Two affordable phones with long battery life

Lenovo's Vibe P1m ticks most boxes for phones available at this price and has a monster of a battery to boot while Acer Liquid Z530 is packed with one of the finest 720p HD panels, notes Vandana Yadav & Gaurab Dasgupta.

Lenovo Vibe P1m: Entry-level monster

Lenovo has launched the Vibe P1M in two variants - onyx black and pearl white - at Rs 7,999, in an already crowded space.

Let's find out if the device holds its own.

The phone is easy to hold, despite sporting a five-inch screen. With its flat screen and curved edges the device looks smart.

It sports a matte back panel but the rear cover is quite thin and thus could snap if not removed carefully.

The screen offers colour consistency with a wide angle, making surfing and reading on phone an easy experience.

With 2 GB RAM and a 1 GHz, 64-bit quad-core processor, the smartphone offers plenty of muscle to handle less-demanding games with ease.

Also, in all the time I used this phone it didn't hang once, even during heavy usage. And thankfully, the phone doesn't heat up, unlike many phones in this range.

The rear camera does a pretty nice job with pictures and would suffice for well-lit places.

Low-light shots are a problem, but to be fair, such is the case with the cameras of most phones available at this price point.

But, if you're a selfie-obsessed person, you are in for some disappointment as the images clicked with the front camera aren't clear.

The phone's highlight is possibly its battery - rated at 4,000 mAh.

Once charged completely, it would easily last two days for an average user. One can play two movies back-to-back and the battery would still suffice for the day.

This is a marked departure from other phones available in this price range.

Despite packing in a high-capacity battery, Lenovo manages to keep the phone slim and light.

Lenovo's Vibe P1m ticks most boxes for phones available at this price and has a monster of a battery to boot.

If your needs are simple, this phone will more than keep you happy.

LENOVO P1M

Price: Rs 7,999
Screen: 5" 720x1,280p
Weight: 148g
OS: Android 5.1
RAM: 2GB
Processor: 1 Ghz, quad core
Storage: 16GB, up to 32GB cards supported
Camera (rear/front): 8MP/5MP
Battery: 4,000 mAh

Acer Liquid Z530: Sophistication simplified

The first thing that catches your eye when you unpack the Acer Liquid Z530 is its five-inch screen.

For a smartphone worth Rs 7,000, the screen is the biggest attraction. And adding to it, is its sleek build, making it very comfortable to carry.

Another standout feature is the user interface. Although the phone comes with a regular version of Android 5.1, the home screen, widgets and icons look different to a large extent, giving it a fresh and new appeal.

The phone does not have any lag-time when it comes to working of apps and it runs smooth without any technical glitches.

Acer bets its money on the key apps designed as 'Float Apps' that take up only a portion of the display, so users can see and interact with the screen below.

For any smartphone experience, the display is at the core and Acer Liquid Z530 is packed with one of the finest 720p HD panels in this price point.

The colours are vivid and there is no noticeable pixel jarring common with LCD panels. The viewing angles are great too, courtesy the IPS panel.

Instead of conventional CNC drilled speaker grills at the bottom, the phone comes with a DTS surround supported loud speakers at the rear.

The clarity of the pictures in low light stresses on the quality of the eight-megapixel camera installed in the phone. However, the plastic back does make it slightly vulnerable to breakage.

If your demand is good battery life coupled with impressive sound then Acer Liquid Z530, available exclusively on Flipkart, has got it all covered.

ACER LIQUID Z530