Honor X5 Plus Spotted: A Global Smartphone From Huawei With Google Mobile Services?

Honor is actively trying to regain momentum. But this time, the brand appears to be spreading its wings in multiple directions. The Honor X5 Plus that surfaced on multiple certification websites indicates the direction Honor could be taking.

Honor had lost the privilege of installing Google Mobile Services, the very heart of the Android operating system, into its smartphones. However, the presence of the Honor X5 Plus on the Google Play Console and other databases suggests Honor may have won back the right to install GMS. Let's look at the latest developments to see if Honor's reentry in India would include GMS on its smartphones.

Honor X5 Plus Spotted On Google Play Console Indicating Preinstalled GMS Features

The Honor X5 Plus has been in the news since last month. Honor is expected to launch this seemingly affordable, but feature-rich Android smartphone in multiple markets outside China.

The presence of the Honor X5 Plus on the Google Play Console database strongly indicates the Honor smartphone would have GMS preinstalled. Honor had lost the right to preinstall Google Mobile Services on its smartphones.

Without GMS preinstalled, Honor smartphones had no straightforward and inbuilt option to access Google services, which include Google Maps, Gmail, Google Workspace, and many more. Honor had launched multiple services that mimicked the functions and apps Google offered, but the experience was never the same.

The Honor X5 series should offer the ease of use and familiarity of Google apps and services in an affordable package. Incidentally, the Honor A5 Plus has been spotted on the TDRA certification website, which suggest Honor would launch the smartphone soon, especially in the Middle East. Both the Google Play Console listing and the TDRA certification website mention the

Honor X5 Plus Specifications, Features, Price, Launch, And Availability

Honor is yet to officially acknowledge the existence of the Honor X5 Plus. Hence, most of the specifications and features of the smartphone have been collated from leaks and rumors.

The Honor X5 Plus could feature a 6.56-inch TFT LCD display, with a 1612 × 720 pixels resolution. The 720p screen might not even have a 90Hz refresh rate, and be limited to the increasingly archaic 60Hz refresh rate.

The Honor X5 Plus could launch in a single configuration of 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The Honor smartphone could be limited to 4G compatibility with Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), NFC (Near Field Communication), and Bluetooth 5.0 support.

The Honor X5 Plus is tipped to feature a dual rear camera setup, headlined by a 50 MP primary camera, and accompanied by a 2 MP secondary camera. The Honor smartphone should launch with Android 13 OS, with a layer of Honor's MagicOS 7.1.

It is apparent that the Honor X5 Plus is an entry-level, budget Android smartphone. Honor hasn't indicated when and where it will launch this device.

Honor is keenly interested in reentering India. Hence, it may just launch the Honor X5 Plus at a very aggressive price to win customers. If priced below ₹8000, Honor may create space for itself in a rapidly changing market.