[rwp-review id=”0″]
Foreword:
I was recently contacted by Lenovo to be part of a “network of inspiration” for a program they’re running called #YOUinspired. They sent over a cool box of goodies that included the Lenovo Vibe X2, along with some YOUinspired material – an artist edition poster and some postcards and it all came in a nice looking box. Thanks Lenovo!
I’m proud to be one of 250 influencers from around the world that have been picked to carry this campaign forward by sharing the things that inspire me most on my social networks.
When I first spotted the ad campaign around Dubai, what piqued my curiosity was the use of the phrase “layered design”. It had me intrigued, and somewhat excited to hold this little beauty in my hands.
To be honest, I wasn’t disappointed. You notice the layered design as soon as you pull the product out of the box, and it’s a nice touch, something new. Of course, it’s only an exterior build, and the phone itself isn’t really layered on the inside.
Design
The deliberate effort to look different works well here. The Lenovo Vibe X2 comes with a nice looking body and almost sharp corners where the rounded edges are minimal.
Three capacitive touch navigation keys are placed below the display and are pretty standard – Home, Back and Menus. The touch sensitivity is pretty good here, as one has come to expect from touchscreen smartphones.
The buttons on the side panels are quite close to the form of the device, but a quick run with the finger helps one find them easily. This neat form factor is also noticeable at the back where the camera lens and flash are neatly embedded into the body of the phone with limited protrusions.
Display
The Lenovo Vibe X2 impresses with a vivid 5-inch full-HD IPS (Gorilla Glass 3) display with wide viewing angles and pretty good readability in sunlight. Both icons and text look sharp on the display, and the photos look amazing on screen. The touch response is decent and not over-sensitive – a pet peeve I’ve had with Android devices of late, to be honest.
Cameras
A 13MP camera on the rear, and a 5MP one in front is becoming pretty standard – and the Lenovo Vibe X2 doesn’t lag behind here, specs-wise.
However, upon trial, the camera output is a little below par, unable to capture details like some of the front-runners we see on the market. The macro seemed to take its time to adjust to a focal point, which can be frustrating if you need a quick shot.
The camera app does have a few nifty features like HDR, filters & effects and timer controls, but the basic software itself seems to lack something here. The front-camera was quite okay as well, but I’m not much of a selfie fan!
It is capable of 1080p Full HD recording, but the strange absence of OIS can produce some shaky results, especially when moving.
Battery
You’ll probably need at least one charge in the middle of your day if you want to make the device last. The charging port is standard Android so it will take a while to juice up. I suggest portable battery packs if you’re planning to have a long day!
Software
The Vibe X2 comes loaded with Android 4.4.2 and till date hasn’t received the 4.4.4 update. Like some other Chinese manufacturers of late, Lenovo has added a thick layer of their own UI on top of Kit Kat, which I found a bit clunky. It seems to have its own way of telling the user what app to go to, so the first thing I downloaded was a third party launcher, which made navigation a lot easier.
Performance
The device boasts a Super Fast True8 Core™ Power, and performance-wise it excels. Games work fluidly and look beautiful on screen, and to be honest, have taken the most of my time ever since I grabbed a hold of the device.
Verdict
The Lenovo Vibe X2 is priced at AED 1499, making it a mid-range device. Considering that price point, the hardware looks quite premium and the device is pretty feature-packed. The camera and battery life leave a little bit to be desired, but these might be things that can be fixed with software updates. Oh, and that UI.
