkably solid in specs when compared with its competitors.
The performance benchmarks are solid if not overwhelming. / © ANDROIDPIT
But the Honor 5X does have one key advantage: it is at least US$80 cheaper than the other phones mentioned above.
The Honor 5X ranked alongside the Lenovo A7000 in both the above tests. / © ANDROIDPIT
In everyday life, the smartphone behaves inconspicuously. This is meant positively, in as much as it does not suffer from the annoying stuttering and lag that is common on other devices. Apps, especially games, were quick to load.
In our graphics-intensive test using Base Mark X 1.1, the Honor 5X delivers in the medium quality and... / © ANDROIDPIT
...scores acceptably well in the high-quality settings. / © ANDROIDPIT
Honor 5X audio
The Honor 5X audio is good during calls, even in very noisy environments. The voice quality is clear and understandable, and we got no complaints from the other end of the line when we conducted some test calls.
Those aren't stereo speakers. Only the holes on the left are used for audio. / © ANDROIDPIT
If you want to use the Honor 5X for music, games or videos, you might find the audio a little lacking. It only has a mono speaker, which, despite being sufficiently loud, is placed unfavorably at the bottom of the smartphone's frame, meaning that it'll often be covered by your hand, especially when holding the device in landscape orientation.
Honor 5X camera
The main camera is similar to those of other Huawei smartphones. Both the GX8 and the Honor 5X pack a 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front-facing camera. But, unlike the Huawei GX8, the Honor 5X has neither a dual LED flash nor optical image stabilization.
The main camera of Honor 5X shoot photos up to 13 MP. Pity there's no optical image stabilization. / © ANDROIDPIT
The camera app bears the typical hallmarks of an EMUI app designed for the Asian market; in selfie mode, there is a slider to soften out wrinkles, for example. Otherwise, the app and all recording modes are identical to those of the Honor 7.
With good lighting, the main camera captures strong 13 MP images. / © ANDROIDPIT
The image quality of the Honor 5X is highly dependent on the lighting conditions. As long as the light is good, both cameras capture good quality images with natural color reproduction. But in low light, noise increases sharply in the image.
In artificial and low-light image noise picks up quickly, as seen on the green of our table football pitch. / © ANDROIDPIT
The quality of photos is fine for sharing on social network sites. If you’re serious about your smartphone photography, however, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
All our Honor 5X test images in full resolution
Honor 5X battery
The Honor 5X carries a fairly average 3,000-mAh battery. In our AnTuTu test, it achieved a similar score to the Huawei GX8.
The AnTuTu test shows the Honor 5X to have nearly identical battery life to the Huawei GX8. / © ANDROIDPIT
The same picture is also reflected in the everyday use. With moderate use (frequent WhatsApping and emails, 30 minutes of phone calls, 30 minutes watching videos and playing games) the Honor 5X lasts a good day and a half.
If you reduce your use a little, you can easily squeeze two days out of it.
Honor 5X technical specifications
Dimensions:151.3 x 76.3 x 8.2 mm
Weight:158 g
Battery size:3000 mAh
Screen size:5.5 in
Display technology:LCD
Screen:1920 x 1080 pixels (401 ppi)
Front camera:5 megapixels
Rear camera:13 megapixels
Flashlight:LED
Android version:5.1.1 - Lollipop
User interface:Emotion UI
RAM:2 GB
Internal storage:16 GB
Removable storage:microSD
Chipset:Qualcomm Snapdragon 616
Number of cores:8
Max. clock speed:1.5 GHz
Connectivity:HSPA, LTE, Dual-SIM , Bluetooth 4.1
Early Verdict
The Honor 5X is an attractive smartphone with sturdy performance for its price range, a hearty battery life and agreeable camera performance. Specs-wise, there’s little to set it apart from its competitors, but when you consider it’s price, it has a clear advantage.
The Moto X Play costs around US$350, as does the Huawei GX8, and the Oppo R7 Plus sits at over US$400. At US$199, the Honor 5X is an absolute bargain and, therefore, sees four stars pinned to its chest at the end of its AndroidPIT review.
Honor 5X
To device database
Thank You Very Much - Androidme2018
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