Lenovo S880 - Dual SIM Galaxy Note Challenger

Samsung's Galaxy Note, the phone that straddles the line of being a tablet, is a smashing success. With more than 10 million units sold, other manufacturers are entering into the "Phablet" arena.  Lenovo is fielding a low end entry into this arena, the 5-inch Lenovo S880.

The Lenovo S880 has a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen with a WVGA (800 x 480) resolution. If you like sharp displays, this is not the one for you. A WVGA resolution is still decent at 5-inches. This is a larger device, measuring 142.0 x 78.0 x 9.9 milimeters.

Inside is the 1GHz MediaTek MT6575 processor we see in most dual SIM phones these days. And, yes this Phablet is a dual SIM device. Supporting the 1 GHz processor is 512MB RAM. Not exactly a powerhouse device, but it will get you by. Internal storage 4 GB of which 1.85 GB is user available.  A MicroSD card slot is provided so you can expand memory.  The 2250 mAh battery will be sufficient to get you for a day.

The other specifications are as expected. Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, as an operating system. HSPA connectivity, with WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. The cameras are nothing spectacular, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with no flash, and a VGA front camera.

Suggested retail price of all this isPhp14,999, and it is available in the market for a low as Php14,000 with an official warranty. I think the price come a bit close to a 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0 P3100  a 7-inch tablet with full voice, SMS and HSPA functionality which can now be had for as low as Php15,990. It has 1024 x 600 display, a dual core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage.

Comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. There is a big difference in size between a 5-inch device and a 7-inch device. The comparison illustrates that the Lenovo S880 is not a great value for money option, on the other hand it really has no direct competition.