Honor X5ds: Dual-Screen Smartphone for Just $150 Revolutionizes Budget Market
Honor decided that smartphones with two screens should be available not only to flagship owners. The company presented the model X5ds in South Africa, which for a modest $150 (about 6700 UAH) offers a feature usually characteristic of devices like Xiaomi Ultra.
Why a budget phone needs a second screen
The additional display is a 2.01-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 240 × 296 pixels. Its functionality is quite practical: it shows call notifications and allows music control. But the main bonus is its role as a viewfinder. Thanks to it, selfies can be taken with the main 50-megapixel camera, which is clearly better than the modest 5 MP front module results.
Interestingly, Honor is not alone in this endeavor: a similar solution was recently adopted by itel A300+, hinting at a new trend in the "cheap and cheerful" segment.
Hardware and autonomy
The main screen here is quite mature in size—6.78 inches, but with a resolution of HD+ (1576 × 720 pixels). However, they didn't skimp on the 120 Hz refresh rate and 600 nits brightness. Inside, it's much more modest: a Unisoc T610 processor, presented back in 2020. There's also not much memory—4 GB of RAM (you can add another 4 GB virtually) and 64 GB of permanent storage. For those who need more, there's a slot for microSD up to 1 TB.
The smartphone runs on Android 16 (Go edition)—a lightweight version of the system for weak hardware. However, they didn't economize on autonomy. The 6000 mAh battery promises a long life from a single charge, although it will take a while to charge—the block's power is only 15 W, so patience is required.
Market and prospects
Such brand activity in the region is not surprising, as in 2025 Honor showed impressive growth in shipments to Africa by 161%. While the company releases the flagship Magic9 Pro Max for demanding users, the Honor X5ds is intended to cater to those looking for a practical device with a large battery. The brand also has the affordable Honor Pad X7b tablet in its arsenal, confirming its focus on the mass segment.
The device received IP52 protection, a 3.5 mm jack, and a side fingerprint scanner. There's no news yet about a global release of the model, but it's quite a competitive offer for the South African market.
