Smartphone and PC Maker Lenovo has announced the launch of its newest Android powered handset in India. Called the Lenovo A526 , this device is a mid-range handset that targets users who are on the lookout for an Android phone for less than Rs.10,000. Let us now take a quick look at what the A526 offers the customer for a sub 10k price.
Design
There is nothing spectacular about the design of the Lenovo A526 at first glance. The ovoid shape of the handset is reminiscent of a lot of other Android-powered handsets that are available in this price range. The A526 boasts of a 4.5 inch, FWVGA (854*480 pixels) display and is capacitive in nature. The phone is made of plastic and has a ribbed pattern at the rear panel that lets users grip the phone properly.
The Hardware
The Lenovo A526 is powered by a 1.3 Ghz Quad Core processor, according to a press release issued by the company. The processor is housed inside a Mediatek MT6582M SoC which also houses a PowerVR SGX544 graphics chip. The A526 gets 1 GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory. This can be expanded further using micro SD cards. Like many other devices in its price range, the A526 is also dual SIM in nature and supports 3G connectivity. There is also support for WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, and FM Radio. Oh, and lest I forget, the A526 uses a regular sized SIM card. Under the hood, powering all of this hardware is a 2000 mAH battery that is user replaceable.
The Software
The Lenovo A526 runs Android 4.2 JellyBean beneath Lenovo’s own custom UI. While the software is fairly new, it would have been better had the device arrived with Android 4.4 KitKat – especially since it is designed to run better on devices that do not have high end hardware. At this point, it is unclear of the A526 would get an update to KitKat.
The Camera
Taking care of the imaging bit on the Lenovo A526 is a 5-megapixel rear camera. This camera also acts as an HD video recorder. While Lenovo hasn’t specified the video resolution, we already know that the MT6592M is capable of 720p video recording. The front camera is VGA and is best used for an occasional Skype call.
Pricing and Availability
The Lenovo A526 would be available starting April 4, 2014 for Rs,9.499 at Lenovo exclusive stores and Lenovo’s own online retail store, Thedostore . Wider availability is expected in the weeks to come.
Is the Lenovo A526 good enough to become your next mid-range Android handset?