We unbox the Y5 2017!

For a top-tier manufacturer, Huawei has been releasing pretty enticing, low-cost budget phones in the past few months. Case in point: their dual-camera GR5 2017 was the most affordable smartphone in its class when it was released and the GR3 2017, which was a pretty solid smartphone for its price. Huawei wants to continue that hot streak of releasing smartphones with great value with their new Y5 2017, which is currently priced in Lazada for Php 5,890. Is the new budget phone worth the money?

Huawei Y5 2017 Specifications

• 1.4GHz MediaTek MT6737T quad-core processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 5-inch HD display; 1280×720 resolution
• 16GB of expandable storage (up to 128GB)
• 3G, LTE
• 8-megapixel rear camera, f/2.0 aperture, dual tone LED flash
• 5-megapixel front camera
• WiFi, Bluetooth
• GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
• 3000mAh battery
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• EMUI 4.1

Packaging and contents

Huawei’s budget phones (the Y series included) has always come in a distinct red package that’s similar to the GR5 2017 and GR3 2017. Well, no longer – the Y5 2017 comes in its own distinct blue packaging, which differentiates the line from the GR series of phones that Huawei is offering. Inside is the usual stuff that you’ll see in most budget phones – headphones, USB cable, USB charger and documentation for the device.

Initial impressions: plastic, but well built

As you go lower the price bracket, companies like Huawei have to ditch premium materials like aluminum and metal to keep costs down. That’s what happened with the GR3 2017 and the Y5 2017 is no different. Huawei has gone with a mainly plastic body in the build of the phone, and honestly it shows.

Despite that the Y5 is still well built, and the textured, slightly gloss gunmetal back of our review unit will probably fool most people looking at it from afar. Since the phone has a smaller 5-inch HD IPS display, it feels a little better in the hand, especially for people with small mitts.

The phone has rounded corners, and the textured back makes it easier to hold the phone one handed. Just like most budget phones today, the Y5 2017 has a removable back – taking it off reveals the dual SIM slot along with the microSD slot. The rear also holds the 8-megapixel front camera with a f/2.0 aperture, with the dual LED flash sitting on the left.

Going around the device, you’ll see the power and volume button on the right, while the 3.5mm jack is on the top. The USB port is located on the bottom, flanked by two speaker grilles.

Up front is the 5-inch HD IPS display which uses on-screen navigation buttons, which cuts down a little bit on the screen real-estate available on the phone. As for the display itself? It’s okay – viewing angles are not too bad, and there’s no horrendous color shift when you tilt the display to the side.

Because of its budget nature, the Y5 2017 runs a 1.4GHz MediaTek MT6737T quad-core processor, paired with just 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. That’s hardware that’s more than enough for casual use, but people looking for a budget powerhouse shouldn’t expect too much from the Y5 2017.

That’s it for this unboxing. The Huawei Y5 2017 is now available to buy in Lazada now.