Hands on with the Lenovo A7000

Lenovo may not have a brought a flagship device to MWC 2015, but the company did decide to fortify its mid-range portfolio with some great tablets and smartphones, and even a portable projector. All of these products offer something beyond their otherwise mid-range, but budget-friendly, nature. We’ve already taken a look at the camera-centric Vibe Shot, and now, we go hands on with the second smartphone Lenovo introduced at this event, the Lenovo A7000!

For the most part, the Lenovo A7000 offers everything you’d expect from a mid-range smartphone in 2015. In terms of design, you get a polycarbonate construction that looks and feels sturdy, and allows for a great feel in the hand, certainly beyond what its extremely budget-friendly price point would suggest. The thin bezels on the sides of the display allow for an easier handling experience, and at 7.9 mm thick and weighing 140 grams, it is easy to hold on to. The back cover is removable, giving you access to the dual SIM card slots, microSD card slot, and replaceable battery.

Related: Best Lenovo A7000 cases

On the specifications front, the A7000 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, and is powered by a 1.5 GHz MediaTek MT6752m True8Core processor, backed by the ARM Mali-760 MP2 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. Available internal storage is limited to just 8 GB, but, as mentioned, expansion is possible via microSD card by up to 32 GB. This device also packs a large 2,900 mAh battery, which should comfortably allow for at least a full day of use. When it comes to the camera, you get an 8 MP rear camera and a 5 MP fixed focus front-facing unit.

With everything about the Lenovo A7000 mostly standard fare for a mid-range smartphone, what makes this device stand out is with regard to the audio experience it provides with the Dolby ATMOS audio enhancements. It is the first smartphone to come with technology, allowing for a listening experience that is widened, and also with surround sound. Other features such as adjustable EQ and other settings are available to further augment the sound quality.

The Lenovo A7000 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, which doesn’t have a lot of influence when it comes to general aesthetic of the user interface, with Lenovo’s own highly-customized skin on top taking over the show.

The Lenovo A7000 seems to be fairly competent mid-range smartphone, but its biggest selling point is its extremely budget-friendly price point of just $169. This device is expected to available later this month.

Stay tuned with Android Authority as we continue to bring you more from Lenovo, as well as more great coverage of MWC 2015!