Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 63.5 mm (millimeters) 6.35 cm (centimeters) 0.21 ft (feet) 2.5 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 117 mm (millimeters) 11.7 cm (centimeters) 0.38 ft (feet) 4.61 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 12.2 mm (millimeters) 1.22 cm (centimeters) 0.04 ft (feet) 0.48 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 121 g (grams) 0.27 lbs 4.27 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 90.64 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.5in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | MediaTek MT6572 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | ARM Cortex-A7 |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 256 kB (kilobytes) 0.25 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 2 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1300 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc. | ARM Mali-400 MP1 |
| Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications. | 1 |
| GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 500 MHz (megahertz) |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 512 MB (megabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR2 |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data. | 266 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | TFT |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 4 in (inches) 101.6 mm (millimeters) 10.16 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.06 in (inches) 52.27 mm (millimeters) 5.23 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 3.43 in (inches) 87.12 mm (millimeters) 8.71 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.667:1 5:3 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail. | 480 x 800 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail. | 233 ppi (pixels per inch) 91 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. | 61.5% (percentage) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | Capacitive Multi-touch |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 1300 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| 2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 12 hours 12 minutes 12.2 h (hours) 732 min (minutes) 0.5 days |
| 2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 432 h (hours) 25920 min (minutes) 18 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 7 hours 6 minutes 7.1 h (hours) 426 min (minutes) 0.3 days |
| 3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 384 h (hours) 23040 min (minutes) 16 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Removable |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.
| Head SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are regulated by the CTIA, and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.743 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
| Body SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest permissible SAR value in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA monitors mobile devices' compliance with this standard. | 0.993 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
TFT IPS- High quality liquid crystal matrix. It has wide viewing angles, one of the best indicators of color rendering quality and contrast among all those used in the production of displays for portable equipment.
Super AMOLED- if a regular AMOLED screen uses several layers, between which there is an air gap, then in Super AMOLED there is only one such touch layer without air gaps. This allows you to achieve greater screen brightness with the same power consumption.
Super AMOLED HD- differs from Super AMOLED in its higher resolution, thanks to which you can achieve 1280x720 pixels on a mobile phone screen.
Super AMOLED plus- this is a new generation of Super AMOLED displays, differs from the previous one by using a larger number of subpixels in a conventional RGB matrix. The new displays are 18% thinner and brighter than displays made using the old PenTile technology.
AMOLED- an improved version of OLED technology. The main advantages of the technology are significantly reduced power consumption, the ability to display a larger color gamut, reduced thickness and the ability of the display to bend slightly without the risk of breaking.
Retina-high pixel density display designed specifically for Apple technology. The pixel density of Retina displays is such that individual pixels are indistinguishable to the eye at a normal distance from the screen. This ensures the highest image detail and significantly improves the overall viewing experience.
Super Retina HD- the display is made using OLED technology. The pixel density is 458 PPI, the contrast reaches 1,000,000:1. The display has a wide color gamut and unsurpassed color accuracy. Pixels in the corners of the display are smoothed at the sub-pixel level, so edges are not distorted and appear smooth. The Super Retina HD reinforcing layer is 50% thicker. It will be harder to break the screen.
Super LCD is the next generation of LCD technology, it is characterized by improved characteristics compared to earlier LCD displays. The screens not only have wide viewing angles and better color reproduction, but also lower power consumption.
TFT- A common type of liquid crystal display. Using an active matrix controlled by thin-film transistors, it is possible to significantly increase the performance of the display, as well as the contrast and clarity of the image.
OLED- organic electroluminescent display. It consists of a special thin-film polymer that emits light when exposed to an electric field. This type of display has a large reserve of brightness and consumes very little energy.
- Telephone
- Battery Li-Ion 1300 mAh
- Charger with USB cable
- Wired stereo headset
- Instructions
Positioning
We recently looked at the Lenovo A859 model, which is a budget device but costs 8,000 rubles. It was necessary to explain why and how this device ended up in the public sector.
But for the A316i such explanations are not needed; in terms of cost, this device is one of the cheapest, budget solutions. In Russia, operators perform well in this niche; they offer their solutions with a zero markup and connection of packages within tariffs, which are much cheaper than any phones that manufacturers can offer. On the other hand, as a rule, these are phones that were created based on one goal - to give the minimum price. Lenovo tried to enter this segment not only with price, but also with slightly better characteristics - a screen resolution of 480x800 pixels with a diagonal of 4 inches - most operator solutions have a lower resolution. Therefore, given the same price, this device can be considered the most affordable Android. The scope of application is quite wide - a phone for children, those who do not want to overpay for more functionality, but at the same time they need Android applications. It is impossible to say anything more about this device; here its cost comes to the fore.
Design, dimensions, control elements
The case is black plastic, the touch buttons are not backlit - the usual look of a budget phone, the back of the device is corrugated and is abrasion resistant. A well-assembled device, there are no complaints about it in this aspect - a kind of workhorse.
Phone size – 117x63.5x12.2 mm, weight – 121 grams. It fits well in the hand; one of the shortcomings is the very inconvenient location of the on/off key; it is on the top end and shifted to the right (in the A859 it is located even worse - exactly in the middle). This is extremely inconvenient. On the right side there is a paired volume key, on the top end there is a microUSB and 3.5 mm connector.
Under the back cover there is a battery compartment, two slots for full-size SIM cards, and a slot for memory cards. There is no front camera in the device.
Display
The screen characteristics are good for its segment - 4 inches, 480x800 pixels, the picture quality is not bad, but there is no automatic brightness adjustment, only manually. The screen fades in the sun, but remains readable. The viewing angles are good, the screen stands out in its class. You can definitely write it down as a plus for the device.
Battery
The device has a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 1300 mAh; according to the manufacturer, it is capable of providing up to 12/7 hours of talk time (2G/3G) and up to 18/16 days of standby time. In practice, the device works for about two days with moderate use (20 minutes of calls, a dozen SMS, up to an hour of correspondence in WhatsApp and other programs, an hour of music). Under very heavy load, the device will work for about one day or a little less. The time to fully charge the battery is almost two hours.
Communication capabilities
The device supports 3G (900/2100 in our version), as well as a standard set of interfaces - Bluetooth (only 3.0, no support for LE 4.0 - as a result, many sports accessories cannot be connected), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. Quite a familiar set - there are no special features here. USB Mass Storage mode is supported when connected to a PC, USB 2.0 version.
Memory, memory cards, hardware platform
The device is built on the MediaTek 6572 chipset, dual-core processor with a maximum frequency of up to 1.3 GHz. This is a fairly typical solution for budget devices, which has a good operating time. The amount of RAM is 512 MB, which can be considered quite sufficient. Built-in memory is 4 GB, of which about 2.5 GB is initially available to the user.
The performance of this solution is not bad, as can be seen from the synthetic tests. You won’t see any slowdowns in the menu; everything is quite fast.
Memory cards up to 32 GB are supported.
Camera
A budget camera of 2 megapixels, you definitely shouldn’t expect any records from it. You can find examples of photos and videos below.
Working with two SIM cards
There is only one radio module in the device, so when using one card, the second one will not be available. You can set the default SIM card for data, SMS, voice. Moreover, for SMS and voice, you can choose during dialing which card you will use to make a call or send a message; the corresponding icons are in the menu. There are no problems with managing cards, everything is simple and clear. Each card can be renamed; the indicator is shown for two cards in the status line on the right.
Software – Android 4.2 and Lenovo shell
When buying Android smartphones from second-tier manufacturers, you should remember that they often do not have updates for new versions of Android; however, large companies also suffer from this; as a rule, they update only their flagships. Don't assume that this device will receive Android 4.3/4.4 in the future; most likely, you will remain on version 4.2.
The shell from Lenovo does not change the standard interface much; it is standard and significantly different from what we see on older A-series devices. This is a more familiar Android, with submenus, application folders and so on. But here the design theme has been changed, which greatly distinguishes the device - the first impression is that this is a non-standard Android, but this is only the visibility and differences in the icons.
Standard Android applications, for example, the clock, are also redesigned in a slightly different style; these are external, cosmetic changes, they do not affect functionality. At the same time, for example, a built-in image editor appears in the gallery, which is quite complicated and may be useful to someone.
Lenovo has its own division that develops programs for Android, in particular, there is a SyncIT service - this is the archiving of your data on a memory card or in the cloud from the company, you can also protect it with a password. In addition to contacts, you can also archive SMS.
The ShareIT application allows you to share files with other devices; the application is required to be installed on another phone. A simple utility that hides technical details from the user and allows you to send files in a simple way.
There is a power management and energy saving utility - quite advanced, but not needed in real life, rather negatively affecting the operating time of the device. I don't recommend turning it on; it doesn't start by default.
The file manager does not need comments. I will only note that he is also well drawn and pleasant. There is also a native antivirus, but is it necessary? Usually I say that this is unnecessary - but on the other hand, remembering that the target audience of the device can often look for something for free in strange places, it will definitely not be superfluous. Russia leads in the number of Trojans on Android smartphones from second-tier manufacturers, which are installed by users themselves.
Like all second-tier manufacturers, Lenovo could not resist loading a bunch of additional garbage into the phone’s memory, in particular, all the applications from Yandex - search, disk, taxi, store, and the like. Among the unusual ones are the IVI online cinema, MusicON (creating ringtones for your phone and for money!), a trial version of navigation from Navitel, the “Books” application from an incomprehensible supplier, and similar nonsense.
Content:The whole point, of course, is the price - in Russia it is only 300-400 rubles higher than the cost of phones with similar characteristics produced under non-international brands. We tested one of these devices last year - it can now be bought for 2300-2500 rubles. The price of Lenovo A316i in online stores is 2700-3000 rubles.
The platform on which both the teXet smartphone and the new Lenovo product are based is well known - MediaTek MT6572. It combines a relatively powerful processor, a normal video chip and a whole range of communications: 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and built-in FM radio. All this in one compact and extremely inexpensive module. It is not surprising that many manufacturers, including successful and eminent ones, have adopted the MediaTek system. Let's see how successfully Lenovo did this.
Equipment
- Smartphone
- USB cable
- Charger
- Headphones
- Instructions
- Product Information
- Warranty card
Design
By paying more for a brand, the user has the right to expect nicer design solutions compared to devices that cost less. In the case of the Lenovo A316i, these expectations should be justified - the device looks decent. The combination of the classic design of the front panel (receiver-logo-screen-three buttons), rounded sides and a pleasant-looking matte back cover make it clear that this is a youth solution.
The front side looks like this:
On the right are the volume buttons:
Rear - speaker and camera:
The left side is devoid of any buttons or sensors:
At the bottom end there is also emptiness:
But at the top end there is a connector for a charger, a headphone jack and a button to turn on/off the smartphone:
Under the back cover there is a battery compartment, two slots for SIM cards and one for memory cards:
Display
The Lenovo A316i has a 4-inch screen with a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels. Of course, it is not capable of causing any special delight, but under the bright sun the information on the display is more or less readable. True, the viewing angles are not very wide, and the quality of the sensor leaves much to be desired - the smartphone often does not respond correctly to finger presses. However, these shortcomings are typical for almost all devices in the ultra-budget category.
Performance
As already mentioned, the Lenovo A316i is based on the MediaTek MT6572 chip. This system of Chinese origin includes, in addition to various communication modules, a dual-core Cortex-A7 processor operating at a frequency of 1.3 GHz. The smartphone has 512 MB of RAM, and the expected 4 GB of flash memory.
In AnTuTu, the gadget scored 10840 points. This is almost the lowest result for a modern smartphone - even teXet x-basic scored more.
The work of the already not the most outstanding hardware is slowed down by numerous pre-installed applications. For example, an antivirus hangs in the RAM all the time - maybe it really saves you from something, but personally I would prefer it not to be there.
However, the Lenovo A316i cannot be called a “slow” smartphone, especially considering its extremely low cost. It opens web pages relatively quickly (sites that are complex in terms of design like ours - within 10 seconds), you can even play games. True, not all of them are equally successful - Asphalt 8: Airborne, for example, slows down and crashes the system even at the lowest graphics settings, but GT Racing 2 is completely playable on them.
Software platform
The Android 4.2 interface in the Lenovo A316i has undergone minor changes. Fortunately, in most cases they are purely visual in nature - for example, all icons in the menu and on the desktop are automatically rounded. It looks pretty nice.
The system for installing/removing widgets has completely changed. It is now integrated with the theme installer; You can also use it to change the background image.
There is a menu for managing desktops.
The popup menu remains the same:
The lock screen has also not undergone any changes:
Contacts and calls
The phone book came to the smartphone from the basic Android build:
The dialer will also be familiar to anyone who has ever dealt with Google’s operating system:
Music
It is strange that the Lenovo A316i did not have a place for a pre-installed media player. You can listen to music using the Google Play Music service, as well as through the built-in file manager.
However, the Lenovo A316i is not suitable for music lovers in any case. The built-in audio chip is not capable of causing any excitement, and there is nothing to say about the quality of the included headphones - if you want to listen to music, they need to be replaced. The sound from the speaker is also mediocre.
Camera
The camera in the Lenovo A316i is weak even by the standards of Chinese ultra-budget devices. The manufacturer declared a matrix resolution of 2 megapixels, but in reality only 1 MP resolution is available in the settings (in fairness, I note that AnTuTu demonstrates the third indicator - 1.9 MP). In any case, the quality is not much different from VGA. There is no flash, and the quality of shooting in room lighting leaves much to be desired.
The camera interface is simple.
The following settings are available:
Below are some examples of pictures taken with a smartphone camera.
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Applications
There are really a lot of pre-installed applications. Most of them are useful, but there are also those that are needed only by a very limited number of users - and they take up memory, which is never enough.
The program for working with short messages comes from the basic build of Android 4.2. And it’s good that from there - it receives and sends SMS and MMS, even supports emoticons, and you don’t need anything more from it.
Video player
The most common video player. Those who want to watch movies on their smartphone should definitely download some more advanced application from Google Play.
Standard “mailer” from Google.
Gallery
Viewer of photos and any other images. Supports sorting files by geotags, so creating albums is not necessary. There is a separate folder for screenshots.
Conductor
Built-in program for accessing the file system. Able to show hidden files (there is a corresponding option in the settings).
Browser
An obsolete Google browser, preserved from the times when Android did not have its own version of Chrome.
Watch
A simple clock with alarm, stopwatch and timer.
Calculator
The calculator can work in both horizontal and vertical mode. Unlike other programs of a similar purpose, its functionality remains the same when changing the screen orientation.
A simple, but convenient and nice program for exchanging files via Bluetooth.
Calendar
If desired, the calendar can be synchronized with a Google account
AccuWeather
Weather viewer. I liked it - simple interface, many possibilities. It even provides an hourly forecast, and for any locality, not just the one in which the user is located.
FM radio
The radio only works when headphones are connected.
Dictaphone
Google Now service for up-to-date hints and tips.
Evernote
For some reason, Lenovo loaded Evernote, a program for creating and synchronizing text notes, into the smartphone’s memory. It would be better if they forgot to do this - you cannot delete the application, and not all users need it.
An email client designed for Gmail.
The most popular web browser. There are noticeable slowdowns in operation (especially if there are many other programs “hanging” in the smartphone’s memory), but not critical.
Addresses
This program helps you find the desired organization/toponym and plots a route to it.
Cards
Lenovo A316i is great for working as a GPS navigator. The smartphone finds satellites instantly - none of the devices I have seen in this price category were similar in performance. The “Maps” application is the familiar Google Maps, convenient and informative.
Facebook chat
Program for exchanging short messages. Registration on Facebook is required.
Watching videos from YouTube.
Photo
A program for accessing photos from Google Drive and uploading new pictures.
News and weather
An application that compactly displays the latest news and weather forecast.
Play Music
Audio file store. You can buy tracks individually, or you can sign up for an unlimited subscription for 189 rubles per month.
Play Market
App store.
Tools
Access to functions provided by your mobile operator.
Even Skype is pre-installed on the smartphone!
UC Browser
The third browser available in the smartphone’s memory. Perhaps the most functional - but not the most convenient, especially compared to Chrome.
Fishing Joy
A colorful but silly arcade game about fishing.
Backup
This program can create backup copies of all personal information stored on the device.
Navigation
Navigator based on Google Maps.
An application for participating in group chats.
Play Games
Something like a collective scoreboard for Android games.
Play Books
An online e-book store that surprises with its prices (especially for classics).
Play Press
An application for reading news and purchasing electronic versions of periodicals.
Play Movies
Cinema store.
SECUREit
Antivirus. It hangs in the memory all the time, checks every user sneeze (including installation of applications from Google Play) and is very annoying. Cannot be deleted.
An application for archiving/recovering contacts, SMS and call lists.
Texas Poker
Another game, this time a card game.
Disk
Google Drive cloud storage client.
Exercise
A simple reminder.
Studio
Video editor. In principle, it works, but for the sake of preserving the nervous system, it is better to use analogues for Windows (at least for iOS).
Working hours
The smartphone uses a 1300 mAh battery. Not a lot, but, in principle, it’s enough for a day - you can surf the Internet for an hour, play games for the same amount, answer a couple of calls, take 20-30 pictures. There are no complaints - it would be strange to expect more.
Connection
The gadget supports Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 and 3G (HSPA+). As already mentioned, there is a GPS module. Voice communication standards - GSM 900/1800/1900. It’s difficult to find fault with the quality of the latter - the interlocutor can be heard well, there is no special noise or crackling.
Conclusion
Lenovo A316i is not a perfect smartphone. The already not very powerful hardware is accompanied by a software platform overloaded with useless applications - as a result, the operating speed leaves much to be desired even by the standards of the MT6572 chip.
On the other hand, we have before us almost the cheapest solution for the money from a world-class manufacturer. The cost of the device starts from 2700 rubles.
Competitors include, for example, the Samsung Galaxy Star GT-S5282 (1,900 rubles) - a device from an even more famous brand, but a very weak one (single-core processor, no GPS and 3G). A somewhat more optimal purchase seems to be the Acer Liquid Z3 - a stylish device with a poor screen (3.5 inches, 480 by 320 pixels), but a more or less decent 3-megapixel camera. This gadget costs an average of 3,000 rubles, but on the Internet you can find offers for 200-250 rubles cheaper. Prices for Alcatel POP C3 4033D start at 2,300 rubles - another device based on MT6572. Some good alternatives also include some smartphones from domestic brands: teXet X-basic TM-4072 (2400 rubles), teXet X-basic 2 TM-4272 (3200 rubles), Explay Joy (2700 rubles), Explay Hit (2400 rubles ), BQ BQS-4050 Sorbonne (2400 rubles).
Compared to its competitors, the Lenovo A316i looks noble. But, alas, nothing more - if you are not in a hurry to buy, there is a chance that you will be able to find a worthy alternative to it.
© Varlamov Daniil, Test laboratory
Article publication date: July 7, 2014
