Specs:
- Dimensions:
- Display: 5-inch, Super AMOLED (1280×720 resolution)
- Camera/s: Rear, 13MP auto-focus with LED flash and PureCel sensor; front, 8MP fixed-focus with LED flash and BSI sesnsor.
- Battery: 2,300mAh (non-removable)
- RAM: 2GB
- ROM: 32GB
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 64-bit quad-core 1.2GHz
- Operating System: Android 4.4 KitKat
What’s Hot:
- Both front and rear cameras deliver high quality images
- It’s 5-inch Super AMOLED display is impressive
- Switching from one app to another went without a hitch
What’s Not:
- Non-expandable memory
- Battery easily drains with continuous use
Design is what gives a smartphone distinction in a sea of brand offerings that are hardly any different from one another. With so many brands wanting a slice of the consumer cake, it’s almost impossible to create a smartphone that wouldn’t resemble another one already available. Now back to what I really want to say. On the face of it, the Lenovo S90 Sisley bears a striking resemblance to a certain flagship phone that I don’t need to describe for you to find out. A few minutes with the phone, though, and I was convinced that the resemblance was skin-deep.
Design: (4/5)
I’ll pick up where I left off in the opening: the first time I caught a glance of the Lenovo S90 was during its local launch. As soon as we got hold of the unit, tech journalists on my side of the table were quick to put it side by side with the other brand’s flagship and immediately recognized their likeness. Taking the other brand out of context, on its own, you’ll find the S90 is a phone with many charms.
The S90 looks and feels nice to hold; it has a solid build yet still manages to be as light and thin as a chocolate bar. The unit we got was in chrome. Its color scheme, complemented with a white streak on the bottom rear combo contributed to the handset’s sophisticated look.
Its physical buttons—volume rocker and power/lock–were carefully placed on the right side of the device, with the left side bearing the dual-SIM slot that pops open when poked with a needle-like tool that comes with the package. An audio jack sits alone at the top edge, while on the bottom, the micro-USB port sits in-between the phone’s speakers. Turning the device to face the user gives you a view of the 8MP camera with LED flash and three capacitive buttons just below the screen.
Hardware: (4/5)
The S90, which is a midrange smartphone, comes with specs that can qualify for higher-tier devices. It ships with 2GB of RAM, 32GB on-board memory, and a 64-bit, quad core Qualcomm processor that runs at 1.2GHz. The device comes with Android 4.4 KitKat, which guarantees the user a relatively up-to-date Android experience, and is overlaid with Lenovo’s own UI which users can customize to their liking through the Theme Center app.
As adequate as 32GB of internal memory may appear on paper, frankly, it may fall short once you stuff the phone with all your multimedia files. Its lack of options for expansion and copious about of bloat ware complicates the problem further. Since the S90 presents itself as a sleek pocket companion, the battery is non-removable, to keep its unibody design streamlined. But these are just mere scratches to the S90’s remarkable performance, which I’ll get on to next.
User Experience: (4.5/5)
My time with the S90 felt like I wasn’t using an Android smartphone. The experience was familiar but at the same time different; good different. Lenovo’s custom skin worked beautifully with Android, so navigating around its UI was easy and smooth.
Its Super AMOLED display is quite a show-stealer. If you’re anything like me, you’ll fawn over the panel’s vivid colors and deep blacks. Watching videos I loaded into the phone was a pleasant experience and its 5-inch screen wasn’t in any sense lacking.
Performance-wise, its chipset paired with 2GB of RAM proved to be more than enough muscle power and the device never once hiccupped during its time with me. I had it run graphics-heavy games and switch between one app to another, and as expected it handled the tasks I’ve thrown at it rather impeccably.
The S90, which is touted to appeal to the fashion-forward market, banks on its cameras. This smartphone comes with two cameras: a 13-megapixel snapper on the rear with LED flash, and an 8-megapixel shooter with LED flash (yes!) on the front. Both sensors capture images rich in detail and are fast at taking and processing shots. Another good thing I need to point out is the Lenovo camera app used in conjunction with the snappers. I had no trouble focusing on my subjects, and even in not-so-favorable shooting conditions, images came out vivid and sharp. This is thanks to its built in feature that lends you brightening options, with ranges of optimization you can choose from in real time. Also, the S90 features auto-shutter gesture controls. I activated the peace sign control but went back to tapping the digital shutter as I couldn’t seem to make it work. For video recording, it can capture 1080p videos. However, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the ones I’d recorded, though a little tweak on its settings will do wonders.
With moderate use, its 2,300mAh battery can guarantee you half a day away from the socket. But, if you are a heavy user, you’ll want a power bank handy.
Value: (4.5/5)
At PHP 13,999, you get a fast and nice-looking companion that is good enough for your everyday browsing, multimedia, and connectivity needs. Though one might question Lenovo’s design choice, it doesn’t negate to the appeal this smartphone presents.
Bottomline:
This is one good deal you wouldn’t want to miss!