One of the most popular entry-level smartphones to date is the Lenovo A316i. Reviews indicate that the device turned out to be quite balanced, and its cost is really democratic.
Hardware platform
The Lenovo A316i phone is built on the basis of MTK6572 dual-core single-chip microcircuit from MediaTEC. It should be noted right away that this is a very weak processor today. Its clock frequency can vary in the range from 250 MHz to 1.3 GHz, and these two cores are built on the basis of the Cortex-A7 architecture. Its strength is its low power consumption, but it can’t boast of a high level of performance. As a result, it can be noted that for the demanding and resource-intensive tasks this CPU will not be enough. But for simple games, visiting sites, reading books and watching movies, MTK6572 is perfect. Given the cost of the device and its positioning, the drawback set forth above is not a big deal: a smartphone cannot have an entry-level phenomenal performance.
Graphics subsystem
A similar situation with the graphics adapter. In this case, we are talking about the "MALI 400", which is installed in the Lenovo A316i. The feedback from the owners of the device suggests that its resources are not enough for demanding tasks with 3D graphics, for example, games of the latest generation. But with the display the situation is much better. In this model of the gadget, the screen diagonal is 4 inches, and its resolution is 800 by 400 pixels, which corresponds to the WVGA standard. It is capable of displaying over 16 million color shades and can handle up to two finger touches simultaneously. All this in a complex allows you to comfortably watch movies on this device in the AVI and MPEG4 formats .
Cameras
Only one camera is installed on the Lenovo A316i. Reviews dissatisfied fans to take pictures say that it is problematic to get high-quality images on it. Indeed, it is based on a 2 megapixel matrix, which today will not be enough. Even cheaper mobile phones are equipped with a better camera. There is also the possibility of video recording, but the quality of the videos for the previously stated reason will not be the best. Another disadvantage of the camera is the lack of flash. In addition, the focal length does not change during shooting. In general, there is a camera, but what quality it is is the second question. Do not forget that this smartphone belongs to the entry level. Therefore, the manufacturer saved on everything that is possible. The camera is no exception. Its low characteristics are again compensated by the low price of the device.
Memory and its quantity
Smartphone Lenovo A316i is equipped with a fairly modest amount of memory. RAM in it is only 512 MB of the currently most common DDR3 standard. Most of it will be occupied by the operating system. At best, 40 percent or less will be allocated to the needs of programs. The built-in flash memory in it is 4 GB. Of these, 1.2 GB will be occupied by the OS. 800 MB is reserved for installing programs, and 2 GB is allocated for user data. In order to somehow solve the problem of lack of memory in this device, you need to install an external flash card. The maximum size of supported drives of this format is 32 GB.
Case and usability on a smartphone
At the moment, there is only one modification of this device on sale - the Lenovo A316i BLACK smartphone, that is, it can be in a black case. The front panel of the device is made of ordinary plastic. Scratches on it appear without problems. And with fingerprints the situation is similar. Therefore, in order to maintain the initial state of the device, you need to glue a protective film on it, which will have to be purchased separately from the smartphone. At the top of the front panel is the earpiece, and below are the standard control buttons. The volume swing is hidden on the left, and the on and off button protrudes on the upper edge. Next to it there are two connectors: Micro USB and a 3.5 jack for external speakers. The back cover, which is made of corrugated plastic, displays a single camera and a loud speaker. No backlight is provided for the camera in this unit. But the decision to make a cover from corrugated plastic is correct. It does not show scratches and dirt. And fingerprints are invisible. Therefore, you can do without a cover.
Battery and its features
The battery capacity of the Lenovo A316i is small. A review of its technical parameters indicates a value of 1300 milliamps / hours. On the other hand, do not forget that this smart phone is based on the energy-efficient MTK 6572 chip with 2 cores based on the Cortex-A7 architecture. Also, the screen diagonal of the A316i is only 4 inches. As a result, we get a fairly balanced solution with a good level of autonomy. In standby mode, this gadget can stretch for half a month. In reality, one battery charge is enough for 2-3 days of active use.
Software environment
Not the latest version of the Android OS is installed on the Lenovo A316i. The instruction to the device indicates a modification with serial number 4.2. But immediately it is worth noting that we are talking about a modified operating system. First of all, it is necessary to highlight the Lenovo Laucher. It allows you to optimize and properly configure the operating system interface for yourself. For instant text messaging, the system has Evernot installed. The weather forecast for the next few days can be found with a widget like AccuWeather.
The Chinese manufacturer did not forget to install and antivirus on this smartphone. In this case we are talking about SECURE it. Also available are social services, among which we can distinguish the classic Facebook and Twitter. Their domestic counterparts will have to be installed from the Play Market. To make video calls and exchange text messages on the device, Skype was pre-installed. Among the toys are Texas Poker and Fishing Joy. The first one is a set of poker games, and the second is a kind of fishing. Everything else, as noted earlier, will have to be installed from the "Play Store".
Communications
A fairly limited set of communications for this budget smartphone model. Again, an entry-level device, and as a result, it has only the most necessary. And he has the following set of communications:
- Wireless Wi-Fi interface allows you to get high speed access to the global web. Depending on the capabilities of the transmitter, it can reach a phenomenal 150 Mbps. This mode of data exchange is suitable for all Internet resources: from simple blogs and social services to "heavy" sites - everything will just fly with such a connection.
- Another wireless interface is bluetooth . This device has a version 3.0 module installed. Using it, you can transfer small files, such as video recordings or MP3 songs.
- One communication module is provided for networks of the 3rd and 2nd generation . It’s worth mentioning right away: you can’t make video calls with it, but you can get data from the Internet at speeds up to 20 Mbit / s. In reality, the speed will be less - about 3 Mbps. If the device operates on a 2nd generation network, then this value will decrease even more and amount to several hundred kilobytes. Another important nuance: our smartphone is Lenovo A316i DUAL SIM. That is, two SIM cards can be installed in it. But the first of them can work in two standards at once, and the second - only in GSM.
- To connect to a personal computer, the most common standard is used - Micro USB.
- To navigate the terrain, an A-GPS standard transmitter is used .
And now about what is missing from this smartphone. There is no support for networks of the 4th generation, there is no full GPS, the infrared port is not integrated . But this is an economy class smartphone, and all of the above will already be superfluous in the basic configuration.
Reviews and CVs
Modest enough in terms of characteristics and parameters, the Lenovo A316i turned out. Reviews of the owners of the gadget confirm this. The weak processor part, the low level of performance of the graphics adapter, the small amount of RAM and internal memory - this is not a complete list of those facts that can be heard from those who purchased such a gadget. But, on the other hand, this smartphone belongs, as has been repeatedly emphasized, to the budget segment. That is, this is the most affordable device. As a result, the level of functionality is minimal, but at the same time the price is quite modest. In this case, we are talking about 70 US dollars. At such a price and with similar technical characteristics, it will be difficult to find a better offer today.