Honor X5d Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Honor X5d - Too Simple

In 2026, even the most affordable smartphones rarely lack a number of competitive advantages. Every manufacturer wants to please an increasingly sophisticated audience, but it seems that the Chinese company Honor has decided not to consider itself one of these corporations. Otherwise, how can one explain the release of such a mediocre phone as the subject of today's review?

The appearance of the new device is far from outstanding. Only the signature design of the photo module block, the side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and the attractive color options of the candy bar design partially save the situation. The outdated form factor of the 5-megapixel selfie camera, the huge lower bezel, and the cheap plastic back panel are unlikely to inspire positive emotions. The 6.74-inch IPS screen is also frankly poor. Yes, it offers smooth images with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, and the displayed content shows slight fading at angles. However, HD+ resolution isn't enough to provide crisp images with the impressive screen size, and the maximum brightness of 400 nits makes using the device in direct sunlight a no-brainer.

The specifications include a MediaTek Helio G81 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a Mali G52MC2 GPU. While this combination isn't the worst in terms of performance (approximately 250,000-270,000 points in AnTuTu) and power efficiency, the modest RAM significantly limits the number of simultaneously running processes, as well as the frame rate and graphics presets in games. Forget about truly resource-intensive games like Genshin Impact. Storage options are 64/128GB, expandable via MicroSD cards. The battery capacity has been increased to 5260mAh, providing approximately 9-10 hours of active screen time. Don't count on fast charging, though, as it only charges at 15W. It's best to leave the device plugged in overnight.

Photography capabilities are basic. The main 13-megapixel sensor at least has autofocus, so document capture will be possible. Creative photography poses challenges even in daylight, as noise and blur will fill a significant portion of the image. There's no stereo sound, but there is a dedicated headphone jack. NFC contactless payments were also skimped on. Ultimately, the device hardly deserves much attention when more balanced and interesting alternatives exist.