Huawei’s online-only Honor vary of smartphones has been developed and positioned as complementary to the mother or father firm’s extra premium merchandise. Naturally, it is focused at creating markets reminiscent of India, and the telephones have managed to generate sufficient buzz and a spotlight to make Honor a major participant within the funds and mid-range smartphone segments in India.
The latest product from the Honor secure is the Honor 5X 2024. This mid-range smartphone has a bit of little bit of every thing that you simply may be searching for in a smartphone. With a fingerprint sensor, 4G dual-SIM connectivity and the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 SoC, the Honor 5X has loads to supply for Rs. Honor 5X Assessment12,999. There’s additionally Huawei’s fame, which obtained a major increase after the Chinese language firm was chosen to fabricate the Google Nexus 6P (Assessment | Photos). Does the Honor 5X stay as much as and even exceed typical mid-range expectations? We discover out in our assessment.
Feel and look
One of many Honor 5X’s key options is the truth that it has a metallic physique. The controversy as as to whether metallic or plastic is healthier for a smartphone will proceed to rage on for so long as the Earth revolves across the Solar, however for these of us preferring having a extra sturdy materials, that is clearly factor.
Having stated that, the gadget’s end appears and feels extra like plastic than metallic. Honor appears to have tried too arduous to make the gadget look metallic, and gone barely backwards within the course of. A part of the rationale can also be the truth that the cellphone would not really feel very heavy – oddly sufficient, it weighs even lower than some equally sized plastic telephones do. The standard advantages that metallic gives are, consequently, misplaced in translation.
The again is extraordinarily busy, with the digital camera and single-tone LED flash on the high, fingerprint sensor proper beneath them, and the Honor brand and regulatory textual content proper on the backside. The fingerprint sensor is identical color because the physique and blends in slightly properly, however the regulatory textual content stands out and diminishes the look of the again. Whereas Honor is clearly obligated to place that textual content there, it may have been positioned much less prominently.
The perimeters of the Honor 5X are a part of the identical aluminium alloy piece because the again, however the high and backside are plastic, and look visibly totally different from the metallic bits. It is a slightly bothersome side of the aesthetic, and in our opinion, makes an entire mess of what would have been an in any other case acceptable cellphone to have a look at.
That apart, the perimeters are respectable when it comes to grip and really feel. The ability and quantity keys are positioned on the suitable, the SIM and microSD trays are on the left, the three.5mm socket is on the highest, and the Micro-USB port and speaker are on the backside. There are two grilles, however solely the one on the suitable truly homes a speaker. There are fortuitously separate trays for each SIMs in addition to expandable storage. One SIM tray can maintain a Nano-SIM whereas the opposite is designed for a Micro-SIM. Each slots are 4G-enabled, so this presents a little bit of flexibility to the person.
The entrance of the gadget has a 5.5-inch IPS-LCD display screen, and there is a 72.2 p.c screen-to-body ratio. The gadget doesn’t have capacitive off-screen navigation buttons, relying as an alternative on on-screen ones. On the high are the proximity sensor, entrance digital camera, earpiece, and notification mild. The cellphone additionally comes with a factory-fitted display screen protector movie which fortuitously had been utilized correctly on our unit. Working throughout the entrance and lengthening partly onto the perimeters is a easy plastic strip. On our gold assessment unit, the strip was a reflective shade of gold and provided some attention-grabbing visible aid to the uninteresting shade of the remainder of the physique.
The display screen itself is a 1080×1920-pixel affair, with a pixel density of 401ppi. We have usually stated that full-HD needs to be the naked minimal acceptable decision for five.5-inch screens on mid-range gadgets, so the Honor 5X deserves credit score for not skimping on that entrance. Aside from that, it is a respectable display screen when it comes to brightness, colors, and element. Watching YouTube and Netflix movies on the Honor 5X is pleasant.
Specs and software program
The Honor 5X 2024 is a mid-range smartphone with sometimes mid-range specs related to what’s provided by a lot of the competitors as we speak. Nonetheless, there are a few attention-grabbing issues to notice. The 5X is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 SoC, which is actually a barely up to date model of final yr’s Snapdragon 615. Some apps do establish the SoC on the 5X because the Snapdragon 615, for the reason that 616 is actually a 615 ‘v2’. Nonetheless, we’ve got been assured by the Huawei that the cellphone does in actual fact sport the newer one.
Different specs embody 2GB of RAM, a comparatively modest 16GB of inner storage (expandable by as much as 128GB utilizing a microSD card), a 3000mAh non-removable battery and Android 5.1.1 out of the field with EMUI three.1 on high. We’re a bit disenchanted that the Honor 5X hasn’t launched with Android Marshmallow. Additionally, though 2GB of RAM is enough for many functions, potential patrons could also be tempted by equally priced rivals which supply 3GB.
Because of its single-layered person interface, Huawei’s EMUI three.1 generally is a bit bothersome to make use of. We went into element about this once we reviewed the Honor 7 (Assessment | Photos), and the software program is essentially the identical on the 5X. Nonetheless, the 5X is not fairly as succesful a tool because the Honor 7, which does have a tendency to point out within the interface, and there are fewer customisation choices.
We’re nonetheless not significantly keen on the best way the interface appears both. The icons lack finesse and look slightly poor, and the general design is lacking the sense of sophistication that we’re used to seeing on producer UIs reminiscent of Sense UI and even inventory Android. Sure apps continuously push you notifications to activate them. The SOS Emergency app refused to depart us alone till we had it arrange, whether or not we wished to make use of it or not.
Each time you put in a brand new app, the cellphone prompts you to grant or deny it permission to ship you notifications, and the system by default prevents non-system purposes from operating within the background. There may be additionally a power-saving immediate which continuously reveals you which ones apps are utilizing an excessive amount of energy, however this will fortuitously be switched off.
One helpful characteristic within the Honor 5X is the fingerprint sensor, which is of the 360-degree selection and can detect a fingerprint at any angle. It is fast and correct, and infrequently ever required a second contact. The cellphone is able to detecting a fingerprint when in standby, which signifies that you need not first wake the gadget earlier than unlocking it.
The sensor can after all be used to unlock the cellphone, however an attention-grabbing characteristic lets you unlock it and bounce on to a specific app on detecting a particular fingerprint. For instance, you may set your proper index finger to unlock the cellphone, whereas the left index finger might be set to unlock and instantly load up Whatsapp, the digital camera, or anything. As much as 5 fingerprints might be saved, every set to set off its personal perform, which we discovered extremely helpful.
Cameras Honor 5X
The Honor 5X has a 13-megapixel main digital camera with single-tone LED flash and variable focus, and a 5-megapixel entrance digital camera with fastened focus. The rear digital camera can document video at as much as 1080p decision, whereas the entrance digital camera is able to video recording at 720p. Each cameras have loads of video modes and choices, together with a bunch of guide controls, filters and settings that hold the digital camera vigorous.
The digital camera app is identical because the one we noticed on the Honor 7, with the identical set of controls and options in place. Modes for panorama, all-focus, HDR, gradual movement video, watermark and audio be aware are all helpful choices, and extra modes for magnificence, meals and time-lapse might need takers as properly. There may be fast entry to the filters, flash toggle, and digital camera switcher, whereas the timer might be accessed by the Settings menu. GPS tagging, touch-to-capture, object monitoring and backbone will also be managed by the Settings menu. It is a respectable digital camera app that will appear a bit complicated due to the variety of controls and settings, however is one thing we warmed as much as shortly.
The first digital camera is respectable for a mid-range shooter, and is able to delivering glorious color and element in good mild. Outside pictures are among the many higher ones we have seen from telephones within the worth vary. Detailing is superb, with sharp photos that do not have an excessive amount of noise and grain. Low-light pictures, whereas naturally inferior to well-lit out of doors photos, are respectable sufficient too. Though color and element are likely to undergo a bit, the photographs are surprisingly away from the everyday grain that we would see in low-light pictures.
Focusing is a little bit of a problem although, because the Honor 5X is commonly a bit too gradual to lock focus. Moreover, it is not good at monitoring transferring objects and shortly adjusting the main target. The entrance digital camera is respectable for selfies and video calls, butnothing extra. On the entire, occasional digital camera customers will not be disenchanted with the efficiency of the Honor 5X, and extra energetic photographers will discover sufficient to be completely satisfied.
Efficiency Honor 5X
Though Honor’s mother or father firm Huawei manufactures its personal SoCs underneath the HiSilicon model identify, some Honor gadgets do not use them. The Honor 5X is an instance of this, and makes use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 SoC. As you’ll anticipate, the SoC gave us efficiency similar to its predecessor, with easy functioning by the person interface, respectable efficiency with video games and closely encoded movies, and minimal heating points.
When it got here to benchmark figures, the Honor 5X carried out properly sufficient for a cellphone in its class. AnTuTu and Quadrant returned figures of 35,137 and 26,368 respectively, whereas GFXBench and 3DMark Ice Storm Excessive managed14fps and 5508. As acknowledged, this interprets into respectable actual world efficiency that’s dependable and environment friendly.
Transferring on to primary performance, the Honor 5X proved greater than able to holding on to each information and Wi-Fi networks, and was good when it got here to name high quality as properly. The gadget normally managed to select up 3G even in poorly lined areas that normally pressure different telephones to drop to 2G, which is commendable. The battery life was a bit weak although, regardless of the pretty giant 3000mAh battery underneath the hood. The cellphone ran for 9 hours, 26 minutes in our video loop take a look at, which is a bit decrease than we have been anticipating. In real-world utilization, it managed to go a full day on some events, however normally wanted charging earlier than the day was over.
Verdict Honor 5X
The Honor 5X is a wise mid-range smartphone that checks all the suitable containers. It is constructed properly, appears acceptable, has all the suitable connectivity choices, and has an honest digital camera too. Moreover, it is obtained a wonderful display screen and helpful fingerprint sensor that does much more than most rivals’ choices. The Honor 5X can be dependable and easy in operation. The one actual shortcomings are annoying software program and barely sub-par battery life, however these are simply forgivable when you think about the general package deal.
Whereas this straightforward, practical method is praiseworthy, the Honor 5X would not do something significantly particular to set itself aside from the competitors. Gadgets such because the Moto G (third Gen) (Assessment), Moto G Turbo Version (Assessment), and Lenovo Vibe K4 Word are prone to attraction to customers extra, and the Honor 5X may get misplaced within the crowd. Hold this one in thoughts for those who’re searching for a no-nonsense smartphone that has just about every thing you want.
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I used to have one of these items last year, I recommend it.
my dad bought me one of these items back in 2001, its very good.
We had one of these things when I was little, its very good.
Son, this is impressively off the hook.