Look and feel
Phones in and around this price range seem to have settled on a uniform look: flat back fronts with white shells covering the rear and sides. Shapes and sizes vary, but we’ve seen this formula applied dozens of times now and it doesn’t help Lenovo stand out. The only difference is that the rear shell has a slightly satiny texture. If you want something more distinct, go with the black or yellow options rather than white.
The front is plain other than a slightly raised lip around the edges. There isn’t much space above or below the screen which is a good thing because this is a still a large, wide phone thanks to its screen. However, it’s difficult to use the three capacitive Android navigation buttons below the screen - not only are they awkward to reach, but their icons are printed on in very faint grey with no backlighting.
The power and volume buttons are on the right, and both the 3.5mm audio socket and Micro-USB port are on the top. This leaves the left and bottom entirely blank, other than a tiny mic hole. You’ll find the camera lens and twin-LED flash in one corner of the rear, along with another mic hole, speaker grille and a large Lenovo logo. The battery is removable and you’ll have to take it out when swapping SIM cards. There’s also a microSD card slot for storage expansion.
The phone is easy to hold, though we would have liked a bit more curvature to the plastic. You won’t always be able to reach all four corners with a thumb, so expect some amount of shuffling around in your palm, or just use it with both hands. 150g isn’t too heavy but you’ll definitely feel this phone’s weight and bulk in any pocket you put it in.