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Lenovo's A859 was definitely the odd one out tonight. Announced alongside three other phones late last week, the A859 is the only one of the bunch that has a plastic backing as opposed to a 'laser-etched' silver backing that feels almost like fabric. Still, being different doesn't mean it's not as nice as the other devices.
Sure, in terms of specs, it doesn't come anywhere close to the Vibe Z. And it's definitely not matching up to the S930 in terms of size. However, the A859 was launched as a 'tweener' phone, and it does sit happily in the middle of Lenovo's pricier and cheaper offerings. The device has a sleek, almost slippery, white plastic backing instead of the silver, textured back on the rest of Lenovo's phones. While it might not feel as high-end as the S930 or the Vibe Z, it's a nice crisp white (it actually made our month old Nexus 5 look kind of off color), and it sits nicely in your hand. That slipperiness, which feels similar to the plastic backing on the GS3, does mean you'll likely want a case at all times, but that's most smartphones these days.
As far as specs are concerned, the A859 boasts a 1.3 GHz quad-core chip from MediaTek as well as 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of onboard storage (expandable to 32 GB via MicroSD), an 8-megapixel camera around back, a 1.6-megapixel camera up front, and a 5-inch HD (1280 x 720) display. Pricing is set at $220, but like the rest of Lenovo's phones, no word on a U.S. release.
Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
