Lenovo takes on VR with the VIBE X3 & K4 Note

Virtual reality is the buzzword for the year and more and more brands are showing their own takes on the technology. Lenovo has outed two new models to lead its charge in the VR space—the VIBE X3 and VIBE K4 Note.

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Both phones come equipped with what Lenovo calls the TheaterMax technology, which makes all the content in your phone viewable using the bundled ANTVR headset.

You can use it to watch movies, shows, and other clips from streaming sites like iflix, HOOQ, Blink, and Netflix or YouTube. You can view all the 360-degree videos on YouTube or those made for Google Cardboard. And yes, you can game with it. But unlike the Samsung Gear VR with a touchpad at the side of the device, your limitation here is you’ll need a Bluetooth-capable controller or try motion-controlled games or VR games that wouldn’t need you tapping on a touchpad. If you were thinking of using it with Google Cardboard, TheaterMax doesn’t work with this so you’ll have to settle with using it with the ANTVR.

Now, if we talk about the main specs of the device, the VIBE K4 Note is the more affordable option at P10,699 but it’s no slouch performance-wise. It has a 5.5-inch Full HD display with 178-degree wide viewing angle and 1080p display. It runs on a 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and has 16GB internal storage that you can expand up to 128GB via microSD. It comes with front-facing speakers powered by Dolby Atmos to help bring that cinematic feel to the phone, which also makes watching videos while using the VR headset that much more enjoyable.

The VIBE K4 Note comes with what Lenovo calls 3-mic system and Wolfson audio codec to help filter out ambient noise and improve sound quality while recording. You’ll be using a 13-megapixel Phase Detection Autofocus rear camera and 5-megapixel fixed focus front camera. This dual SIM device that supports micro SIMs is LTE-ready and comes with fingerprint scanner, which is a first for Lenovo’s budget-friendly devices. It has a 3,300mAh embedded battery.

The VIBE X3 is the higher-end model at P22,099. It sports the same 5.5-inch Full HD display but with a better contrast ratio at 1500:1 (the VIBE K4 Note’s contrast ratio is at 1000:1) and 16M colors, making it more vibrant. It runs on a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB internal storage that you can also expand up to 128GB via microSD. It also has the 3-mic system and Wolfson audio codec. But this one also comes with ESS Sabre 9018C2M DAC for your Hi-Fi audio needs.

The camera on this device is a 21-megapixel PDAF camera that supports 4K UHD video recording and an 8-megapixel fixed-focus front shooter. Battery life for this dual Nano SIM-supporting device is 3,500mAh. It also has a fingerprint scanner included.

Both devices run on Android 5.1 Lollipop but Lenovo Philippines promises an Android Marshmallow upgrade by the third quarter of the year. These devices geared towards consumption can be seen as enticing for multimedia junkies who want that theater-like experience but in the comfort of their home or even while in transit.

For this weekend, aside from the bundled ANTVR, screen protector, and back cover, Lenovo is also offering Skullcandy headphones and a power bank for free to those who want to buy the VIBE K4 Note at SM North EDSA, which gives an additional P5,000-something value to the device. Meanwhile, the VIBE X3 is expected to come out on the second week of April.