Honor 5X
Specifications
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix
Price comparison
Average of 40 scores (from 53 reviews)
Reviews for the Honor 5X
Direct metal. Huawei's direct marketing brand Honor is always good for a bargain. We have the Honor 5X with a metal body and high-quality cameras in our lab this time. Let us see whether the smartphone's details are also convincing.
Source: Wired Magazine Archive.org version
The camera is surprisingly good, too, much better than the average budget phone. In good lighting, the 13-megapixel sensor with its f/2.0-aperture 28 mm wide angle lens is easily as good as many mid-to-high end smartphones like Moto X, OnePlus 3, and the “other” 5X: the Google Nexus 5X. In indoor or low light conditions, the phone produces mostly decent shots that are occasionally disappointing.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/11/2016
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Tech Critter Archive.org version
Battery life is great, at 14 hours of total run time since unplug, I manage to squeeze a total of 4.5 hours of screen on time out of the 3000mAh battery from the 5X. That is achieved without any app optimization.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/20/2016
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is a cheaper version of the Huaiwe Mate 8. It may not have the same premium feel or strong camera, but the 5X does have a number of the same key features and a much lower price tag. For a sub £200 (sub US$200) phone, it's quite amazing what Honor has managed to achieve and if you're looking for something that will compete with the high-end flagships, but not cost anywhere near as much, the 5X is a great choice.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 03/24/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Gadgetspeak Archive.org version
Huawei has added to its range of e-brand smartphones with the release of the Honor 5X handset. Described at the launch as being the most affordable premium smartphone of 2016 (admittedly at the time we were just 35 days into the year), the Honor 5X is aimed at the young, stylish and adventurous type of customers.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/15/2016
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 100% performance: 80%
Source: Tech2.in.com Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is not meant for those who are looking at a clean OS, for them the Moto G Turbo is the best option at Rs 12,499. The LeEco Le 1s at Rs 10,999 is another competitor but we had faced call quality issues with that phone, which is non-existent in the Honor 5X. We have to yet review the Lenovo K4 Note which is also Rs 1,000 less. So wait for that review if you want to know which one offers a better value proposition.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/14/2016
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 75% features: 75% display: 70% mobility: 70% workmanship: 75%
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is another great value phone from Huawei's sub-brand. It offers excellent design and build with some solid specs too. It is missing some elements such as NFC and 11ac Wi-Fi so you might be better off spending a little more on the Honor 7, especially now it's dropped to £209 (on offer). Software is once again not a strong point with EMUI still not convincing us as a top Android skin so take a look at some cheaper devices like the Moto G, too.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 03/09/2016
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 90% performance: 70% features: 70% workmanship: 80%
Source: Techtree.com Archive.org version
Pros: Fingerprint sensor, Nice metallic accents, Nice to hold despite being large, Pretty good display, Neatly ordered notification panel Cons: Poor call sound quality, Could look better--carelessly made back panel, Sluggish at times, low benchmark scores, Unexciting camera,Competitors have moved on from 2GB RAM.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 03/02/2016
Rating: Total score: 50%
Source: Cool Smartphone Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is undoubtedly great value for money: you get a lot of bang for your pound. Honor have made a revolutionary step forward with the 5X compared to its predecessor, the 4X. The full metal body, excellent screen and good battery life are all things you would expect from competing flagships. I would say the only weak point of the device is the overall camera performance, but it is still on a par with competitors in the same price range.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 90% display: 99% mobility: 80% workmanship: 90%
Source: Reg Hardware Archive.org version
Huawei's Honor 5X doesn't change the winning formula much, and until the Xiaomi Mi5 arrives in Western markets (offering, we are told, 2016 flagship specs at for around £30 more), the 5X offers the best value for the 'Droid buyer. Your main problem will be getting one: Huawei is still struggling to meet demand, and it's often labelled "sold out" on the company's own VMall online store. Amazon stocks ropey Chinese imports (particularly, "Play" editions with 3GB) that won't have support or European customisations, so caveat emptor.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 03/01/2016
Source: Tech2.in.com Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is not meant for those who are looking at a clean OS, for them the Moto G Turbo is the best option at Rs 12,499. The LeEco Le 1s at Rs 10,999 is another competitor but we had faced call quality issues with that phone, which is non-existent in the Honor 5X. We have to yet review the Lenovo K4 Note which is also Rs 1,000 less. So wait for that review if you want to know which one offers a better value proposition.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/20/2016
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 75% features: 75% display: 70% mobility: 70% workmanship: 75%
Source: Pocketnow Archive.org version
The competition at this price point is heating up. We’ve compared the Honor 5X to the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, we recently we reviewed the Oppo F1, and a Moto G is always a safe bet at this tier. Still there’s a charm here. To answer the question posed at the top of this review, this phone does raise the bar on the build quality we should expect from manufacturers. Huawei is bringing something unique to the budget crowd. For the savvier folks in our audience, a few software tweaks can really polish up the experience. However the Honor wouldn’t be our first pick for general smartphone shoppers.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/19/2016
Rating: Total score: 70% features: 80%
Source: Think Digit Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is a smartphone that loses against the uber-tough competition in the market. The device would have been appreciable last year, but with devices like the LeEco Le 1s and Lenovo Vibe K4 Note doing the rounds, it's tough to recommend this one.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/17/2016
Rating: Total score: 68%
Source: PC Pro Archive.org version
Overall, the Honor 5X is a decent budget smartphone that, aside from its irritating Android skin, offers a tempting alternative to the market leaders at this price. It isn't the most exciting phone you'll come across this year, but its low price, large screen size and, in particular, that fingerprint reader, means it sits in a class of its own at this price. If Honor can follow this up with decent battery life, it’ll have yet another solid Android offering on its hands.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/16/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: It Pro Archive.org version
The Honor 5X has a lot of compromises, but none that are out of place in a phone that only costs £158 ex VAT – a remarkably low price. It will be available tied to Three as well as SIM-free on Amazon and Honor's own online store. It’s a good value smartphone and, if you install another Android launcher such as Nova Launcher, you can get round most of the annoying interface problems.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/16/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: GSM Arena Archive.org version
The Honor 5X could be the best phone you could get for $200. At least in the US, as there aren't as many offerings in the mid-range 5.5-inch space. We like how Honor is pushing itself into the US market which is quite difficult to do especially in the mobile industry. From here we'd like to see both Honor and Huawei make a larger presence in the US to compete with the big guys in the US like Samsung, Apple, and LG.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/16/2016
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
But it’s once again let down by Huawei's EMUI software. By once again bundling the Honor 5X with Huawei’s skin, Honor has significantly damaged the 5X’s overall appeal. The skin makes the phone’s user interface feel unintuitve and brings with it both bloatware and bugs. The skin also makes it highly unlikely the phone will receive updates to future Android versions – though I may be proven wrong on this.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/11/2016
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Expert Reviews Archive.org version
Taken together, the Honor 5X just has one too many flaws to warrant a full recommendation. It might be one of the only phones you can buy under £200 with a fingerprint sensor, but for me it still can't beat the simplicity and superior build quality of the 3rd Gen Moto G. There's also the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua to consider, which is slightly smaller than the Honor 5X, but has a very similar chipset, takes better pictures and has the added benefit of being waterproof for only £180 SIM-free. In this case, the M4 Aqua is by far the better value smartphone in this price range, but those after something cheaper and more compact should stick with the Moto G.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/09/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Androidbeat Archive.org version
Ultimately though, it’s impossible not to give the Honor 5X a qualified thumbs up, for the target market. It’s iPhone-like, premium build, yet Android and mass market, it’s secure and fast enough and foolproof enough. And it doesn’t cost the earth, and is officially distributed and supported in Western markets at dramatically less than most of the competition. No one reading this is going to lust after the 5X, but you might very well be eyeing it up for your significant other or teenage kids. And they’ll thank you for it.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/09/2016
Source: Tom's Guide Archive.org version
It's hard to find a better phone for the price than the Honor 5X. For just $200, the Honor 5X squeezes an all-day battery, a useful fingerprint sensor and good cameras into a solid, all-metal body. I love the clever use of the fingerprint sensor for shortcuts, and the surprisingly speedy performance. Android purists may not like the heavy-handed EMUI skin, but I'm happy to install a different theme over it.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/05/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Computerworld.com Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is not premium hardware, but represents a more than credible value in a phone. Honor's tagline is "For the Brave," which is a little unfortunate, because it implies that buying the product is something of a risk. But if you can't afford -- or just don't want to pay for -- the top of the line, the Honor 5X is a more than reasonable option. Be not afraid.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/05/2016
Source: It Pro Archive.org version
The Honor 5X has a lot of compromises, but none that are out of place in a phone that only costs £158 ex VAT – a remarkably low price. It will be available tied to Three as well as SIM-free on Amazon and Honor's own online store. It’s a good value smartphone and, if you install another Android launcher such as Nova Launcher, you can get round most of the annoying interface problems.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/04/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Stuff TV Archive.org version
From our initial hands-on time at least, the 5X serves up some stern competition to both the OnePlus X and Moto G. Whether it seems like a steal after a week in our company is a different matter though. Look out for our review to find out where the Honor 5X truly ranks amongst the cheap smartphone fray.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 02/04/2016
Source: Recombu Archive.org version
It's important to remember that the Honor 5X costs just £189.99, which for a dual-SIM 4G phone with a Full HD screen and expandability up to 128GB is pretty enticing. Similarly-priced handsets include the Wileyfox Storm and the Samsung Galaxy A3, which certainly feature elements that out-perform the 5X in one area or another, but don't serve as the perfect alternative.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 02/04/2016
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Android Authority Archive.org version
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the honor 5X vs Nexus 5X vs OnePlus X! When it comes to making a choice between these, the important question is with regards to what is important for you from your smartphone experience. The honor 5X offers a solid metal build quality and a fast and accurate fingerprint scanner, along with expandable storage, while the Nexus 5X brings to the table NFC, a fantastic camera, a stock software experience, and a very reliable fingerprint reader as well. Finally, the OnePlus X also features a great build quality and a software experience that overshadows stock Android in certain aspects.
Comparison, online available, Medium, Date: 02/04/2016
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
So, to recap: for £190 ($199) unlocked, you'll get a metal build, 1080p 5.5-inch display, a Nexus 6P-like fingerprint sensor, decent battery life and an alright camera. That's the Honor 5X in a nutshell. But you'll also get the meh Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, backed by 2GB RAM, which doesn't always result in the most fluid of user experiences (confusingly there's a slightly higher-end and pricier 3GB RAM version available too). And 16GB of local storage is low, despite microSD storage meaning expansion to 128GB is possible.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/03/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Android Authority Archive.org version
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the honor 5X! Priced at just $200, the honor 5X is definitely a great buy, and is one of the only phone at this price point to offer both a premium metal build and a fingerprint scanner, aspects that are usually found with devices priced at more than double what the honor 5X costs. These two things alone make the phone a great bargain, but add to the mix a great display experience and a feature packed software package, and it is difficult to not recommend the honor 5X. Granted, the device isn’t flawless, with its mediocre camera and speaker, and somewhat sluggish performance, but its very affordable price tag more than makes up for any issues the phone may have.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 73% display: 84% mobility: 90% workmanship: 88%
Source: NDTV Gadgets Archive.org version
The Honor 5X is a sensible mid-range smartphone that checks all the right boxes. It's built well, looks acceptable, has all the right connectivity options, and has a decent camera too. Additionally, it's got an excellent screen and useful fingerprint sensor that does a lot more than most competitors' offerings. The Honor 5X is also reliable and smooth in operation. The only real shortcomings are annoying software and slightly sub-par battery life, but these are easily forgivable when you consider the overall package.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 01/29/2016
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 70% performance: 90% display: 80% mobility: 70% workmanship: 70%
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
The Huawei Honor 5X is supposed to get a future update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which might fix some of its performance issues. But in its current state, it's difficult to recommend over the Blu Life One X, which is $50 less expensive and performs better all-around. The Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 is another solid option for the price. Neither phone looks quite as nice as the Honor 5X, but both offer a more refined experience.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/27/2016
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Phandroid Archive.org version
A wise man once told me that no matter what you do in life, everything is a trade-off. There’s probably no greater example of this than the honor 5X. Manufacturers are always striving to cram as much hardware as they can into a device, while ensuring they can still offer up their phones at a competitive price. Once that price drops down to $200, you’d expect only a bare-bones smartphone, but the honor 5X smashed those conventions. They showed us that you don’t need to cut all the corners, just the right ones. While we don’t particularly agree with all the sacrifices made on the honor 5X, there’s no denying for a vast majority of folks, there is an insane value here.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/22/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Phone Arena Archive.org version
The strategy is simple with this one. Essentially, honor is the first out of the gate to set the bar for what we expect out of phones in the mid-range category this year – and the honor 5X surely raises some brows in the process. Combing over the phone specs, while also being mindful about its full retail cost of $200, there’s certainly a lot going for this phone.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/20/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: PC World Archive.org version
The Honor 5X may not be a high-end, expensive device, but for what it does offer it’s a huge steal. The real kicker will be whether Huawei can get its marketing chops behind it and convince everyone else in America that it’s worth choosing over an older, refurbished Samsung or LG device.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/19/2016
Rating: Total score: 60%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Android User DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/28/2016
Rating: Total score: 88% price: 100% display: 90% mobility: 90%
Source: Chip.de DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/27/2016
Rating: Total score: 75% price: 90% performance: 85% features: 65% display: 86% mobility: 66%
Source: Chinahandys.net DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/04/2016
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 70% display: 90% mobility: 60% workmanship: 90%
Source: Handys - Heft 7/2016
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 06/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Computerbild - Heft 11/2016
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 06/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 86%
Source: Tom's Hardware DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/24/2016
Source: Android Magazin - Heft 3/2016
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 05/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 94%
Source: Netzwelt DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/26/2016
Rating: Total score: 84% features: 90% mobility: 80% workmanship: 100%
Source: Computerbild - Heft 08/2016
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 04/15/2016
Rating: Total score: 86%
Source: Connect - Heft 5/2016
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 04/01/2016
Rating: Total score: 86%
Source: PocketPC DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/13/2016
Source: Focus Online DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/22/2016
Rating: Total score: 72% features: 62% ergonomy: 79%
Source: Allround-PC.com DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/16/2016
Source: Turn On DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/12/2016
Source: Inside Handy DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/11/2016
Rating: Total score: 85%
Source: PC Welt DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/09/2016
Rating: Total score: 88% performance: 86% features: 93% display: 91% mobility: 88%
Source: Tech.de DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/05/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Mi Mundo Gadget ES→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Nice display; memory card slot; fast fingerprint sensor. Negative: Weak hardware; low autonomy.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/03/2017
Source: Tecnoandroid.it IT→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/23/2016
Rating: Total score: 80% features: 75% mobility: 85% workmanship: 85%
Source: André Mitera SK→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/27/2016
Rating: Total score: 81% price: 85% performance: 75% features: 90% display: 80% mobility: 85% emissions: 85%
Comment
Model: The Honor 5x is a smartphone designed for the mid-range market. Its brush metal finish looks elegant. The smartphone comes with a 5.5 inch 1080p touchscreen and even has a fingerprint unlock feature, which are increasingly common in current generation smartphones. The Android Lolipop v5.1.1 system features a 1.2 GHz quad core SoC with Adreno 405 GPU. The internal storage is a mere 16 GB. However, the storage capacity is expandable up to 128 GB via the microSD slot. The 3000 mAh battery can last about 30 hours of call time and 10 hours of internet browsing.
The Honor 5x comes in a choice of three colors; silver, gold, and gray. The 13 MP rear camera shoots great stills and videos, while the 5 MP front shooter takes excellent wide angle shots. As this phone supports dual sim, users can pick which SIM would be used for data and calls. As an added feature, the noise cancellation mic gives phone calls a louder feel. As a final note, the Honor 5x is an excellent smartphone for the given price range. It is an amazing choice for a teenager's first phone or an adult's second phone
Qualcomm Adreno 405: Integrated graphics card for ARM based SoCs. Depending on the used SoC the clock rate is around 500 MHz and features 48 unified shaders.
Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
616 MSM8939v2: Mid-range ARM-SoC with 8 CPU cores, X5 LTE modem (LTE Cat.4) and a Adreno 405 GPU manufactured in 28nm. The processor cores are based on the 64-bit Cortex-A53 architecture.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
5.50":
It is a very small display format for smartphones. You should by no means be mis-sighted and you will generally see very little on the screen and only have a small resolution available. In return, the device should be very small and handy.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Honor:
In 2014 Huawei created the sub brand Honor and offers certain smartphone series under this name. Occasionally the products are also called Huawei Honor.
The market share of Honor products is manageable, but there are several reviews on Honor smartphones with average ratings (as of 2016).
76.91%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.