Honor 5X Smartphone Review
For the original German review, see here.
Affordable smartphones with high-quality equipment from the Far East have been giving established suppliers a hard time for some time now, and they have caused a price slump in the smartphone sector. Regardless whether it is a smartphone by OnePlus or Honor: They all bring a touch of premium feeling with their quality casings and fast SoCs, and yet they only cost a fraction of an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S and co.
Honor now launches the 5X on the market. It is a 5.5-inch smartphone from the mid-range priced at just below 230 Euros (~$256, recommended price) that also features a metal casing and fingerprint scanner. It is possible to insert SIM cards in either micro or nano format in the smartphone and, if desired, both also as dual-SIM.
The competition proves that the Honor 5X is a real bargain. They are considerably weaker, much smaller for the price, or they are simply more expensive. We use OnePlus' X, Asus' ZenFone 2 Laser, Samsung's Galaxy J5 and Motorola's Moto G as comparison devices in this test.
Case
Honor's 5X does not look really special from the front. The display is framed in white, black or gold. However, the user sees elegant metal that is brushed on the back and matte on the sides when looking at the smartphone's sides or rear. The design slightly resembles HTC's One handsets apart from the camera and fingerprint scanner. Both have rounded edges, the back is plain yet with stylish looks.
The back protects the smartphone well. Only pressure on the screen is conveyed to the liquid crystals and becomes visible there. We could barely twist the smartphone. Honor's 5X is pleasant to hold with a weight of 158 grams, which does not get too heavy. The smartphone feels slip-proof, and there is not much risk that it will slip out of the hand.
Connectivity
Honor's 5X is state-of-the-art with 16 GB of internal storage and micro-SD slot. Many equally priced comparison devices even only have 8 GB of storage. The USB port is not a Type-C model and only transfers data in the USB 2.0 standard. There is no support for transferring image data, and although USB OTG is present the feature cannot be used in the handset's factory state. A free file manager from Google's Play Store and a possible firmware update would remedy this.
Software
Android 5.1 is the operating system chosen for Honor's 5X. Honor covers it with its "Emotion UI 3.1" user interface. It changes the looks toward iOS with more basic app icons, pop-up files and rounded icon edges. Honor barely installs any additional software. However, a phone manager that allows setting security features and smaller tools, such as a mirror, is preloaded.
Communication & GPS
The smartphone supports radio networks up to LTE Cat. 4 (max. 150/50 Mbit/s down/up) and is thus up-to-date. High-end devices already offer higher speeds providing the wireless network supports them. However, four GSM, three UMTS and five LTE frequencies should ensure that the user can be reached almost anywhere in the world via Honor's X5. The network quality was decent in our test. We usually had a strong signal even indoors in an urban area using the moderately developed German O2/E-Plus network.
Honor's 5X connects to Wi-Fi networks via the 802.11 b/g/n standards, which are also very common. Although high-speed ac standard would be faster, we do not deem it a must particularly in this price range. The reception quality was very good in the router's area (FritzBox 6490) and pages opened very quickly. The signal was still 4/5 at a distance of ten meters from the router and through three walls; pages still opened just as quickly.
The installed GPS modem could not track us indoors and had some problems outdoors, as well. It took a fairly long time to find us, and then its accuracy varied strongly and sometimes was only at 100 meters.
We compare the GPS module in Honor's 5X with Garmin's Edge 500 navigation system on a bike trip. Honor's 5X does not do a bad job and is sometimes even more accurate than the expensive navigation system. However, the review sample also occasionally clearly deviates from the route, for example in the woods section before the river or during the trip along the railway track. The GPS will likely be accurate enough for everyday use, but users who have to rely on it should look around for another device.
Telephone & Call Quality
The parent company Huawei modifies Honor's phone app. However, its functionality is not very different than Google's stock app: The keypad and an overview of recent calls are found after opening it. A feature: The "Contacts" and "Messages" app can be opened directly via two tabs. The phone app in Honor's 5X is very intuitive to use in total.
The overall call quality is rather middling. The earpiece distorts easily and tends to hum at higher volumes. On the other hand, the microphone does not render a very clear sound to our contact: Muffled and distorted voices reach the recipient.
Cameras & Multimedia
Honor's 5X is at least on par with most comparison device in terms of pixel count having 13 megapixels on the rear and 5 megapixels on the front. Only OnePlus' X can offer 8 million pixels on the front.
The primary camera's photos look good at first glance. Details remain well-recognizable even when zoomed. However, edges fray very visibly. Photos from, for example, the iPhone 6s Plus are clearly higher in contrast making single color hues better to discern. The photos also look more vivid and sharper. The photos' sharpness decreases evidently toward the edges. Furthermore, single color hues could be more differentiated. In total, the photos are satisfactory for this price range.
We photograph a test picture under defined light conditions for a closer analysis. Here it becomes evident that the sharpness is good but colors look a bit too pale on the photos. Our color comparison based on the reference color space also confirms that. The colors often look somewhat richer here than on the photos of the primary camera. Videos can be recorded in Full HD at 30 frames per second. They look sharp and the auto-focus readjusts quite fast.
The front-facing camera is suitable for selfies. Its color reproduction is good. Color noise quickly becomes visible in darker areas when zoomed. Overall the photos look crisp and relatively sharp, though.
Accessories
Honor's 5X is shipped with a USB cable, charger, quick-start guide and tool for opening the casing's slots. Honor's View Flip Cover is sold for roughly 20 Euros (~$22) on the Internet. The manufacturer does not offer any product-specific accessories otherwise.
Warranty
Honor offers a 24-month warranty on its products.
Input Devices & Handling
Huawei's Honor does not rely on Google's stock keyboard but uses the quite popular "Swype" alternative. Although it offers multiple settings, it makes a cramped impression due to the keys' double assignment and the multitude of displayed icons. It is no problem to switch to the Android keyboard or to install other keyboards. However, typing is fast and reliable also on the preloaded solution.
Display
Honor's 5X could almost pass as a phablet with a screen diagonal of 5.5 inches. The screen has a Full HD resolution and its reproduction looks bright and fine subjectively. In fact, we can confirm the high brightness with our tool: An average of 521.1 cd/m² is the highest rate by far in the comparison field. Although we only measure 496 cd/m² in the more practical APL50 test, but that is still a very good rate.
The illumination of 85% is still homogeneous enough. The brightness decreases visibly particularly in the upper right corner. That is not visible to the naked eye even on large colored surfaces. The maximum brightness is dimmed slightly in battery mode, but it still achieves very good rates.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 535 cd/m²
Contrast: 1244:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.88 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 5.2 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
Gamma: 2.26
| Honor 5X Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash | OnePlus X Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL Adreno 306, 410 APQ8016, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung Galaxy J5 Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -32% | 20% | -4% | -8% | |
| Brightness middle | 535 | 312 -42% | 467 -13% | 418 -22% | 349 -35% |
| Brightness | 521 | 314 -40% | 460 -12% | 407 -22% | 353 -32% |
| Brightness Distribution | 85 | 91 7% | 95 12% | 95 12% | 93 9% |
| Black Level * | 0.43 | 0.3 30% | 0.49 -14% | ||
| Contrast | 1244 | 1557 25% | 853 -31% | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.88 | 6.28 -29% | 3.28 33% | 3.92 20% | 5.22 -7% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.66 | ||||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.2 | 8.24 -58% | 1.89 64% | 3.81 27% | 3.96 24% |
| Gamma | 2.26 97% | 2.12 104% | 2.21 100% | 2.27 97% | 2.08 106% |
| CCT | 7766 84% | 8145 80% | 6734 97% | 7361 88% | 7308 89% |
* ... smaller is better
Honor's 5X provides a very good black level for its very bright screen: 0.43 cd/m² is not a top rate, but it is solid. Our review sample cannot compete with OLED panels, such as used in OnePlus' X, and offer an absolute black. However, it results in a good contrast ratio of 1244:1.
We use the CalMAN software and a spectrophotometer to analyze the accuracy of color reproduction. In fact, the screen has a visible bluish tint that is, however, relatively moderate. In particular, the cyan color hues and white areas are clearly shifted from the reference rate of the sRGB color space. Looking at the comparison devices, the screen in Honor's 5X is in the midfield in terms of color deviation.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 29 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 75 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 15 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 37 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8445 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The high brightness competes with the glare-type screen regarding outdoor legibility. However, it is still possible to recognize content well even on bright days thanks to the screen's brightness. It is no problem in the shade or indoors to begin with. Furthermore, Honor's 5X has the option of raising the brightness to increase legibility even further in bright sunlight.
The installed IPS panel allows recognizing content even from very flat angles.
Performance
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2 is a fast mid-range SoC that is furnished with eight cores in two clusters. The first is made for performance-driven applications and clocks at up to 1.7 GHz. The second is more energy efficient but its clock speed of 1.2 GHz is still fast enough for more basic tasks. The Adreno 405 graphics solution is integrated. It is also a mid-range model and should be sufficient for most games.
As expected, our review sample's system and computing performance is faster than that of Samsung's Galaxy J1 or Motorola's Moto G, but it lags behind OnePlus' X. For example, the distance to OnePlus' X based on an upper-range SoC is not that big with only 17% in PCMark.
Honor's 5X takes the second place behind OnePlus' X in browser performance. Browsing with Honor's 5X is also quite fast in routine use.
The storage speed is only average in read but is quite fast in write. We evaluate the performance of external memory media with our Toshiba Exceria SD-CX32UHS1 reference card that achieves the following rates: Maximum read 95 MBit/s and maximum write 60 MBit/s. Thus, the 28.45 MBit per second in read and 13.78 MBit per second in write are not superb rates. At least, it is possible to move apps from the internal storage to the external memory card.
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| AndroBench 3-5 | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| Random Read 4KB (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| Random Write 4KB (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value) | |
| Honor 5X | |
| OnePlus X | |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 | |
* ... smaller is better
Games
Honor's 5X holds its ground in games. However, we did not manage more than 24 frames per second (FPS) in the racing game Asphalt 8: Airborne. The average was 21 FPS. The GPU is the limiting factor here. It was loaded to capacity while the processor would still have had plenty of reserves. The performance was better in the 3D shooter Dead Trigger 2. We reached an average of 32 FPS in high settings. That was enough for smooth gameplay. It could get tight in future games with even higher graphics requirements. All games ran in Full HD.
Navigating via touchscreen and position sensor functioned accurately and without issues.
| Asphalt 8: Airborne | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 21 fps | ||
| very low | 35 fps | ||
| Dead Trigger 2 | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 32 fps | ||
Emissions
Temperature
The temperature development on the surface is moderate. Honor's 5X primarily heats up on the front in the camera's area during prolonged load. It can reach up to 41.6 °C here. The temperatures on the back are lower with at most 37.5 °C. Although both rates are palpable, they will hardly be a restriction in real-world use. The temperatures are distributed quite evenly over the entire casing. For example, Asus manages to create a hot spot in the ZenFone 2 Laser.
The GFXBench battery test shows that the SoC is not throttled even during prolonged load.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.6 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.5 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The speaker is situated on the smartphone's lower edge where the microphone for voice recordings is also found in many current devices. Honor's 5X also follows this pattern: The mono speaker is behind the grille on the lower edge. Its maximum volume of 81 dB(A) is fairly loud, but it does not produce a pleasant sound.
The Pink Noise graph illustrates the reason for this. The focus is placed on trebles. Low tones are virtually non-existent. High pitches are sometimes disagreeably prominent even at half volume. The speaker can be used for quick music sampling or a short Internet video, but connecting headphones or speakers to the 3.5 mm audio jack or via Bluetooth delivers a considerably more pleasant sound.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Honor's 5X is not exactly frugal in terms of power consumption when compared with other devices. However, it should be said that the comparison devices in this price range all only have a screen diagonal of 5-inches and sport weaker SoCs. The somewhat more expensive OnePlus' X is also a 5-inch handset, but its SoC is stronger and yet it requires less power than our review sample.
It needs a minimum of 0.87 watts when turned on, and up to 6.34 watts during load - a relatively high rate. The OnePlus only requires half of that. The idle consumption of OnePlus' X smartphone is so much lower that it can no longer be explained with the smaller screen.
| Off / Standby |   0.13 / 0.3 Watt |
| Idle |  0.87 / 2.08 / 2.22 Watt |
| Load |
5.26 / 6.34 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Gossen Metrahit Energy | |
Battery Runtime
The power consumption already pointed to it: Honor's 5X battery life is decent but lags behind our expectations. Although it can outperform all other devices in our real-world Wi-Fi test with 10:43 hours, the load runtimes are particularly very tight. Our experience shows that the smartphone could last two days without recharging the battery when not used intensely.
However, it is quite possible to extend the runtimes via the incorporated energy-savings mode. Depending on the energy-savings plan, background services are limited or only basic functions are made available.
| Honor 5X Adreno 405, 616 MSM8939v2, 16 GB eMMC Flash | OnePlus X Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AA, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung Galaxy J5 Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500KL Adreno 306, 410 APQ8016, 16 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 24% | 38% | 27% | -58% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1053 | 968 -8% | 1292 23% | 1364 30% | |
| H.264 | 602 | 514 -15% | 657 9% | 677 12% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 643 | 549 -15% | 495 -23% | 526 -18% | 267 -58% |
| Load | 144 | 339 135% | 350 143% | 264 83% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Huawei has in fact compiled a decent package. A high-performance device wrapped up in a classy casing, and all that at a great price. The software is stylish and practical, the cameras shoot decent pictures and a full-sized 24-month warranty is also included.
Honor's 5X is a bargain with some shortcomings that need to be accepted: poor call quality, middling speaker, and unstable GPS reception. However, the attractive casing and bright screen compensate for that.
Another weakness of Honor's 5X is the battery life under load, which leaves us a bit undecided. On the one hand, a lot of things about the smartphone appealed to us; it definitely has its advantages for the low price. On the other, buyers can get an even higher performance for a small surcharge or in a model from last year, and they then do not have to grapple around with the existing (and throughout avoidable) shortcomings of Honor's 5X.
Price-conscious consumers should take a look at Honor's 5X because many of its features are unique in this price range (screen size, performance, casing quality). Buyers who can spend a bit more will find quite convincing alternatives.
Honor 5X
- 03/07/2016 v5 (old)
Florian Wimmer
Price comparison
