Honor X5b Plus

Honor X5b Plus

The Honor X5b Plus is a mid-range smartphone that blends budget-friendly pricing with practical features. Released in October 2024, it is positioned as a smartphone that delivers reliable performance, making it suitable for users looking for daily functionality without breaking the bank. Below, we'll explore its key features, which include a 50MP rear camera, a long-lasting battery, dual-SIM support, and a display offering decent refresh rates.

The Honor X5b Plus features a modern yet simple design characteristic of most budget-friendly smartphones. Its 163.9 x 75.8 x 8.7 mm makes it comfortable to hold, and the 194g weight gives it a solid feel without being too heavy. The body is constructed with a glass front, plastic back, and plastic frame, ensuring a lightweight structure, although it may not feel as premium as higher-end devices. The device is available in three stylish colors—Ocean Blue, Starry Purple, and Midnight Black—and offers some aesthetic appeal.

The phone's back features a single camera setup, which we'll explore later, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that adds security and convenience. This fingerprint sensor positioning is practical, as it allows for quick unlocking with either hand. While the build may not be luxurious, it's durable enough for everyday use.

The Honor X5b Plus has a big screen that is 6.56 inches wide. It shows pictures in a size of 720 pixels by 1612 pixels. While not Full HD, the resolution is adequate for casual users who primarily engage in social media, browsing, and watching videos. One of the display's standout features is its 90Hz refresh rate. This refresh rate offers a smoother scrolling experience compared to the typical 60Hz displays on many budget smartphones. Whether you're browsing through web pages or switching between apps, the higher refresh rate enhances the overall fluidity of the interface. Moreover, the display can reach up to 530 units in brightness under high-brightness mode (HBM), ensuring better outdoor visibility, especially under direct sunlight.

The Honor X5b Plus uses the MediaTek Helio G36 chip. This chip has eight parts or cores. Four of these cores are called Cortex-A53 and run at 2.2 GHz. The other four Cortex-A53 cores run at a slower speed of 1.6 GHz. This chip is made using a 12nm process. This setup is designed to balance power efficiency with performance, ensuring smooth multitasking and adequate performance for daily activities.

Although the Helio G36 is not a powerhouse chipset designed for heavy gaming or intensive tasks, it handles routine smartphone functions such as web browsing, social media, and video streaming quite well. The phone also features 4GB of RAM, supporting basic multitasking. The device is equipped with the Power GE8320 GPU for casual mobile gamers, which will handle lightweight games but may struggle with more demanding titles.

The phone comes with 128GB of internal storage, a generous amount for a device in this price range. Additionally, there's a micro SDXC card slot for those who need more space for photos, videos, and apps, giving the user the flexibility to expand the memory as needed.

The Honor X5b Plus is equipped with a single rear 50MP camera with an aperture of f/1.8. Despite being a single-lens setup, the 50MP sensor captures detailed images in well-lit conditions. The camera also supports HDR and panorama modes, giving users more flexibility in capturing photos in various environments. The large aperture also aids in low-light photography, though don't expect the same performance as more premium smartphones with advanced night modes.

The back camera can make videos. The videos will be clear and smooth, even if you move the camera around. While this video recording capability is satisfactory for casual use, it may need to meet the standards of professional content creators or videographers. The device sports a 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture on the front. One of the highlights of the Honor X5b Plus is its large 5200mAh non-removable Li-Po battery. With this capacity, the phone lasts a full day of moderate to heavy use on a single charge. Users can expect to browse the internet, watch videos, and even engage in light gaming without worrying about running out of battery. However, fast charging is not supported, which may be a downside for users who prefer quick top-ups. Charging is done via a USB Type-C 2.0 port, and while it doesn't have fast-charging capabilities, the significant battery life compensates for the slower charging times.

The Honor X5b Plus runs on Android 14 with Magic OS 8, which offers a clean and user-friendly interface. Honor's Magic OS introduces additional customization options and features on top of stock Android, though the experience remains lightweight and intuitive. Regarding connectivity, the phone offers 4G LTE support, Bluetooth 5.1, dual-band Wi-Fi, and A-GPS for navigation. It includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, a bonus for those who prefer wired audio connections.

The Honor X5b Plus has some cool features. It has a quick and easy-to-use fingerprint sensor on the side. It also has sensors that help the phone work smoothly, like knowing when you're holding it close to your face. Additionally, the phone supports USB OTG (On-The-Go), allowing users to connect USB peripherals such as flash drives directly to the device, further enhancing its functionality.

The Honor X5b Plus offers a well-rounded feature set for a budget smartphone. Its strengths lie in its long-lasting battery, solid display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a decent 50MP camera for everyday photography. While it may not have the most powerful processor or cutting-edge features, it delivers more than enough for casual users looking for a dependable device. With Android 14 and a clean user interface, the Honor X5b Plus is an affordable option for those prioritizing battery life and usability over high-end specifications.