Amongst the many smartphones released towards the end of the year by TECNO Mobile, one that we have not really given you a hands-on review on is the Tecno S5 smartphone.
Tecno S5 along with others like the P9, M9 etc is one of those smartphones that was released at the later part of December 2013. The device is primarily designed for those with low budgets and want to begin using an Android device without so much cost but with good enough functionality.
Below, is a detailed review of the Tecno S5 smartphone as we had the opportunity of using and playing with the device for a good amount of time.
Form and Appearance
Tecno S5 form takes a cue from the Tecno M7. It has curved edges smooth and then a almost flat back. It can easily be place on a flat surface without any qualms.
The design and feel on the hand is not too different from how one feels when holding the Tecno D9 only this time, its smaller and can be well gripped compared to the 6" D9.
At the front side of the phone, the TECNO letters are seen just below the internal speaker. The front camera at the left side and the proximity sensor at the right side of the front speaker.
At the front side of the phone, the TECNO letters are seen just below the internal speaker. The front camera at the left side and the proximity sensor at the right side of the front speaker.
The Volume buttons are on one side while the power button is on one side of the phone. The phone has a tiny aperture where the external speaker is located at the bottom back side of the phone.
USB and Earphone port are located at the top side of the phone with a small distance between them.
Overall, the placement of all buttons and ports are well suited for the device and are within reach if one decides to use one hand in operating the phone.
Dimensions and Weight
There is not so much to talk about in this area other than that it has a dimension of 135.9 x 68.8 x 10.75mm and feels quite light in our hands.
Network and SIM
Tecno S5 comes with a dual SIM slot which obviously means that it supports two SIMs usage simultaneously. Furthermore, it supports bands GSM900/DSC1800/WCDMA2100MHz and can transfer data within the 3.75G/3G and EGDE network technology.
Screen and Resolution
The Tecno S5 comes with a 4.5" capacitive touchscreen IPS screen with resolution of 480 x 854 which comes to a PPI of 217.7
Interestingly, the screen looks stunning and brilliant when looked upon and images displays just as good.
Operating System and Memory
Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 is the operating system you would find running on the Tecno S5 smartphone. Its smooth as expected from a new device.
The device comes with a 512MB of RAM and a 4GB internal storage space.
This may not appeal much to Tecno fans. We actually think that the 512MB RAM thing should be a thing of the past. God forbid any Tecno phone comes with 512MB RAM in year 2014.
The good side is that even though the RAM is small, the ROM is 4GB and the device comes with 8GB extra memory already inserted in the SD slot which can support up to 32GB.
Processor and Connectivity
The Tecno S5 comes with a 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek MT6572 processor.
Its good to see a low budget phone with that much processing power with a dual core functionality for added performance in multitasking.
The processor type is able to handle connectivity tasks and the connectivity you would find in the Tecno S5 are the same o' same o' like Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, A-GPS, 3.5mm earphone port and USB port.
Camera
Our dear Tecno S5 comes with a 5.0MP rear camera equipped with a strong LED flash capable of turning out good images in low light areas.
The rear camera is located at the back - top middle of the phone with the flash light situated just below the camera. Both of them combined in low lit areas churn out nice images.
Also, the front facing camera is 1.2MP which is good for video calls if you ever get to use it. At least in that moment when no one is there to help you take a personal shot, you can make use of the front camera and you won't be too disappointed at the image quality.
Battery and Sensors
Battery is very important to any electronics and the Tecno S5 comes with a 1800mAh battery, powering the device for a substantial amount of time.
The usual sensors are Gyro, Light and Proximity sensors and the S5 is equipped with them.
Price
One of the most defining factor for any commodity is the price of such commodity.
The Tecno S5 is being sold with prices ranging from N21,000 to about 23,000 depending on the store. Currently, Divine Anyi comms sells theirs for N20,000. You can contact them by calling Adom on 08060791362 to get yours.
In The Case
Inside the case, you would find a USB cable and a plug with the USB port. Also, a 3.5mm earphone is inside the case with extra ear buds sealed inside a white nylon.
Other features
Other things you would find on the Tecno S5 is the FM radio, Calendar, Google Maps, Gmail, Facebook, eBook reader, flashshare, Torch and Whatsapp among other notable ones.
The S5 is available in two colours; black and white however, we only had the opportunity of seeing the black.
Popular audio and video codecs like Mp3, AAC, MP4, Divx, AVI and 3GP are supported by the default media device player. Other codec types can be played by installing other video players that support such codecs.
The phone comes with a pouch on purchasing one from the dealers mentioned above.
The phone comes with a pouch on purchasing one from the dealers mentioned above.
Verdict
The tecno S5 is surely a good phone for the low budget people. Although it won't excite those who have serious gaming and multitasking on their mind but will definitely be favoured by those that want a small Android phone to carry around and mess with.
Overall, its a good phone but a little too pricey comparing the RAM with those in the same range like the Gionee P3 etc.
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It seems Tecno will never learn. Still making phones with 512MB RAM in this age at such a price and they dare refer to it as budget? I'd rather do a Nokia Lumia 520 or the Huawei W1 though they're single sim phones with similar 512MB RAM.
ReplyDeleteI guess they'll wonder what hit them when the likes of Lenovo and ZTE are fully on ground in the Nigerian market. It's obvious they're going the way Nokia did and will soon fall into a deep slumber only to wake up and see other OEMs having a large chunk of the Nigerian mobile phone market share.
Sad to say, but I'm already hating Tecno.
Exactly my point when I said God forbid we see a Tecno phone with 512MB of RAM in 2014
ReplyDeleteGood fone but what are the disadvantages of 512mb ram ?
ReplyDeletei am really angry with Tecno over this RAM issue. Just like Ayodele said if they continue like this soon they will wounder why their sales are dropping. i was once a NOKIA die hard fan until i realized that NOKIA only use us to make money by reproducing the same old phones in different names and designs.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as i found out about TECNO i balled on NOKIA and ever since i have been a TECNO fan , sadly they are towing the same direction.
I hope they listen to what their fans want because i hate to see them phase out because of negligence.