Huawei GR5 Review

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the device is a Qualcommm Snapdragon 616 octa-core CPU clocked at 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM. Specs are a bit outdated considering that Snapdragon 616 is already out and plenty of smartphones in this price range are launching with 3GB RAM. Still, it can breeze through basic tasks without any problems – apps launch fast, multitasking is smooth, fingerprint scanner is responsive and quick.

It can also hold its own when it comes running games like EvilBane: Rise of Ravens. It’s very playable but you’ll notice a bit of choppiness when plenty of characters come into play or when you have lots of apps running in the background.

Take a look at the benchmark scores below:
* AnTuTu – 36,676
* Quadrant Standard – 26,886
* Vellamo – 1,650 (Multicore), 1,133 (Metal), 2,143 (Chrome)
* 3D Mark – 85 (Sling Shot ES 3.0)
* Gaming Temp – 39.1 C

Connectivity and Call Quality

Connectivity-wise, the GR5 has all the basics covered – dual-SIM (micro + nano), LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and FM Radio. There’s no NFC but it’s not really a downer. When it comes to call quality, it works as advertised and had no problems hearing or being heard by the person on the other line.

Battery Life

We’re glad that Huawei put a decent 3,000mAh battery considering it’s a phablet. Battery life is good and can last you a whole day when mostly on WiFi, browsing social media apps, taking photos, and some light gaming.

It scored 9 hours on PC Mark and 10 hours and 15 minutes in our routine video playback test (Airplane mode, 1080p video on loop, 50% brightness and volume with headset plugged in). And if you want to squeeze every bit of juice out of its battery just choose between its three battery saving modes – Normal, Smart, Ultra.

Conclusion

The Huawei GR5 is a decent phablet for the company’s mid-range category. It has a premium look and feel, good display, dual-SIM with dedicated microSD card slot, Fingerprint scanner, capable rear camera, and good battery life.

However, it’s choice of Snapdragon 616 processor, 2GB RAM, and asking price of Php11,990 makes the GR5 a weak option compared to its competitors with same or more powerful processors and 3GB RAM, namely, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (Php10,500), OPPO F1 (Php11,990), and ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE601KL)(Php11,995).

Huawei GR5 specs:
5.5-inch Full HD display, 401ppi
1.5GHz Qualcommm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939 octa-core processor
4 x Cortex A53 1.2GHz + 4 x Cortex A53 1.5GHz
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Up to 128GB via microSD card (dedicated slot)
13MP rear camera, LED flash
5MP front-facing camera
Dual-SIM, Dual LTE Cat. 4
WiFi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Fingerprint Sensor
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with EMUI 3.1
3,000mAh Li-Ion battery
151.3 x 76.3 x 8.15 mm
158 g

What we liked:
* Good build and design
* Large, good quality display
* Good battery life
* Dual-SIM with dedicated slot for microSD card
* Fingerprint scanner

What we didn’t like:
* Expensive given its RAM configuration