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Huawei Y5 2018 Smartphone Review

As cheap as possible. The Y5 2018 is currently one of the cheapest smartphones in Huawei's western line-up. For 120 Euros (~$140; US version ~$120), buyers will get the standard fare in this price bracket. Is that enough for the new Huawei smartphone to survive among the swarm of competitors?
Huawei Y5 2018

In this day and age, buyers can expect certain things from any smartphone that costs a little over 100 Euros (or dollars): Thanks to a variety of optimizations the vast majority of apps, and the Android OS itself, generally run smoothly on even the cheapest devices; the cameras take acceptable photos, as long as your expectations are not too high; and some manufacturers even house the components in high-quality cases. As a result, users expect a certain level of quality when they shell out 120 Euros (or dollars) for a phone. Huawei intends to match these expectations with the Y5 2018—a very cheap 5.45-inch smartphone with a narrow display bezel and dual-SIM capability. 

But of course there are plenty of other manufacturers casting nets in this price bracket: The Sony Xperia L1 is fighting to hold its turf here, as are the Moto E4 Plus, the Umidigi A1 Pro and the somewhat more expensive Xiaomi Mi A1.

Huawei Y5 2018 (Y5 Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6739 4 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.45 inch 2:1, 1440 x 720 pixel 295 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 9.3 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Card Reader: microSD up to 256 GB, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, proximity sensor, USB-OTG
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM (850/​900/​1800/​1900), UMTS (900/​1900/​2100), LTE (B1/​B3/​B5/​B7/​B8/​B20), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.3 x 146.5 x 70.9 ( = 0.33 x 5.77 x 2.79 in)
Battery
11.47 Wh, 3020 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 8 MPix f/​2.2, contrast AF, LED flash
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix f/​2.2, LED flash
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker facing forward, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, charger, USB cable, SIM ejector tool, 24 Months Warranty, SAR value: 0.36W/​kg (head), 1.06W/​kg (body); LTE Cat.4: 150 Mb/s (download), 50 Mb/s (upload), fanless
Weight
145 g ( = 5.11 oz / 0.32 pounds), Power Supply: 50 g ( = 1.76 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
119 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Stable plastic case for the Huawei Y5

Buyers of the Huawei Y5 2018 will have to make do with a simple plastic case. In Europe, the color choices consist of black or blue. Thanks to its 18:9 display, the Huawei smartphone has a relatively narrow bezel, though other devices in this price category also offer a good screen-to-case ratio. At 145 grams (0.32 pounds), the Huawei Y5 2018 is a very lightweight smartphone. The phone's compact measurements make it well-suited for those with smaller hands. Thanks to its rounded edges, the device feels good in your hand. At a thickness of 8.3 mm (0.33 inches), the case is also built quite thin.

Besides producing a faint crackling sound when twisted, the case is very stable and seems to be of a good quality.

Huawei Y5 2018
Huawei Y5 2018
Huawei Y5 2018
Huawei Y5 2018
Huawei Y5 2018
Huawei Y5 2018

Size Comparison

155 mm / 6.1 inch 77.5 mm / 3.05 inch 9.6 mm / 0.378 inch 198 g0.4365 lbs155.4 mm / 6.12 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs151 mm / 5.94 inch 74 mm / 2.91 inch 8.7 mm / 0.3425 inch 180 g0.3968 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs145.1 mm / 5.71 inch 69.1 mm / 2.72 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 173 g0.3814 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - Huawei smartphone with separate microSD slot

16 GB of mass storage and 2 GB of RAM—no-one can expect more in this price bracket. The Umidigi A1 Pro and the Moto E4 Plus offer a little more RAM, otherwise this is as good as it gets. The Huawei Y5 can handle two SIM cards at once, and the device's memory can be expanded with a microSD card. Because the microSD slot is separate, it can be used in addition to the two SIM slots. The card can only be formatted as external memory; apps cannot be stored there.

Software - EMUI on the Huawei Y5

Android 8.1 serves as the operating system on this Huawei smartphone. EMUI, Huawei's proprietary user interface, sits above the Android OS.  The security patches are somewhat older—dated from April 1, 2018.

The phone also comes with preinstalled commercial apps and games from third parties. Those who prefer a blank slate will need to uninstall them manually. There are some useful apps from Huawei, such as a design app that changes the look of the user interface, and an app with tips for how to use the smartphone—just to name a few.

Software Huawei Y5
Software Huawei Y5
Software Huawei Y5

Communication and GPS - No 5 GHz WLAN on the Huawei phone

When it comes to WLAN, the Huawei smartphone supports the standards 802.11 b/g/n. This means the Y5 cannot access the lesser-used 5 GHz band, nor can it connect to faster 802.11 ac networks. In our standardized test with a Linksys EA8500 reference router, the smartphone's performance was average; other devices that can access the 5 GHz network, like the Sony Xperia L1, are substantially faster. In the vicinity of the router, the reception is good—though wait times can be quite long when loading web images.

Huawei built in a modem with LTE Cat. 4 and the phone supports six different frequency bands. This should be sufficient for trips within Europe, but travelers to far-off destinations (such as India or China) may find that the phone cannot access the networks there. In urban areas, even within buildings the reception is quite good.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Xiaomi Mi A1
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
237 MBit/s +353%
Sony Xperia L1
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
88.6 MBit/s +69%
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.8 MBit/s +7%
Huawei Y5 2018
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
52.3 MBit/s
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
46.8 MBit/s -11%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +623%
Xiaomi Mi A1
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
237 MBit/s +356%
Sony Xperia L1
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
92.2 MBit/s +77%
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.7 MBit/s +7%
Huawei Y5 2018
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
52 MBit/s
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
42.1 MBit/s -19%
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors

Indoors, the Huawei Y5 2018 cannot determine its location, but outdoors it is able to quickly ascertain its position with an accuracy of up to 5 meters (~16 feet)—a respectable achievement. There is no compass sensor, meaning the user cannot tell which direction the phone is facing in Google Maps or other map-related apps.

Our bike tour tests how well a smartphone does in practice in the realm of location services. We take a Garmin Edge 520 along for the ride—a professional navigation device for cyclists that serves as our reference. The result: The Huawei Y5 2018 is significantly less precise than the professional device, clipping curves and occasionally positioning us adjacent to our actual path. On the other hand, the accuracy is sufficient and actually a little impressive for such an inexpensive device. The smartphone usually recognized which side of the street we were on, and the divergences compared to the Garmin were not excessive.

GPS Garmin Edge 520 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – forest
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – forest
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – bridge
GPS Huawei Y5 2018 – overview
GPS Huawei Y5 2018 – overview
GPS Huawei Y5 2018 – forest
GPS Huawei Y5 2018 – forest
GPS Huawei Y5 2018 – bridge
GPS Huawei Y5 2018 – bridge

Phone Function and Call Quality - Echo and distant voice

Huawei made a few changes to the standard Android phone app, though it remains clearly laid out and has not been altered significantly.

The call quality is low, as is only to be expected in this price bracket: The person on the other end is relatively intelligible over the ear piece, though the voice feels distant and is accompanied by an electronic echo. Our conversation partner also experienced our voice as distant and accompanied by background noise. Over the built-in speakerphone, the person on the other end sounds quiet and far-off. The sound quality of our voice was more or less the same as in the normal telephone mode.

Cameras - Decent single cameras in the Huawei Y5

Front camera shot
Front camera shot

An 8-megapixel camera with LED flash is located on the back side of the Huawei Y5 2018; on the front, there is a 5-megapixel lens with LED support. Those are relatively low resolutions—the devices in our comparison list all have back cameras with at least 13 megapixels.

First, we will take a look at some photos captured by the front camera: The color reproduction is reasonably good, and the sharpness is acceptable for this price bracket. Light areas bloom very quickly, however.

Photos taken with the main camera lack definition in both light and dark areas. On the other hand, the image sharpness is acceptable, and details come through quite well. In low lighting, the camera lightens the image reasonably well, but the auto-focus struggles.

The main camera records videos at 1080p. The exposure adjustment reacts quickly, if stepwise, to changes in brightness. Details are reproduced just fine. Colors, on the other hand, look somewhat too pale.

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

In standardized lighting conditions, colors appear a little too dark; our test chart looks over-sharpened, as evidenced by the superfluous details around objects. But the extra elements are only visible when we zoom in; overall the photos look quite good—certainly acceptable for use on social media at low resolution.

Test chart photographed
Test chart photographed
Test chart detail
Test chart detail
ColorChecker colors photographed; original colors inserted in the lower half of each patch
ColorChecker colors photographed; original colors inserted in the lower half of each patch

Accessories and Warranty - 24 months of warranty coverage

Besides a power supply and USB cable, the Y5's box only contains a SIM ejector tool and a quick-start guide.

The Huawei smartphone's warranty lasts 24 months in the EU. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Operation - Somewhat sluggish touchscreen

Huawei chose Swift Key as the smartphone's keyboard app. Whether the user prefers it to Google's GBoard or another keyboard app is a matter of taste, but it certainly offers a variety of settings options, themes and statistics. It is easy to type quickly on the keyboard, but due to the low system performance, sometimes it takes a while for the keyboard to appear.

The touchscreen does not work as smoothly as on other smartphones, but it is still fully functional. The menu keys are on the display; the only physical keys are the volume rocker on the right side of the case and the standby key. They do not feel particularly high-quality but function reliably.

Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard landscape mode

Display - Distorted colors on the Huawei Y5

Subpixels
Subpixels

The Y5's display consists of a slightly enlarged 720p panel in 2:1 format. 5.45-inch is an unusual size, but the difference compared to a 5.5-inch screen is not noticeable. At a maximum brightness of 469.9 cd/m², the display falls in the mid-range among the competitors. The brightness distribution is 91% similar across the screen, which is quite even. In large areas of the same or similar colors, the differences in brightness are not at all conspicuous.

473
cd/m²
468
cd/m²
457
cd/m²
477
cd/m²
475
cd/m²
446
cd/m²
489
cd/m²
481
cd/m²
463
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 489 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 469.9 cd/m² Minimum: 4.02 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 475 cd/m²
Contrast: 625:1 (Black: 0.76 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.12 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 12 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.342
Huawei Y5 2018
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Sony Xperia L1
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Umidigi A1 Pro
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Xiaomi Mi A1
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Screen
35%
30%
65%
43%
Brightness middle
475
425
-11%
479
1%
594
25%
503
6%
Brightness
470
425
-10%
478
2%
570
21%
478
2%
Brightness Distribution
91
93
2%
94
3%
86
-5%
88
-3%
Black Level *
0.76
0.37
51%
0.58
24%
0.22
71%
0.37
51%
Contrast
625
1149
84%
826
32%
2700
332%
1359
117%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.12
4.7
48%
4.5
51%
6.63
27%
3.92
57%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
18.86
8.3
56%
7.5
60%
13.99
26%
7.86
58%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12
4.6
62%
4.1
66%
9.2
23%
4.9
59%
Gamma
2.342 94%
2.17 101%
2.03 108%
2.24 98%
2.223 99%
CCT
9861 66%
7445 87%
7139 91%
8663 75%
7884 82%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 166.7 Hz ≤ 25 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 166.7 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 25 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 166.7 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

At less than 25% brightness, we measured a substantial display flicker that could cause problems for sensitive users. If you have had problems with displays in the past, it would be a good idea to try out the Huawei Y5 at low brightness in the store before you buy.

In our test with a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software, we see that the display has a visible blue cast and inaccurately reproduced colors. Blue tones in particular are greatly overrepresented.

CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN grayscale
CalMAN grayscale
CalMAN saturation
CalMAN saturation
CalMAN color space
CalMAN color space

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
18 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 11 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 34 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
41 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 19 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 59 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

From flat angles, the image on the IPS display is still easily recognizable, but the colors are faintly distorted. The Huawei Y5 smartphone is usable outdoors, though not under direct sunlight. In such bright conditions, the mediocre display brightness is too weak to outshine the intense surface reflections. But if the user retreats to a shadier spot, the display image is easily visible.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Outdoor use
Outdoor use

Performance - Huawei smartphone's performance typical for its class

The Mediatek MT6739, a relatively modern SoC, has four cores and a clock speed of up to 1.5 GHz—a typical level of performance for this price bracket. Time and again, the Huawei Y5 2018 is somewhat faster in our benchmarks than many of the competitors in our comparison list; the somewhat more expensive Xiaomi Mi A1, on the other hand, clearly possesses more performance power.

A PowerVR GE8100 serves as the system's graphics solution. The GPU clocks at 570 MHz and offers fairly weak performance, as one would expect of a chip in this price range.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
38060 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
30619 Points -20%
Sony Xperia L1
37495 Points -1%
Umidigi A1 Pro
36073 Points -5%
Xiaomi Mi A1
63101 Points +66%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (25012 - 38060, n=13)
33655 Points -12%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
45817 Points
Umidigi A1 Pro
45868 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
77161 Points +68%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (26874 - 46951, n=13)
41995 Points -8%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
4133 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3624 Points -12%
Sony Xperia L1
4285 Points +4%
Umidigi A1 Pro
4330 Points +5%
Xiaomi Mi A1
5721 Points +38%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (3742 - 5136, n=11)
4323 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +265%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
2675 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
2768 Points +3%
Sony Xperia L1
3237 Points +21%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3159 Points +18%
Xiaomi Mi A1
4895 Points +83%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2467 - 5377, n=16)
3206 Points +20%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +306%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
224 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
536 Points +139%
Sony Xperia L1
744 Points +232%
Umidigi A1 Pro
208 Points -7%
Xiaomi Mi A1
1263 Points +464%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (162 - 637, n=15)
291 Points +30%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +2446%
System (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
1363 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
1086 Points -20%
Sony Xperia L1
1338 Points -2%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1318 Points -3%
Xiaomi Mi A1
3187 Points +134%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1103 - 1526, n=15)
1294 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +606%
Memory (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
1034 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
591 Points -43%
Sony Xperia L1
798 Points -23%
Umidigi A1 Pro
802 Points -22%
Xiaomi Mi A1
881 Points -15%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (420 - 1039, n=15)
768 Points -26%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +503%
Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
187 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
208 Points +11%
Sony Xperia L1
386 Points +106%
Umidigi A1 Pro
184 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi A1
1012 Points +441%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (18 - 190, n=15)
160.5 Points -14%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +7333%
Web (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
10 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
620 Points +6100%
Sony Xperia L1
743 Points +7330%
Umidigi A1 Pro
10 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
895 Points +8850%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (7 - 624, n=15)
165.4 Points +1554%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +14770%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
662 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
556 Points -16%
Sony Xperia L1
674 Points +2%
Umidigi A1 Pro
665 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
881 Points +33%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (571 - 675, n=14)
632 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +665%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
1827 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
1562 Points -15%
Sony Xperia L1
1875 Points +3%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1852 Points +1%
Xiaomi Mi A1
4396 Points +141%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1418 - 1896, n=14)
1733 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +642%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
1451 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
952 Points -34%
Sony Xperia L1
1241 Points -14%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1450 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
3678 Points +153%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1125 - 1460, n=12)
1328 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +630%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
4161 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3692 Points -11%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3692 Points -11%
Sony Xperia L1
6669 Points +60%
Xiaomi Mi A1
13799 Points +232%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (3392 - 4339, n=17)
3912 Points -6%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
3575 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3183 Points -11%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3183 Points -11%
Sony Xperia L1
6015 Points +68%
Xiaomi Mi A1
13314 Points +272%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2878 - 4346, n=17)
3398 Points -5%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
9755 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
8390 Points -14%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
8390 Points -14%
Sony Xperia L1
10767 Points +10%
Xiaomi Mi A1
15816 Points +62%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (7103 - 10981, n=17)
9367 Points -4%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
125 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
163 Points +30%
Sony Xperia L1
285 Points +128%
Umidigi A1 Pro
168 Points +34%
Xiaomi Mi A1
476 Points +281%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (120 - 211, n=17)
157.5 Points +26%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +2696%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
102 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
133 Points +30%
Sony Xperia L1
238 Points +133%
Umidigi A1 Pro
140 Points +37%
Xiaomi Mi A1
390 Points +282%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (102 - 185, n=17)
131.6 Points +29%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +3670%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
562 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
753 Points +34%
Sony Xperia L1
939 Points +67%
Umidigi A1 Pro
537 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi A1
2079 Points +270%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (445 - 690, n=17)
567 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +432%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
84 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
99 Points +18%
Sony Xperia L1
184 Points +119%
Umidigi A1 Pro
108 Points +29%
Xiaomi Mi A1
473 Points +463%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (80 - 221, n=17)
104.9 Points +25%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +3073%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
68 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
79 Points +16%
Sony Xperia L1
149 Points +119%
Umidigi A1 Pro
88 Points +29%
Xiaomi Mi A1
388 Points +471%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (65 - 185, n=17)
85.4 Points +26%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +3804%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
560 Points
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
783 Points +40%
Sony Xperia L1
968 Points +73%
Umidigi A1 Pro
531 Points -5%
Xiaomi Mi A1
2070 Points +270%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (486 - 690, n=17)
567 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +457%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
10 fps
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
11 fps +10%
Sony Xperia L1
19 fps +90%
Umidigi A1 Pro
9.7 fps -3%
Xiaomi Mi A1
22 fps +120%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (8.2 - 15, n=17)
10.1 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +730%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
6 fps
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
6 fps 0%
Sony Xperia L1
11 fps +83%
Umidigi A1 Pro
6 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
23 fps +283%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (4.9 - 6.1, n=17)
5.64 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +3967%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
5.7 fps
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
4.8 fps -16%
Sony Xperia L1
8.8 fps +54%
Umidigi A1 Pro
5.4 fps -5%
Xiaomi Mi A1
9.5 fps +67%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (4.4 - 10, n=16)
5.61 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +1146%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
2.7 fps
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
2.2 fps -19%
Sony Xperia L1
4.1 fps +52%
Umidigi A1 Pro
2.7 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
9.8 fps +263%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2.2 - 2.8, n=14)
2.56 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +5011%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
3.4 fps
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3.4 fps 0%
Sony Xperia L1
6.3 fps +85%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3.3 fps -3%
Xiaomi Mi A1
6.3 fps +85%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2.6 - 6.7, n=16)
3.51 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +1662%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
1.6 fps
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
1.4 fps -12%
Sony Xperia L1
2.6 fps +63%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1.6 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
6.4 fps +300%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1.3 - 1.7, n=16)
1.494 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +5944%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
1.4 fps
Umidigi A1 Pro
1.4 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi A1
3.5 fps +150%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1.1 - 2.6, n=15)
1.553 fps +11%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +2964%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei Y5 2018
0.85 fps
Umidigi A1 Pro
0.9 fps +6%
Xiaomi Mi A1
3.6 fps +324%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (0.6 - 0.91, n=14)
0.826 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +6794%

Legend

 
Huawei Y5 2018 Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus Mediatek MT6737, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia L1 Mediatek MT6737T, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Umidigi A1 Pro Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Xiaomi Mi A1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash

Sized up against the other devices in our comparison list, the Y5's surfing performance is average. It is often necessary to wait for images or media content to load.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +1001%
Xiaomi Mi A1
26.08 Points +47%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
17.86 Points +1%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
17.7 Points
Sony Xperia L1 (Chrome 59)
17.37 Points -2%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (13.4 - 18.5, n=14)
16.7 Points -6%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus (Chrome 60)
14.55 Points -18%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +968%
Xiaomi Mi A1
4756 Points +52%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
3191 Points +2%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
3138 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2093 - 3386, n=15)
2945 Points -6%
Sony Xperia L1 (Chrome 59)
2684 Points -14%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus (Chrome 60)
2273 Points -28%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus (Chrome 60)
17405 ms * -6%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
16492 ms *
Average Mediatek MT6739 (13599 - 18154, n=16)
16427 ms * -0%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
15718 ms * +5%
Sony Xperia L1 (Chrome 59)
12507 ms * +24%
Xiaomi Mi A1
9868 ms * +40%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +90%

* ... smaller is better

Access to the internal eMMC storage is slow, much like the other devices in this price bracket. The Xiaomi Mi A1 offers somewhat faster access speeds, but in general, quicker UFS storage media are only available in considerably more expensive smartphones. In our tests with a Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference microSD card, the Huawei Y5 proves to be quite fast for its class, though it cannot even begin to approach the microSD card's maximum possible speeds.

Huawei Y5 2018Lenovo Moto E4 PlusSony Xperia L1Umidigi A1 ProXiaomi Mi A1Average 16 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
4%
-45%
-7%
65%
-31%
1329%
Sequential Read 256KB
245.3
194.4
-21%
181.9
-26%
269.2
10%
277.4
13%
164.5 ?(9.66 - 294, n=256)
-33%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
498%
Sequential Write 256KB
47.8
42
-12%
40.2
-16%
44.4
-7%
202.4
323%
43 ?(8.74 - 106.3, n=256)
-10%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
2153%
Random Read 4KB
39
19.15
-51%
13.6
-65%
29.6
-24%
78.1
100%
21.7 ?(2.49 - 62.1, n=256)
-44%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
518%
Random Write 4KB
11.8
29.4
149%
5.9
-50%
10.2
-14%
7.19
-39%
8.08 ?(0.49 - 44.9, n=256)
-32%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
2146%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
81.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
66.3
-19%
37.81 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-54%
81 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-1%
83.6
2%
59.1 ?(8.1 - 87.7, n=137)
-28%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
46.6
-25%
26.25 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-58%
58.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-6%
57.9
-7%
39.8 ?(6.38 - 65.8, n=137)
-36%

Games - Good enough for simple games

The smartphone is able to render 2D games like Angry Birds 2 smoothly, and simple 3D games like Temple Run 2 also run without a problem. The graphics unit also supports some graphics APIs like OpenGL 4.0 (which is reasonably current), meaning users should be able to continue playing the newest games over the next few years. Those who like to play more graphics-heavy games, such as Arena of Valor or PUBG Mobile, will need to pay more for their smartphones. The Huawei Y5 is too weak for these sorts of titles.

There is no lag in the smartphone's reaction to input via the position sensor or touchscreen.

Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2
Temple Run 2
Temple Run 2

Emissions - Remains relatively cool, weak speaker in the Huawei Y5

At 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) on the back side, the smartphone's maximum temperature is palpable, but it is neither critical nor uncomfortable. The maximum temperatures are substantially lower in idle mode, which means the smartphone can be used without a problem here.

Max. Load
 37.1 °C
99 F
34.2 °C
94 F
33.4 °C
92 F
 
 36.5 °C
98 F
34.2 °C
94 F
33.1 °C
92 F
 
 35.7 °C
96 F
34.1 °C
93 F
33.2 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 37.1 °C = 99 F
Average: 34.6 °C = 94 F
33.2 °C
92 F
34.5 °C
94 F
37.6 °C
100 F
33.7 °C
93 F
34.2 °C
94 F
37.7 °C
100 F
33.2 °C
92 F
34.6 °C
94 F
35.9 °C
97 F
Maximum: 37.7 °C = 100 F
Average: 35 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  36.5 °C = 98 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.6 °C / 94 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 37.1 °C / 99 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 37.7 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

Speaker test Pink Noise
Speaker test Pink Noise

The Huawei Y5 2018's speaker is hardly visible at first—until it becomes apparent that the speaker is one and the same with the earpiece. The sound streams forward as a result, which is a good thing—but the speaker is very quiet and only reaches 63.6 dB(A) at maximum volume. The sound is quite thin and dominated by high tones; lower mid-tones are almost entirely absent. Anyone who uses the speaker frequently will almost certainly be dissatisfied. Alternatively, users can stream over Bluetooth or plug a headset/external speakers into the 3.5 mm jack. Both transmissions generate a clean sound.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs202534.12527.6333126.835.54028.137.55028.134.76320.526.78017.526.110015.623.412515.92616014.422.220013.722.925012.226.431511.127.340010.134.750010.137.26309.346.58008.851.810008.553.312508.155.216008.35220007.746.825007.845.931508.146.840007.947.25000851.563008.253.380008.354.7100008.248.8125008.245.3160008.334.1SPL47.363.620.763N5.413.90.315.6median 8.3median 46.5median 10.5median 39.3Delta2.81110.223.728.730.525.832.429.831.129.327.832.534.32325.724.625.324.825.220.823.420.131.419.649.218.657.816.459.715.965.61570.814.673.314.271.213.976.613.87613.774.413.573.913.675.813.777.113.77413.97413.972.71470.61468.21464.91449.126.386.20.867.5median 14median 70.81.310hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHuawei Y5 2018Xiaomi Mi A1
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Huawei Y5 2018 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (63.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 67% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 82% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Xiaomi Mi A1 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 19% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 40% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life - Good battery life

When it comes to energy consumption, the Huawei Y5 is well-designed. Most of the numbers look good. The minimum power draw in idle and the draw under load are the only results that are somewhat elevated, and even so, they still fall in the mid-range among the competition.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.04 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.3 / 1.7 / 2.5 Watt
Load midlight 5.5 / 6.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        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 Y5 2018
3020 mAh
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
5000 mAh
Sony Xperia L1
2620 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Xiaomi Mi A1
3080 mAh
Average Mediatek MT6739
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
26%
3%
-15%
-38%
-7%
12%
Idle Minimum *
1.3
0.89
32%
0.89
32%
1.8
-38%
2.2
-69%
1.522 ?(0.87 - 2.8, n=16)
-17%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
31%
Idle Average *
1.7
1.87
-10%
2.05
-21%
2.3
-35%
2.8
-65%
2.17 ?(1.6 - 3.5, n=16)
-28%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Maximum *
2.5
1.98
21%
2.18
13%
3.2
-28%
3.4
-36%
2.86 ?(1.68 - 6.3, n=16)
-14%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
35%
Load Average *
5.5
3.04
45%
6.02
-9%
4.7
15%
6.2
-13%
4.73 ?(2.8 - 7, n=16)
14%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-1%
Load Maximum *
6.8
4.01
41%
6.94
-2%
6
12%
7.2
-6%
5.99 ?(3.5 - 11.9, n=16)
12%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-22%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Huawei smartphone lasted a good 11:25 hours in our WLAN test. This is a good result, especially given that the 3020 mAh battery is somewhat small. As a result, buyers can have confidence that the Huawei Y5 will last through a workday. With more infrequent use, the device could even last multiple days on a single charge. The little power supply delivers a maximum of 5 watts and needs about 2 hours to fully charge the Huawei smartphone.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
11h 25min
Huawei Y5 2018
3020 mAh
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
5000 mAh
Sony Xperia L1
2620 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Xiaomi Mi A1
3080 mAh
Battery Runtime
15%
-17%
-11%
-8%
WiFi v1.3
685
788
15%
567
-17%
608
-11%
633
-8%
Reader / Idle
1398
H.264
656
Load
223

Pros

+ long battery life
+ lightweight and stable case
+ remains cool

Cons

- no 5 GHz WLAN
- very weak speaker
- display flickers at low brightness

Verdict - Decent budget smartphone

In review: Huawei Y5 2018. Test device courtesy of Huawei Germany.
In review: Huawei Y5 2018. Test device courtesy of Huawei Germany.

Huawei cut costs all over the place for the Huawei Y5 2018: The earpiece that simultaneously serves as a mediocre speaker, the simple plastic case, and the missing 5 GHz WLAN band are a few examples. But in exchange, buyers will pay less than 120 Euros (~$140; US version ~$120) for a smartphone with a modern thin bezel, good battery life and decent single cameras.

A low price and decent features: The Huawei Y5 2018 is a budget phone with dignity.

Given that content and apps frequently take time to load, buyers cannot be performance junkies—but overall, the Huawei Y5 2018 offers a good price-performance ratio. Those who desire better hardware at the same price can take a look at the Umidigi A1 Pro, which supports 5 GHz WLAN, has a quick-charge function, and it is dressed up in a snazzy case. But those features come in exchange for slightly shortened battery life.

Huawei Y5 2018 - 07/17/2018 v6(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
67%
Keyboard
64 / 75 → 85%
Pointing Device
82%
Connectivity
32 / 60 → 53%
Weight
93%
Battery
94%
Display
79%
Games Performance
6 / 63 → 10%
Application Performance
35 / 70 → 50%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
38 / 91 → 42%
Camera
49%
Average
64%
76%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Florian Wimmer, 2018-07-20 (Update: 2019-03- 9)