The smartphone is completely plastic-free and consists of a 7.8 millimeter thin unibody metal case in a deep black or intense red. The smartphone comes with a screen diagonal of 5.7 inches, an IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It uses the currently popular 18:9 format. Visually, it is very reminiscent of the OnePlus 5T, which also features a version in bright red.
Dual camera and 16 megapixel front camera: Like most manufacturers, Lenovo also relies on a dual camera and incorporates two 13 megapixel sensors in the main camera. The front camera, which is equipped with 16 megapixels, promises even more megapixels. In addition, the front sensors support Face Unlock – a face recognition system for unlocking. Besides the possibility of unlocking by face recognition, the S5 also offers a fingerprint sensor on the back.
Sufficient performance for a mid-range smartphone: The Lenovo S5 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, which is not one of the top chipsets on the market, but provides enough power at 2 GHz for a smartphone like the Lenovo S5, plus either 3 GB or 4 GB RAM and 32 or 64 GB data memory, depending on which model you choose.
Lenovo relies on the newer USB Type C connector and does not forego an additional 3.5mm connector. Like many smartphones from China, the Lenovo S5 does without the band 20 LTE, a contra-point for those who are considering importing the mobile phone to Germany. It offers Bluetooth 4.2 and a dual SIM function. The new Android 8 Oreo runs on the device. The battery has a nominal charge of 3,000mAh, which is also a good mid-range level.
Price and availability: The mobile phone appears in China – in both versions – for the equivalent of just under $200. It is therefore very interesting to see what the pricing will look like if it comes onto the market in Germany. The smartphone looks similar to the OnePus 5T or the Xiaomi Mi 6, for example, and can be seen as a further alternative, at least in this respect.