Lenovo has recently launched the new Phab 2 Pro with Google’s Tango, in all of its supersized phablet glory. Understandably, the phone is large in size. For some, this is great. For those with small hands like myself – not so much. I will admit that you do get used to its size eventually, but it’s also slippery so you need to be extra careful.
Design and Display
The Phab 2 Pro is thin and also very slippery. I’ve found myself clutching onto it for dear life on multiple occasions. The heaviness adds a certain amount of heftiness to and while slippery, the phone is very sturdy. Of course, I wouldn’t perform a drop test on it but since it’s quite heavy, I feel as though this phone can go through a lot and still survive. The huge 6.4in screen is not smudge-proof, which becomes tedious, having to clean it very often.
The fingerprint sensor was, unfortunately, underwhelming. While only placing your finger on the sensor without needing to press the power button, sometimes the screen just wouldn’t turn on. There were a couple of times the sensor even had an issue reading my fingerprint. Maybe it’s just me and my finger is abnormal – but there were a number of times where the feature frustrated me.
The phone claims to adjust the brightness of the screen according to your environment, but I’ve found that it doesn’t do a good job when you’re outdoors in bright light. It doesn’t automatically adjust the brightness for you, and even after you’ve gone ahead and brightened the screen up yourself, it’s still hard to read what’s on the screen. But other than that, the Phab 2 Pro does a good job adjusting the brightness to your comfort.
Software and Performance
The new Lenovo Phablet runs Android 6.0 which runs pretty smoothly. It runs fast and so far I haven’t faced any lagging issues. Like many Android phones, the Phab 2 Pro is easy to navigate around. It does have an app drawer, which is great for those who appreciate the feature and sorts the apps alphabetically.
What’s different about the Phab 2 Pro is that it is the first phone to make use of Google’s new augmented reality development called Tango. While there are a number of apps available for download to make use of the feature, the Phab 2 Pro comes readily installed with the Measure app, which allows you to measure your surroundings through the phone! You can download an app to build a hot wheels track right in your bedroom, and you take photos of your friends right next to a dinosaur! And if you’re looking to redecorate your home, there’s an app for that too – Lowe’s Vision allows you to place furniture around your home right through your screen, so you can see what your new furniture could possible look like. Technology has certainly come a long way.
Of course, the apps that can be used with Tango still has to broaden, but if you’re new to the software like I am, you’re still going to have fun with it. It won’t offer you the same experience as a VR headset, but it’s still an enjoyable experience considering its capabilities.
But I will admit, I did have a lot of fun using the Dinos Among Us app.
As for the battery, the Phab 2 Pro makes use of a 4050 mAh battery, that lasts for well under two days with medium usage. Understandably, it’ll last for a less time if you’re constantly trying out the camera or using the Tango apps, which are more taxing tasks.
Camera
I have to say that the camera on the device is quite exciting. Unless you’re trying to shoot in low light – then it might make you a little sad. The 16MP does great in bright light, and while I don’t see the difference between HDR photos and regular ones, I still love using this camera during the day. With the right angles, you can get some pretty fantastic photos.
I was, however, thoroughly disappointed when I tried taking some photos during the night. The photos come out looking like something you’ve taken with an old phone that has a poor camera.
The primary camera is said to have phase detection autofocus, depth & motion tracking sensors as well, which is what you’ll find right below the actual camera on the back of the phone. It does look like the phone has three cameras, but I can assure you that it does not.
The front facing 8MP camera is fairly decent and takes clear photos as well, but still, it does not do well in low light conditions – a major drawback that I found while using this phone.
Absolute Verdict
The Phab 2 Pro is a phone that will definitely draw the attention of a lot of people. It runs smoothly and has a variety of different features, keeping the experience constantly fun and exciting. While large in size, you do get used to the size and you’re able to use it more easily in time. It certainly is an investment and I would recommend it to those who are looking for a new smartphone and want something new and different.
