Lenovo Moto C smartphone

The most affordable 4G smartphone in the family

At the end of last spring, Lenovo introduced the Moto C and Moto C Plus smartphones, which were included in the new and most affordable of the Moto brand lines. There are only two budget models, but the youngest Moto C has two modifications: with 3G and 4G support. Naturally, the 3G and 4G versions are based on different platforms. We got a device with LTE support for testing, and we need to understand that this smartphone can be considered not only as the cheapest model in the entire Moto C family, but also in general as one of the most affordable mobile devices in official Russian retail that supports networking 4G.

Key Features of Lenovo Moto C (Model XT1754)

• SoC MediaTek MT6737m, 4 cores @1.1 GHz (ARM Cortex-A53)
• GPU Mali-T720
• Operating system Android 7.0
• Touch display TN 5″, 854×480, 196 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 1 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• Micro-SIM support (2 pcs.)
• MicroSD support up to 32 GB
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
• Networks LTE Cat.4 FDD (B1/3/5/7/8/20), LTE TD (B38/40)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
• Bluetooth 4.2LE
• GPS, A-GPS
• Micro-USB
• Camera 5 MP, autofocus, f/2.8, video 720p
• Front camera 2 MP, f/2.8, fixed. focus
• Proximity sensor, accelerometer
• Battery 2350 mAh
• Dimensions 145.5×73.6×9 mm
• Weight 154 g

Contents of delivery

Lenovo Moto C comes in a small box with a tacky design. The cardboard is simply folded along the folds in the manner of mailboxes without gluing.

The kit consists of a connecting cable, as well as a network adapter with an output current of 1 A and a maximum voltage of 5 V, as well as simple plastic headphones without rubber pads.

Appearance and ease of use

Lenovo Moto C is the most affordable smartphone, and it looks just as simple and cheap. The design of the device is nothing to praise, but there is nothing particularly to complain about here either. The plastic case is made in the form of a single casing - a boat, completely covering not only the back part, but also the sides.

Accordingly, there are no beautiful side bezels, highlighted edges, shiny frames, or any inserts. There is no metal in the Lenovo Moto C body either. The shape is streamlined, the corners are rounded, the smartphone fits well in the hand and does not slip out of your fingers.

The surface of the plastic cover has a fine, rough texture and does not show fingerprints. The body of the five-inch device is not large or heavy, so it does not burden clothing pockets. There are no complaints about the quality and assembly itself.

SIM cards are inserted into slots located under a removable cover. Underneath there are two slots for Micro-SIM and one for a MicroSD memory card. The battery is replaceable, easily removed, and covers the SIM cards. The arrangement of slots for cards makes it easy to remove them even if they get stuck, everything is thought out.

The round camera module with a single LED flash does not protrude beyond the rear wall of the case. The flashlight shines brightly.

The front panel is covered with protective glass, flat, without sides or sloping edges. Sensors and a front camera peephole without its own LED flash are installed above the screen as usual. There is also no LED event indicator or a second microphone.

At the bottom there are three touch buttons without their own backlight.

The buttons on the right side have different textures: one is smooth, the other is grooved. The keys are large, have a soft stroke, and are easy to feel blindly. Quite convenient control, even though the buttons here are simply glued from the inside to the lid itself and are removed along with it.

The Micro-USB connector is located not at the bottom, as usual, but at the top, it is adjacent to the 3.5 mm headphone output.

There is nothing on the bottom end except the speaking microphone.

The Lenovo Moto C smartphone is available for sale in several color options: there is a black, white, gold, and red body, but the front panel always remains black or white.

Screen

Lenovo Moto C is equipped with a TN display with physical dimensions of 62x110 mm with a diagonal of 5 inches. The resolution is 854x480 pixels, the density is only about 196 ppi. The frame around the screen is wide: more than 5 mm on the sides, 16 mm on the top, and 18 mm on the bottom.

The brightness of the display can only be adjusted manually, but the device does not have an ambient light sensor at all. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for only 2 simultaneous multi-touch touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the brightness of reflected objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are much worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (we will compare it with it below). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens of both devices (Moto C is easy to distinguish, since it is smaller):

The Moto C's screen is significantly lighter. This is due to the fact that there is an air gap between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix. Due to the presence of glass-air and air-matrix boundaries with very different refractive indices, such screens do not look good in conditions of intense external illumination. But their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much cheaper, since only it needs to be replaced. There may be a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen. If there is, then its effectiveness is much lower than that of the Nexus 7, but still, it seems that fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 330 cd/m², and the minimum was 6.4 cd/m². The maximum value is low, and given the poor anti-glare properties, the image on the screen is unlikely to be visible in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is no automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor, and there is no sensor itself. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, and therefore there is no screen flickering.

This smartphone has a TN type matrix. The micrograph demonstrates a typical TN structure (or rather lack of structure) of subpixels:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen does not have the worst viewing angles in the horizontal direction, but at the slightest deviation downwards, light shades are inverted, and at deviation upwards, dark shades are inverted. For comparison, here are photographs in which identical images are displayed on the screens of the Nexus 7 and the device under test, with the brightness of both screens set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera forced to switch to 6500 K. Test picture perpendicular to the screens:

It can be seen that the colors on the Moto C screen are very distorted. And a white field:

We note that the uniformity of brightness and color tone of the Moto C is good. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the screen plane along the long side:

It can be seen that from this angle the color balance has changed slightly. When tilted downward, the image becomes very bright, and details in the highlights disappear:

When deviating upwards, everything is much worse:

The colors are turned inside out. The white field darkens more when the gaze deviates from perpendicular to the screen than in the case of the Nexus 7.

And the black field, when the gaze deviates from perpendicular to the screen, brightens noticeably more than in the case of the Nexus 7.

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is average:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen and strictly perpendicular to it) is normal - about 600:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 27 ms (22 ms on + 5 ms off), the transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (by the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 51 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.17, which is close to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve noticeably deviates from the power-law dependence:

This device has an aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - on dark images, the backlight brightness decreases. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - (however, as always) when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen. In general, such a non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since constantly changing the screen brightness can at least cause some discomfort, reduce the visibility of gradations in shadows in the case of dark images and the readability of the screen in bright light, since in average images that are not the lightest The brightness of the backlight is reduced, but there is not too much of it anyway.

Color gamut less than sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters significantly mix the components with each other. The spectra confirm this:

This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for the backlight, but the colors lose their saturation. There is no shade balance on the gray scale as such - the color temperature is higher than the standard 6500 K and varies greatly from shade to shade:

The deviation from the spectrum of an absolutely black body (ΔE) on a white field is small, and it varies little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance:

In total, we have a very inexpensive version of the screen on a TN matrix. The maximum brightness of this screen is low, the anti-glare properties are very weak, and as a result, the ease of use on a clear day outside is highly questionable. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. Significant disadvantages include: a weak oleophobic coating (if any), typical TN distortions of colors and brightness of shades when the gaze deviates from perpendicular to the screen plane, aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image, and very poor color balance. The only advantage of the screen is the absence of visible screen flicker.

Camera

The front module of the Lenovo Moto C has only a 2 MP sensor and optics with an f/2.8 aperture, fixed focus and without its own front LED flash. The quality is naturally low, but in general, selfie photos come out neat and look good due to correct color rendition and good sharpness in the center of the frame.

The main camera of the Lenovo Moto C uses a module with a 5 MP matrix with a lens with the same fixed aperture of f/2.8. There is a leisurely autofocus and a single-segment, but quite bright flash. Naturally, there is no stabilization system.

The camera is quite simple in its capabilities, but the menu was inherited from older models. It is convenient and concise. True, there is no manual pro mode and many additional scene modes, but all settings are also conveniently collected in a single scroll that slides out with a side gesture. HDR is placed separately on the top of the screen and is always within easy reach. It is possible to adjust the exposure directly during shooting using a circular slider on the screen.

The Lenovo Moto C camera can shoot video at a maximum resolution of only up to 720p, there is no Full HD, there is no stabilization function. There is no point in waiting for a detailed and rich picture at this resolution. The image is loose, detail is low, and the video quality is generally low. There are no special complaints about the sound recording; the sound is noisy, but without artificial distortion, since there is no noise reduction system here.

• Video No. 1 (24 MB, 1280×720@30 fps, H.264, AAC)

	The text is well done.
	The camera copes with macro photography.
	Sharpness according to plans is not bad.
	Large areas of blur at the edges of the frame.
	In the central part of the frame the sharpness is quite good.
	For such a resolution, the detail in distant plans can be called quite good.

It's definitely not a good camera. Firstly, at such a low resolution, detail can only be said relative. Secondly, large areas of blur at the edges of the frame spoil almost all pictures, and there is nowhere to crop. And for documentary shooting, the resolution at the appropriate quality is too low. However, here we again remember about Lomography. Simple noise reduction and low resolution produce large grain, and the dynamic range is reminiscent of inexpensive film from the last century - and now the built-in retro filter is ready. So the camera can be recommended for pleasant lamp lomography and sometimes for shooting text, but nothing more.

Telephone and communications

The communication capabilities of the Lenovo Moto C include support for LTE Cat.4 (up to 150 Mbps), a number of LTE FDD and TDD frequency bands are supported, including all 3 FDD LTE bands of interest to us (band 3, 7, 20). The quality of signal reception unexpectedly pleased me, as did the device’s operation in LTE networks. There are no complaints; in the urban areas of the Moscow region, the device behaves confidently and provides high speeds in wireless networks.

Lenovo Moto C supports only one Wi-Fi band (2.4 GHz), there is no NFC module. You can standardly organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.2 channels. The connector does not support connecting external devices in USB OTG mode.

The navigation module works with GPS (with A-GPS). During a cold start, the first satellites are detected within a minute, and the positioning clarity is quite good. But, unfortunately, a built-in magnetic field sensor for compass operation was not built into the smartphone.

Lenovo Moto C does not support both SIM cards in 3G/4G mode at the same time. That is, when one card is assigned to transmit data in 4G, the second one can only work in 2G. The interface allows you to select a specific SIM card for voice calls and SMS in advance. The cards operate in Dual SIM Dual Standby mode, there is only one radio modem. By the way, unlike older Moto models, the manufacturer did not add ready-made operating modes for two cards to this device; other smartphones have them.

Software and multimedia

As a software platform, Lenovo Moto C uses a relatively recent version of Google Android 7.0 with almost pure Google Android inside. Again, unlike other modern Moto mobile devices, there is neither support for gestures nor the ability to reduce the entire working area of ​​the screen. There is a two-window operating mode. There are almost no additional programs; everything you need is achieved using Google Apps. This is not always good: for example, there is no file manager or voice recorder at all.

To listen to music, use the standard Google Music player with sound settings and built-in equalizer presets. Both in the headphones and in the speaker, the sound is simple, not very clear, without a noticeable presence of low frequencies, but loud enough not to miss an incoming call. There is also an FM radio, but there is no built-in voice recorder in the device at all.

Performance

The Lenovo Moto C hardware platform is based on the MediaTek MT6737m SoC, made using a 28 nm process technology. The 64-bit platform configuration includes 4 Cortex-A53 processor cores operating at frequencies up to 1.1 GHz. The Mali-T720 video accelerator is responsible for graphics processing. The RAM capacity is 1 GB and the user storage is 16 GB. Of these, in reality, about no more than 250 MB of RAM and approximately 10.5 MB of storage memory are free. There is no OTG support.

MediaTek MT6737 is one of the simplest modern platforms for entry-level mobile devices. It is already quite weak, aimed at the ultra-budget class of devices, and besides, there is also a weakened version of the MT6737m with a core frequency of up to 1.1 GHz, and not 1.25 GHz. It is pointless to expect decent performance indicators from such a platform; the hero of the review demonstrates only about 25 points in AnTuTu, which is very little. The hardware capabilities of the review hero are minimal; the smartphone shows low levels in all tests. Demanding games and graphics tests cause problems, for example, Mortal Kombat X slows down, and the smartphone does not pass high 3DMark tests at all. Such a device definitely has no power reserves for the future.

Testing in comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

AndroBench memory speed test results:

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:

Heating is more localized in the upper part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 34 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is relatively little.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since in most cases frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. Note that, apparently, the screen refresh rate is slightly higher than 60 Hz, so ideal smooth playback is not obtained at any standard frame rates in the video file. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p) or 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on the smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the actual range, so that all gradations in the shadows and highlights are displayed.

Battery life

The removable battery installed in the Lenovo Moto C has a small capacity of 2350 mAh. This is clearly not one of the priority characteristics of this device, which, in general, is quite simple in all respects, from the platform and cameras to communication capabilities. And yet, in the absence of a power-intensive screen and hardware platform, the Moto C demonstrates a quite decent level of battery life. There are no complaints regarding this parameter to the smartphone.

Testing has traditionally been done at normal power consumption levels without using power-saving features.

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted until the battery was completely discharged for more than 13.5 hours, and when continuously watching videos via Youtube at maximum quality possible for this device (480p) with the same brightness level via a Wi-Fi network, the device operates for approximately 10.5 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work for up to 5 hours.

The smartphone takes a long time to charge from its own included network adapter, within 3 hours with a current of 1 A at a voltage of 5 V. Naturally, the smartphone also does not support wireless charging.

Bottom line

Lenovo Moto C received average characteristics in all respects, its capabilities are not high: the screen, sound, performance and autonomy are all at a barely satisfactory level. An inexpensive smartphone can only be praised for its good communication support, including the presence of an LTE module. Nevertheless, the only significant trump card of this model is its low price. Even in overpriced Russian retail, Moto C is offered for only 6.5 thousand rubles. Considering such a low cost, we can assume that such a smartphone will be purchased as a second, spare, or first mobile phone for a child. However, we do not advise either children or adults to spoil their eyesight with such a low quality of a highly glare screen.

Lenovo Mobile Assistant is the official manager for smartphones of the corresponding manufacturer based on the Android operating system. This program gives users the ability to share files with a portable device, manage contacts, calendar entries, and read and send SMS directly from a PC. In general, this manager should be automatically installed the first time you connect your smartphone to your computer. If this does not happen, then you can download and install it from our website.

Usage

To connect a portable device, use a USB cable. Yes, unfortunately, Lenovo Mobile Assistant cannot recognize devices that were connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Also note that USB drivers are required to use the program. You will find them in the downloaded archive.

So, after the smartphone is successfully recognized, information with basic information about it will appear on the main screen of Lenovo Mobile Assistant. In particular, the program will inform you about the device model and the amount of free memory. Some smartphones have a mirroring function - that is, broadcasting an image from the screen of a portable device to a computer screen. If necessary, the user can even take a screenshot of the screen and save it in the PC memory.

For convenient data management, Lenovo Mobile Assistant sorts it into sections depending on the type: video, music and images. Preview functionality is available for most file formats and data can be exchanged using drag and drop.

Technical information

The main advantage of the program is its simple and understandable interface, which, moreover, is fully translated into Russian. Lenovo Mobile Assistant works on any version of Windows and is available completely free of charge.

Key Features

• updates the firmware of connected smartphones;
• serves for exchanging files between a computer and a portable device;
• allows you to work with contacts and calendar;
• has a simple and intuitive interface;
• completely translated into Russian.

Currently, Lenovo is a leader among manufacturers of computers, tablets and smartphones. The company has gained consumer recognition due to its wide range of products and ability to satisfy the requirements of each customer. Given such popularity of gadgets, many users have a question: what is Lenovo mobile assistant and how to use it?

What is mobile assistant?

This is a program that allows you to manage contacts, remove programs on your smartphone, edit SMS and send them. In addition, this application allows you to work with various files, both video and audio. What manipulations can be carried out in this case? The opportunity to delete, export, and import files opens up. Thanks to this program, you can scan the device’s memory and display statistics on both the used and free space of the device. Using the software, it becomes possible to archive data stored in the gadget, as well as restore it if necessary.

These are the main functions that the mobile Lenovo assistant program has.

First of all, you need to install Lenovo mobile assistant for PC. The program is located among the files of the smartphone, so you need to connect it to the PC via a USB cable. When the PC detects the device and installs the required drivers. After this, a menu will appear on the screen in which you need to select the line “Open device to view files.”

In this case, you need to find two files. The first one should be named Lenovo_Suite, the second one should be Lenovo USB Driver.

First, the driver for USB is installed, and then another program. When all the elements are installed, you can start working with the program.

If there is no application on your smartphone, you can download Lenovo mobile assistant for PC.

What to do if the program does not see the smartphone?

Sometimes a user who has successfully installed an application is ready to use it, but new problems arise on his way due to the fact that the program does not see the phone. What to do in this case?

The first action that experts recommend is to check the phone’s connection to the computer. More precisely, see what connection mode is indicated. It needs to be set to USB Debugging. If a different mode is displayed, you need to change it.

If this is all right, you need to try reinstalling the drivers on your PC. When this does not help, you will have to use the last method. We are talking about using the MyPhoneExplore program, which has functions similar to mobile assistant. Its tasks also include editing contacts, sending and receiving messages, and more.

Among the smartphones of the famous manufacturer Lenovo there are very interesting models that, despite their rather respectful age by the standards of the modern world of Android devices, regularly perform their functions and are an excellent solution for undemanding users. One of these options - the S660 model, or more precisely, the software part of the device, updating the OS version, restoring functionality and introducing new functions to the smartphone using firmware, will be discussed in the article.

Lenovo S660 is a mid-level device at the time of its release, built on the MTK hardware platform. Technical characteristics allow the device to satisfy the basic requirements for a modern smartphone, and the software part is quite easily modified and completely replaced using standard and widely known software tools in certain circles. The possibilities for replacing the Lenovo S660 system software are quite varied, and if the instructions are scrupulously followed, they can be implemented by any user of the device independently.

Any intervention in the system software of a smartphone, including the instructions provided below, is carried out by the owner of the device at his own peril and risk!!

In order for the installation procedure for Android in the Lenovo S660 not to take much time, to proceed without errors and to result in a real improvement of the smartphone in software terms, the user who is going to flash the device is required to carry out several stages of preparation.

Drivers

The first thing you should take care of in order to be able to interfere with the software part of any Android device is to equip the operating system of the PC used as a tool for firmware with components for pairing a smartphone and utilities, that is, specialized drivers.

As for installing drivers for the Lenovo S660 device, there should not be any difficulties. You will need two packages, which are available for download here:

1. After unpacking LenovoUsbDriver.rar the user receives an auto-installer for advanced mode drivers for the device,

   

   which needs to be launched.

   



2. The second downloaded archive contains components for different versions of Windows "Preloader VCOM Driver", which serve to pair a computer and a smartphone, which is in a specialized mode designed to overwrite areas of the device’s memory.

   

   This driver must be installed manually following the instructions:



3. After installing the drivers, you should check whether the Lenovo S660 is correctly detected by the operating system in various modes. This will eliminate the factor of missing or incorrectly installed components if unexpected situations arise during processes involving the installation of Android.

   

   Opening "Device Manager", connect the device in the states described below and observe the devices detected in the system. After installing the drivers correctly, the picture should match the screenshots shown.

   

   

Root rights

To carry out serious operations with the system software of any Android device, and most importantly, to create a full backup of the system before reinstalling the OS, you will need Superuser privileges. Getting root rights for Lenovo S660 is quite simple if you use the tool.

Backup

Flashing a smartphone using almost any method means deleting all user data from its memory, so before you start installing Android, you should make a backup copy of everything important. In order to save information, one or more methods described in the material are used:

Proceed to interfere with the device’s memory only if you are 100% sure that all important information is saved in a backup copy!

In addition to personal information, firmware procedures in some cases lead to damage to an extremely important section that contains information necessary for the operation of wireless networks - "NVRAM". Having a dump of this memory area makes it easy to recover lost IMEI and other data if necessary. In methods No. 3–4 of Lenovo S660 firmware proposed below, a separate paragraph describes how to make a backup of a partition before overwriting the device’s memory.

Firmware

The technical characteristics of the Lenovo S660 allow you to install various versions of Android into your smartphone, including the current ones. To bring the latest features to your phone, you will have to resort to installing unofficial modified OSs, but initially you should update, or better yet, install the latest official version of the system. Whatever the desired result, that is, the Android version, it is recommended to go step by step, installing the OS in each method starting from the first and completing the manipulations when you obtain the desired/necessary system software on the device in question.

Method 1: Lenovo MOTO Smart Assistant

To manipulate the software part of the Lenovo S660, the manufacturer has created a specialized program called Lenovo MOTO SmartAssistant. You can download the distribution from the developer’s official website in the technical support section:

The method described below is suitable for updating the version of the official Android if for some reason the update was not carried out via OTA.

1. Install Smart Assistant by running the installer

   
   and following his instructions.



2. Launch the tool and connect the S660 with the activated mode "USB Debugging" to PC.



3. After identifying the device in the program,

   
   go to the tab "Flash".



4. Smart Assistant will automatically check for an update for the system and, if it is present on the server, will issue a corresponding notification.

   

5. Left-click on the downward-pointing arrow located near the update volume value. This action downloads the files necessary for transferring to the device’s memory to the PC disk.



6. Once the download is complete, the button becomes active "Update", press it.



7. To the warning-reminder of the system about the need to back up important data from the device in the request window that appears, we respond by pressing the button "Proceed".



8. Further processes are carried out automatically and are accompanied by a reboot of the smartphone, after which the operating system will be updated,

   

   which is confirmed by checking in Smart Assistant.

Method 2: Factory Recovery Environment

Another method, which is considered official, involves using the capabilities of the factory recovery environment to install system software. This method allows you not only to update the official Android, but also to completely reinstall the OS on the device.

A package with the latest official OS version for the model in question, intended for installation through native recovery, is available for download at the link:

1. Copying the file update.zip to a memory card installed in the device.



2. We start the device into recovery environment mode. For this:
   



3. To completely reinstall the system, you will need to format some memory sections. Select using the key "Volume-" a point that involves clearing the smartphone’s memory from the data it contains – "wipe data/factory reset". The function selection is confirmed by pressing "Volume+".

   



4. Install Android by first selecting "apply update from sdcard",

   

   then specifying the file "update.zip" as an installable package. Next, you should wait for the end of rewriting the Lenovo S660 memory areas - the message appears "Install from sdcard completed".



5. Reboot the device by specifying the command in recovery "reboot system now".



6. The first boot after the update will take longer than usual.

   

   Before using a device with an updated Android, you should wait for the welcome screen to appear and carry out the initial setup of the device.

Method 3: SP Flash Tool

The ability to use a universal tool for manipulating the memory of devices created on processors from the manufacturer Mediatek allows you to perform almost any operation with the Lenovo S660, including updating or completely replacing the installed Android with any other, including unofficial and modified versions of the OS, as well as restoring inoperative ones. smartphone software.

Working with the program and the basic concepts that you will need to know to follow the instructions below are described in the following material:

Below are three main operations that may be required by the owner of the device in question when working with system software via the SP Flash Tool - backup "NVRAM", installation of official firmware and installation of modified recovery. The latest version of the tool at the time of writing this material is used.

As a basis for carrying out manipulations via Flashtool, you will need the official Android version S062. This package, in addition to being the latest official software offer for Lenovo S660 from the manufacturer, is used to restore the device, for example, after unsuccessful experiments with custom OS. The archive with the firmware is available for download at the link:

Creating an NVRAM Dump

As mentioned above, the memory section, called "NVRAM" is extremely important for the full operation of the smartphone, and having a backup copy of it is almost a prerequisite for solving communication problems if they arise after manipulating the software part of the device. Dumping an area using FlashTool is quite simple, but it is important to follow the instructions carefully.

1. Download and unpack the archive with the firmware into a separate directory S062.



2. Open FlashTool (run the file flash_tool.exe, located in the program folder, on behalf of the Administrator).



3. Add Android images to the program by opening the scatter file MT6582_Android_scatter.txt from the directory with unpacked OS images.



4. To read data from memory, including the target NVRAM section, there is a tab in SP FlashTool "Read Back", go to it and press the button "Add".



5. Double-click on the line in the operations field, which will open Explorer, in which you need to select the path for the location of the future dump and give it a name.



6. After selecting the path and name of the data file "NVRAM" set the reading parameters:
   • Address of the starting memory block – field "Start Address"— value 0x1000000 ;
   • Length of the memory area to be read – field "Length"- value 0x500000 .

   

   Having determined the reading parameters, press "OK".

7. Turn off the smartphone completely, disconnect the USB cable from it, if it was connected. Click "Read back".



8. We connect the USB port of the computer and the microUSB connector of Lenovo S660 with a cable. The device will be detected by the system and the data reading process will automatically begin. Creating a dump "NVRAM" completes quickly enough and ends with the appearance of a window confirming the success of the operation "Readback OK".



9. The finished partition dump has a volume of 5 MB and is located along the path specified when following step 5 of these instructions.



10. If there is a need for recovery "NVRAM" in the future, you should:
    

    

Installation of official Android

After completing the preparatory procedures and saving all the data from the smartphone, you can proceed to installing the operating system. In general, the process should not cause difficulties; all actions are standard.

Installing a modified recovery

To install unofficial modified OSs and carry out other manipulations with the device in question that are not provided by the manufacturer, a special tool is required - a custom recovery environment.
For Lenovo S660, there are several versions of custom recovery and, in general, their installation, as well as working with them, is no different. The recommended solution is to use PhilzTouch Recovery as the most universal product for the model in question, with the help of which most custom firmware based on Android 4.2-7.0 is installed.

PhilzTouch is essentially a modified version, equipped with a touch interface and a lot of additional options. You can download the environment image for installation via FlashTool in Lenovo S660 using the link:

Installing recovery can be done using different methods, but the most effective is the use of SP FlashTool for this operation. Let's use the tool, besides, almost everything necessary for the operation is already present on the user's PC, who flashed the official version of the system using the flasher.

Method 4: Custom firmware

The official versions of Android offered by the manufacturer for the Lenovo S660 model are not characterized by wide capabilities and are overloaded with pre-installed applications. In addition, the latest firmware released for the device is based on the obsolete Android KitKat, and many users of the model require a newer OS. Third-party firmware developers come to help in solving this issue, having created an unusually large number of different versions of modified software shells for the phone in question.

Most custom solutions are installed on the device in the same way, and below there are three options for ports from different romodeling teams, based on Android KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat. Correct installation of a modified unofficial system includes several stages, the first of which - installation of recovery - has already been performed by the user who has followed the instructions for installing PhilzTouch Recovery suggested above.

Backup via recovery

Again, it should be noted that it is necessary to create a backup copy of the system before overwriting the device's memory partitions. The reader probably wants to quickly move on to installing a custom Android, but you shouldn’t neglect the opportunity to play it safe, even if the data has already been saved. In addition, the custom environment makes backup very easy.

Clearing memory

The installation of a new modified system in the Lenovo S660 must be carried out in the previously prepared, that is, cleared of all data, memory of the device. It is highly recommended not to neglect the procedure for formatting partitions! To clean the device before installing custom firmware, PhilzTouch Recovery provides a special function.

MIUI 8 (Android 4.4)

Among owners of the Lenovo S660 model, the modified MIUI firmware is especially popular. Among its objective characteristics are a high level of stability, the ability to widely customize the interface, and access to services included in the Xiaomi ecosystem. These advantages compensate for complaints about the outdated version of Android on which the shell is based.

Remains a crowd favorite since its initial release in late 2013. Moto G has managed to hit the market with solid hardware that offers a pure Android experience and surprisingly affordable prices. Even though the company was sold to Google and then Lenovo, the Moto G series remained afloat and is currently in its fifth generation. We've put together tips and tricks in this guide to help you get the most out of your Little Nexus.

How to increase storage capacity of Moto G (2013) via USB OTG?
It must be said that one of the weaknesses of the original Moto G (2013) was memory. And while you can now easily buy a Moto G with a MicroSD card slot, they were initially limited to 8GB or 16GB of storage. And this memory, as users quickly discovered, was not enough.

Luckily, the Moto G uses a service called USB OTG, which allows the smartphone to connect to other USB devices and accessories, like a mouse or keyboard. For example, OTG allows you to connect an external flash drive or hard drive to the Moto G, meaning you can connect the flash drive directly to the Moto G to share files between them. While it's not as convenient as an internal MicroSD card, the solution still provides a convenient way to expand storage.

Setting up Smart Lock
All Moto G devices from Moto G (2013) to Moto G3 (2015) received the Android Lollipop update which brought with it an interesting security feature called Smart Lock. When you pair a new device via Bluetooth or NFC, a notification will ask if you want to make it a “Trusted Device.” This means you'll be able to unlock your device without entering a passcode when it's paired with a specific Bluetooth headset, smartwatch, or portable speaker.

To access this feature, go to Settings - Security - Lock screen and Lock screen security settings (pattern, PIN or password). After this, you will be able to use Smart Lock. Scroll down to the "Advanced" section, select "Trusted Agents"; and then enable the nifty security feature offered by Google.

Moto G encryption
Want to take your Moto G and data security a step further? The new Moto G lets you easily encrypt your accounts, settings, downloaded apps and their data, media and other files. Once your phone is encrypted, you need to enter a PIN or password to decrypt your phone every time you turn it on again. If you forget your PIN or password, your only option is to restore the default values ​​and lose all data that is not backed up.

To encrypt your phone, go to Settings – Security – Encrypt phone.

Enable developer options
Enabling Developer Mode on your Moto G unlocks many additional features and settings. To protect younger users from accidentally unlocking these features, Google has hidden them, but not too much. To enable Developer mode on your Moto G, go to Settings - About phone and then tap on the build number several times until you get a notification that you are now a developer.

Changing wallpaper on Moto G
If you want to use Motorola's factory wallpaper on your Moto G, you must go to Settings - Display. There you have the option to choose photos from your own photo gallery, additional Motorola wallpapers or live wallpapers.
Keep in mind that while animated wallpapers look cool, they will drain your battery life faster.
If you're looking for some cool wallpapers, don't hesitate to check out some quality wallpaper apps for your phone.

How to take a screenshot on Moto G?
A picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes there is no more effective way to share information than an image. While there are many ways to take a screenshot, taking a screenshot on the Moto G is incredibly easy.

All you need to do is press and hold the power button and then hold down the volume button. If the sound is turned on on your phone, you will hear a shutter sound. When you take a screenshot of your phone, you get a quick preview of the image.

Google Assistant
You can now quickly access Google Assistant (a mix of ChatBot, voice commands, and Google search) by long pressing the Home button on the screen. The first time you call Google Assistant, you'll be prompted to set up the assistant. After this, you will be able to freely use its services.

Accessing the quick settings menu
To access the Quick Settings menu from the Home screen, simply swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen. If you only use one finger, you will open a small menu with Wi-Fi status, SIM card and battery. With two fingers, you can open the entire set of options in one swipe, saving time.

Unlocking additional camera settings
Note: This feature is compatible with Moto G (2013), Moto G 4G (2013) as well as Moto G (2014).
The developers of the XDA forum gave owners of the 1st and 2nd generation Moto G a very good gift - the ability to open additional camera settings. And the best part: you can unlock camera settings without accessing the phone's root directory.

If you decide to do this, keep in mind that this solution is achieved by an additional application (i.e. the current camera application will not be replaced; you can continue to use the original Motorola software).

After installing the software to access the camera settings, you will see a ladybug (as shown in the picture in the lower right corner). Just click on it and a list of additional settings will appear on the screen.

Just tap on the microphone that appears either in the search bar, on your home screen or in the Google search app. Then, simply tell Google what you want to know or are looking for. As with all Google search products, the more you use it, the better it gets at presenting you with the right content.

Focus control and manual exposure
When you open the camera app, you will notice a small circle that appears on the screen briefly. This is exposure and focus control. If you swipe the screen, you can dictate the focus direction. You will also notice a bit of yellow at the bottom of the circle. This is exposure control. By moving the yellow part up or down, you can change the amount of light entering the camera, thereby increasing or decreasing the brightness of the photo.

Increasing font sizes
If the text on your Moto G seems small for easy reading, you may want to consider increasing the font sizes. This can be done in Settings – Display – Font size. You will get a slider that you can move left or right to increase or decrease the font size.

Changing the color mode
Color mode - which you'll find on the Moto G since the 3rd generation - is a useful little feature that lets you change the brightness of the colors on the phone's screen. To access the settings, go to your device's display settings and select a color mode. You can choose between Standard and Vibrant.

Moto screen notifications
On the new Moto G series devices, you will see the Moto app pre-installed on the phones. This app helps you create Moto Actions and also helps you customize notification display. These notifications are quite useful at first glance, as you can simply tilt or shake your phone and any notifications you have received will disappear and close. To install this feature, use the Moto app and select Display. From there you can turn the feature on or off.

Moto Actions

Launch the camera with a gesture
Sometimes you need to launch the camera right away in order to take a photo, and while your phone is locked, unlocking it, launching the app, and setting it up can take too long. Luckily, Motorola has a solution. With the Moto app, you can open the camera with two quick rotations of the device. This feature is not activated automatically, but you can enable it in the settings.

Launch the flashlight with a gesture
You can use gestures to launch the flashlight on the Moto G (2015 and newer phones) - this can be done with two quick shakes of the phone. Again, the feature is not automatically activated, but can be enabled in the Moto app settings.

How to extend Moto G battery life?
And while the Moto G's battery size has grown since its initial release, every user has to contend with rapid power drain. Luckily, there are several ways to save battery power that apply to all smartphones. We've compiled the best tips and tricks to extend your battery life in a separate article that you'll find on our website.

Built-in file manager
All Moto G phones, apart from the original Moto G (2013), have received the Android Marshmallow update and above. Thanks to this update, Moto G has a built-in file manager. To access this handy feature, go to Settings - Storage - Internal Storage and then scroll down to find the manager. Now you can browse and search all the files on your phone.

Send your contacts, messages and pictures
Unfortunately, the Moto Migrate app is not supported by Android Marshmallow. Motorola Migrate has been one of the manufacturer's most useful apps that allows you to transfer contacts, messages, photos and music from your old Android smartphone to your new Moto G.
In order to use it, you need to download the app on both phones. First of all, open the app on your new device and select "Transfer data to this device." Then, on your old device, select “Send data from this device.” Both phones must be authorized on the same Wi-Fi network to complete the data transfer.

Improved sound in headphones
Earlier versions of Moto G come with an audio equalizer to enhance the music and video playing experience. By default, 3D Stereo mode, which enhances echo and treble, is disabled.

To enable it, head to Settings - Sound - Audio Options, where you can enable, disable or customize sound effects under the Headphones option.

With new versions of the Moto G, Motorola is moving the equalizer to Google Play Music. You should open the Play Music app and go to Settings - Playback, where you will see Equalizer.

How to hide phone number on Moto G?
If you don't want to show your phone number when you call someone, you can hide it.
- Open dialer;
- Click on the three dots on the right side of the contact search;
- Click “Settings”;
- Click “Call Account”;
- Click “SIM card”;
- Click “Advanced options”;
- Select "Caller ID" and then select "Hide number";