Known for its battery technology, Energizer entered the smartphone space earlier this year with a slightly different way of looking at mobile devices: having an amazing battery life at the cost of having a thick phone.

At a retail price of around R7700, Energizer’s first take on smartphones is on the expensive side and won’t appeal to the low-to-mid-range market.

The phone looks like a typical rugged phone, featuring an unapologetically thick body and all sorts of water-sealing flaps. The front of the device features pretty thick bezels by 2019’s bezel-less standards, but still manages to look good with a 5.5″ display and capacitive navigation buttons below it.

On the back, a carbon-fibre-like pattern gives the device its own level of good quality feel that isn’t felt by many other devices in this price range. Closer towards the top, it features a camera, flash, and fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is fast and in line with the speed delivered from other mid-to-high-range handsets. Thankfully, the camera is just far away enough from the fingerprint sensor to not smudge the rear lens.

The inclusion of a type-C port is great, although it is standard for Android devices nowadays. What’s becoming rarer is the 3.5mm headphone jack, which is almost always a plus. Both ports are covered with a rubber seal.

The speaker has average sound quality and average loudness.

The 4000mAh non-removable battery is the biggest redeeming factor on this device. It features battery saving software in addition, to the large battery capacity, to deliver multi-day performance. It provides a good 28 hours of medium usage (checking messages every half hour and watching videos for around 5 of those hours) until it reached 10%.

The secret to its battery efficiency is the battery saving software that comes preinstalled, which prevents misbehaving apps from draining the battery in the background, reducing the load on the CPU and GPU where it can.

Surprisingly, there is no bloatware in the device, making it one of the very few Android devices to feature a clean version of the operating system. That said, the version for Android included with the device is over 3 years old. This is not good from a security point of view and the security conscious buyer would most likely steer clear of this device with this knowledge.

Energizer is too new to the market for us to know if updates are going to be released for the device. Nevertheless, Android Nougat is good enough for the average user, provided they don’t install apps outside of the Play Store. It is powered by a powerful Mediatek MT6750, meaning the typical app is fluid and responsive.

The H550S has 32GB of onboard storage, but it can be expanded by up to 32GB with a MicroSD card in the second SIM slot. The LTE connectivity options are perfect for most high-speed broadband situations, with around 40Mbps download and around 10Mbps upload with good coverage.

As with many modern smartphones, it features a dual SIM configuration, where one is on standby for calls and SMS and the other is active for calls, SMS and a data connection.

The 16MP rear camera is good for quick shots and has decent colour replication. It’s also sharp enough for document scanning, which is a huge plus for productivity. The 8MP front camera snaps satisfactory selfies, and will be good enough for the outdoors user wanting to record their adventures.

Videos were recorded in 1080p and the quality was good in brighter situations. In darker situations, it struggled to record subject matter clearly and video was very noisy.

Overall, the H550S is a phone for the user that’s rarely around a plug point. It’s ideal for those who need to send messages, watch online content and play a lightweight game. For users seeking graphics intensive gaming, this is not the device. For its price point, it aims at a very niche audience that needs a very long battery life and doesn’t mind a bulky device.

According to a report by conference call provider, LoopUp, many conference calls are fraught with distractions and technology challenges that cost businesses over $34 billion a year. Therefore, most organisations incorporate expensive systems and practices to ensure the right information is communicated at the right time. These systems include resource-consuming physical meetings, unreliable video conferencing, or traditional phone calls.

Lenovo has introduced the ThinkSmart Hub 500, an all in one collaboration platform that can be used for increased efficiency, comfort, and reliability.

It can eliminate time lost due to technical issues during meetings and provide a desirable working environment for a conference call or meeting. Pre-configured for Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, or Zoom Rooms, it facilitates most communication software. Its movable touchscreen display helps attendees around the table to record their input and structure plans in real-time.

Its 360° microphone array and Dolby Audio premium sound keep the conversation clear, while an innovative cable management system helps eliminate cable clutter to provide a seamless experience. Additionally, the cable management door locks, to secure physical ports and prevent cables from being accidentally disconnected. With audio and video capabilities, users can press a button to initiate the meeting faster.

As a total business solution, the device can be placed in many types of offices to provide users with a consistent, seamless experience, whether they’re calling from a room across the street or across the globe.

The device is enabled with ThinkShield—Lenovo’s industry-leading suite of security solutions—which protects privacy and data. It also comes preloaded with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise software to provide intelligent enterprise-grade protection, while the Intel vPro processor helps maintain remote devices.

As more businesses in the region work towards creating a more productive work environment, technology has the potential to become an accelerator for efficiency and creativity. With Lenovo’s ThinkSmart Hub 500, organisations are empowered with the ability to connect with fellow employees and stakeholders seamlessly, providing more time to concentrate on building relations and meeting their business objectives.