Honor X5d s Puts a Rear Touchscreen on a R2,499 Phone, and the Play20C Takes It Global
A 2-inch rear display, a 6,000mAh battery and 15W charging sit on a phone with a Unisoc chip and a 720p screen. The chipset on higher-storage models is reported inconsistently.
Honor has put a second screen on the back of a budget phone. The Honor X5d s, priced at R2,499 in South Africa, and its global sibling the Play20C pair a 6.78-inch front display with a small touchscreen beside the rear camera and a 6,000mAh battery (Notebookcheck, TechRepublic).
What the rear screen does
The rear panel is a 2.01-inch LCD with a 240 by 296 resolution, according to GSMArena. Honor's South Africa product page says it supports touch and one-tap selfies, so the 50MP main camera can be used for self-portraits with a live preview. Honor adds that you can tap the rear screen to focus, and that it shows call alerts and media playback. One listing also mentions a touch-responsive digital pet on the rear screen.
Honor X5d s: price and specifications
The phone went on sale in stores across South Africa on October 7 at a recommended price of R2,499, about $150, for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant, in Forest Green and Midnight Black (Briefly). GSMArena found a 15W charger and a TPU case in the box.
The front display is a 6.78-inch LCD at 720 by 1576 pixels with 600 nits of typical brightness. GSMArena lists 90Hz, while Notebookcheck quotes up to 120Hz, and Honor's page carries a footnote saying the panel supports up to 120Hz depending on the app or game, so 90Hz is the default and 120Hz applies in some cases.
| Specification | Honor X5d s |
|---|---|
| Front display | 6.78-inch LCD, 720 x 1576, 90Hz (up to 120Hz in some apps) |
| Rear display | 2.01-inch, 240 x 296, touch |
| Chipset | Unisoc T610 (2x Cortex-A75, 6x Cortex-A55, up to 1.8GHz) |
| Memory and storage | 4GB RAM (plus 4GB virtual), 64GB, microSD up to 1TB |
| Main camera | 50MP, f/1.8 |
| Front camera | 5MP |
| Battery | 6,000mAh typical (5,850mAh rated), 15W wired charging |
| Software | Android 16 (Go Edition) |
| Build | 168.3 x 78.5 x 8.72mm, 214g, IP52 |
| Price (South Africa) | R2,499 for 4GB/64GB |
The battery figure needs a footnote
Honor markets a 6,000mAh battery, but its product page says 6,000mAh is the typical capacity and the rated value is 5,850mAh. That is a common distinction in the industry, and it means the number on the box is not the minimum guaranteed capacity. Charging is limited to 15W, so a full charge will be slow.
The phone runs Android 16 Go Edition, a lighter version of Android designed for low-memory devices, and has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Notebookcheck adds a 3.5mm headphone jack, dual nano-SIM support and a dedicated microSD slot. It supports 4G LTE only, with no 5G.
The Play20C: same idea, global branding
GSMArena says the Honor Play20C is the global version of the X5d s. It has a 6.78-inch IPS HD+ 90Hz display, a 2-inch touchscreen on the back beside a 50MP main camera, and a 6,000mAh battery with 15W charging. Colours are Forest Green, Sunrise Gold and Midnight Black; Sunrise Gold is not offered on the X5d s. A Nigerian listing puts the 4GB and 64GB model at NGN 149,900, about $113 (ProPakistani).
The sources disagree on the chip for higher-storage models. GSMArena and ProPakistani say the 4GB and 128GB Play20C uses a Unisoc T615, with the T610 in other trims, while Honor's South Africa page says the 4GB and 128GB X5d s uses the T610. Whether that is a real difference between the two phones or an error is unclear, so the chipset for those versions is unconfirmed.
What it means for buyers
The rear screen is the whole pitch. It lets the main camera take selfies, which usually rely on a weaker front sensor, and gives a glanceable display for calls and music. It does nothing for performance, and the Unisoc chip, 4GB of RAM and 720p front panel place the phone firmly at the bottom of the market. Anyone who wants smooth multitasking or a sharp screen should look elsewhere, while those who want a distinctive, inexpensive handset with expandable storage have a reason to look. No Indian price or launch has been announced.
What to watch next
Watch for Honor to announce further markets and local prices for the Play20C, clarification of the chipset on the 128GB model, and hands-on reviews of the rear screen. Rumours cited by Notebookcheck say Honor's 700 series, expected around November, may also get a rear display, but Honor has not confirmed that.
