Last year, we saw the launch of the Huawei GR5, a proper midranger that Emmanuel Chenze reviewed and branded as “Beautiful, feature-packed and priced right”. That was last year though, and that device was retailing at KES.28,000. It is 2017, the year of Dual Cameras and the GR5 (2017) knows that. Aside from the usual specs bump we have come to expect year after year, Huawei has also priced this year’s GR5 slightly higher than last year, at KES.34,999 (ok, that is not slight).
The GR5 (2017) comes with a 5.5″ Full HD (1920 * 1080), dual cameras at the back, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and a 3270 mAh battery. That’s not it though, Huawei have also included a third generation fingerprint reader which is located at the back, right below the dual cameras. Below is a full list if the phone’s specifications:
| Display | 5.5" IPS Full HD |
| Chipset | Kirin 655, Octa-Core (i5 Co-Processor) |
| Memory | 3GB RAM+ 32GB ROM/4GB+64GB |
| Main Cameras | 12 MP + 2 MP camera |
| Front Camera | 8 MP camera |
| Operating System | Android 6.0 Marshmallow + EMUI 4.1 |
| Battery | 3270mAh |
| Network | 4G ready |
| Other features | Fingerprint sensor |
| Color Options | Gray/Gold/Silver |
The device was launched in Kenya yesterday (22 Feb) where Huawei Mobile Kenya Country Manager, Mark Hemaobin said that this year, the company would focus on strengthening their supply chain, channels, services and several other areas, for them “to maintain sustained growth not just locally but globally”.
Huawei Mobile Kenya also states that “the GR5 (2017) is designed for technology trendsetters looking for a superb Smartphone camera on a budget. Like its predecessor – Huawei GR5, the Huawei GR5 2017 offers features and technologies to rival even the most expensive handsets. It provides speedy performance, exceptional battery coupled with Huawei’s intelligent power-saving technology that ensures 1.5 day of productivity on a single charge.”
We cannot verify any of the claims above just yet, but we will be sure to put the GR5 to the test when we receive our review unit.
