=====================================================
Packaging and Contents
The Lenovo S650 comes in a grey and red box, with the photo of the device display prominently on the front. Once you open the box, you’re treated to the device itself sealed in plastic, along with the included hard case.
Aside from the case, the S650 comes with most of the standard accessories that you’d come to expect from a smartphone – charger, a pair of headphones, USB cable and the user manual.
Initial Impressions: Fast and Compact
Like we mentioned before, the S650 has shades of the Vibe Z in both its exterior and its software.
The S650 has the same faux metal textured plastic back design as the Vibe Z – down to the shiny faux metal trim on the side and the bottom. The S650 has a smaller, more manageable 4.7-inch display compared to its bigger brother, the S930, which makes the device easier to hold and carry.
The button layout is a bit of a departure from typical phones with the same screen size – the power button is smack dab in the middle of the top of the S650, while the volume rocker is on the right side of the device. The 3.5mm jack and USB port are where you’d expect them to be, namely on the top and bottom respectively.
As we noted earlier, the S650 comes with a protective hard case that has large cuts in the back and a flexible silicon strip in the middle.
The design is pretty ingenious actually – you just flip the strip (which has a metal core) which then rolls up and acts like a stand when you position the S650 horizontally.
The case allows you to watch videos hands-free when you lay it flat on a surface.
Performance
The 1.3GHz quad-core processor on the S650 is certainly pretty capable, managing to get 16,907 points from AnTuTu. From our brief time with the S650, it seems like the processor is capable of handling day-to-day tasks without slowing down, as our (admittedly) brief time with the device was pretty smooth, with just a faint hint of lag with the custom UI.
Speaking of UI, the S650 uses Lenovo’s custom UI much like the Vibe Z, forgoing the traditional app drawer. Instead it just lays out all of your apps on the homescreen. Lenovo also installed their DOit apps on the S650 much like the Vibe Z and the S930, which include the SECUREit, SYNCit, SHAREit, and SNAPit.
That’s it for this unboxing. Watch out for the review of the S650 sometime next week.
Lenovo Brings S930 and S650 Mid-Range Android Phones to the Market
Lenovo has refreshed its smartphone lineup with two new additions, the S930 and S650, which fall in the mid-range category running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Both handsets are part of the S series which currently carries the Vibe X S960 model and they’re headed to Russia for sale this month.
The Lenovo S930 is larger than the company’s current flagship which is the Snapdragon powered 5.5-inch Vibe Z. The device sports a 6-inch touchscreen that proffers visuals in 720p HD resolution. It is 8.7mm thick and it tips the scales at 170 grams. Powered by a quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, the handset is entertainment-oriented as it comes with dual stereo speakers on the front, backed by Dolby Digital Plus audio.
You’ll also be treated to an 8MP auto-focus rear camera with LED flash and a 1.6MP front webcam. The Lenovo S650 is on the smaller side sporting a 4.7-inch qHD panel. Like the S930, this one also houses an 8MP rear snapper and a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. Powering it up is a 2000mAh Li-polymer battery which can deliver up to 8 hours of 3G talktime. This handset is 8.77mm thick and it weighs 126 grams.
There are various other common features shared by both smartphones. Firstly, they’re dual SIM enabled supporting 2G and 3G HSPA+ 21Mbps networks. Each phone also comes loaded with Bluetooth 3.0 HS and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n. For storage, Lenovo has delivered 1GB of RAM, 8GB of inbuilt flash memory and a microSD card slot that supports up to 32GB.
According to Mobile-review, the Lenovo S650 will go on sale in Russia this month for 11,990 rubles ($365), while the S930 will be available for 13,990 rubles ($425). The company will also make these devices along with the Vibe X S960 model available globally soon.
Note: This article is written in Markdown and has a total of 1,076 words.