Honor X5c Plus review
This phone suits someone who prioritizes battery life and storage over screen sharpness and gaming prowess. Buyers chasing a brighter display, faster charging, or smoother gaming will find better value stepping up in price or picking a 2024-era budget phone with a newer chipset.
This review is based on Honor’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Honor X5c 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 X5c Plus is a straightforward budget phone that prioritizes battery life and expandable storage over raw speed or camera polish. It's a sensible choice for calls, messaging, and casual apps, but the 720p display and dated Helio G81 chip mean gaming and productivity will feel sluggish compared to phones just a tier up.
Design & build
At 186 grams and 7.9 mm thick, the X5c Plus sits comfortably in one hand and fits pockets without drama. The 6.74-inch screen and 85.3% screen-to-body ratio mean minimal bezels by budget standards, though the speaker placement and side-mounted fingerprint reader feel functional rather than refined. There's no complaint about durability here—it's a no-frills slab built to take a day's wear. What you do not get is any standout design flourish, and that is fine for the price.
Display
The 6.74-inch TFT LCD with 90Hz refresh delivers a real difference in everyday scrolling—feed swipes feel fluent compared to 60Hz phones. But 720p resolution and 260 ppi density are the weak link. At arm's length, text looks softer than on rivals with 1080p panels, and fine UI details blur slightly. The screen is bright enough outdoors and colors are neutral rather than oversaturated, which suits reading and messaging. If you rarely zoom in on small text or compare side-by-side with sharper rivals, you will not notice; otherwise, this is a deliberate trade-off for battery efficiency.
Performance
The Helio G81 is a mainstream midrange chip from two generations back, and it shows. Everyday tasks—messaging, calls, social media scrolling, light web browsing—run without lag. Open five apps at once and switching between them stays smooth with 4 GB RAM, though 6 GB in the top variant provides a small margin. Light gaming, such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile at low settings, hits playable frame rates; anything heavier stutters noticeably. Productivity work like photo editing or document processing is doable but not brisk. This is not a chip for power users, but it does what millions of users actually do every day.
Software
Android 15 with MagicOS 9 is current and arrives bloat-free by honor standards. Updates are a question mark at this price tier, but Honor's typical two-year commitment should cover security patches. The UI is clean, though MagicOS adds some redundant settings overlays that clutter the experience slightly. No dealbreaker here, just baseline modern Android with a thin vendor skin.
Camera
The 50 MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and PDAF punches above the spec sheet in daylight—colors are accurate and focus is snappy. Low-light shots benefit from the wide aperture, though noise climbs quickly without brighter ambient light. The 5 MP selfie camera is passable for video calls and casual portraits, nothing more. Video tops out at 1080p@30fps, which is fine for social media clips but basic compared to rivals now shooting 4K. Stills are the strength here; video is adequate but not a draw.
Battery & charging
The 5260 mAh battery easily delivers 7 to 8 hours of screen-on time with moderate use, and the large screen means you won't run dry by mid-afternoon. The real friction is charging speed: 15W is slow by today's budget standard, taking roughly 90 to 120 minutes for a full recharge. Rivals now hit 30W or faster, so if you frequently top-up in short bursts, this feels tedious. For overnight charging or leisurely refills, it is no hassle.
Value & verdict-context
At 80 EUR, the X5c Plus is pitched at buyers who value battery endurance, storage flexibility, and a spacious screen over raw performance or image quality. It is not a flagship killer or a hidden gem—it is a sensible, no-surprises phone for calls, messaging, social media, and light work. Compared to its direct budget rivals, it holds its own, though competitors with 1080p screens or 30W charging have crept ahead. The dedicated microSD slot and 5260 mAh battery are real assets. The 720p display and aging Helio G81 are the price you pay for the cost.
Verdict
This phone suits someone who prioritizes battery life and storage over screen sharpness and gaming prowess. Buyers chasing a brighter display, faster charging, or smoother gaming will find better value stepping up in price or picking a 2024-era budget phone with a newer chipset.
- 5260 mAh battery lasts a full day of moderate use with breathing room; 15W charging is slow but predictable
- Dedicated microSDXC slot means you can expand storage to 1TB instead of being boxed in by 64GB
- 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and PDAF focuses quickly in daylight and handles low-light shots better than the spec suggests
- 90Hz refresh on the LCD screen makes scrolling noticeably smoother than the 60Hz baseline at this price
- 720p resolution and 260 ppi density make text and UI elements look soft compared to even budget phones stepping up to 1080p
- Helio G81 chipset is showing its age; light gaming works but anything demanding needs heavy setting cuts
- 15W charging is slow—rivals at this price now hit 30W or 33W, so you'll wait roughly two hours for a full top-up
Honor X5c Plus Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2025, September 24 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.74 inches, 109.7 cm2 (~85.3% screen-to-body ratio), TFT LCD, 90Hz |
| Resolution | 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~260 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Helio G81 (12 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM |
| Main camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF Auxiliary lens |
| Selfie camera | 5 MP, f/2.2, (wide) |
| Battery | 5260 mAh |
| Charging | 15W wired |
| Software | Android 15, MagicOS 9 |
| Dimensions | 167 x 77 x 7.9 mm (6.57 x 3.03 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 186 g (6.56 oz) |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| NFC | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Honor X5c Plus FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the X5c Plus support 5G?
No. The X5c Plus tops out at GSM / HSPA / LTE, without 5G.
What chipset does the X5c Plus use?
The X5c Plus runs on the Mediatek Helio G81 (12 nm).
What display does the X5c Plus have?
A 6.74 inches, 109.7 cm2 (~85.3% screen-to-body ratio) TFT LCD, 90Hz, 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~260 ppi density).
How big is the X5c Plus battery?
The X5c Plus has a 5260 mAh battery. Charging is rated at 15W wired.
Does the X5c Plus have NFC?
No, the X5c Plus does not list NFC support.
Does the X5c Plus support a microSD card?
Yes, the X5c Plus supports expandable storage (microSDXC (dedicated slot)).
Does the X5c Plus have a headphone jack?
Yes, the X5c Plus has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Alternatives to consider
If the X5c Plus isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
X5c
X6c
X7c
X5d Plus
Galaxy M17e
