Honor 5X Impressions

Before I got the Honor 5X in my hands, I was sort of excited. Having only used one Huawei device before, the Nexus 6P, I wanted to see what else they could offer through their subsidiary, Honor. When it was announced at CES 2016, I published an article for a website I write for, Vertex Report, letting everyone know that it would be launching in the US on January 31st. Well, here we are. Honor 5X in hand. My impressions? If all you care about is having a phone that’s mostly made of metal, then pick up this phone. If you’re looking AT ALL for a device that you’ll enjoy using and don’t want to feel like you got ripped off, look elsewhere. There are so many better ways to spend $200, and I’ll tell you why.

I’m going to skip what’s becoming my standard review template for really just one reason. This phone doesn’t deserve a full review. Having seen what Huawei is capable of for just a few hundred dollars more, I’m more than a little bummed. I will, however, do my best to cover all of what I think are the key points.

First impression? The phone looks good, feels good, and is very, very light. You’ve got a 5” display up front and a mostly metal build that makes you feel like you’re handling a device that’s worth more than the $200 this phone retails for. If you dare though, turn on the screen and get ready to be disappointed time and time again. From the washed out 1080p display to the garish and blatant rip off of iOS, you’ll be looking hard for reasons to hold onto this phone. At this point in the game, if you’re going to copy Apple, which Honor has with their EMUI skin, at least do it right. The lock screen, control center, notification shade, and even the app grid are all half-baked, half-hearted attempts at capturing what Apple puts forth. Even if I wasn’t a fan of Apple, I would expect more, because if you’re going to copy someone, at least have the decency to try and do it right.

Once you start digging into the phone, you’ll be set upon by a new take on Android that no one asked for. Features that you’ll never use, double apps for everything you actually do use, and a washed out display to watch it all on. I honestly can’t think of who this phone might appeal to or who I would recommend it to. If you have $30 more, buy the 3rd Gen Moto G. You’ll still have a somewhat washed out screen, but at least you’ll have pure Android with some useful features, water resistance, and an all-day battery. Have $50 more? Go for the OnePlus X. I recently did a review on this device, and you’ll get an all metal and glass build, mid to high-end specs, and again, almost stock Android. With the OnePlus X having just gone invite-free, do yourself the favor and spend the extra money.

I’ll actually wrap this up now, because honestly, I don’t want to turn this into a rant. I really wanted to give this device a try, but I’ll be returning my unit. I firmly believe that anyone telling you that this is one of the the best mid- to low-end phones you can buy either hasn’t checked out the competition or Honor is failing to live up to their namesake.

I believe in Huawei, and I believe in Android. Huawei is becoming a bigger and bigger player here in the US, and as long as they let go of Honor and the Honor 5X, they can start to capitalize on this market.

Thanks for checking out this article. How about you? Did you pick up the Honor 5X? If you’re liking it, be sure to let me know what I may have missed. There might be some redeeming qualities here, but I just can’t seem to find them.