Honor has introduced the X5d s, an entry-level Android phone that adds a small display to the rear of the device. The model is currently listed in South Africa and uses the secondary screen for camera previews, call alerts and media controls.

The rear-display approach has so far been associated mainly with more expensive phones, including Xiaomi’s Pro models. Honor is taking a different route by adding the feature to a lower-end handset, making it the X5d s’s main point of distinction.

Honor X5d s specifications

The phone has a 6.78-inch LCD display with a 720 by 1576 pixel resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate and typical brightness of 600 nits. A 2.01-inch screen sits on the back, with a resolution of 240 by 296 pixels.

Honor highlights the rear panel as a way to take selfies with the main camera. Users can also view call notifications and control media playback from the smaller display, although the company says it supports additional functions as well.

The main camera is a 50MP unit with an f/1.8 aperture. The front-facing camera has a 5MP sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. A fingerprint reader is built into the power button on the side of the phone.

Battery, processor and software

The X5d s is powered by Unisoc’s T610 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It runs Android 16 Go Edition, Google’s version of Android designed for devices with more limited hardware.

A 6,000mAh battery supplies power, while wired charging is supported at up to 15W. The South African listing includes a 15W charger in the box, along with a TPU protective case.

Build and availability

The handset measures 168.3 by 78.5 by 8.72 millimeters and weighs 214 grams. It has an IP52 rating, which indicates limited protection against dust and light rain rather than full water resistance.

Honor has not positioned the rear display as a performance feature. Instead, it gives the budget phone a hardware feature that can make the camera more convenient to use and help it stand out from similarly priced devices. The available listing confirms the phone’s presence in South Africa, but the source does not provide pricing or details about availability in other markets.

A different take on rear-screen phones

The X5d s shows how rear displays are beginning to move beyond flagship experimentation. Xiaomi uses the feature on its high-end Pro phones as a differentiator, while Honor is applying a smaller version to a device built around modest hardware, a large battery and lightweight Android software.