XOLO A500 Club InDepth Review and Pricing

Overview of XOLO A500 Club

The XOLO A500 Club is a budget-friendly smartphone that was launched in January 2014. This device was designed to cater to users looking for basic smartphone functionality with a focus on essential features. Over the years, it has been discontinued, but it remains a noteworthy option for discussions around early affordable smartphones.

Design and Build

The XOLO A500 Club sports a compact design, measuring 124.5 x 61.9 x 9.3 mm and weighing 120 grams. This makes it lightweight and pocket-friendly, ideal for users who prefer smaller devices. The phone features a dual SIM slot, thus offering flexibility for users who need to manage multiple phone numbers. It was available in classic color options: Black and White, which give it a traditional aesthetic appeal.

Display Characteristics

The device is equipped with a 4.0-inch IPS LCD display, which provides a decent viewing experience with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. With a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 59.1% and a pixel density of about 233 ppi, the display offers acceptable clarity for reading texts, browsing, and casual video viewing.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the XOLO A500 Club is powered by a Mediatek MT6572 chipset built on a 28 nm process. It houses a dual-core Cortex-A7 processor clocked at 1.3 GHz and a Mali-400 GPU. These hardware specifications are sufficient for basic smartphone tasks such as calling, texting, and running lightweight applications. With 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, the device supports expandable memory via a microSDHC slot, providing additional storage flexibility for users.

Camera Capabilities

The XOLO A500 Club has a single 5 MP main camera, which is equipped with features like LED flash, panorama, and HDR to enhance photography options. It can record videos at 720p resolution at 30 frames per second, allowing users to capture mid-range quality videos. The front-facing camera is a VGA type, which provides basic functionality for selfies and video calls.

Battery Life

Powered by a removable Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery, the XOLO A500 Club offers reasonable battery life. It can provide up to 466 hours of standby time on a 2G network and up to 400 hours on 3G. For talk time, users can expect up to 15 hours on 2G and up to 8 hours on 3G. The removable battery feature is advantageous for users who might need to swap batteries on the go.

Operating System and Software

The device runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), which was a popular version of Android during its release. This operating system provides access to basic Google services and applications. However, due to its outdated nature, users may face limitations in terms of app compatibility and access to the latest features.

Network and Connectivity

The XOLO A500 Club supports GSM and HSPA network technologies. It operates on 2G bands (GSM 900 / 1800) and 3G bands (HSDPA 2100), with data speeds up to HSPA 21.1/5.76 Mbps. For connectivity, it includes features like Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, microUSB 2.0, and FM radio. However, the absence of NFC limits its capability in terms of modern wireless payment options.

Sound and Sensors

The smartphone retains the traditional 3.5mm audio jack, catering to users who prefer wired headphones. It includes sensors like an accelerometer and proximity sensor, providing basic interactive functionalities such as auto screen rotation and proximity-based screen dimming.

Conclusion

The XOLO A500 Club, with its budget-friendly pricing at around 80 EUR at launch, provided an economical option for users looking for standard smartphone features. While it may not meet the demands of modern smartphone users due to its outdated hardware and software, it serves as an interesting point of reference when discussing the evolution of budget smartphones. Its compact design, decent display, dual SIM capability, and expandable storage highlight its appeal during its market presence.