Lenovo serves up a solid mid-range smartphone offering with the P700i

Priced at Php10,999, the dual-core Lenovo P700i aims to grab a piece of the midrange smartphone market from other international brands that offer the same specifications but at a higher price point. This strategy has been working very well for Lenovo which paved the way for their initial success with the A65 and P700. However things have changed. Today they not only have to fend off other global brands but they also have to find a way to differentiate themselves from local brands that are selling much more affordable handsets with almost the same insides. Interesting situation right?

Anyway, here’s a quick refresher on what’s under the hood of the Lenovo P700i.

Lenovo P700i Spec Sheet

• 1GHz Dual-Core MT6577 Processor, PowerVR SGX531 GPU
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB internal storage, Expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 4-inch (800×480) IPS Capacitive display
• 5.0 Megapixel with Auto Focus + VGA Camera
• Dual SIM, Dual Standby
• 3G/2G/EDGE/GPRS/GSM
• Bluetooth/GPS/Portable Hotspot/FM Radio
• 2500 mAh Battery Capacity

We’ve already done an initial review and feature on the P700i so for this review will match it up against the more affordable handsets entering the market and then have it face off with other international handsets. This will definitely make it a little more juicy and interesting!

Up Against Local and more Affordable Brands: Superior Battery Life and Solid Build Quality

There are two major factors that will give the edge to the Lenovo P700i when compared to local brands. The first one is the superior battery life. The P700i doesn’t have your usual 1,500mAh battery. Instead it has a juiced up 2,500mAh battery. I don’t know about you guys but battery life for me is one of the top deciding factors when I invest in smartphones. There’s no point in having a kick ass handset that will die in the middle of the day (iPhone 4 with iOS6 or the HTC Chacha comes to mind, lol). During our tests the 2,500mAh battery life gave us far more than what we were expecting. It can easily power you for the whole day and even give you a little extra the following morning. If you’re a conservative user then it will last for at least 2 days.

Next to the battery life is the build quality. While the local handsets look nice they still smudge easily (even the back plates) and you can feel the plastic. That’s not the case with the Lenovo P700i. The phone is slim, solid to hold, and the plastic back kinda feels like metal because of the design and the weight distribution of the glass at the front.

Other than the battery and design, we also have to mention that Lenovo is already a tried and tested brand. While local companies like Cherry Mobile, MyPhone, and Starmobile are making waves with their latest product announcements, there is still that cloud hanging over them since they’re pretty new to the tech business.

If you take a look at the spec sheet, those are the main differences already with the P700i and the local budget smartphones. The question now is if the two (or three if you count brand reliability) major added benefits are enough to justify the price difference. Personally I think that if you can afford the upgrade, why not? The battery life for me really is a big thing.

Against Global Brands: Still a more Affordable Option that doesn’t Make Big Compromises

Lenovo comes out as a very strong contender when it comes to value-for-money when compared to the midrange offerings of other international brands. The pricing is very aggressive, the specs are good, build quality is okay, and they have a great execution of dual SIM, dual standby. I daresay that in the absence of the local brands, Lenovo would have sole claim over the “value-for-money” segment.

Why not just get this and not the premium high-end smartphones?

You’re probably thinking that since the P700i has good battery, design, and specs that there’s no point in looking past this model and venture into quad-core devices. If you’re just after a handset that does SMS, calls, emails, social networking, and light apps, then the answer is yes, there’s no need to go for quad-core smartphones. However if you want a flawless Android experience wherein you can download and run even the most graphics intensive apps (see screenshot above), then you might want to take a look at the higher end quad-core options. Lenovo also has an offering there with the K860 which sells for less than Php20,000.

Verdict: It’s a Strong Mid-Range Android Smartphone Worth Considering

If you take everything into consideration, the Lenovo P700i is still one of the very best midrange smartphones in the market today. The specs, premium build, dual sim capability, and superior battery life really sets it apart both from the phones in its category and those that are below it.

The Lenovo P700i is available in local gadget shops for Php10,999.