Feel the power – Lenovo Vibe Z

Lenovo joins the LTE arena with a smartphone that should get a lot of attention not just for how it looks but how well it performs.

• The Vibe Z packs more computing power than most netbooks and mid-level laptops. Processor and graphics intensive apps will not faze this one.
• Lenovo has taken away the app drawer. All apps and widgets reside on the home screens (similar to iOS). For long time Android users this might be unnerving at first but it will be easy to get used to.
• Clever trims give the phone a sturdier look without the added weight.
• The Full 1080p HD IPS screen is such a joy to look at and read from even with the display light close to minimum. At maximum brightness, the backlight easily cuts through the glare, even under direct sunlight.
• The 13-megapixel rear-facing camera offers exceptional clarity in brightly-lit scenes and better than average quality under diminished lighting conditions. However, the front facing 5-megapixel camera, despite its wide 84° view angle, is quite run-of-the-mill.
• The Vibe Z comes with a suite of security and maintenance apps which offer everything from malware protection to battery management. These apps only need to be set once then left alone to keep the phone in tiptop shape.
• For such a capable piece of tech, battery life is an impressive 24 to 48 hours. This depends on your usage, of course. You even have the option of putting it in “survival mode” and the Vibe Z will stay useful for weeks. Survival mode limits you to basic functions of the phone. You get a screen similar to old phones and only have access to calls, texts, and the alarm clock.

The verdict:

Lenovo ticked a lot of boxes with the Vibe Z. From features to price point, this phablet wins every time. I would have preferred a user-replaceable battery though.

Price: P24,999

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Spec sheet:

SIM: Micro SIM

Display: 5.5” IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen (1080×1920 resolution)

Operating system: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core

Memory: 2GB RAM

Storage: 16GB internal

Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, LTE Cat4 150Mbps (DL) / 50Mbps (UL)

Camera: 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera

Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 3000mAh

Dimensions: 149.1 x 77.7 x 7.9mm, 145.2g