HONOR X5d s Brings a Second Screen to the Back of a Budget Smartphone

HONOR is giving budget smartphones a pretty unusual twist with the new HONOR X5d s, an entry-level device that comes with something we normally associate with more expensive phones, a second display on the back.

The phone features a 2.01-inch rear touchscreen sitting alongside its 50MP main camera. The little display isn’t just there for looks. It can show notifications, the time, music controls and other information, while also doubling as a viewfinder when taking selfies with the main camera. That means you can use the much higher-resolution rear camera to take selfies and see yourself on the back screen before hitting the shutter.

The rear screen also adds a bit of fun to the phone. HONOR says users can customize it with interactive features, including a digital pet that reacts to touches and goes to sleep when the phone is idle. It’s a small feature, but it’s certainly something that makes the X5d s stand out from the usual budget phones.

Up front, there’s a 6.78-inch LCD display with a resolution of 720 × 1576 pixels and a refresh rate of up to 90Hz. The phone is powered by a UNISOC T610 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, with storage expandable by up to 1TB with a microSD card. It also runs Android 16 Go Edition, making it more suited to the lightweight hardware inside.

HONOR hasn’t forgotten about battery life either. The X5d s packs a hefty 6,000mAh battery, although charging is limited to 15W. There’s also a 5MP selfie camera, 4G connectivity, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and IP52 dust and splash resistance.

Available in Forest Green and Midnight Black color variants, the HONOR X5d s has launched in South Africa at R2,499, while HONOR has yet to announce Philippine pricing or availability.

The biggest attraction here isn’t raw performance. It’s the idea of getting a genuinely different smartphone experience without paying flagship money. The second screen makes the X5d s one of the more interesting budget phones we’ve seen in a while, and it could be especially useful for people who like taking selfies with the main camera.