REVIEW: The Lenovo P700

We get a lot of gadgets and devices here at Unbox. Most of the time the ones that capture our attention are the higher priced and premium gear. There’s been a trend lately though of mid-range smartphones becoming more powerful and since they’re priced competitively you actually get a lot of value for the money you’re spending on them. One good example is the newly launched Lenovo P700 Dual SIM Android 4.0 Smartphone. This amazing device has good specs, a long-lasting battery, a gorgeous screen, Dual SIM, and it’s just priced at Php10,990. To quote Vangie… BOOM PAK!

Lenovo P700 Spec Sheet

• 1GHz CPU
• 512MB RAM
• 800MB Internal Storage, expandable up to 32GB via micro SD
• 4.0-inch Display, 800×480 pixels
• 3G/HSPA
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 5.0 Megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera
• 2,500 mAh Battery
• Dual SIM, Dual Standby

We’ve been using the P700 for the last two weeks and we can definitely say that it’s one of the best workhorse and “trooper” type phones. If you haven’t read our unboxing article yet, click here. If you’ve already done so just read on for the full review.

Hardware: Body Design, Screen, Display, etc.

The Lenovo P700 is mostly glass at the front and some sort of durable hard plastic at the back. At the bottom of the display you’ll find the usual 4 touch-based Android controls. The front facing camera is at the upper left just beside the Lenovo logo. On the right side you’ll find the volume rocker and a dedicated camera button. Located at the top are the headphone jack, mini-USB port (for charging and data transfer), and the power/sleep/wake button. The rear-facing 5MP camera and the speakers are situated at the back. As mentioned in our unboxing the back plate is removable and you’ll find slots for the two sim cards, micro-SD, and the 2500mAH battery there.

The phone is not as slim as most smartphones in the market today but that’s a compromise for the superb battery life (we’ll tackle this later). It’s not too thick though to the point that you’d call it “bulky”. You won’t have any problems slipping this in your pocket or taking it out.

Display
The P700 has a 4.0-inch display with 800×480 pixels. It’s definitely not Retina Display level but it’s still good compared to a lot of mid-ranged smartphones that have crappy, pixilated, and low quality displays. We have the Spiderman Live Wallpaper on it and you’ll only notice the pixels if you look closely or you put the phone near your face. For the usual core functions like social networking, browsing, and messaging the P700’s display is more than enough to keep most users happy.

Software

With a price tag of Php10,990 you’d think this smartphone would only pack Android 2.3 Gingerbread. However the P700 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with some sort of minimally customized Lenovo UI. With the help of the 1GHz processor and the 512MB RAM you mostly get a smooth experience with the Lenovo P700 (unless of course you open several apps at once).

The Lenovo UI showcases the various Google services and they put this front and center with the home page. There are stylized buttons for GMAIL, Maps, Google Play, Google Talk, and Google Music. It’s like a permanent widget in one of your home screens. If you don’t like it just re-arrange the home screens.

The P700 runs most apps well considering the specs. We tried several popular apps like Temple Run and Flipboard and the unit rarely lagged. More graphics and memory intensive apps though will probably not be as smooth but will still be playable.

How does the Dual SIM and Dual Standby System work?

One of the best things about the Lenovo P700 is the Dual SIM, Dual Standby feature. You basically just pop-in two sim cards at the back and they’re both active. That means if you get a call or SMS from either number you’ll get it on the phone without having to switch using some sort of software or hardware solution. When you send messages or when you call you’ll be asked what number you’d like to use. It’s pretty nifty and intuitive so plus points to Lenovo for this one.

Battery Life

Another killer feature of the Lenovo P700 is the amazing battery life. I was originally thinking that the 2500mAh wouldn’t matter since the phone runs two radios for the two SIMS but that’s not the case. One full charge of the P700 lasted us almost two days with WiFi and 3G being switched on and off depending on our location and needs.

Note though that if you abuse it thoroughly like 20-30 calls, playing several games, browsing a lot of sites, social networking, and notifications all on then it will have considerable less battery life. You’ll probably still get through most of the day and require a charge when you’re about to sleep.

Camera

The Lenovo P700 has a 5MP rear-facing shooter. It takes decent pictures in good lighting conditions but don’t expect stellar quality when you take it out for a spin in low light environments. We were able to take a few test shots and we’ll upload them here soon.

Pricing, Availability, and Verdict

The Lenovo P700 is now being sold in Lenovo stores and distributors for just Php10,990. The premium build, battery life, display, and dual SIM feature makes it a strong contender for the mid-range category. It’s also a good upgrade for people using the lower end smartphones. This device just screams value for money and we’re happy to recommend it to our readers here at Unbox.

Congratulations Lenovo. You guys shipped a great smartphone with the P700.