Smartphone Huawei honor 5a 16 GB gold. Hardware and Performance

Review of Huawei Honor 5A – another inexpensive smartphone with good content. Interestingly, there is a front-facing flash and a customizable smart button. In typical Huawei fashion, the device is sold under different names. For example, the Y6 II Compact is presented on the European market. There is a purely Asian version - Honor Play 5. The only difference is Play 5 in the location of the noise-canceling microphone and flashing LED lights.

At the time of writing the Huawei Honor 5A review, the official price of the smartphone is $143. In this price segment there has been serious competition between manufacturers from China for a long time. It remains to be seen what place Honor 5A will receive in this fight for customer attention.

Appearance and connectors

A classic-shaped smartphone housed in a plastic shell. Available in black, white and gold colors. There are no touch buttons below the screen, as the controls are built into the OS interface.

The back panel is removable and pleasant, thanks to the pattern of intersecting lines.

Under the cover there are separate slots for a SIM card and a USB flash drive. There is a removable battery. Buttons for controlling mode and volume are on the right edge.

On the left side is a smart button for Easy Key. Its purpose and capabilities will be discussed later.

The bottom grille houses the main speaker with a microphone and a MicroUSB connector.

At the top end there is a jack for connecting a 3.5 mm headset.

Huawei Honor 5A price

Below we have selected stores where you can buy this smartphone:

CPU

The “heart” of the hardware is the MediaTek MT6735C. Its 4 Cortex-A53 cores can operate at up to 1.3 GHz. There is a Mali-T720 graphics chip. A budget solution that does not hinder the smartphone from vigorously navigating through the menu and demonstrates good performance for standard and daily loads. You can also play resource-intensive 3D games. It’s just that the quality of graphics will lag behind the level of more productive hardware.

In the Antuco test, the device scores a little more than 33 thousand points. In case of intense and prolonged overheating, the operation of the phone is not affected.

Memory

In the memory situation, you can expect: 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. You can run multiple apps and switch between them without any glitches. On the built-in disk, 9.4 GB of 16 remain free for use. If there are a bunch of applications and a couple of games, this is enough, but in other cases, a rescue flash drive comes to the rescue. It is possible to install a removable MicroSD drive with a capacity of up to 128 GB.

Battery

This model uses a 2200 mAh battery. It provides autonomy for a full day of work under moderate loads. If you don't let go of the device and put a heavy load on it (games, videos, WiFi, camera), the battery will last half a day. You can increase operating time using built-in energy saving programs.

Camera

The main module produces a resolution of up to 13 MP. Equipped with automatic focus and dual flash. The application interface is convenient and functional, contains settings for ISO, sharpness, saturation, contrast, white balance. Exposure can be changed in real time.

Everyday shooting will be appreciated for its fast and accurate performance, focusing, and photos with good details. The panoramic shooting system is easy to handle: frames are superimposed well, and the finished images are of fairly high quality. The device is especially good at macro photography because the camera can easily focus on objects at close range. At the same time, it nicely blurs the background.

But there is something to complain about. For example, a drop in sharpness at the edges of the frame. Or the appearance of an overexposed area in a photo in bright sunlight. You shouldn't expect miracles from night shots either: loss of detail and noise are standard situations for a device of this level.

For some reason, the video says maximum HD resolution (1280 x 720) at 30 fps. The quality is more or less, but not clear enough. The front camera with a resolution of 5 MP has a wide viewing angle and is complemented by a single flash. You can count on decent results in good lighting. The low quality is partially saved by the flash.

Display

The smartphone is equipped with a 5-inch IPS matrix with HD resolution (1280 x 720). Pixel density 293 PPI. The picture is clear and crisp, the colors are calm, not saturated. When tilted or viewed at an angle, the image is not inverted and magenta or yellow tones are not displayed. The maximum brightness is quite modest, so the image becomes faded in the sun.

But, due to the absence of an air gap, the amount of glare on the screen is reduced, and the picture becomes clearer. The display is covered with tempered glass, which is resistant to abrasion and scratches. The oleophobic coating on the glass is very weak, but it is there. The sensor is sensitive and can process 5 touches simultaneously.

Networking capabilities

The smartphone supports the installation of two Micro-SIM cards, which works without problems in 2G / 3G / 4G networks. For wireless data transfer there is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

Satellite navigation functionality is provided by GPS and GLONASS. With the satellite system function it works well, even indoors.

Sound

The main speaker is the most budget-friendly one. The volume level is average and sounds flat. But it doesn’t wheeze or crackle. With headphones, the situation is reversed, with pronounced low frequencies and acceptable surround sound. Except for audiophiles, everyone will be pleased with the sound quality. The speaker is moderately loud and voice can be heard without interference.

Software part

The Android 5.1 operating system is used as the basis for software development. In addition, the proprietary EMUI 3.1 Lite shell is installed. Thanks to the lack of a menu button, many UI elements are different from regular Android and support themes. The system includes software chips to support motion control, advanced save profiles, and smart button settings.

Possibilities

The programmable Easy key saves time when launching the three most important functions and applications for the user. Each function is called individually: double, single or long press. If you bring up the camera from the lock screen, it will immediately focus and take a photo. The whole process takes 2.2

Advantages and disadvantages of Huawei Honor 5A

pros

Availability of a “smart” button;
The overall balance between hardware and software components works flawlessly.

Minuses

The OS version is not the latest;
Low resolution of recorded video.

Smartphone Matches

“Dual SIM cards, standard camera, fast Internet, not slow, not glitchy, with a large screen (but not a shovel), and not that expensive.” If this list is your main requirement for a phone, then you can safely consider this device for purchase.

A Chinese novelty has appeared in the mid-price category - the Huawei Honor 5A smartphone with a 5-inch screen diagonal. The phone was released in 2016 by the Honor line. This copy has a functional device at the level of similar smartphones, but the cost is significantly lower. Compared to smartphone models from other brands, the build quality and technical capabilities do not lag behind. Bloggers who provide video reviews of the smartphone note that the new product is quite interesting, functional, has a nice but modest appearance, and the price of the device determines its choice as a gift for family and friends.

The Huawei Honor 5A model LYO-L21 is made of plastic. The back panel has a diamond pattern that sparkles in the sun. This gives it some charm, but overall the panel remains unchanged from the previous model. The screen of a cellular device is made identical to many smartphones. The wide panels at the top and bottom of the screen are somewhat surprising, since they narrow the working area. At the same time, there are no control buttons on the bottom panel, which makes the existing width of the panels unreasonable. The frame is glossy plastic, made in metallic style, making the phone more elegant. The build quality of the LYO L21 Huawei is high for its price, since the lid fits tightly and there are no rattles or squeaks.

Honor 5a has a length of 144 mm, a width of 73 mm, and a height of 9 mm. The weight is 139 g. At the same time, it is lighter and more modest in size than similar 5-inch smartphones.

The general characteristics of the smartphone are as follows:
operating memory – 2 GB, built-in – 16 GB;
there are 2 slots for SIM cards and a slot for a memory card up to 128 GB;
operating system - Android 5.1;
battery is removable and disassembled;
ability to download information at speeds up to 150 Mbit/s;
4-core MediaTek MT6735P processor with a frequency of 1300;
video accelerator Mali-T720;
battery capacity 2200 mAh.

As an original bonus that simplifies control of the device, there is an additional multifunctional navigation key on the left side - Easy Key, which with a double press allows you to launch the camera in 2.2 seconds from the locked screen. On the right side there are power and volume buttons. At the top end there is a second microphone and micro USB. At the top there is a light and proximity sensor, front camera, flash and speaker. The speaker produces clear bass sound. The interlocutor can be heard clearly and loudly. At the bottom there is a microUSB, a speakerphone and a microphone. On the back there is a camera and flash. The cover can be removed with little effort. Under it there are 2 slots for SIM and one for a memory card, as well as a battery.
The phone is available in the market in black, gold and white colors. Due to the ribbed panel, Huawei Honor LYO L21 fits very comfortably in the hand and does not slip off. The relatively small screen allows you to control the phone with one finger, which is especially important for selfie lovers.

Testing the battery life in active mode with several applications turned on does not exceed one day, which implies charging it daily. This battery capacity is enough for five hours of watching videos and an hour of playing toys. The battery is very weak.

Screen advantages and disadvantages

The display of Huawei Honor 5A is touch-sensitive and has an HD resolution of 1280x720. The brightness range of the display is quite wide and allows you to use it both in light and in the dark with comfort for the eyes. However, in daylight in the sun, the visibility of the Honor 5A screen decreases. The phone has an automatic brightness adjustment feature, which is not very fast. The color gamut is 93% of standard sRGB. The viewing angles of the screen are maximum, color rendering is uniform.
It is necessary to note the high degree of soiling of the screen by fingerprints and the difficulty of wiping them off. A protective film is included. The sensor is capacitive and supports up to 5 simultaneous touches, which is generally sufficient. Responsiveness to command and text input is good. The screen interface from the manufacturer, EMUI version 3.1, works on the principle of eliminating the main menu. There are several desktops. The main page has standard content: clock, date, status bar, access to the camera. Here you can also access the voice recorder, calculator and flashlight by swiping the bottom curtain to display them.

Camera characteristics

The resolution of the main camera is 13.5 MP, but high-quality photos are not always obtained, despite the LED flash and autofocus. A review of the Huawei Honor 5A camera showed that the following disadvantages can be noted in the camera’s operation:
long focusing;
slow motion in HDR mode;
pale color rendition in the photo;
medium level of picture detail;
weak flash;
Uneven sharpness, but generally acceptable;
high noise level;
The video is of low quality.

The wide-angle front camera with a resolution of 5 MP has the same disadvantages as the main one, but it is possible to shoot in HD quality. Despite these shortcomings, smartphone owners note that the quality of the resulting pictures and video files is above average; their quality can be compared with smartphones costing 15,000 rubles.

Functionality

By default, the phone has the Chrome browser installed, but Opera is also found in the application settings. It is also possible to install any other browser.
Huawei offers 2 keyboards: the standard one from Google and the proprietary Huawei Swype.
The communication elements of Honor 5A include:
WI-FI and built-in modem with the ability to distribute it;
Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP profile;
A-GPS with GLONASS support;
support 3G, 4G, MP3, WAV, FM;
Micro-USB 2.0 connector for charging and connecting to a computer;
built-in light, proximity and compass sensors.
The signal reception of the device is excellent, the sensitivity is also high. There are no connection breaks or network interruptions in communication.
The radio can only be heard with headphones that transmit clear, good sound. The phone has a built-in proprietary player that can find a melody using various filters. The player is capable of producing many formats.
The phone's performance is high. The device supports games like Unkilled at an average level, since there is periodic graphics slowdown.
Programs and applications can be easily uninstalled from the device’s memory, and new programs can also be easily installed. Themes for Honor 5A can be downloaded from various portals by searching for the corresponding request, as well as from Google Play. You can also install AnTuTu Benchmark on your smartphone to check its performance. This application gives 33918 points for a smartphone - a figure below average. Honor is a smartphone whose target audience is young people. It has a fashionable design and can become a full-fledged tool for communication, entertainment and taking photos.

Positive features

Thus, the following positive features of the phone can be identified:
1. Pleasant appearance.
2. High-quality assembly.
3. Good screen.
4. Capacious operating memory.
5. Loud high-quality speaker.
6. Possibility of using 2 SIM cards.
7. Great functionality.
8. Possibility of use as a navigator or flashlight.

Flaws

As disadvantages, note:

1. Poor screen coating, which leaves fingerprints.
2. Poor performance of the camera and screen in bright daylight.
3. Weak battery power, which makes the phone dependent on the outlet.
4. OTG does not work - an accessory that allows integration with various mobile devices: smartphones, tablets, e-readers.
5. There is no indicator of missed events.
6. No indicator light for missed calls, SMS and low battery.
7. There are no standard control buttons on the bottom plastic panel. They are located on the sensor, which is not always convenient, since you have to turn on the monitor every time. When running full-screen games, the buttons become unavailable. To return them to their place, you need to lightly move your fingers in the direction from the bottom panel up.

Final Conclusion

Regarding the usefulness and necessity of purchasing this smartphone, the following: in terms of price-quality ratio, the presented new product has no equal. The cost varies between 7500-8000 rubles. For the specified price, the manufacturer offers a technically advanced, modern and high-quality device. If your requirements for the device are higher, then you need to spend a couple - three thousand more.

Video reviews of Huawei Honor 5A

Specifications

Main characteristics
Model code	CAM-TL00, CAM-TL00H, CAM-UL00, CAM-AL00, LYO-L21
Shell	EMUI 3.1
Housing material	glass+plastic
SIM card type	micro SIM
Number of SIM cards	2 (Dual Sim)
SIM card operating mode	Alternating
Dimensions (WxHxD mm)	72.5mm x144.2mm x 8.95mm
Weight (g)	140
Color	White, black, gold
Screen
Screen type	IPS
Diagonal (inches)	5'
Screen resolution	1280*720
Pixels per inch	294
Memory
Built-in memory	16 GB
RAM	2 GB
Memory card slot	yes, up to 128 GB
Platform
OS	Android 5.1
CPU	Quad-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 Mediatek MT6735P
Number of Cores	4
Photo/Video camera
Main camera (MP)	13 MP, f/2.0
Autofocus	Yes
Flash	Yes, double LED
Video recording	Yes, 1920*1080
Front camera (MP)	5 MP
Front camera flash	Yes
Front camera autofocus	No
Recording Video	Yes
Video processor	Mali-T720
Wireless network
2G	900/1800/1900 MHz
3G	HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps
4G	Yes
LTE frequencies	Yes, Cat4
Carrier Compatibility	MTS, Megafon, Beeline, Tele2, Yota
WiFi	802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz
Wi-Fi direct	Yes
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.1
FM radio	Yes
SAR
Audio Video
Playable audio formats	MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, AMR-NB，AMR-WB, Vorbis, FLAC/ALAC, APE, AIFF, PCM, MIDI
Playable video formats	AMR, EFR, FR, HR, AMR, 3gpp, M4a
Sensors
Illuminance	Yes
Approximations	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes
Compass	Yes
NFC	No
Fingerprint's scanner	No
Contactless payment	No
FM radio	Yes
Location determination
GPS	GPS/AGPS/GLONASS
Calls
Ringtones type	Polyphonic, MP3
Vibration alert	Yes
Nutrition
Battery capacity (mAh)	2200 mAh
Battery mount	removable
Fast charging	No
Wireless charger	No
Additional Information
USB	Micro USB
Announcement date	08/16/2016
Set
Smartphone, USB cable, documentation, charger

The design of the smartphone can be called rather inconspicuous, and the body is very tall, but collapsible, which today looks unusual.

The main material of the case is plastic. Only the frame, stylized as metal, looks unusual, which is why from the end the smartphone can be confused with a more expensive model. Thanks to the textured back, it lies pleasantly and securely in the palm of your hand, and due to its compact diagonal, it can be operated with one hand. The device body is collapsible, and the cover and battery are removable. Having disassembled the smartphone, you can see separate slots for two SIMs and a MicroSD card. The build quality can be called high for a budget employee - there is no play or creaking anywhere, the body is quite durable, and the lid fits tightly, except that it is not so easy to remove.

Huawei Honor 5A can be bought in three colors - black, white and gold.

Screen - 3.9

The screen of Huawei Honor 5A cannot be called excellent, but it is quite clear and bright. Still, it would be naive to expect something more for such a price tag.

The smartphone is equipped with a clear 5-inch IPS screen with HD resolution (1280×720 pixels). The pixel density is 294 per inch - this is enough to not see individual pixels on the screen. There is no information about the use of protective glass. The screen gets dirty quite easily with fingerprints and is difficult to wipe off. The measured brightness range turned out to be quite wide, from 13 to 514 nits, which, on the one hand, is close to a comfortable level for the eyes in the dark, and on the other, provides good readability in the sun. Nevertheless, during the day the screen is still not perfectly readable, but this is due to the moderate contrast - 700:1, and there are also slight inaccuracies with color rendition (evenly across all colors). The phone has an auto-brightness feature, but it works slowly, sometimes ignoring changing lighting conditions. But the color gamut is not bad for the low price - 93% of standard sRGB. Also, the color temperature turned out to be too high - 8200 degrees, which makes the picture look a little bluish. However, this error can be corrected manually in the screen settings.

Cameras - 2.5

Despite the seemingly high resolution of 13 and 5 MP, the Huawei Honor 5A cameras did not impress us. They are unlikely to replace your budget camera, and high-quality pictures and selfies can only be taken in good lighting.

The main camera is inferior to that of both Honor 5C and Honor 4C. It takes a long time to focus and is quite slow when shooting in HDR mode and in low light conditions. Colors are rendered well, but a little pale. The detail of objects is low for their resolution, the sharpness is uneven across the frame, there is a lot of noise (or the consequences of their “blurring”), and light sources entering the frame can easily ruin it. That is, from all sides the camera is frankly weak. You can get a high-quality photo only during the day, but it copes poorly with shooting indoors. It is a little surprising that with a 13 MP sensor, the camera records video at a resolution of no higher than 1280x720 pixels, which is quite small.

The 5 MP front camera is not far from the quality of the 2 MP front cameras from two years ago. It makes a lot of noise (especially indoors), and the detail of the frames is so low that even proprietary skin smoothing filters are no longer needed. In addition, we can say that, despite 5 MP, the video recording resolution is limited to HD resolution.

Photos from the Huawei Honor 5A camera - 2.5

Photos from the front camera of Huawei Honor 5A - 2.5

Working with text - 5.0

You can easily and conveniently work with texts on your smartphone. The device interface offers two keyboards to choose from: the standard one from Google and Huawei’s own Swype.

You have most likely already seen the first one on any other Android phone. It features fast switching between languages ​​and support for continuous word input (Swype). The Huawei Swype keyboard has the same name continuous input function, marking of additional characters and gesture control. As a minus, we note the inconvenient switching between languages ​​- by holding down the space bar and swiping up. If you are not satisfied with these keyboards, you can easily install any other one from the Play Market.

Internet - 5.0

Initially, Huawei Honor 5A comes pre-installed with Chrome and Opera browsers. Although the second one is initially hidden for some reason, it can be found in the settings among applications or simply by searching on the desktop. Chrome can be said to be the standard option that comes pre-installed on most Android devices. It works quickly and can sync with the desktop version to display bookmarks and history. But Opera has such features as reading mode and automatic adjustment of text to the width of the screen. At the same time, it’s a pity that the company apparently got rid of its own proprietary browser - we personally liked it no less. However, you can install any browser you like yourself.

Communications - 2.6

The set of communications of Huawei Honor 5A can be called typical for today:

• simple Wi-Fi b/g/n with the ability to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP profile
• pretty fast LTE Cat. 4, up to 150 Mbit/s
• A-GPS with GLONASS support
• FM radio (only works with headphones).

The only unusual thing here is the presence of relatively fast LTE and FM radio, which is ignored by many flagships, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S7. A standard Micro-USB 2.0 connector is used for charging and connecting to a PC. The phone works with two micro SIM cards, each of which has a separate slot, as well as a memory card.

Multimedia - 4.2

Huawei Honor 5A cannot boast of high sound quality, but it supports a fairly wide range of audio and video formats.

So, the phone plays tracks in FLAC (the audio player does not see them, but they are launched directly from the file manager), but is not compatible with music in AC-3. Everything is fine with video formats; during tests, difficulties arose only with RMVB and some WMV and MPG videos.

The phone comes pre-installed with a simple but nicely designed audio player. It offers an equalizer with a set of presets and several effects. The pre-installed video player has the ability to rewind, change sound volume and brightness using “swipe” on different areas of the screen. In addition, you can block the image (so that it does not close from an accidental touch) or run the video in a small window on top of the desktop or applications.

Battery - 2.5

The operating time of the Huawei Honor 5A, as expected, turned out to be low; with fairly intensive use of the smartphone, it is hardly enough for a day of work. This is quite typical for a budget employee, but you always want more, especially in the presence of long-running competitors.

The smartphone received a battery with a capacity of only 2200 mAh. This is a low figure for a 5-inch HD screen; it is compensated only by the not very “gluttonous” chipset. Perhaps such a battery was installed deliberately in order to reduce the price and differentiate the smartphone from another new product of 2016 - the long-running budget Honor 4C Pro with almost the same characteristics.

Thus, Honor 5A worked for 6 hours when watching HD movies at maximum brightness, this is an average result comparable to the ZTE Blade X5 and more than an hour ahead of the Lenovo A6010. But at the same time, there are budget phones that have been doing this longer, for example, Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) or Lenovo A5000. At the same time, the results in the audio test turned out to be weak - only 32 hours, only the fast-discharging Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML or the ultra-thin and ultra-light Fly IQ4516 Tornado were worse. But the phone performed well in mid-level games - up to 4 hours in not the most demanding games. Recording HD video already takes 21% of the charge in half an hour - this is a lot, especially considering that we usually record Full HD videos for this test; such a resolution is simply not available here.

Performance - 2.2

The performance of Huawei Honor 5A can be called quite good for a budget phone with an entry-level chipset. It handles everyday tasks quite well and handles most games.

The phone is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and a popular quad-core MediaTek MT6735P processor (operating at a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz). A similar one was used in ZTE Blade X5, Oukitel K10000 and many others. The choice of processor looks strange after last year's Honor 4C, which, with a similar price tag, was equipped with a more powerful eight-core chipset. Nevertheless, the hardware of the Honor 5A smartphone ensures fairly smooth operation of the interface and most games. It is capable of handling even heavy and demanding games, but only at low graphics settings. Thus, the ported game Oddworld runs quite smoothly at low resolutions, while the mediocre Thumb Drift slows down at high settings, but only slightly. Interestingly, the phone body remains quite cool during games, almost without heating up in the hands.

In various benchmarks, the smartphone receives scores comparable to those of the Lenovo A6010 and Samsung Galaxy A3:

• in GeekBench 4 - 1592 points (more than a hundred lower than the three-year-old flagship LG Nexus 5)
• in AnTuTu 6 - 32659 (20 thousand lower than Honor 5C)
• in 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited - up to 4869 (about the same as Honor 4C Pro).

Memory - 3.5

The internal memory of the Huawei Honor 5A is 16 GB, of which about 10.15 GB is available to the user. If this is not enough, the smartphone has a slot for a MicroSD card, with which you can add up to 128 GB. It’s noteworthy that the card slot is not a combined one, but a separate one, but it’s a little disappointing that it’s covered by a battery, meaning you won’t be able to replace the card without rebooting. In addition, it turned out that only part of the pre-installed applications such as Sberbank, WPS Office or Odnoklassniki can be removed from the phone. They are not transferred to the memory card, but quite a few applications and games from the Play Market are willingly installed on it.

Peculiarities

Honor 5A runs Android 5.1 and the proprietary Emotion UI 3.1 interface. These are far from the latest versions, and there is no information about the update. Most likely, it won’t exist, although budget constraints did not prevent the manufacturer from updating Honor 4C and Honor 4X from Android 4.4 to Android 6.

Despite the low price tag, the phone has several features. So, a removable battery and separate slots for a second SIM card and a memory card look unusual today. In addition, the new product received an additional Smart Key button, like the Honor 7. Using the latter, you can control the phone: it distinguishes between single and double presses, as well as presses and holds. Moreover, you yourself are free to choose which commands in your smartphone they will execute.

Thanks to its competitive price and decent configuration, the Huawei Honor lineup has become one of the bestsellers of the Chinese manufacturer and includes such names as 4, 4X, 4C, 4A. In September 2016, this line was replenished with the budget smartphone Huawei Honor 5A 16 GB, the characteristics of which were supposed to outshine its competitors in the form of Meizu M3 and Xiaomi Redmi 3. Did the model manage to surpass its rivals both in technical indicators and in quality? Let's figure it out.

Equipment

The packaging of the smartphone follows the standard Honor style. It is made in the form of a blue box with a logo. Contrary to expectations, the model name does not appear anywhere, except for the sticker with the serial number. The manufacturer has equipped the phone with the minimum possible set of accessories. The smartphone, packed in a plastic bag, comes with a microUSB cable, a network charger and documentation. There is nothing else - the minimum price requires saving on everything.

Design

Although it is an entry-level smartphone in its own right, it does not disappoint in terms of aesthetics. Measuring 154.3 x 77.1 x 8.45mm and weighing 168g, the phone comes in black, blue, pink, yellow and gold variants, but the gold trim around the edge of the white body really enhances the beauty of the design. According to user reviews, the edging looks very attractive, complementing the color of the model. The back panel is made in the form of weaving. The pattern covers the entire hard plastic surface. It is quite easy to notice - just tilt the body a little to see the reflected light. Owners are grateful that even entry-level phones can look this great. You can feel the texture of the drawing with your fingers - a slight rise is felt on each of the lines. According to reviews from users of the Huawei Honor 5A phone, the body characteristics are excellent: the tactility and design are excellent, although a combination of smooth and uneven surfaces would provide a better grip.

The left side is occupied by a programmable Smart button, which allows you to save time launching the 3 most used applications with a single, double or long press. On the right are the power switch and volume rocker. They are textured and quite close to each other, so mistakes are possible at first.

On the top edge of the case there is a standard 3.5 mm headset jack. And between it and the camera there is an auxiliary microphone. Pretty standard layout.

At the bottom there is a microUSB port, as well as a microphone and speaker. No stereo. The real one is on the right.

The front panel is occupied by a 5.5-inch black screen with a viewing angle of 178°, a contrast ratio of 1000:1, providing excellent image quality, and a sensor that simultaneously tracks the touch of 10 fingers, which is important for games.

Below the display there is usually a row of physical or touch buttons, so the wide bezel appears to hide controls that are not visible to the eye. But that's not true. The only available option is the on-screen buttons. Physical and virtual keys have their advantages and disadvantages. This is a matter of buyer taste. You can hide your smartphone's virtual buttons, but this can cause problems with the screen layout.

At the very bottom of the front panel there is a logo that has changed after the Honor V8 model.

Functionality

The back cover can be easily removed - just find the recess in its lower part. It provides access to 3 slots for two SIM cards and one MicroSD. Unlike many modern phones with a combination tray, you can not only install 2 standby SIM cards, but also expand the internal memory. This saves the user from having to deal with the difficult dilemma of what is best to sacrifice. The smartphone allows you to freely insert two SIM cards, and the second one can support WCDMA and CDMA voice networks.

The phone uses an aluminum alloy main antenna and a diversity antenna to ensure the Huawei Honor 5A has excellent signal reception performance. Both in an underground garage and in a closed elevator, there will always be a signal, which allows the owner to experience the advantages of flagship models.

Taking a closer look at the battery compartment, it becomes apparent that battery replacement will be quite problematic for some, as it uses a combination of Phillips and Pentalob screws.

In addition, SIM1 and SIM2 slots support LTE. And that is great. Wireless communication is provided by Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi modules, and satellite navigation is provided by GLONASS and GPS systems, and the signal can sometimes be received indoors. There's also an FM radio and a range of sensors including an accelerometer and compass.

Of the 16 GB of internal memory, 9.4 GB is available to the user. This is enough for applications and games, but in other cases a memory card with a capacity of up to 128 GB will come to the rescue.

Huawei Honor 5A: display specifications

There's nothing outstanding here. The phone is equipped with a 5.5” screen with a resolution of 720p, which corresponds to a low pixel density of 293 dpi. IPS technology is used. While the Huawei Honor 5A 16GB's display isn't particularly impressive, images are crisp and clear, with colors that are calm, desaturated, and better calibrated than some competing phones with similar screens. There is no inversion or purple or yellow tones when tilted. The maximum brightness is quite modest, so the image fades in the open air.

Due to the absence of an air gap, the glare of the screen is reduced and the picture becomes clearer. The display is covered with tempered glass, resistant to abrasion and scratches. very weak, but it is there. The sensor is responsive.

Camera

According to users, this is one of the main functionality of a smartphone today: both students and elderly people love to take pictures. The model is equipped with two cameras: an 8-megapixel front camera with a 4P lens, a relative aperture of f/2.0, a focal length of 27 mm and 10 levels of image enhancement, as well as a 13-megapixel main one with a Sony sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 28 mm focal length , 5P lens, macro photography at a distance of 7 cm, dual flash, etc.

The shooting modes are very diverse. For example, Beauty removes blemishes on faces, there is a professional mode, food photography, light shutter, document correction, smile trigger, quick screen shutdown, acoustic and interval shooting, each of which increases the pleasure of the photography process. Shooting is fast and accurate, the footage is clear and with great detail. The panorama mode works well, with individual frames merging beautifully and the final shot having plenty of height. Macro photography is especially good because the camera focuses well on close objects while beautifully blurring the background.

According to reviews, the characteristics of the Huawei Honor 5A smartphone allow you to take decent, albeit modest by today's standards, pictures. The photos are really good for social networks. In low light conditions the camera becomes quite noisy, and in bright conditions the noise levels are reduced. The problem is color rendering: it is unclear why, the tones turn out very faded and boring. Sharpness decreases towards the edges of the frame, and flare is formed in bright lighting. Also, don't expect miracles from night photos. They suffer from a loss of detail and increased noise, which is typical for devices of this level. If the photos are not enlarged, they look acceptable. The camera is not designed for sports shooting mode.

The 13MP resolution is high compared to some other phones in this price range. However, according to reviews, the camera characteristics of the Huawei Honor 5A do not allow it to achieve the quality of models with a more modest number of pixels. The smartphone is still far from reaching the level of the iPhone 6S and Galaxy S7 - in comparison, the footage looks depressing. Even the Huawei Mate 8 has a much better camera. In this case, it is not the quality of the pixels that is the problem, but the fading and lack of vividness of the photo. It is especially difficult to shoot in low light conditions - without a flash it is generally difficult to photograph anything.

Video is recorded in 720p resolution at 30 fps. The quality of the videos is satisfactory, but many details are missing.

Selfie camera

As for the front sensor, according to user reviews, the quality of the pictures it takes is normal, and it supports the standard set of Huawei Honor functions. Many Chinese manufacturers are improving the performance of selfie cameras to such an extent that self-portraits often turn out better than other photos. Phones like the Oppo F1 and Huawei Mate 8 have an 8MP camera, while the Sony Xperia M5 has a 13MP camera. However, according to users of Huawei Honor 5A Black, the characteristics of a standard 5-megapixel sensor are quite sufficient for this. High quality is not needed here - only at the level of publication on a social network. The selfie camera is complemented by a flash, which partially compensates for the lack of light.

Software

The camera app performs better than other Emotion UI elements. Accessing various functions and editing image settings is simple and easy to access when you need to take a quick photo. You can set sensitivity, clarity, saturation, contrast and white balance. And the exposure can be adjusted while shooting.

Another nice touch is that the camera app can be left open without taking or recording video, and it will go into screensaver mode, saving some battery life. This can be useful if you forget to close it. And when launched from the lock screen, the camera will immediately focus and take a photo.

The phone runs the same version of the EmotionUI 4.1 user interface (EMUI) as the Honor 8. The Android 6.0 overlay is better than it was before, but there is still room for improvement. This becomes especially obvious when errors occur with non-standard Google Maps notifications. EMUI 4.1 works similarly to Honor 8, except for the IR emitter or joint gestures. Additionally, there is no fingerprint scanner.

Features like Smart Scene and LINK+ are unique features of EMUI. The former can track user behavior and make the right reminders, while the latter allows you to improve your browsing experience.

The training mode and simplicity of the model's style are convenient for children and the elderly. At the same time, you can limit your gaming time and enable it on the Internet, as well as block unwanted sites.

Performance

One area where cheap phones tend to lag is performance. If a good design, display and camera are inexpensive, then a processor that can do everything that high-end models do is a completely different matter. This is where the Huawei Honor 5A phone's specs lag the most. Sometimes his slowness is frustrating. Even registering an account takes longer than one might hope.

The characteristics of the Huawei Honor 5A smartphone are determined by the Kirin 620 central processor with 8 1.2-GHz Cortex A53 cores and Mali 450MP4 GPU. For selected markets, a version with an 8-core Snapdragon 617 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz is available, which was equipped in models such as the Galaxy C5 and HTC One A9. It’s strange, but a completely different phone is being released under the same name. The characteristics of the Huawei Honor 5A LYO L21 are much worse - it is a less productive modification based on a 4-core 1.3 GHz MT6735P and a Mali-T720 graphics chip.

The processor is supported by 2 GB of RAM.

Applications usually start quickly, a little slower than high-end smartphones. You can run multiple programs at the same time and easily switch between them.

One of the best performance tests is gaming. And in this regard, the phone surprises with its capabilities. Playing Asphalt Nitro, one of the smartphone's many pre-installed apps, runs just as smoothly as on flagship models.

The specifications of Huawei Honor 5A are quite decent. The phone scores an impressive 54.1 fps in Epic Citadel, but only in high picture quality. For some reason, the maximum setting cannot be enabled. When using your smartphone intensively, its temperature remains below 45℃. This is definitely good news as it ensures longer battery life. The Vellamo test suggests that the Huawei Honor 5A LTE Dual SIM specs allow the smartphone to handle day-to-day tasks superbly - the device isn't too far behind, but it's certainly a fraction of a second slower when launching the app menu compared to other flagship models. But this has no practical significance.

The 8-core version scores slightly less than 45 thousand points in the AnTuTu test, and the 4-core version scores about 33 thousand.

Sound

The main speaker of Huawei Honor 5A is clearly budget-friendly in terms of technical characteristics. This is evidenced by the average volume level and dull sound. However, the speaker does not rattle or wheeze. Headphones change the situation radically: pronounced low frequencies and sufficient volume appear. With the exception of music lovers, everyone will be pleased with the sound quality.

The top speaker is moderately loud and sounds free of interference.

Battery life

The battery characteristics of Huawei Honor 5A are quite good. A 3100 mAh lithium-ion battery, combined with measures to optimize energy consumption, can withstand up to 2 days of intensive use, including calls, correspondence, games, watching videos, etc. The modification with a 4-core processor is equipped with a 2200 mAh battery, the charge is enough for half a day of work.

Although the battery test results are not the highest, this is completely normal, because based on its characteristics, the Huawei Honor 5A LTE should not be the most energy-efficient smartphone. However, the phone (with a 3100 mAh battery) can withstand intensive testing for 8 hours straight. For the price at which the 5A is sold, this is a remarkable result. The problem here is rather the charger. It is collapsible and compact, but the problem lies in its parameters. At a voltage of 5 V and a current of 1 A, the charging power is minimal. This is not the end of the world, since the iPhone 7 comes with the same chargers, but the charging process takes too long. Therefore, you will have to restore battery energy at night.

Advantages and disadvantages

According to user reviews, the model is favored by the presence of a Smart button and an excellent balance of hardware and software that ensures smooth operation of the smartphone. Owners are dissatisfied with the relatively heavy weight, low video resolution, low pixel density, lack of NFC, OTG and the latest OS version. It is misleading that smartphones with different processors and batteries are sold under the same name.

Finally

According to reviews, the characteristics of Huawei Honor 5A for a price of $143 are simply excellent. The build quality is amazing, the screen is great, the specs are fine, the camera works fine too. Honor 5A made its way into the budget smartphone segment with one goal - to stand out from the rest. And although devices in this price category are often ignored, the phone is worthy of being included in the list of possible purchases.

According to users, the model attracts attention at first sight. A smartphone at this price point seems simply impossible, especially from Huawei, the company that made the Huawei P9 and Honor 8. But the 5A looks much more expensive.

It is becoming a good tradition in our editorial office to begin testing Honor line products within the framework of the information embargo. This happened with the 5A model, so we had to think and fantasize about some of the features of the new product. Nevertheless, it was immediately clear that the device has a 5-inch screen, a quad-core processor, two gigabytes of RAM and sixteen flash memory. Interesting? Go.

Review of the Huawei Honor 5A smartphone: almost without flaws

I wouldn’t really like to apply such a wording as “budget” to the Honor 5A; rather, it is a device in the entry-level segment in the manufacturer’s line, which, however, does not detract from its advantages and in terms of characteristics it can easily compete with middle-devices of other brands. Which ones? Let's look at an example:

	Huawei Honor 5A	Wileyfox Swift	Xiaomi Redmi 3
operating system	Android 5.1 + EMUI 3.1	Android 5.1.1 + Cyanogen OS 12.1	Android 5.1 + MIUI
Display	IPS 5", 1280 x 720 pixels.	IPS 5", 1280 x 720 pixels.	IPS 5", 1280 x 720 pixels.
CPU	4 cores 1.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, 4 cores 1.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 616, 4 cores 1.5 GHz + 4 cores 1.2 GHz
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash	MicroSD up to 128 GB	MicroSD up to 32 GB	MicroSD up to 128 GB
Camera	Front: 5 MP	Rear: 13 MP, autofocus, flash; Front: 5 MP	Rear: 13 MP, autofocus, flash; Front: 5 MP
Communications	2G 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, HSPA+ up to 42 Mbit/s, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n,	2G 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, 3G 900/2100 MHz, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n,	GSM 900/1800/1900, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou
Peculiarities	Easy key	Cyanogen OS	Aluminium case, hybrid slot
Battery	2200 mAh	2500 mAh	4100 mAh
Dimensions	143.8 x 72 x 8.9 mm, 140 g	141.15 x 71 x 9.37 mm, 130 g	139.3 x 69.6 x 8.5 mm, 144 g
Price	i 8 990	i 8 990	i 9 490

Source: ZOOM.CNews

Appearance

The current generation of Huawei smartphones has its own recognizable style: if there are similarities within the lines, then it is not easy to confuse them with devices from other brands. It’s the same with Honor 5A: there are familiar notes from the company’s smartphones that have previously been reviewed by the editorial office - this cannot be taken away.

What we have in front of us is a monoblock of average dimensions by today's standards, which are determined by the diagonal of the screen. The weight of the new product is not great and does not cause discomfort either during a conversation or during prolonged interaction with the menu. Honor 5A is made in a plastic case with a removable back cover, which, however, does not spoil it: the materials are of high quality, and the assembly is quite good (although the cover fasteners sometimes do not fit into all the grooves when put in place).

The editors have seen a gold color option, and black and white will also be available for sale. The design is moderately soiled: the screen attracts the lion's share of fingerprints, while the casing edging and the back cover with a fancy cage are free of these shortcomings.

The filling of the case is standard and we will start the descriptive part from the front panel. In addition to the display, which will be discussed a little later, on top there is a flashlight and a front camera lens, a horizontal speaker mesh and position/proximity sensors. At the bottom there is only the logo of the line; the control keys are a virtual element of the OS.

On the left end of the body there is a so-called “easy key” is a key that can be pressed and held to launch certain options.

On the right is a combined volume rocker and lock key: both elements have an average but pleasant action.

On the bottom edge of the case there is a micro-USB connector for charging and synchronizing the device, surrounded by openings for the call speakers, and on the top there is a 3.5 mm audio jack and a noise-canceling microphone.

The rear panel of Honor 5A, in addition to the line logo, houses a rear camera lens slightly protruding from the body panel and a dual LED flash to the right of it.

To remove the battery compartment cover, there is a ledge in the lower left corner, by pulling which you can release it, but it is still better to release the fastening locks with a plastic card, so as not to break your nails.

Inside, we find, oddly enough, a replaceable battery in the corresponding compartment, which in turn covers the slots for two micro-SIMs and a memory card. It is possible to install a nano-SIM instead of a micro-SIM, but it may take a couple of iterations for the contacts of the modules to match, and this is a reboot - “hot swapping” is excluded.

Screen

The device uses a 5-inch IPS matrix with an average resolution by today's standards. In general, the picture is clear, but we would not put it on a par with the manufacturer’s flagships - there is no ringing sharpness here, although the positioning is appropriate. There is plenty of brightness, automatic adjustment works correctly, and viewing angles, if not maximum, tend to be so.

As for color temperature, this parameter is adjustable both within the automatic values ​​and by moving the warm - cold slider.

The sensor is capacitive and supports up to 5 simultaneous touches, which is generally sufficient. Responsiveness to command and text input is good.

Software and interface

The smartphone runs Android 5.1 OS and is equipped with the manufacturer's proprietary interface EMUI version 3.1, the main principle of which is the elimination of the main menu.

The lock screen has a standard layout and content: status bar, clock, date, and access to the camera. Additionally, you can enter text to display and by sliding the lower curtain you can access the voice recorder, calculator and flashlight.

Desktops are the main customizable shell tool: in addition to themes and wallpapers, there are widgets, application shortcuts, as well as folders for their arrangement. The bottom line is a customizable “dock” of the main functions, and the top “red thread” is the status drain. By scrolling through the latter, we will have access to the received notifications, as well as, in the second tab, to the wireless modules launch matrix and the display brightness slider.

The settings menu is traditionally designed as a lined vertical list of available options, plus there is an abbreviated, general list.

Among the interesting options is “Simple desktop”: displaying the main options in the form of “tiles” to optimize the interface and, apparently, save battery power.

SIM cards are managed from a separate sub-item, which involves setting defaults, and the event indication is very clear.

In addition to the standard set of Google applications and services, in the basic package of Honor 5A you will find: Sberbank client, access to the Huawei brand store, Yandex tools, Opera browser, Mail.ru mail and news, Odnoklassniki client, file manager, phone manager, notes, WPS Office, backups, weather informer, Cleam Master, Shazam and Booking.com clients.

Hardware and Performance

The hardware characteristics of the new product are not the most stellar, a quad-core processor and two gigabytes of RAM, but they fully cope with basic tasks: the interface scrolls smoothly, built-in applications launch and function without lags.

Geekbench 3 (Single core/Multi core)	616/1823
AnTuTu Benchmark v6.1.4	33660
3D Mark (Ice Strom Unlimited)	4904
3D Mark (Ice Storm Extreme)	3066
Epic Citadel (Ultra High Quality)	38.7 FPS
Epic Citadel (High Quality)	56.7 FPS