Notebookcheck Logo

Huawei ShotX Smartphone Review

Success owed to a rotatable camera? A very good front-facing camera is still a rare thing. Huawei treats its ShotX to a rotatable camera that shoots both selfies and normal photos.

For the original German review, see here.

We have seen many manufacturers that place special focus on the front-facing camera lately. The sensors on the front are continuously improving, and they sometimes can almost compete with the primary cameras like we recently found in Asus' ZenFone Selfie. Huawei now takes a different approach and integrates a 13 MP camera, which can be rotated along with the flash. We discover a familiar configuration concept implemented in many mid-range handsets otherwise. For example, a 5.2-inch, Full HD, IPS screen, a modern Snapdragon 616 SoC with integrated Adreno 405 GPU, 2 GB of working memory, and 16 GB of RAM. Following the trend, the ShotX also allows using two SIM cards. The ShotX is sold by the subsidiary Honor as "7i" in other countries.

Although the aforesaid Asus ZenFone Selfie is the direct rival, the competition is naturally vast in this sector. In addition to Asus' handset, we opted for Samsung's Galaxy S5 NeoMotorola's Moto X PlayLG's G4sOnePlus' X and BQ's Aquaris M5.5 as comparison devices.

Huawei ShotX
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2 8 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.20 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 9.8 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio jack, Card Reader: micro-SD (max. 32 GB), 1 Fingerprint Reader, Sensors: accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, compass, Hall sensor, G sensor, magnetometer , dual LED (nano SIM)
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0, 2G, 3G HSDPA+(900, 2100 MHz), LTE Cat. 4 (800, 900, 1800, 2600 MHz)
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.8 x 141.6 x 71.2 ( = 0.31 x 5.57 x 2.8 in)
Battery
3100 mAh Lithium-Ion, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 11 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 380 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 400 h
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix Autofokus, Dual-Tone LED-Blitz
Additional features
Speakers: mono, Keyboard: virtual, power supply, USB cable, headset, Google apps, phone manager, EMUI 3.1, 24 Months Warranty,
Weight
156 g ( = 5.5 oz / 0.34 pounds), Power Supply: 56 g ( = 1.98 oz / 0.12 pounds)
Price
349 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The casing of Huawei's ShotX is made of plastic with a subtle pattern above and below the display as well as on the back. However, that is only a visual feature; the surfaces are absolutely sleek and thus quite slippery. Two continuous chrome rims run around the sides, giving our white review sample a stylish look. The ShotX is also available in gold and blue.

The smartphone's most striking feature is, of course, the rotatable camera. It juts out quite a bit on the back, and thus the handset is quite wobbly when placed on a table. The casing's stability is, however, impeccable. We could only twist it marginally using a lot of force, but it did not produce any cracking noises even then. Pressure on the screen or on the back does not distort the image, either. The lateral keys are also fitted precisely, and the build makes an overall very decent impression.

The handset is very compact due to the lack of a front-facing camera and Android software buttons. Solely OnePlus' X, which also has a smaller 5-inch screen, undercuts its length of 141.6 mm in the comparison.

156.5 mm / 6.16 inch 77.2 mm / 3.04 inch 10.8 mm / 0.4252 inch 167 g0.3682 lbs151.8 mm / 5.98 inch 75.5 mm / 2.97 inch 8.35 mm / 0.3287 inch 162 g0.3571 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 75 mm / 2.95 inch 10.9 mm / 0.4291 inch 169 g0.3726 lbs142.7 mm / 5.62 inch 72.6 mm / 2.86 inch 9.9 mm / 0.3898 inch 140 g0.3086 lbs142 mm / 5.59 inch 72.5 mm / 2.85 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs141.6 mm / 5.57 inch 71.2 mm / 2.8 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 156 g0.3439 lbs140 mm / 5.51 inch 69 mm / 2.72 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 138 g0.3042 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 616 is a modern octa-core SoC (64-bit) with an integrated Adreno 405 GPU. 2 GB of working memory supports it in our review sample. The incorporated flash memory has a capacity of 16 GB; only approximately 9.8 GB is available after initial use. It is possible to expand the storage via micro-SD (max. 32 GB). However, apps cannot be moved to the memory card. Instead, the default storage path can be changed to the SD card (requires rebooting), which only functions with photos and videos. Although apps are then still installed on the internal storage, additional data for e.g. games is installed directly onto the SD card. Using a second SIM card together with a storage expansion is not possible.

The micro-USB 2.0 port on the lower edge supports USB OTG for connecting peripherals or storage devices. Since it does not support MHL or Miracast, DLAN or Chromecast in local networks are the only possibility to transmit videos to, for example, a connected TV. The ShotX can only communicate with other mobile devices via Bluetooth 4.0; NFC is not supported. The integrated FM radio can be used in conjunction with a headset.

A highlight of the ShotX is the fingerprint reader. It is situated on the upper left side, which is problematic in everyday use. It can actually only be reached comfortably with a thumb when holding the smartphone in the left hand. It is difficult to hit the reader with the index finger when held in the right hand. Up to five different fingerprints can be saved. Registration takes a relatively long time (scanning the finger about 10x), but the recognition rate is very good and authentication is very fast after that. An erroneous identification is answered with vibration.

Left: fingerprint reader
Left: fingerprint reader
Upper edge: microphone, 3.5 mm audio jack
Upper edge: microphone, 3.5 mm audio jack
Lower edge: microphone, micro-USB 2.0, speaker
Lower edge: microphone, micro-USB 2.0, speaker
Right: nano-SIM, micro-SIM/micro-SD, power button, volume rocker
Right: nano-SIM, micro-SIM/micro-SD, power button, volume rocker

Software

Huawei's ShotX is shipped with Android 5.1.1, including the manufacturer's Emotion UI 3.1 (EMUI 3.1) user interface. It is known from other smartphones, such as Honor's 7 or Huawei's P8. The biggest modification compared with stock Android is the omission of an app drawer. Thus, all apps are successively placed on the home screens. Folders can be created to prevent chaos. Its use is overall very clear, and both the design and arrangement of Android buttons can be customized. The manufacturer is restrained with preloaded bloatware and installs some useful tools like a phone manager with which the working memory can be cleaned among other things.

Home screen 1
Home screen 1
Home screen 2
Home screen 2
EMUI 3.1
EMUI 3.1
Fingerprint scanner setup
Fingerprint scanner setup

Communication & GPS

The ShotX sports two nano-SIM slots, but it can only connect to the mobile network on one card at a time. LTE Cat. 4 (downstream: 150 Mbit/s; upstream: 50 Mbit/s) is the maximum. Connections via 2G and 3G are also possible, but we do not have any information concerning the supported frequencies in the 2G network. The Wi-Fi module operates in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz networks using the 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards. We did not experience any signal issues in either the mobile network or local Wi-Fi during the test.

GPS Test: in the building's center
GPS Test: in the building's center
GPS Test: indoors (near a window)
GPS Test: indoors (near a window)
GPS Test: outdoors
GPS Test: outdoors

The smartphone can be located via GPS and GLONASS. We were tracked within 20 seconds in the middle of the apartment (4-story building, 3rd story) although the accuracy deviated by 23 meters. The accuracy improved to 5 meters near a window, and only deviated by 3 meters outdoors. Additionally, we went on a bike trip to compare the smartphone's performance with that of the Garmin Edge 500 navigation system. The ShotX also does a very good job here. The smartphone is only not tracked as frequently in complicated sections, such as the turning point, which results in smaller shortcuts. A total deviation of just 150 meters on our 11 km test route is still very good, and the user will not have to reckon with limitations when navigating in a car or on a bike.

Huawei ShotX: total
Huawei ShotX: total
Huawei ShotX: intersection
Huawei ShotX: intersection
Huawei ShotX: turning point
Huawei ShotX: turning point
Garmin Edge 500: total
Garmin Edge 500: total
Garmin Edge 500: total
Garmin Edge 500: total
Garmin Edge 500: total
Garmin Edge 500: total

Telephone & Call Quality

The phone app is very clearly arranged, making it easy to use. Only three tabs are situated in the upper area: Telephone, Contacts and Notifications. The keypad in the "Telephone" tab is also hard to miss. The functions for both SIM cards and a harassment filter (calls and notifications from blocked contacts) are found in the settings.

We did not have problems with interruptions or background noise when making calls in the rural T-Mobile network. However, our voice was distorted slightly, which was the case in calls to both landline and foreign mobile networks. The microphone relays quite a lot of background noise in hands-free mode, but that did not affect intelligibility. The included headset was inconspicuous in this context and did its job.

Cameras & Multimedia

The camera app provides multiple selfie settings. The app opens automatically when the lens is rotated to the front and enables selfie mode (can be disabled). Selfies can also be prettied up here. For example, skin can be smoothed a bit, and make-up can be put on afterward. That is certainly a nice gimmick for the selfie target group, but nothing more. Furthermore, various color filters and photo modes exist, such as a food mode or panoramas. In addition to the resolution, the ISO rate (100 - 800), white balance, exposure, saturation, contrast and brightness can be adapted in the settings. It is also possible to select the storage for saving the photo or videos here.

The image quality does not completely convince us. The good brightness as well as the decent color reproduction can be seen on the test photos. The sharpness could be higher, and thus some details are blurred. An example for this is the white ship cabin that can only be recognized vaguely in the background in screenshot 1. We also observe image noise in scene 2 (see railing lower right). The low-light scene (scene 3) also benefits from the good brightness. Although the expected image noise is visible, all details can still be recognized. An advantage of this camera solution is the auto focus that can naturally also be used for selfies, unlike most front-facing cameras with a fixed focus.

Videos can be recorded at a maximum of Full HD (1920x1080 pixels, 30 FPS). The recording quality is acceptable in good light conditions, but the lens has problems with fast camera movements. That is even more the case when the image stabilizer is enabled in the settings. Time lapse is installed, but a slow motion mode is not.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Color Accuracy & Sharpness

We also made photos of the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport and the test chart to assess the color accuracy and sharpness under controlled light conditions. The pictures are not edited afterwards (e.g. white balance).

The original colors are displayed under every color in ColorChecker Passport. It immediately becomes evident that the colors from the camera in the ShotX are too dark. That leads to visible shifts in some colors hues (e.g. brown or gray).

A minor loss in sharpness toward the edges can be seen in the test chart, which is also noticed in the slightly fringed edges in that section. So it is basically a decent camera. Nevertheless, Huawei could have shown a bit more effort seeing that the smartphone only has one camera.

Screenshot of ColorChecker colors. The original color is displayed in the lower half of every patch.
Screenshot of ColorChecker colors. The original color is displayed in the lower half of every patch.
Test chart section (center).
Test chart section (center).

Accessories

The stylish black packaging of Huawei's ShotX contains a modular 5-watt power supply, USB cable, headset, and a SIM tool. Our review sample was shipped without any printed data such as a quick-start guide or even warranty information.

Warranty

The warranty period is 24 months.

Input Devices & Handling

The capacitive touchscreen provides good gliding qualities, and it also always implemented our inputs reliably at the edges. The smartphone uses the stock Android keyboard by default, but Huawei's Swype keyboard is also preloaded as an alternative. Both models offer common features, such as swipe inputting or word suggestions. The Android buttons of the operating system are designed as on-screen keys and therefore reserve a part of the screen depending on the application.

We recurrently experienced short delays during handling. In particular, the keyboard always needed one or two seconds to fade in. The OS did not always run smoothly even when more basic apps were active and we actually only spent our time on the home screen.

Keyboard: landscape mode (default)
Keyboard: landscape mode (default)
Keyboard: portrait mode (default)
Keyboard: portrait mode (default)
Keyboard: portrait mode (Huawei Swype)
Keyboard: portrait mode (Huawei Swype)

Display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

The 5.2-inch screen in Huawei's ShotX is based on IPS technology and has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (Full HD). That equals a pixel density of almost 424 PPI, which ensures a sharp reproduction of texts and images.

We measure identical maximum brightness rates of 450 cd/m² on both a pure white picture as well as when dark and bright content is evenly distributed. That is achieved using both the manual and automatic control via the brightness sensor. The IPS-typical black level is a very high 0.45 cd/m², which results in a contrast ratio of 980:1. The illumination is a very good 93%.

The ShotX can also compete in the comparison with the rivals. Although some models certainly score better, the subjective image impression of vivid colors does not give any reason for complaint.

427
cd/m²
439
cd/m²
451
cd/m²
419
cd/m²
441
cd/m²
447
cd/m²
420
cd/m²
435
cd/m²
443
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 451 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 435.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 441 cd/m²
Contrast: 980:1 (Black: 0.45 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.62 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.06 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.15
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
1%
11%
24%
1%
-21%
-14%
Brightness middle
441
392
-11%
334
-24%
641
45%
411
-7%
312
-29%
389
-12%
Brightness
436
382
-12%
341
-22%
620
42%
392
-10%
314
-28%
397
-9%
Brightness Distribution
93
93
0%
91
-2%
93
0%
88
-5%
91
-2%
89
-4%
Black Level *
0.45
0.41
9%
0.4
11%
0.38
16%
0.53
-18%
Contrast
980
956
-2%
1603
64%
1082
10%
734
-25%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.62
5.55
1%
2.84
49%
5.37
4%
5.3
6%
6.28
-12%
6.5
-16%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.85
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.06
4.7
22%
2.91
52%
6.01
1%
6.32
-4%
8.24
-36%
7.07
-17%
Gamma
2.15 102%
2.7 81%
2.01 109%
2.44 90%
2.37 93%
2.12 104%
2.5 88%
CCT
7874 83%
7270 89%
6432 101%
7806 83%
7250 90%
8145 80%
8340 78%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
71
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96

* ... smaller is better

We use the professional CalMAN software for an objective assessment of the screen. The average DeltaE shifts compared with the sRGB reference color space is 5.62 in colors and 6.06 in grayscale levels in factory state. The target rate is less than 3. These outcomes are also average, but the screen exhibits a light bluish tint.

CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Colorspace
CalMAN Colorspace

The ShotX fares quite well outdoors. Although the brightness could be higher for bright environments, its 450 cd/m² is enough to make comfortable use possible. Like true for all glare-type screens, direct light sources should be avoided to prevent reflections. The viewing-angle stability is on the expected high level, and the displayed content remains legible from all sides.

In sunlight with reflections
In sunlight with reflections
In sunlight without reflections
In sunlight without reflections
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

Huawei's ShotX presents itself as a typical mid-range smartphone. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 616 has 8 Cortex A53 cores that are equally divided into two clusters with four cores each. One cluster achieves speeds of up to 1.5 GHz (reference design: max. 1.7 GHz), and the second cluster up to 1.2 GHz. 2 GB of working memory supports the SoC, and Qualcomm's Adreno 405 takes care of graphics calculations at a core clock of 550 MHz.

The similar configurations become evident in the benchmarks. The comparison devices' scores are often very close to each other. Their performances range within the expected. However, a problem occurred in the BaseMark OS II benchmark. A web subscore of just 9 points was achieved even after multiple runs while the rivals accomplished 600 - 800 points here. That naturally has an effect on the final outcome. We therefore omitted this benchmark here. Samsung's Galaxy S5 Neo based on the Exynos SoC and OnePlus' X with the former high-end Snapdragon 801 and Adreno 330 take the lead depending on the test.

Subjectively, Huawei's ShotX does not always run smoothly, either. We already mentioned the keyboard's delay when fading in, but several seconds often lapse when using demanding apps as well. The problem is likely due to a combination of user interface and the working memory capacity.

Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
3330 Points
LG G4s
2370 Points
OnePlus X
2570 Points
BQ Aquaris M5.5
2492 Points
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
721 Points
LG G4s
638 Points
OnePlus X
913 Points
BQ Aquaris M5.5
650 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
2917 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
2720 Points -7%
Motorola Moto X Play
2558 Points -12%
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
696 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
680 Points -2%
Motorola Moto X Play
717 Points +3%
3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
1503 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
169 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
211 Points
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
959 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
952 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
1453 Points +52%
Motorola Moto X Play
974 Points +2%
OnePlus X
1117 Points +16%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
932 Points -3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
216 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
124 Points -43%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
272 Points +26%
Motorola Moto X Play
178 Points -18%
LG G4s
0 Points -100%
OnePlus X
643 Points +198%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
185 Points -14%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
261 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
154 Points -41%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
332 Points +27%
Motorola Moto X Play
218 Points -16%
LG G4s
0 Points -100%
OnePlus X
710 Points +172%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
225 Points -14%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
7885 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
7484 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
10424 Points +32%
Motorola Moto X Play
6839 Points -13%
LG G4s
7113 Points -10%
OnePlus X
17156 Points +118%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
7437 Points -6%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
8166 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
8099 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
7536 Points -8%
Motorola Moto X Play
7796 Points -5%
LG G4s
7375 Points -10%
OnePlus X
14541 Points +78%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
8142 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
8102 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
7954 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
8030 Points -1%
Motorola Moto X Play
7561 Points -7%
LG G4s
7315 Points -10%
OnePlus X
15051 Points +86%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
7974 Points -2%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Physics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
7780 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
7003 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
10270 Points +32%
Motorola Moto X Play
6841 Points -12%
LG G4s
6766 Points -13%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
7369 Points -5%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
5151 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
5091 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
4449 Points -14%
Motorola Moto X Play
5082 Points -1%
LG G4s
4957 Points -4%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
5051 Points -2%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
5569 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
5420 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
5090 Points -9%
Motorola Moto X Play
5390 Points -3%
LG G4s
5270 Points -5%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
5431 Points -2%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Physics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
7829 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
7049 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
10466 Points +34%
Motorola Moto X Play
6799 Points -13%
LG G4s
6828 Points -13%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
7267 Points -7%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
9526 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
10059 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
8304 Points -13%
Motorola Moto X Play
10194 Points +7%
LG G4s
9530 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
9785 Points +3%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
9088 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
9187 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
8704 Points -4%
Motorola Moto X Play
9176 Points +1%
LG G4s
8760 Points -4%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
9085 Points 0%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
15 fps
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
14 fps -7%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
14 fps -7%
Motorola Moto X Play
15 fps 0%
LG G4s
14 fps -7%
OnePlus X
23 fps +53%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
14 fps -7%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
14 fps
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
14 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
14 fps 0%
Motorola Moto X Play
15 fps +7%
LG G4s
14 fps 0%
OnePlus X
21 fps +50%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
14 fps 0%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
6.1 fps
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
5.5 fps -10%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
4.8 fps -21%
Motorola Moto X Play
6.2 fps +2%
LG G4s
5.8 fps -5%
OnePlus X
10 fps +64%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
5.8 fps -5%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
5.9 fps
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
5.6 fps -5%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
4.8 fps -19%
Motorola Moto X Play
5.8 fps -2%
LG G4s
5.5 fps -7%
OnePlus X
8.6 fps +46%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
5.8 fps -2%
Smartbench 2012
Gaming Index (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
2646 points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
2874 points +9%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
3500 points +32%
Motorola Moto X Play
2523 points -5%
LG G4s
2946 points +11%
OnePlus X
4069 points +54%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
2160 points -18%
Productivity Index (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
3813 points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
3440 points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
6719 points +76%
Motorola Moto X Play
3820 points 0%
LG G4s
5460 points +43%
OnePlus X
9286 points +144%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
4019 points +5%
Linpack Android / IOS
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
314.1 MFLOPS
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
280.6 MFLOPS -11%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
247.7 MFLOPS -21%
Motorola Moto X Play
275 MFLOPS -12%
OnePlus X
634 MFLOPS +102%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
257.9 MFLOPS -18%
Single Thread (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
185.9 MFLOPS
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
218.3 MFLOPS +17%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
95.6 MFLOPS -49%
Motorola Moto X Play
134 MFLOPS -28%
LG G4s
0 MFLOPS -100%
OnePlus X
425.5 MFLOPS +129%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
116.6 MFLOPS -37%
AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
36520 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
37321 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
37854 Points +4%
Motorola Moto X Play
29699 Points -19%
LG G4s
30806 Points -16%
OnePlus X
40256 Points +10%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
33242 Points -9%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
33335 Points
Motorola Moto X Play
36800 Points +10%
OnePlus X
52463 Points +57%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
33119 Points -1%
BaseMark OS II
Web (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
9 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
664 Points +7278%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
733 Points +8044%
Motorola Moto X Play
710 Points +7789%
LG G4s
601 Points +6578%
OnePlus X
843 Points +9267%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
606 Points +6633%
Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
782 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
757 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
488 Points -38%
Motorola Moto X Play
785 Points 0%
LG G4s
727 Points -7%
OnePlus X
1975 Points +153%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
785 Points 0%
Memory (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
744 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
967 Points +30%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
569 Points -24%
Motorola Moto X Play
595 Points -20%
LG G4s
412 Points -45%
OnePlus X
662 Points -11%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
495 Points -33%
System (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
1174 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
1456 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
2095 Points +78%
Motorola Moto X Play
1177 Points 0%
LG G4s
1164 Points -1%
OnePlus X
2225 Points +90%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
1308 Points +11%
Overall (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
283 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
917 Points +224%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
808 Points +186%
Motorola Moto X Play
701 Points +148%
LG G4s
677 Points +139%
OnePlus X
1252 Points +342%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
745 Points +163%
PCMark for Android
Computer Vision score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Play
1756 Points
Storage score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Play
3900 Points
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Play
3293 Points
Work performance score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
3425 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
3244 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
4134 Points +21%
Motorola Moto X Play
3589 Points +5%
LG G4s
3663 Points +7%
OnePlus X
4450 Points +30%

Legend

 
Huawei ShotX Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2, Qualcomm Adreno 405, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939, Qualcomm Adreno 405, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo Samsung Exynos 7580 Octa, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Motorola Moto X Play Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939, Qualcomm Adreno 405, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G4s Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939, Qualcomm Adreno 405, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
OnePlus X Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AA, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
BQ Aquaris M5.5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939, Qualcomm Adreno 405, 16 GB eMMC Flash

Our review sample ends up only in last place in almost all browser tests that we performed using the preloaded browser (Chrome 39). We also noticed recurrent stutters and lags that were quite annoying subjectively.

Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2180 ms *
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1200 ms * +45%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
735 ms * +66%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1235 ms * +43%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
934 ms * +57%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1509 ms * +31%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1252 ms * +43%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3068 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3146 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3627 Points +18%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3764 Points +23%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
3436 Points +12%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4810 Points +57%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3405 Points +11%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
15263 ms *
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
14594 ms * +4%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11603 ms * +24%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11694 ms * +23%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
13281 ms * +13%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7264 ms * +52%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
12971 ms * +15%
Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3203 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3105 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3765 Points +18%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3917 Points +22%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
3186 Points -1%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5328 Points +66%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
45 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
54 Points +20%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
68 Points +51%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
56 Points +24%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
56 Points +24%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
85 Points +89%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
15 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18.94 Points +26%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
23.1 Points +54%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
24.51 Points +63%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
28 Points +87%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
21.82 Points +45%

* ... smaller is better

The internal storage with a capacity of 16 GB leaves a better impression, and the partial results are in the midfield of our comparison group. We additionally checked the SD-card reader's performance. Using our Toshiba Exceria SD-CX32UHS1 reference card, we ascertained approximately 20 MB/s in sequential read and 12.4 MB/s in sequential write. Thus, the card clearly lags behind its potential, and transferring larger files (e.g. videos) could take longer than necessary.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
145.3 MB/s
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
131 MB/s -10%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
215.9 MB/s +49%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
139 MB/s -4%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
137 MB/s -6%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
235.5 MB/s +62%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
128.1 MB/s -12%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
42.29 MB/s
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
103.8 MB/s +145%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
57.9 MB/s +37%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
75 MB/s +77%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
39 MB/s -8%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
49.31 MB/s +17%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
41.42 MB/s -2%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
19.07 MB/s
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
10.13 MB/s -47%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
22.57 MB/s +18%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
16 MB/s -16%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
13 MB/s -32%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
16.31 MB/s -14%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11.06 MB/s -42%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5.7 MB/s
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
5.63 MB/s -1%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11.07 MB/s +94%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
16 MB/s +181%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
3 MB/s -47%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
14.22 MB/s +149%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5.69 MB/s 0%
BaseMark OS II - Memory (sort by value)
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
744 Points
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
967 Points +30%
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
569 Points -24%
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
595 Points -20%
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
412 Points -45%
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
662 Points -11%
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
495 Points -33%

Games

The Adreno 405 is a mid-range GPU that finds its limits in demanding games. An example of this is the quite demanding race game Asphalt 8: Airborne. Although it can be played using medium details, it first runs really smoothly in low settings. More basic games, such as Angry Birds 2 are no problem, and using the touchscreen also functions impeccably.

Asphalt 8: Airborne only runs really smoothly in low details
Asphalt 8: Airborne only runs really smoothly in low details
Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2

Emissions

Temperature

A hot spot of 35 °C is discovered on the front lower right just when idling. The average is, however, a good 31.3 °C. Although that is felt during use, it is not at all disconcerting. The back always remains pleasantly cool. This condition changed during load where we measure as much as 39 °C in some places on both sides of the handset. The quite slim build is noticed here again since the entire smartphone heats up and reaches over 36 °C on both sides.

We would normally report about the GFX Bench battery test results and the SoC's behavior during permanent load here. However, various versions of the test recurrently ended with the same problem (out of memory) and the test was aborted after a few seconds. We therefore played Asphalt 8: Airborne for half an hour. The device heated up palpably here, but we did not notice performance throttling purely subjectively.

Max. Load
 37.1 °C
99 F
37.3 °C
99 F
39.1 °C
102 F
 
 35.8 °C
96 F
36.4 °C
98 F
39.2 °C
103 F
 
 34.6 °C
94 F
35.5 °C
96 F
35.3 °C
96 F
 
Maximum: 39.2 °C = 103 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
37.7 °C
100 F
39 °C
102 F
35.4 °C
96 F
35.1 °C
95 F
38 °C
100 F
34.3 °C
94 F
35 °C
95 F
35.9 °C
97 F
36 °C
97 F
Maximum: 39 °C = 102 F
Average: 36.3 °C = 97 F
Room Temperature 21.4 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.2 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.3 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

The sole speaker is situated on the underside. Its sound did not convince us. The maximum volume is not particularly high, and audible distortions are heard at about 3/4 of the maximum volume. Playback is also very treble-heavy and bass is non-existent. Software tweaks are not installed for sound improvement.

The DTS mode can be enabled when headphones are connected. That is highly recommendable especially when using the included headset. The sound is then considerably richer, but it distorts particularly at higher volumes. Nevertheless, we would prefer this solution. We also tested the handset with Sennheiser Urbanite headphones. The initial volume was sufficiently high, but DTS mode should definitely be disabled in this case. It is also very obvious that Huawei does not install a high-quality sound chip since many details in songs are lost primarily at higher volumes. The handset connected to our Denon Envaya Mini Bluetooth speaker without issues, but single interruptions occurred at a distance of only approximately 5 meters.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption of Huawei's ShotX is low particularly in idle and during low load. However, handsets like OnePlus' X prove that there is room for improvement here. The consumption of over 5 watts is comparatively high, and that will likely be noticed in battery life. The smartphone still consumes a little power when shut down (0.08 watts) and 0.35 watts in standby. Only a 5-watt power supply (5 V, 1 A) is included, which cannot cover the maximum consumption of 6 watts. That is noticed in real-world use, for example, when playing a game while recharging the handset. We again use Asphalt 8: Airborne as an example. The battery recharges since the game does not always completely max out the components, but only very slowly (1% in ~ 5 minutes).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.08 / 0.35 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.73 / 1.89 / 1.94 Watt
Load midlight 5.06 / 6.08 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Gossen Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Power Consumption
-13%
-29%
-3%
-11%
40%
-74%
Idle Minimum *
0.73
1.2
-64%
1.68
-130%
0.9
-23%
1.4
-92%
0.6
18%
1.94
-166%
Idle Average *
1.89
1.9
-1%
2.2
-16%
1.6
15%
1.6
15%
0.91
52%
3.32
-76%
Idle Maximum *
1.94
2
-3%
2.33
-20%
1.8
7%
1.7
12%
1.12
42%
3.42
-76%
Load Average *
5.06
3.6
29%
4.09
19%
4.9
3%
5.2
-3%
3.04
40%
6.07
-20%
Load Maximum *
6.08
7.8
-28%
5.92
3%
7.2
-18%
5.3
13%
3.2
47%
8.09
-33%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

Huawei furnishes the ShotX with a non-removable 3100 mAh battery. The idle runtime (Wi-Fi read script, minimum brightness) of almost 20 hours, and 4 hours during load (Stability test, maximum brightness) places our review sample in the midfield of our comparison.

However, both tests using an adapted brightness of 150 cd/m² are more interesting. The relatively high load consumption is particularly evident in the Wi-Fi test (browser script) where we only measure 7 hours. Although that is a decent time, our comparison chart shows that the rivals last considerably longer, with exception of LG's G4s (+22 to + 65%). Playing a Full HD video (Big Buck Bunny, H.264) is possible for 8.5 hours. Again, a good outcome even if some opponents show more endurance. The 5-watt power supply needs 3 hours and 40 minutes for fully recharging the battery.

Huawei provides two profiles for saving energy to boost the battery life. The performance is throttled and background programs are reduced in the "Intelligent" mode, while only fundamental call and notification functionality is available in the "Ultra" mode.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
19h 47min
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 39)
6h 48min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 33min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 56min
Huawei ShotX
Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Asus ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
Mali-T720 MP2, 7580 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto X Play
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4s
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash
OnePlus X
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash
BQ Aquaris M5.5
Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
10%
48%
20%
-31%
15%
22%
Reader / Idle
1187
1008
-15%
1615
36%
1145
-4%
677
-43%
968
-18%
H.264
513
530
3%
773
51%
742
45%
418
-19%
514
0%
WiFi v1.3
408
516
26%
546
34%
674
65%
274
-33%
549
35%
496
22%
Load
236
293
24%
402
70%
174
-26%
167
-29%
339
44%

Pros

+ decent camera
+ compact casing
+ good build
+ fingerprint reader
+ dual-SIM
+ storage expansion via micro-SD

Cons

- awkward memory card management
- occasional stutters during use
- too weak power supply
- long charging times

Verdict

In review: Huawei ShotX. Review sample courtesy of Huawei Germany
In review: Huawei ShotX. Review sample courtesy of Huawei Germany

We like the idea behind Huawei's ShotX. The quality of the primary cameras in almost all smartphones is superior to the front-facing lenses, so why not use the same sensor on the front? However, the manufacturer has not implemented this concept ideally. Firstly, the camera juts out quite a bit, making the handset very shaky on a level surface. Although the camera's quality is decent, we would have hoped for a better performance seeing that the manufacturer only installs one module.

The other advantages of this solution are the casing's very compact size for a 5.2-inch handset. The quality of both the casing and screen are also very good. That makes it all the more annoying that recurrent stutters and minor delays occur during use. The lags after closing demanding apps are also annoying in real-world use. The maximum power consumption overburdens the included 5-watt power supply, and it needs a long time to recharge the battery.

The ShotX is an interesting smartphone for anyone who likes to shoot selfies and wants a compact device at the same time. However, that involves restrictions in performance that are also noticed in real-world use.

Huawei ShotX - 01/14/2016 v4.1(old)
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
79%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
48 / 60 → 80%
Weight
92%
Battery
92%
Display
84%
Games Performance
57 / 63 → 90%
Application Performance
30 / 70 → 43%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Audio
59 / 91 → 65%
Camera
75%
Average
74%
83%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 1 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
Andreas Osthoff, 2016-01-20 (Update: 2018-05-15)