Representative of the budget segment of devices. There is a large display, a 4-core processor, a 2250 mAh battery and support for dual-SIM mode. It's nice that with all this the price tag for the end user is below two hundred dollars. But was the handset interesting to use?! You will learn about this in the review.

Packaging and delivery

In a compact cardboard box with a recognizable design, the user, in addition to the smartphone itself, will find a typical “gentleman’s kit”: a charger adapter, a micro-/USB cable, as well as a wired headset with an answer button, plus the necessary documentation.

Appearance and assembly

Like other Lenovo smartphones, this device features a proprietary “optimizer” for battery consumption. Its name is “Lenovo Power”, and it is curious because it allows you to optimize energy consumption as much as possible by disabling unused functions.

Equipment

The smartphone is running operating system 4.2.2 "out of the box".

The hardware inside is 4-core MTK6582M, clocked at 1.3 GHz. In addition, there is 1 GB “on board” RAM and Mali-400MP graphics.

Productivity and Communications

The hardware implemented here is quite enough to play Full HD video or run resource-intensive games.

And here are the results of testing using several specialized utilities.

Lenovo A850– big screen – great opportunities. Needless to say, Lenovo is trying to capture all segments of the smartphone market, releasing one after another various versions of devices with screen diagonals from 3.5 to 6 inches. This time we will look at what the Lenovo A850 model is with a 5.5-inch screen size and a 4-core processor at 1.3 GHz.

Scope of delivery

The phone was neatly placed in a branded compact box, and underneath it was the usual Lenovo kit, which included: a headset, a microUSB cable, charger a set of all kinds of “papers”.

Video: unpacking a smartphone

Characteristics

All the power and strength of the Lenovo IdeaPhone A850 lies in 4 nuclear processor MTK6582M with clock frequency 1.3 GHz. However, the amount of RAM is no different from other devices and is 1 GB. The smartphone has 4 GB of built-in memory; of course, to increase capacity, you can install a memory card with a capacity of up to 32 GB in a special slot. Thanks to the battery capacity of 2250 mAh, the device can work for one and a half days with average activity and up to four days in standby mode.

The Lenovo A850 has a quite acceptable thickness of 9.45 mm, which allows you to confidently hold the device in your hand, and the overall dimensions of the device are 153.5 x 79.3 x 9.45 mm, while the weight of the phone is 184 grams. Was no exception this model in the ability to support the simultaneous operation of two SIM cards, the first of which receives at GSM\WCDMA frequencies, and the second only in the GSM range. The presence of wireless devices such as GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth will not surprise anyone - they fit very harmoniously into the device, making it possible to use it as a navigator and source of information. When passing the test in the AnTuTu Benchmark 4 program, the phone showed its best side, scoring 16,878 points - this is approximately on the same level as the phone Samsung Galaxy SIII.

Video: Antutu test on A820, A830 and A850

As for the operating system, this device comes pre-installed with Android 4.2.2 with a built-in proprietary shell.

Screen and sound

The manufacturer, of course, skimped on the display resolution, putting an IPS matrix with a resolution of 540 by 960 pixels in such a large phone. In my opinion, for a device of this size, a resolution of at least HD (720 by 1280) is required, but what is there is what it is we must remember positioning of this smartphone in the budget class, which means reducing the cost by reducing the cost of some elements. In this case, this element is the display resolution, but at the same time, the screen itself is bright, rich and of sufficient quality with wide viewing angles. The sound quality is at the highest level, the phone is loud and can be heard clearly.

Camera

The Lenovo A850 has a 0.3 megapixel camera on the front side for communicating in programs like Skype, and a 5 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus on the back. The quality of the photos is average; you should not position the device as a camera.

Appearance

5.5-inch Lenovo device The A850 looks quite compact and, despite its size, does not look awkward, the rounded edges give a more compact appearance, and the plastic insert, painted to look like metal, separates the front and back device, gives the device a thinner appearance than it actually is. Otherwise, it’s unremarkable and fairly standard for Lenovo. appearance devices. There are 2 color options for this model: white and black.

The front panel contains light and proximity sensors, an event indicator, a 0.3 MP camera, a 5.5-inch display with IPS matrix and three touch buttons navigation. On the back side, in addition to the camera and flash, there is only the Lenovo logo and the speaker grille. On the top there is an on/off button and a standard 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones.

On the right side is the volume control. The bottom of the device houses a microphone and a microUSB connector.

Results

pros:

• high quality case
• nice design
• high-quality screen, although not high resolution
• excellent performance

cons:

• rather weak camera
• easily soiled glossy back cover

Lenovo showed us an excellent device with excellent picture quality, nice design and high performance. However, still budget smartphones cannot boast of having a high-quality camera and, most likely, the manufacturer equips their devices of this class with them just for show.

Just a few years ago, a 4-4.5-inch screen in a smartphone was considered incredibly huge and everyone was surprised at how convenient it could be used.

But time passed and, as it turned out, large screens seemed to many to be exactly the solution they had been waiting for. We have on review Lenovo smartphone A850.

It's 2014 and it's difficult to surprise someone with a smartphone with a 4.5-inch screen size. However, the consumer market is very diverse - even a 5.5-inch screen will definitely be small for some. Lenovo A850 - a budget solution in the phablet market, for those who should buy Galaxy Note would be an unacceptable blow to the budget. The 5.5-inch A850 turned out to be ambiguous in some respects, but all this can be forgiven thanks to the screen size (for those who care about it, of course).

Design and build

Welcome to the kingdom of gloss - the smartphone is made entirely of glossy plastic and its ability to collect fingerprints can be rated at 10/10.

At first glance, the smartphone looks very large - you often hear from the outside “Wow, why such a big phone?” But after using it a little, you realize that it is not so huge. The A850 constantly tries to slip out of your hands and also perfectly collects scratches on the back cover. For those who want to keep the case safe and sound, I recommend getting a case.

On the bottom of the smartphone below the display there are three function keys: “home”, “back” and “menu”. The advantage of this solution is the greater amount of free space on the screen itself.

Above the screen, the manufacturer placed a speaker, a front 0.3 MP camera, a light sensor and a proximity sensor.

On the side there are volume keys. There is a little play, but not critical. It is not difficult to reach with your finger; everything is pressed easily.

On the top edge there is a power/lock key and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. On the bottom edge there is a microUSB connector for charging and connecting to a PC.

On the back of the smartphone we see a 5-megapixel camera, under which there is only a flash and a speakerphone.

The smartphone is really built on a budget - you can’t call the assembly bad, but it’s also not exemplary. You can hear the body crunching, even if you apply a slight torsion force. In addition, when you squeeze lightly, you can hear a crunch in the corners, and in the middle part of the body on the back side, the smartphone bends a little.

Camera and sound

The smartphone has a 5-megapixel camera, but the sensor is quite simple - the photo quality is not that high. The phone belongs to the budget “shovel recorder” class, so you shouldn’t count on high quality photos. Front camera It will be enough for video calls and nothing more.

The sound is loud in both speakers, you can hear the interlocutor perfectly, the microphone also works correctly. One was spotted unpleasant feature loudspeaker - on maximum volume The speaker begins to wheeze slightly.

Screen

The Lenovo A850 has a 5.5-inch IPS matrix with a rather low resolution by today's standards - only 540x960 pixels. However, even after the display of my Nexus 7, I did not pay much attention to the pixels - reading text does not cause discomfort, but the color rendition is disgusting. Due to the excellent contrast and brightness, the smartphone can be used even outdoors in sunny weather without experiencing difficulties in perceiving information.

Characteristics

The smartphone has a quad-core MTK MT6582M processor with a frequency of 1.3 GHz and a Mali-400 graphics accelerator. The A850 has 1 GB of RAM, which together with the low screen resolution gives good performance, although the device does not even reach the flagships of last year. In AnTuTu it gives 17223 points.

More than enough for everyday tasks. Also, the performance is quite enough for heavy games - everything runs at high graphics settings. In the same Dead Trigger 2, various sparks, drops of water, reflections, glare and other moments are fully displayed, and playing on the big screen is a pleasure. Fps does not sag even in difficult scenes, for example, Defense Zone 2.

The smartphone is equipped with 4 GB of internal memory, of which only 2 is available to the user - this will be enough for all necessary applications, but with games it is more difficult. Yes, the phone has a slot for memory cards, but you won’t be able to install anything on it; you’ll have to “work with a file” and edit the configuration files. Such a decision is completely incomprehensible, because the memory in a smartphone is really small by today’s standards.

While using it, I noticed an interesting bug - the built-in utility, which shows the amount of free and used RAM, produces completely different data compared to third-party applications.

The smartphone has Android 4.2.2 installed and Lenovo's own shell is rather clumsy and slow. Installing a third-party launcher frees your phone from a jittery interface and some inconveniences.

Communication component

The A850 is equipped with two slots for SIM cards, has 3G support, and the signal level is excellent. The smartphone also has WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 modules.

Autonomy

The Lenovo A850 is powered by a 2500 mAh battery - on average, this is three days of moderate use (calls, SMS, mail, Internet). With active use (games, videos), the phablet will last 5-6 hours on one charge. Using the built-in power utility, you can monitor charge hogs and set up energy saving modes. The Power Manager has five tabs:

1. Predicted operating time of the phone on one charge and shutdown various sensors, Wi-Fi and more
2. Applications and battery drain rate as a percentage
3. Battery charge status, calibration
4. Selecting and setting the power consumption mode
5. Various settings and information about the program

Conclusion

Lenovo A850 is the first phone with such a “large” screen that I have ever used. It was with him that I realized that 5.5 inches was what I was missing. Despite the average characteristics, the phone left a positive impression, and the low price for this type of device is another plus. I was pleased to have two SIM cards and a good battery. The disadvantages include a small amount of memory, low screen resolution, and a weak camera. My verdict - you can buy it if you want to try a phone with a large screen.

Prices in online stores

It is possible to display similar models if this one is not in the catalog.

Its brief characteristics:

• Communication standards: GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz; WCDMA 900/2100 MHz;
• Dimensions 153.5x79.5x9.5 mm;
• Weight 184 g;
• Processor MT6582M 1.3 GHz (Quad Core Cortex A7, GPU Mali-400MP2);
• RAM 1 GB;
• Disk 4 GB;
• Outputs: microSD (up to 64 GB), microUSB, Jack 3.5;
• 2 SIM cards (regular size, not micro, as indicated on some sites);
• Capacitive touch screen 5.5" IPS WVGA 960x540;
• Battery Li-Ion, 2250 mAh;
• Communication: Bluetooth 3.0 (A2DP) / Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), 3G, GPS;
• Camera: 5 MP with auto focus and flash, front 0.3 MP;
• Proximity sensors, lighting sensors, accelerometer, gyro sensor.

Price in Ukraine: 1800-2200 hryvnia.

Equipment

The phone is packaged in a compact but nice-looking cardboard box. All inscriptions, except the model and company, are in Chinese. Included:

• Documents;
• Box;
• Telephone;
• Headphones;
• USB-microUSB cable;
• Charger (network-USB).

All documents (apparently the warranty and instructions) are in Chinese. “Earplug” headphones with a clothespin, a microphone and one button look as if they were bought in a transition for 5 hryvnia. I would never have thought that a branded phone with a price of about two thousand could be bundled with such nonsense. Also, in the box that came into my hands, there was no adapter for our sockets - I had to buy it.

Appearance and body

At first glance, for n inexperienced user, the phone looks too big. However, if you take the device in your hand, this impression disappears. Talking on this phone is also convenient. From the side, the phone looks elegant, befitting its size (its thickness is just under a centimeter).

On the front side above the screen in the middle there is a speaker and a logo. To the right is the camera (0.3 megapixels) and the charging indicator (lit red when charging). Below the screen there are three touch buttons: “Settings”, “Menu” and “Back”. There is also a light and distance sensor somewhere on the front panel, but I couldn't find it. I didn't find any information about this in the phone manual (at least in the pictures).

Along the contour of the phone there is a silver border that imitates metal. On her with right side At the top there is a two-position volume control button. Top center is the power button. Opposite it at the bottom is a microUSB connector, and a little to the right is a microphone.

There is a 5 MP camera on the back of the phone. It protrudes slightly above the surface of the phone, but is recessed into a metal border that protects it from scratches. Below it is led flash. The second speaker is located at the bottom of the case on the left side.

There are no buttons on the case other than volume and power. Even the camera launch buttons, which is very bad. But those that exist are pressed comfortably and with a pleasant with a click.

The body is made of dark blue glossy plastic. The plastic is very soiled and slippery to the touch. Well assembled. Even after making an effort, I did not feel any play or creaking of the body in my hands. The back cover lies very tightly, even too tightly - I personally find it inconvenient to remove it, as I needpry with a sharp objectalmost along the entire perimeter. It is put back on backwards - easily and with a pleasant click.

Under the cover there is a wide 2250 mAh battery, two slots for SIM cards ( standard size) and one for the card microSD memory(up to 64 GB).

Screen

IP S phone screen size 5, 5 inches and resolution960 x 540 pixels. Image density 200 ppi, 16 million colors. Externally it makes a very pleasant impression: bright and clear, despite the relatively small number of pixels for this size. However, If the screen is under film, it looks mediocre outside even in cloudy weather. Everything you need can be seen without problems, however The picture is pretty faded.

Software

The device runs on Android 4.2.2.

By default, the phone has almost all the necessary programs:

• File Manager
• Complete set from Google: Play market, Chrome, Gmail, Google+, Hangouts, YouTube
• Norton antivirus
• Skype
• Any share (a program for exchanging data with other devices via Wi-Fi)
• Program for using your phone a as a modem (via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB)
• Voice recorder, calculator, radio
• User Tutorial
• Battery manager.

Speaking of the battery manager, I want to dwell on it in more detail.

Lenovo thought it through very well. It contains five tabs.

1. In the first one you can find out how long your charge will last. Energy-intensive functions are immediately disabled or configured (from GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the time the phone goes to sleep, ringer volume, vibration and automatic screen rotation). After the changes, the phone immediately recalculates the operating time and shows it to us.
2. The second displays the running processes and what percentage they make up of the phone’s total energy consumption. You can close them right away.
3. In the third, you can see at what stage of charging the phone is if it is connected to the network. The program claims that charging the phone consists of three stages: fast, smooth and support. In the first, the phone charges intensively and quickly to 80%. Then it goes into a smooth mode, where it charges more slowly to the end. At 100%, the phone goes into support mode to maintain the charge at 100% (like laptops). In the same tab, you can calibrate the battery if the phone begins to show the charge level inaccurately.
4. In the fourth tab, you can select one of four energy consumption modes: low economy, medium, high and native. Again, just like in a laptop.
5. The last tab contains various settings and information about the program.

Desk.

In the native version of the phone's firmware, control of the desktop and icons on it is also excellent. Just by clicking on the table, you can add shortcuts, programs, folders, widgets to it. Graphic effects, design themes, and desktop wallpaper can be configured right away. You can even put animations and videos on your desktop. You can add and remove desktops - a maximum of nine. While working, you can switch between them in the usual way - by scrolling left/right, or by pinching two fingers together (as when zooming out), open thumbnails of all tables.

Connection

An interesting nuance: when the subscriber picks up the phone during your call, the phone vibrates. At first this is unusual, but very convenient, because due to poor communication quality you often cannot understand: the subscriber has picked up the phone and is silent, or there is still a call in progress.

The volume of the main speaker leaves much to be desired. Even at maximum conversation volume the sound is not very strong. It's sufficient for everyday situations, but in a noisy environment you probably won't hear anything.

The second speaker has good volume. To listen, for example, to an audiobook through it, 50% will be enough for you under normal conditions.

Dimensions

In terms of width (8 centimeters), the phone is, in my opinion, a little too big. It fits comfortably in your hand, but your thumb is not long enough to reach the opposite side of the screen if you hold the device with one hand.

If you hold the phone horizontally with both hands, then the size (15 and a half centimeters) fits almost perfectly: you can press the buttons in the middle of the screen with the thumbs of both hands.

However, people who have not used this type of phone before will find it very inconvenient to work with the device at first. The question immediately arises: where to put it? It doesn't even fit completely into the pockets of some pants. And even if it fits, you still think about how to sit without damaging it. True, this problem is partially compensated by a convenient function - while in your bag (which is where you will most likely carry it), the phone automatically increases the ringer volume. So keep this in mind if the question about the size of the phone is still open for you.

Camera

Five megapixels, in my opinion, is not enough for a phone that costs two thousand. But even if you don't take into account the number of points, the camera is bad.Autofocus bad — the necessary objects are often not clear.

I don’t think it’s necessary to say that photos taken at night are of terrible quality. The front VGA camera takes pictures as a VGA camera should. Also, the video quality is poor. And no 720p can save him.

In general, a battered Nokia N97 four years ago and with a similar matrix size (today you can buy it for 500 hryvnia) took both photos and videos a cut above. I don't even know if this is good or bad.

Below are examples of photos and video taken at night.

Battery

I used the phone very actively- Internet, Wi-Fi, camera, Bluetooth, games, - and so on almost all day. Is it true, the whole time the device was in off mode f line - without SIM -cards. With this usage, at the end of the first day I had 40 percent battery. That is, the phone is barely enough for two days with active use.

Charges from the computer.

Performance

The device is equipped with a 4-core processor MediaTek with frequency 1.3 GHz and 1 GB of RAM. The Antutu test returned 17004.

Ratings

If you evaluate all the points of the phone on a five-point scale, you get the following:

Design: 3. The phone looks absolutely nothing - neither fish nor fowl. Although you can judge for yourself.

Case quality: 4. The case is quite good looking. As good as plastic can be.

Screen: 4. Makes a pleasant impression, despite the relatively small number of pixels and slightly low brightness.

Sound: 3. Average volume, average quality. The external speaker is loud.

Ready to work: 5. Everything that an inexperienced user might need at first is in place.

Ergonomics: 2+. The lack of necessary buttons speaks for itself.

Iron: 4. Good processor, average amount of RAM, not enough built-in memory.

Camera: 2. Takes pictures poorly, no matter how you look at them. Looks average even on your own screen.

Battery: 4. Holds up well, not least thanks to the excellent manager.

Bottom line

Despite all the criticism, I liked the phone. He gives the impression of an unprepossessing, modest, but reliable hard worker. It's clearly nicer on the inside than on the outside and a pleasure to use. The only significant drawback for me is the camera. But not everyone will pay attention to this.

The rating is a solid C, adjusted for the inflated price, as for a Chinese person. That way I could have competed for the top four.

The device for review and testing was provided by the online store Notus.com.ua