We recently got a review unit of the just released SOLO S500 and I’ll be sharing my experience using this phone with you.
The 20-30k range of Android devices in Nigeria has suddenly filled up with myriad of phones whose specs will not turn heads. In that class, the SOLO S500 is hardly different from all the other cheap Androids with no real differentiated hardware proposition. But the S500 has a few tricks up its sleeve. Keep reading to find out what exactly.
Unboxing
It’s all in there. The phone. A pair of white earbuds. Charger. A user manual, and warranty card.
But that’s not all you get when you buy the SOLO S500. As a boon, this particular model ships with a 2600mAh power bank, two SOLO View vouchers, an 8 GB micro SD card and a SOLO bluetooth speaker.
Spec Highlights
The Solo S500 is sleek and angular, which kind of reminds me of my current Tecno F7 device. It’s got a 5 inch screen, a 8.0 megapixel (13 with interpolation) rear camera, 2 megapixal front-facing camera, a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Quad Core Processor, 1 GB RAM and 8GB built-in storage. There’s also the obligatory dual SIM slots and a decent-sized 1800mAh battery. The S500 runs Android OS 4.3 Jelly Bean. No Kitkat here, sorry, droidheads.
The S500 gives you all the networking and connectivity options you’d expect. Wifi, an FM radio, GPS, bluetooth and 2G/3G data bands.
Battery
I think the battery did well. Of course these things depend on each person’s usage patterns, but for me, it took about a day and half for me to hit zero. I can’t say how the battery will hold up after say a couple months of use, but it’s looking good right now. It takes about 2 hours to fully recharge.
Build quality
At 5 inches, it’s sleek and didn’t feel clunky in my hand. But then, I guess it’s because I’ve been using 5 inch phones. The S500 doesn’t fit in my pocket, but that isn’t a problem. I always put phones in my purse or handbag. The screen is definitely prone to scratches, but the phone comes with a screen protector. But I’m afraid that it looks like it would come apart if it were to hit the unforgiving concrete, so take care. The call quality was okay, considering the device’s capability; speaker was okay as well.
Camera
The camera can be accessed via the home screen or app drawer. I took a few pictures with the 8 megapixel camera to see how it works.
Like practically all the devices of its ilk, this is not a cameraphone. With patience, a ton of light and luck, you’ll get decent pictures out of the S500. Just have realistic expectations, and all will be right with the world. I did get the distinct impression that the device was having trouble keeping up with the 8 megapixel rear shooter though, because it started to grow warm after about five minutes of shooting.
A shot taken using the Solo S500 camera
Bonus: free music and robust content offerings
This is where the SOLO S500 finally has a chance pull past the competition in its cadre. Like all other SOLO devices, the S500 has a robust digital content ecosystem going for it. 20 million free tracks via SOLO Music is nothing to shake your nose at. And SOLO View, a video-on-demand platform that allows users buy cheap Hollywood and Nollywood movie titles is an increasingly promising draw, especially on a 5 inch screen.
Conclusion
There are many alternatives to the S500, so it’s not an easy call to make. Infinix has a number of equally compelling devices, the Zero and the Hot. Buyers with a sub-30k budget are also looking at the Innjoo range of smartphones. So is there any particular reason why you should buy this phone? Well, in addition to SOLO’s content universe, the S500 ships with a cornucopia of accessories that might be attractive to bargain-conscious buyers. The whole package goes for N29,000, and is not a bad deal if you are into music, movies and like freebies.
Photography: Kunmi Owopetu
