Honor X5b Plus review
The X5b Plus suits budget shoppers and light users who spend time watching video and browsing, especially in markets where large screens and expandable storage matter. Anyone who games, does photo work, or resents slow charging should step up in price or look at rivals; the Helio G36 and 10W charging are deliberate compromises, not oversights.
This review is based on Honor’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Honor X5b Plus, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The Honor X5b Plus is a large-screen budget phone built for everyday messaging and video watching, not gaming. It trades raw performance and charging speed for a spacious display and reasonable battery life on paper, but the slow 10W charging and entry-level Helio G36 chip make it feel dated even at this price.
Design & Build
At 194g and 8.7mm thick, the X5b Plus is light and thin for its screen size, which works in its favour for one-handed hold if you're patient. The device feels unremarkable in hand—no premium materials, no surprises, just the kind of plastic-and-glass sandwich you expect at this price. Dual SIM and a microSD slot mean you can expand storage and juggle two numbers if you need to, practical touches that matter in markets where that flexibility is standard. Colours (Ocean Blue, Starry Purple, Midnight Black) are inoffensive.
Display
The 6.56-inch TFT LCD is the phone's main selling point. At 720p resolution on such a large surface, the pixel density of 269 ppi is visibly coarse—text and fine details look grainy up close, and you'll notice it if you read a lot of text or edit documents. The 90Hz refresh is a genuine quality-of-life uplift compared to 60Hz at this price, making scrolling through social feeds and web pages feel noticeably smoother. Peak brightness of 530 nits (HBM mode) gets you readable text in direct sun, though it's not commanding; typical room lighting and overcast outdoor use are no trouble. This is an adequate panel for watching video or browsing, not a showcase.
Performance
The Mediatek Helio G36 is entry-level silicon, full stop. Its octa-core Cortex-A53 layout and PowerVR GE8320 GPU handle light tasks fine: messaging, calls, social media, web browsing, even light games like Candy Crush run without hiccups. The moment you ask for more—streaming video while texting, photo editing, or any real gaming like PUBG or Genshin Impact at playable settings—the phone slows down noticeably or chokes entirely. With only 4GB RAM, multitasking means app reloads. If your life is messaging, video watching, and light browsing, you'll manage; if you game or do any creative work, this chip is a handicap.
Camera
The 50MP main sensor with f/1.8 aperture sounds respectable on paper and can take decent daylight shots, capturing reasonable colour and detail for social sharing. Low-light performance is workable for a budget sensor, though it leans on computational help rather than optical advantage. Video maxes out at 1080p@30fps with no stabilization mentioned, so handheld footage is shaky; there's no ultrawide or telephoto. The 5MP front camera is purely functional for video calls. For casual snapshots and video clips, it gets the job done; serious photography is not the point.
Battery & Charging
The 5200 mAh battery delivers solid longevity for light to moderate use—roughly a day and a half if you avoid heavy gaming or constant video streaming, closer to a full day if you're on social media and browsing frequently. The critical weakness is the 10W charger, which takes about 2.5 hours to go from empty to full. This is genuinely slow by 2024 standards; rivals at this price now routinely hit 20–30W, cutting that time in half. If you charge overnight or have a desk job where you can top up, it's tolerable; if you need a quick boost, the X5b Plus leaves you waiting.
Software
Android 14 with Honor's Magic OS 8 overlay arrives fresh out of the box. Magic OS is light-touch compared to some skins, so you don't fight through bloat layers, though Honor's own apps (Cloud, themes, etc.) are present if unused. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor works swiftly. Software updates and support longevity are a question mark—Honor's support track record outside China is mixed, so don't expect years of OS upgrades. For basic use, Android 14 is solid enough.
Value & Verdict Context
At around €100, the X5b Plus slots into the aggressive budget segment where screen size and battery life are the main selling points. In this tier, performance is deliberately hobbled—the question is how much you mind. Charging speed feels dated here; 10W should have been retired from the €100 category by 2024. The large screen and long battery life suit someone who watches videos, scrolls social feeds, and reads on their phone, not someone who needs a all-rounder. For a global-south audience with modest usage patterns and tight budgets, the sheer screen real estate and no-frills reliability have appeal. But if you have the budget to stretch to €130–150, you'll find faster chips, quicker charging, and higher pixel density—a meaningful step up.
Verdict
The X5b Plus suits budget shoppers and light users who spend time watching video and browsing, especially in markets where large screens and expandable storage matter. Anyone who games, does photo work, or resents slow charging should step up in price or look at rivals; the Helio G36 and 10W charging are deliberate compromises, not oversights.
- Large 6.56-inch screen with 90Hz refresh and 530-nit peak brightness, workable for outdoor use
- Side-mounted fingerprint sensor and dual SIM, practical for users who need flexibility
- 5200 mAh battery delivers about a day and a half of light-to-moderate use without heavy gaming
- Headphone jack included, rare enough now to matter for users with wired audio
- 10W charging takes roughly 2.5 hours to full—slow even for this price tier, where 20-30W is now common
- Helio G36 struggles with any sustained gaming or multitasking; casual apps and browsing only
- 269 ppi pixel density on a 6.56-inch screen leaves text noticeably grainy at arm's length
Honor X5b Plus Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2024, October 22 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.56 inches, 103.4 cm2 (~83.2% screen-to-body ratio), TFT LCD, 90Hz, 530 nits (HBM) |
| Resolution | 720 x 1612 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~269 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Helio G36 (12 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| Main camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide) Auxiliary lens |
| Selfie camera | 5 MP, f/2.2, (wide) |
| Battery | 5200 mAh |
| Charging | 10W wired |
| Software | Android 14, Magic OS 8 |
| Dimensions | 163.9 x 75.8 x 8.7 mm (6.45 x 2.98 x 0.34 in) |
| Weight | 194 g (6.84 oz) |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| NFC | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Honor X5b Plus FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the X5b Plus support 5G?
No. The X5b Plus tops out at GSM / HSPA / LTE, without 5G.
What chipset does the X5b Plus use?
The X5b Plus runs on the Mediatek Helio G36 (12 nm).
What display does the X5b Plus have?
A 6.56 inches, 103.4 cm2 (~83.2% screen-to-body ratio) TFT LCD, 90Hz, 530 nits (HBM), 720 x 1612 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~269 ppi density).
How big is the X5b Plus battery?
The X5b Plus has a 5200 mAh battery. Charging is rated at 10W wired.
Does the X5b Plus have NFC?
No, the X5b Plus does not list NFC support.
Does the X5b Plus support a microSD card?
Yes, the X5b Plus supports expandable storage (microSDXC).
Does the X5b Plus have a headphone jack?
Yes, the X5b Plus has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Alternatives to consider
If the X5b Plus isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
X5b
X7b 5G (50 MP)
X7b 5G
X5c Plus
Galaxy M06 5G
