- Apr 23, 2011
- 30,106
- 203
- 63
Note that this review is posted on 1-28-16. This is a few days before the USA launch. If an update is pushed on or before the launch date then I will update the review. However, I wanted to put this out there in case there are people who are still deciding. Also, this was tested on wifi only, i plan to test it on cellular next week and will update my findings then.
-Build quality
-Top notch fingerprint scanner
-Great battery life
-Screen
Cons:
-Lots of random slowness
-Very aggressive and overbearing power management by default
-Software experience is different than what most USA smartphone users are used to
Hardware / Build / External Body:
Honor states that it has a metallic body. Overall the 5X feels great in the hand and a better build quality and feel than my Moto G, Moto E, and Asus Zenphone 2. However, I believe that the top and the bottom are plastic, which is probably to house the various antennas. While some minor plastic isn’t really a big deal, I am not sure why they chose to use a dotted finish on the top and the bottom, instead of continuing the brushed type finish on the back. Additionally, there are 5 different finishes on the device – the main portion of the back which is brushed aluminum, the top and bottom of the back, which is a dotted finish; the sides, which has a sanded finish; the chamfered connection between the back and the sides, which has what looks to be machined finish, similar to the Note 4; and the portion right under the screen which has a glossy finish. Of note, I have the same problem that I had on my Note 4, which is that the chamfered portion scratches easily. These are somewhat minor points, and the 5X is really good in terms of build quality for the price point, but it is a noticeable step below the iPhone and S6/Note 5 which uses a more uniform look throughout, which is fine because those devices cost much more.
Going beyond the materials, the bottom has a uniform grilles on both sides which is aesthetically pleasing, one for the speaker, and one for the microphone. The back has the camera and flash as well as the fingerprint scanner. The left side has two slots for the micro sim + SD card and a nano sim slot. The top has a headphone jack and a mic hole.
The power and volume buttons are on the right side, and they have a good grooved texture and feel to them. They also require a moderate amount of force to press, so it shouldn’t accidentally turn on in your pocket. Of note, Honor chose to put the volume buttons on top, and the power buttons down on the side, which is different than some other Android devices like the Nexii and Moto series.
Display:
The display is a 1080p 5.5” IPS LCD screen which is quite excellent for the price point. Way better than the Zenphone 2, and not far in quality from my Note 5 (which is a compliment). As with most IPS screens, the viewing angles are great. Brightness is good enough for usage outdoors in direct sunlight. Not as bright as the Note 5, but good enough. One nice thing is that it allows for adjustments to auto brightness, which is a very nice feature. The screen doesn’t get as dark as I would like at night, however, you can use a third party brightness app or use a screen filtering app if you need it darker.
The screen does lack an oleophobic coating, so there will be fingerprints galore. There is a pre-installed plastic screen protector which also gets fingerprints galore. You can easily buy a screen protector to resolve this problem, so I am not docking Honor for this since I always get screen protectors anyways. There are tempered glass screen protectors out there which go almost edge to edge, and with a case, you will barely notice that the screen protector is even there.
Performance and Battery Life:
Honor promises, an “Incredible 8 core high performance processor with 2 GB RAM for a smooth, responsive user experience.”
While they deliver on the 8 core processor and 2 GB RAM, the “high performance” and “smooth responsive user experience” is debatable.
If the 5X is the only device you use, then it will probably be fine. However, if you have used multiple devices, then it will become apparent that the Honor 5X has a lot of random minor slowness, sometimes even when scrolling between home screens. It comes with the Power Saving mode set to “Smart” by default, and that was really laggy. For this review, I changed the Power Saving Mode to “Normal” which would maximize performance. The 5X has a Snapdragon 615 which is an octa-core a53 chip. I have a ZTE Zmax2 (which is $80 as of today, 1/28/16 on Best Buy and Walmart) which seems to perform slightly better than the 5x, and which has a Snapdragon 410 quad core A53. Granted the Zmax2 does have a 720p screen so that might be part of the problem. Looking in the $200 price range, the Zenphone 2 has quite good performance, substantially better than the 5X. The other problem could be that Honor tuned the kernel more towards battery life, which is quite excellent for the price range. Honor claims over a full day of heavy use, but doesn’t define heavy usage. Some days, I have used around 15 hours SOT, and even with straight SOT, I could probably get 9-10 hours max. Which is very good, but, not over a full day of heavy use for me.
I used the 5X on Wi-Fi for Navigation using Google Maps with satellite view for about 30 minutes, and the battery temperature reached 117°F. Note that I do have it set to full brightness.
I have watched Netflix and YouTube 1080p, and the 5X runs this without a hitch.
Software:
The first thing I need to mention is that the software is way different from any USA spec’d Android device that I have used. It is closer to what you would see in an Apple iPhone. They changed the look dramatically. There is no app drawer by default (although you can add a third party one). All the apps are thrown on the screen, just like the iPhone. So for those who are coming from iPhones, then this can be a positive. And this is true, however, using a third party launcher in conjunction with to achieve some maneuverability, you can rely on folders to organize the apps. I did use the stock UI for about a week and then changed to Nova Launcher, which is what I use on all my phones, and once I installed Nova, the experience isn’t far off from other phones that I used. Some icons appear to be cutoff or otherwise “weird” due to the way that Honor maximizes the icons. However, this could be fixed using a third party launcher with a third party icon pack.
Another annoying thing is that it will sometimes pop up “Consumption reminder” messages indicating that a certain app is consuming power. While power users might find this useful for troubleshooting purposes, normally, I don’t want to see that.
Some other things that power users might enjoy is the “Protected apps” section in the settings – you can allow or dis-allow apps to run when the screen is off. However, by default, all of the apps that you installed are set to off, by default. So if you want some apps to run when the screen is off, then be sure to enable it. There is also a “Networked apps” section, which allows you to disable either mobile data or Wi-Fi for any app you install, or all apps. There is also a “ Data Traffic Management” section which tells you how much data you used on a particular day.
Swiping down from the top brings up the notification panel, which shows the notifications in chronological order with a time stamp next to them. This is a nice addition over stock Android. Also, on the topic of notification bar, when in airplane mode, you can only have 4 notification icons. If you have 5 or more notifications, then you will see 3 plus the overflow icon. Keep in mind that if you are running Maps, then the location and Maps notifications already take up two of the four slots. I wished that they could just use a small airplane icon, instead of plastering a large chunk of the notification bar with the words “Airplane mode”. Those who don’t like heads up (Banner) notifications can disable them under Settings-Notification center. You will need to uncheck the “banner” option for each app.
One nice thing is that when a Bluetooth device is connected, then you will see a battery bar for the Bluetooth device. This is something that I haven’t seen on any other Android device.
There is a one handed UI, and you can choose which side it goes on, but you cannot resize the window.
There are some built in motion controls like flip to mute, double tap to turn on the screen, and draw a letter to open an app. The letter cannot be changed, however the app that it opens can be customized. Also, if you have a secure lock screen, then drawing a letter will only take you to the lock screen. Drawing a letter again will ask for the pin or password. After you enter it then the app you select will open. Though honestly, it is much simpler to just set a fingerprint to open the app you want.
The Smart Assistance Menu also has some nice features :
I particularly like the touch disable mode, which disables touches when in the pocket, so you don't have to worry about accidentally pressing something.
Camera:
The camera is good considering the price point. It does look very much like the iPhone camera app. Phones in the $200 price range have improved dramatically in terms of camera over the past few years. My Moto G 1[SUP]st[/SUP] gen camera is pretty terrible. But this camera is good, but not perfect. It doesn’t have Optical Image Stabilization, which is expected for the price tag. It does get grainy in low light shots, but still acceptable considering the price point. If this phone came out in 2013, then the camera would have been considered excellent. But in 2015 (and early 2016), $200 phones have had really good cameras like the Moto G 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] Gen. As such, the camera is about average in its class, which is a good thing.
Fingerprint scanner:
And finally, I saved the best for last – the Fingerprint scanner is top notch. It is more accurate than my Note 5, and extremely quick. You can add up to 5 fingers. In addition to unlocking the screen, it has the following capabilities
-App lock (require FPS to open certain apps, needs to be enabled under fingerprints, then select apps in the “Phone Manager” app)
-Access safe (You can set select files to require a fingerprint to view them)
-Quick Launch – You can setup a fingerprint to open a certain app or call a certain contact.
Aside from this, you can use any finger for the following:
-Back button – tap the FPS
-Back to home – Long press the FPS
-Take a photo/video – long press the FPS
-Answer call – long press the FPS
-Stop alarm – Long press the FPS
-Show recent applications – Swipe up on the FPS
-Show notification panel – Swipe down on the FPS
Note that I rest my index finger on the FPS when in my hand, so I disabled the back button and back to home options, as it would accidentally trigger those when I rest my finger on the FPS.
Miscellaneous
-The speaker is pretty loud, but one thing I don’t like is the minimum volume above silent is a little high.
-No NFC
-No Wi-Fi 5GHz
Conclusion:
Overall, if you can get over the performance glitches, then it is a good phone for the price range. The Fingerprint scanner is excellent and Honor threw in many nice features with it. I am not docking for the EMUI design, as it is a personal preference, and installing a third party launcher can alleviate most of it. I am a bit disappointed that it is launching in the USA without Marshmallow, but at least they did push the January security update about 2 weeks after the Nexii, which isn’t bad.
However, the $200 price tag is a tightly contested space. Asus Zenphone 2 can be had for $200, OnePlus X $250 (Snapdragon 801), G Flex 2 (Snapdragon 810, same in the Nexus 6P) dropped to $230 as of 1/28/16. The Nexus 6(Snapdragon 805) 32 GB has dropped to $200 before and has dropped a few times to $250. All providing substantially better performance than the 5X – BUT – all lack metallic body and top notch fingerprint scanner. So if those two criteria are high on your list, then the 5X is for you.
Honor 5X review
Pros: -Build quality
-Top notch fingerprint scanner
-Great battery life
-Screen
Cons:
-Lots of random slowness
-Very aggressive and overbearing power management by default
-Software experience is different than what most USA smartphone users are used to
Hardware / Build / External Body:
Honor states that it has a metallic body. Overall the 5X feels great in the hand and a better build quality and feel than my Moto G, Moto E, and Asus Zenphone 2. However, I believe that the top and the bottom are plastic, which is probably to house the various antennas. While some minor plastic isn’t really a big deal, I am not sure why they chose to use a dotted finish on the top and the bottom, instead of continuing the brushed type finish on the back. Additionally, there are 5 different finishes on the device – the main portion of the back which is brushed aluminum, the top and bottom of the back, which is a dotted finish; the sides, which has a sanded finish; the chamfered connection between the back and the sides, which has what looks to be machined finish, similar to the Note 4; and the portion right under the screen which has a glossy finish. Of note, I have the same problem that I had on my Note 4, which is that the chamfered portion scratches easily. These are somewhat minor points, and the 5X is really good in terms of build quality for the price point, but it is a noticeable step below the iPhone and S6/Note 5 which uses a more uniform look throughout, which is fine because those devices cost much more.
Going beyond the materials, the bottom has a uniform grilles on both sides which is aesthetically pleasing, one for the speaker, and one for the microphone. The back has the camera and flash as well as the fingerprint scanner. The left side has two slots for the micro sim + SD card and a nano sim slot. The top has a headphone jack and a mic hole.
The power and volume buttons are on the right side, and they have a good grooved texture and feel to them. They also require a moderate amount of force to press, so it shouldn’t accidentally turn on in your pocket. Of note, Honor chose to put the volume buttons on top, and the power buttons down on the side, which is different than some other Android devices like the Nexii and Moto series.
Display:
The display is a 1080p 5.5” IPS LCD screen which is quite excellent for the price point. Way better than the Zenphone 2, and not far in quality from my Note 5 (which is a compliment). As with most IPS screens, the viewing angles are great. Brightness is good enough for usage outdoors in direct sunlight. Not as bright as the Note 5, but good enough. One nice thing is that it allows for adjustments to auto brightness, which is a very nice feature. The screen doesn’t get as dark as I would like at night, however, you can use a third party brightness app or use a screen filtering app if you need it darker.
The screen does lack an oleophobic coating, so there will be fingerprints galore. There is a pre-installed plastic screen protector which also gets fingerprints galore. You can easily buy a screen protector to resolve this problem, so I am not docking Honor for this since I always get screen protectors anyways. There are tempered glass screen protectors out there which go almost edge to edge, and with a case, you will barely notice that the screen protector is even there.
Performance and Battery Life:
Honor promises, an “Incredible 8 core high performance processor with 2 GB RAM for a smooth, responsive user experience.”
While they deliver on the 8 core processor and 2 GB RAM, the “high performance” and “smooth responsive user experience” is debatable.
If the 5X is the only device you use, then it will probably be fine. However, if you have used multiple devices, then it will become apparent that the Honor 5X has a lot of random minor slowness, sometimes even when scrolling between home screens. It comes with the Power Saving mode set to “Smart” by default, and that was really laggy. For this review, I changed the Power Saving Mode to “Normal” which would maximize performance. The 5X has a Snapdragon 615 which is an octa-core a53 chip. I have a ZTE Zmax2 (which is $80 as of today, 1/28/16 on Best Buy and Walmart) which seems to perform slightly better than the 5x, and which has a Snapdragon 410 quad core A53. Granted the Zmax2 does have a 720p screen so that might be part of the problem. Looking in the $200 price range, the Zenphone 2 has quite good performance, substantially better than the 5X. The other problem could be that Honor tuned the kernel more towards battery life, which is quite excellent for the price range. Honor claims over a full day of heavy use, but doesn’t define heavy usage. Some days, I have used around 15 hours SOT, and even with straight SOT, I could probably get 9-10 hours max. Which is very good, but, not over a full day of heavy use for me.
I used the 5X on Wi-Fi for Navigation using Google Maps with satellite view for about 30 minutes, and the battery temperature reached 117°F. Note that I do have it set to full brightness.
I have watched Netflix and YouTube 1080p, and the 5X runs this without a hitch.
Software:
The first thing I need to mention is that the software is way different from any USA spec’d Android device that I have used. It is closer to what you would see in an Apple iPhone. They changed the look dramatically. There is no app drawer by default (although you can add a third party one). All the apps are thrown on the screen, just like the iPhone. So for those who are coming from iPhones, then this can be a positive. And this is true, however, using a third party launcher in conjunction with to achieve some maneuverability, you can rely on folders to organize the apps. I did use the stock UI for about a week and then changed to Nova Launcher, which is what I use on all my phones, and once I installed Nova, the experience isn’t far off from other phones that I used. Some icons appear to be cutoff or otherwise “weird” due to the way that Honor maximizes the icons. However, this could be fixed using a third party launcher with a third party icon pack.
Another annoying thing is that it will sometimes pop up “Consumption reminder” messages indicating that a certain app is consuming power. While power users might find this useful for troubleshooting purposes, normally, I don’t want to see that.
Some other things that power users might enjoy is the “Protected apps” section in the settings – you can allow or dis-allow apps to run when the screen is off. However, by default, all of the apps that you installed are set to off, by default. So if you want some apps to run when the screen is off, then be sure to enable it. There is also a “Networked apps” section, which allows you to disable either mobile data or Wi-Fi for any app you install, or all apps. There is also a “ Data Traffic Management” section which tells you how much data you used on a particular day.
Swiping down from the top brings up the notification panel, which shows the notifications in chronological order with a time stamp next to them. This is a nice addition over stock Android. Also, on the topic of notification bar, when in airplane mode, you can only have 4 notification icons. If you have 5 or more notifications, then you will see 3 plus the overflow icon. Keep in mind that if you are running Maps, then the location and Maps notifications already take up two of the four slots. I wished that they could just use a small airplane icon, instead of plastering a large chunk of the notification bar with the words “Airplane mode”. Those who don’t like heads up (Banner) notifications can disable them under Settings-Notification center. You will need to uncheck the “banner” option for each app.
One nice thing is that when a Bluetooth device is connected, then you will see a battery bar for the Bluetooth device. This is something that I haven’t seen on any other Android device.
There is a one handed UI, and you can choose which side it goes on, but you cannot resize the window.
There are some built in motion controls like flip to mute, double tap to turn on the screen, and draw a letter to open an app. The letter cannot be changed, however the app that it opens can be customized. Also, if you have a secure lock screen, then drawing a letter will only take you to the lock screen. Drawing a letter again will ask for the pin or password. After you enter it then the app you select will open. Though honestly, it is much simpler to just set a fingerprint to open the app you want.
The Smart Assistance Menu also has some nice features :
I particularly like the touch disable mode, which disables touches when in the pocket, so you don't have to worry about accidentally pressing something.
Camera:
The camera is good considering the price point. It does look very much like the iPhone camera app. Phones in the $200 price range have improved dramatically in terms of camera over the past few years. My Moto G 1[SUP]st[/SUP] gen camera is pretty terrible. But this camera is good, but not perfect. It doesn’t have Optical Image Stabilization, which is expected for the price tag. It does get grainy in low light shots, but still acceptable considering the price point. If this phone came out in 2013, then the camera would have been considered excellent. But in 2015 (and early 2016), $200 phones have had really good cameras like the Moto G 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] Gen. As such, the camera is about average in its class, which is a good thing.
Fingerprint scanner:
And finally, I saved the best for last – the Fingerprint scanner is top notch. It is more accurate than my Note 5, and extremely quick. You can add up to 5 fingers. In addition to unlocking the screen, it has the following capabilities
-App lock (require FPS to open certain apps, needs to be enabled under fingerprints, then select apps in the “Phone Manager” app)
-Access safe (You can set select files to require a fingerprint to view them)
-Quick Launch – You can setup a fingerprint to open a certain app or call a certain contact.
Aside from this, you can use any finger for the following:
-Back button – tap the FPS
-Back to home – Long press the FPS
-Take a photo/video – long press the FPS
-Answer call – long press the FPS
-Stop alarm – Long press the FPS
-Show recent applications – Swipe up on the FPS
-Show notification panel – Swipe down on the FPS
Note that I rest my index finger on the FPS when in my hand, so I disabled the back button and back to home options, as it would accidentally trigger those when I rest my finger on the FPS.
Miscellaneous
-The speaker is pretty loud, but one thing I don’t like is the minimum volume above silent is a little high.
-No NFC
-No Wi-Fi 5GHz
Conclusion:
Overall, if you can get over the performance glitches, then it is a good phone for the price range. The Fingerprint scanner is excellent and Honor threw in many nice features with it. I am not docking for the EMUI design, as it is a personal preference, and installing a third party launcher can alleviate most of it. I am a bit disappointed that it is launching in the USA without Marshmallow, but at least they did push the January security update about 2 weeks after the Nexii, which isn’t bad.
However, the $200 price tag is a tightly contested space. Asus Zenphone 2 can be had for $200, OnePlus X $250 (Snapdragon 801), G Flex 2 (Snapdragon 810, same in the Nexus 6P) dropped to $230 as of 1/28/16. The Nexus 6(Snapdragon 805) 32 GB has dropped to $200 before and has dropped a few times to $250. All providing substantially better performance than the 5X – BUT – all lack metallic body and top notch fingerprint scanner. So if those two criteria are high on your list, then the 5X is for you.
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