Gadget test: Lenovo Mobile P700

MANILA, Philippines - Craving for Android’s yummy 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system but aren’t keen on coughing up lots of hard-earned cash for those pricey smartphones?

Then the P10,999 Lenovo Mobile P700 is for you.

It’s not going to win any beauty contest, but the P700 looks purposeful and business-like. If you’ve been using slim or ultra-slim handsets, you’ll be in for a surprise with this phone.

The P700 is a tad heavy and bulky (it measures 125 x 64.5 x 12.6 mm), perhaps because of its high-capacity 2,500 mAh battery and dual-SIM architecture. But it’s solidly built with a carbon fiber-like texture for the back that gives it a nice texture as well.

It also avoids potential user confusion over navigation and network connections — a common dual-SIM issue — by having an intuitive and user-friendly SIM management system. But while the P700 is an HSPA/3G device, only one SIM slot is 3G-enabled.

Running on an impressively fast 1GHz processor, UI navigation is usually smooth. The P700 keeps most of the out-of-the-box ICS look except for the customizable Lotus shortcut widget, its rendition on the icons on the notifications bar, as well as a few redesigned circular icons.

The P700’s four-inch capacitive IPS LCD multi-touch screen renders colors vividly, although the blacks could be deeper and blacker still. The brightness of the display isn’t as bright as I would like, too. But that’s from someone who uses his phone under bright sunlight a lot.

The 5MP rear camera (there is also a front VGA camera) that can record 720p HD video takes decent enough photos and videos, but without a built-in flash, you might encounter problems shooting in low-light conditions.

Aside from being a well-priced dual-SIM with dual-standby Android phone, another strong point of the P700 is its powerful li-ion battery.

Streaming audio and video with volume and brightness set to the maximum with Wi-Fi on and apps constantly syncing in the background, the P700 lasted over eight hours, which can translate into over a day or two of moderate use. Lenovo says the P700 has a five-day standby time — a claim I find very believable.

All things considered, you get a fulfilling ICS experience with the generously featured Lenovo Mobile P700.

That’s terrific bang for the buck, which gets an even bigger bang because for a limited period until Aug. 15, P700 buyers get a free Belkin Power Pack 1000 for every purchase of the smartphone. (The P700 also comes with a free 2GB microSD card).

The collaboration hopes to encourage consumers to take advantage of the vast capabilities of their smartphones without worrying how long their batteries will last. With the help of the Belkin Power Pack 1000, P700 users can enjoy even longer battery life while on the go.

“Frequent in-wall charges are a thing of the past,” said Victor Reyes, general manager of Belkin International. “A handy power pack is next to mandatory. Even if your phone has long battery life, you never know when you’ll need the extra power.”

John Rojo, Business Unit head for open communications of Belkin, the exclusive distributor of Lenovo phones in the country, added: “We are committed to delivering products in the market that give consumers the edge.”

“The convenience of having a smartphone can only be fully experienced when your device has long battery life. On its own the P700 is powerful with 2500 mAh. Bundling it with a Belkin Power Pack makes the combo overpowering,” Rojo added.

Founded in 2002, Lenovo Mobile offers cellular devices that accentuate three primary ideologies: independent research, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Through these principles, Lenovo provides users with chic, user-friendly, and high-quality mobile phones.