When it comes to smartphones that balance innovation, design, and value, HONOR has steadily carved out its own identity in the mobile industry. Once known as a value-driven brand, HONOR has evolved into a serious contender, pushing features that cater to both everyday users and tech enthusiasts alike.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at what HONOR X5c Plus brings to the table, how it performs in real-world usage, and whether this smartphone truly lives up to the brand’s growing reputation in today’s competitive mobile market.

Specifications:

Dimensions	167 x 77 x 7.89mm (H x W x D)
Weight	186g
Screen Size	6.74in
Display Type	TFTLCD
Resolution	720*1600
Processor	CPU Model MediaTek Helio G81 CPU Type Octa-core CPU Dominant Frequency 2*A75 2.0Ghz + 6*A55 1.7Ghz GPU ARM Mail G52 MC2
Operating System	MagicOS 9.0(Android 15)
Memory	4GB(RAM) + 128GB(ROM)
Rear Camera	50MP Main Camera(f/1.8) QVGA 0.08MP Video Shooting Supported 1920×1080 pixels Image Resolution Supported 8160*6112 pixels Video Resolution Supported 1920×1080 pixels
Front Camera	5 MP Camera (f/2.2 aperture) Image Resolution Supported 2592*1936 pixels Video Resolution Support 1920×1080 pixels Video Shooting Support for 1080P (1920×1080) video recording
Battery	5130mAh (rated value), 5260 mAh (typical value)
Charging	Standard Charger HONOR 15W Switching Power Adaptor
Network	Network Standard 4G (LTE FDD/LTE TDD) 3G (WCDMA) 2G (GSM) SIM Card 1 nano sim-card SIM Card 2 nano sim-card
Connectivity	WLAN Support 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi hotspot/Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth BT5.1, Supported BLE, SBC, AAC, LDAC, APTX, APTX HD Positioning Supported GPS/AGPS/Glonass/BeiDou/Galileo
Sensors	Gravity Sensor Fingerprint Sensor Acceleration Sensor Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor

Closer Look

The packaging comes in white box with the image of the mobile phone’s backside with some specifications and serial numbers which is typical to mobile phones nowadays.

The box contains the HONOR X5c Plus, charger, USB Type-C Cable, Quick Start Guide, Eject Pin, TPU Protective Case, TP Protective Film, and the Warranty Card.

Looking closely the X5C Plus is looking like an iPhone with the cameras on the upper-left side. It is practical and simple design.

It may look that it has three cameras but don’t be fooled. It only has a single 50MP camera at the back while others are the auxiliary lens and flash.

On the side, near the camera, you’ll find the phone’s input/output controls. These include the volume buttons and, finally, the power button which doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

At the bottom, you’ll find the speaker grill, the USB-C Port, the microphone and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

On the other side, you can find the SIM tray for your dual SIM and also a microSD slot.

The Honor X5c Plus is available in two colors: Meteor Silver and what we have here is the Ocean Cyan. The style or design may not be to everyone’s liking, but this is HONOR’s approach for their back panel. The back panel is made from a hard plastic.

User Experience

I am used to big phones like the S23 ULTRA from Samsung; with that said, there are just minor adjustments to get used to this phone.

I utilized the phone to watch movies, listen to music from Spotify, and do other things that I usually do daily. Listening to music was okay, but if you ramp the volume up to 100%, then you will notice distortion in the audio.

While watching some videos, specifically anime. I found out that the bezels or borders of the phone are not balanced or symmetrical. One side is bigger than the other. Also, the front camera placement is in the way.

Viewing angles are not very good either. It will make the display darker or slightly off in color.

For the camera, I think a phone in this budget range is quite decent, especially if you don’t zoom in too much. You can have a decent image if you stay at 1x and 2x zoom. The color is sometimes over the top because of the “AI Photography” feature of this phone, but I think it is quite good. Also, don’t use this phone in low-light situations as you can expect a grainy result.

The same thing can be said about the video; it has the same results in capturing photos, though it doesn’t have any stabilizers.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Wild Life

Sling Shot

PCMARK

Based on the results, you wouldn’t expect a phone like this with a MediaTek Helio G81 and 4GB of RAM to perform well on heavy graphics and 3D mobile games. It handles common activities like browsing Facebook, watching YouTube, messaging on Messenger or WhatsApp, and scrolling through TikTok. Don’t get me wrong, you can still play games, but set your expectations low as you need low graphic settings to run them smoother.

One thing I like about the results is the long battery life of the HONOR X5c Plus.

Conclusion

The HONOR X5c Plus is offered as an entry-level phone to the masses. So, I didn’t expect too much from this. Though I may say it is like a Huawei phone but with Google Apps, which is good for me as I usually use the Google ecosystem for my daily needs in using a mobile phone.

The battery life is the best feature of this phone. Based on the benchmarks without charging. But it is so slow to charge because of the 15W limitation.

While it may be an entry-level phone with useful features, at this price range, you shouldn’t expect a good camera, but HONOR proves me wrong as it can still captures decent ones.

Though I hope this is not limited to a 4G connection, as moving to faster networks like 5G can greatly improve user experience. 5G connection may also affect the battery life so maybe HONOR didn’t use it here.

Overall, the HONOR X5c Plus is a good entry-level phone. It is suited to user’s who needs a reliable phone for everyday use that can handle the basic needs from social media browsing to watching videos or listening to music. While it’s not designed for heavy multitasking or demanding mobile games, it still delivers a decent and responsive experience for casual users.

You can buy the HONOR X5c Plus for around the price of P6,999 pesos.

With that, the HONOR X5c Plus receives the Bang for the Buck Award.