Right after we unboxed and do our initial impressions of the very power efficient Lenovo S860. We have had more than a week of testing and playing around with it where-in we thoroughly tested it, assessed and gathered all the data we needed for the full review.
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| The Lenovo S860 full review |
For the unboxing, build quality, powerbank feauture and initial impressions: Click Here!
Display
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| Side by side with Nexus 5 |
Even at just 720p and just 277ppi the Lenovo S860 has an above average display quality. The colors looks right, vibrant and the viewing angles are just fine. details. When used outside Lenovo S860 performs really well as I can read my messages view photos very clear. The huge 5.3 inches display looks great when watching movies and YouTube videos.
Compared to the old A919i that has a slightly higher ppi, the Lenovo S860 suprisingly bested that device even with a lower pixel density, to my eyes the screen is also on the same level of the Redmi 1S. However when pitted against the Nexus 5, I can say that Lenovo S860 is clearly inferior when it comes to color reproduction and total tonality.
Lenovo S860 is built for those who want phones that can last for a day or two even with heavy usage...
Now this is the main highlight of this phone! The battery life of Lenovo S860 is amazing and seems to be allergic to low-bat. The lack of Full HD display and the use of a power efficient MediaTek MT6582 did wonders to this phone as it lasted over 30 hours of moderate to heavy usage! I've been using the device for texting, watching movies, playing loud music, gaming and browsing with my WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G and at maximum brightness on. Overall, that is a very impressive feat achieved by this phone which makes it perfect for those who doesn't like to charge their devices every single time.
Audio Test
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| Soundtrip time! |
Audio output
When it comes to this part Lenovo S860 is a dark source which puts more emphasis on the low notes. It could be good for bass heavy and metal tracks, however it lacks excitement when it comes to pop, vocals, rock, acoustic and other track due to subtle treble and anemic mids. On the brighter side of the note, Lenovo S860 is a fairly loud source and can power even power average headphones and some multi driver IEMS.
Note: Adding a dB or two to its treble and lowering the mid bass by two dB should make this phone a better source
Speakers
This is another personal favorite feature of the phone for me. Lenovo S860 uses dual speakers at the bottom that can go toe to toe in terms of loudness to some portable mini speakers. The sound quality of the speaker isn't bad too as you can hear most details of the song which includes a clear vocal that should suffice the need of most people.
Stock In Ear Monitors
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| It's a decent one! |
The stock IEM from Lenovo S860 is very much listenable compared to most stock earphones. The sound quality is somehow balanced and the bass doesn't overwhelm the vocals of the song. The musicality details are presented just fine and has a decent soundstage. However, it lacks sparkle when it comes to the treble side. Overall it as a decent pair for the an average listener.
Microphone test
Phone Recording
Recording using stock IEM
Both of the audio recordings have fairly good quality. It can capture your voice clearly. The differences were very little having the recording from the phone better by a hair or two. Overall this should work decently when your taking calls and recording video with audio.
Camera
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| Low Light Shot |
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| Kon with flash |
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| Outdoor HDR shot |
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| Outdoor Shot: View from Pico de Loro |
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| Selfie Shot |
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| Selfie Lowlight |
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| Selfie Low Light w/ smart lighting feature on! :) |
Outdoor video sample Ft. the bloggers :)
Front camera video sample
Overall, the sensors used with this phone is pretty good even at just 8 and 2 MP. It was able to take fantastic photos / videos especially with good lighting. The shutter speed is also excellent as it can take photos in an instant! This phone is also not too shy of the dark as the flash of its rear camera is strong enough to give your smiles some decent lighting. The front camera has a smart lighting feature that can make your screen work like a mini flash to give you decent lighting when taking selfies at the dark. However the sensors of the phone doesn't work fine when you like to zoom.
Note: For your reference check the sample photos and videos above.
Performance
The Lenovo S860 is a good phone when it comes to performance. I can hardly feel any lag at all even when opening multiple apps and switching around them. The main reason for that is it's ample 2 GB of RAM. However the processor used in this phone isn't that powerful considering the price point this phone is coming in. On a good note that combination resulted into a very power efficient phone.
Overall, if Lenovo S860 have an expandable memory it has the potential to be a very good multimedia phone as the battery life can last very long even when playing HD videos. The 3G connectivity is also good especially when you are on a place with great signal, I was able to reach When it comes to gaming it can play moderate games at a super smooth level and can play heavy games decently with a slight lag. Surprisingly, this phone doesn't heat up as considering it has an aluminum body.
Gaming video sample
Lenovo's UI
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| Lenovo's stock launcher has a lot of usable applications |
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| Has a clean and modern look |
The stock UI of Lenovo is pretty easy to use and understand and has a lot of use-able system apps like the flashlight, power manager and others. It also has similarities with the MIUI as Lenovo isn't using the app drawer anymore. (Some people might miss that, but it works just fine and faster for me) I also liked the way Lenovo added a one click clean with it to keep your phone fresh and away from slowing down.
Benchmarks
Benchmarks
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| Antutu, Geek Bench and Quadrant |
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| CPU-Z, Nenamark and Multi Touch Tester |
Benchmarks:
1. Antutu: 18104
2. Geek Bench: 1180 (Multi Core)
3. Quadrant: 7057
4. Nenamark: 55.2 fps
Pro's
Amazing Battery Life, Premium feel and build quality, Big Display, Good Camera, Decent Performance, Loud Speakers
1. Antutu: 18104
2. Geek Bench: 1180 (Multi Core)
3. Quadrant: 7057
4. Nenamark: 55.2 fps
Pro's
Amazing Battery Life, Premium feel and build quality, Big Display, Good Camera, Decent Performance, Loud Speakers
Cons
Not too comfortable to hold due to the edges and weight, price to specs ratio, no sd card slot
Not too comfortable to hold due to the edges and weight, price to specs ratio, no sd card slot
Verdict
Lenovo S860 is a phone built for marathons! The battery life is outstanding and has a fairly decent performance. The build and the looks premium too, has a good camera, fairly loud speakers and a big display. However, the specs to price ratio isn't that good so I'm hoping for a price drop soon.
Lenovo S860 is a phone built for marathons! The battery life is outstanding and has a fairly decent performance. The build and the looks premium too, has a good camera, fairly loud speakers and a big display. However, the specs to price ratio isn't that good so I'm hoping for a price drop soon.
