[rwp-review id=”0″]
Lenovo announced the new Vibe range with much fan fair. Their previous Vibe iterations were quite successful in positioning Lenovo as a prime player in the smartphone market.
As with all brands, Lenovo learned, adapted, improved and came back stronger. Their latest Vibe range offering includes: Vibe X2, Vibe Z2 and Vibe Z2 Pro.
Some of you may have been following our #VibeZ2ProTrip updates here on Absolute Geeks, where we took the device on a trip to Ireland and vigorously tested its much hyped camera. Quick verdict: it exceeded our expectations in so many ways!
Design
The Vibe Z2 Pro is big. It’s very big. That was our first impression until we turned it on, but more on that later.
It sports a 6” display with a uni-body all-metal design all around. This keeps it cool and provides a high-end premium feel. The back camera and dual flash slightly protrudes from the back, sitting on a black strip of metal that clearly stands out from the rest of the fixed back cover. We’re not sure why they decided to distinguish the camera module like that. With 4 tiny screws on every corner, it’s as if the camera can be removed/replaced/fixed separately if need be.
The device has a speaker grill at the bottom, 3.5mm headphone slot at the top, power button and volume rockers sit on opposite sides.
On the right side, above the power button, sits the SIM cards drawer which supports two cards (varies by region).
The backside has a cool metallic texture to it and cannot be removed, which means the battery cannot be replaced (with 4,000mAh you really don’t need to!). Moreover, the phone does not have a SD card slot.
Display
The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro’s 6-inch Quad-HD display as absolutely brilliant! Going back to what was mentioned earlier, at first glance we found the phone to be quite oversized. It’s definitely a handful. That impression faded away as soon as we turned the phone on.
The colors are vivid and vibrant, coming out with beautiful clarity and brightness. At 2,560 x 1,440 pixels with 490ppi, the display is one of the top in its class and among its counterparts. The pixel count is the same as that of the LG G3 and Galaxy Note 4, with the G3 and Note 4 having slightly higher ppi’s due to their smaller size.
One advantage to having a beautiful display like this is that it compliments the brilliant camera the phone has, more on that later.
Software
The Vibe Z2 Pro comes with Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, albeit with Lenovo’s custom Vibe UI. We were pleased to see that the Vibe UI has come a long way in such a short period of time. It looks more refined, consistent and overall prettier than its previous iterations.
One thing I love about large Android phones is that they make use of the display real estate. Like Samsung’s elite phones the S5 and Note 4, the Vibe 2 Pro supports multiple apps opening simultaneously. This comes in two forms, you can open 2 apps side by side and you can open select apps as pop ups from where ever you are. Both handy features that make use of both the large screen size and the powerful hardware the device has.
We also like how we could choose from different themes for both the home and lock screens. The more the choices the better we say.
Camera
If the stunning display, premium design, powerful hardware and rich features weren’t enough to persuade you to get this phone, this will most definitely will.
The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro’s camera is one of the best camera’s we’ve ever tested on a smartphone, ever! It’s only bested by those of some Nokia flagships that have double or even triple the megapixels this one has.
The Vibe Z2 Pro comes with a 16MP back camera and a 5MP front camera. The back camera is also supported with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and shoots 4k video as well as slow-mo and timelapse straight out of the box. This camera has it all, and the pictures and videos we took pretty much speak for themselves.
The camera comes with two self-explanatory modes: standard and pro.
Standard mode has a variety of tools to help you take the best picture. You can opt to enable “smart scene recognition” which will analyse the scene and choose the best options for you (for example, it will automatically switch to night mode if you’re in the dark). You can also choose whether you want to tap to focus or tap to focus and snap, as well as enable smile detection and voice commands to take the photo.
The pro option opens up a plethora of toggles for you to manually control the camera. You get control over the white balance, ISO (sensitivity to light), shutter speed (how long the shutter remains open), exposure compensation, and focusing distance. Each can be toggled to auto or individually tuned.
The pro option also enables advanced scene modes, such as artistic HDR, city shots, and various other times of scenery-specific options.
As mentioned earlier, we had the chance to take this phone on a trip to Ireland where we could test its camera prowess and user friendliness. On the usability front, the phone held up quite well. The size and quality of the display meant that one could clearly see the image they’re shooting, even in sunny conditions. We did worry and shy away from pulling out the phone when it was raining though. If only it was water-proof!
One thing that is noteworthy though, this is not the best choice for quick point and shoot situations, especially when using the pro mode. If you pull out this phone and try shooting something quickly, the phone is extremely fast and responsive, but people are generally clumsy and tend to make a mess out of such situations. A protective cover of some kind is advised here in case it slips off of your hands.
Pro mode takes time, no surprises there, but it’s important to note that it’s not for everyone, yet the UI is done in a way that simplifies the experience to the most novice of photographers. We believe this is a brilliant move by Lenovo where they made sure there’s something for everyone here and everyone can pretty much use everything.
Conclusion
The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is one of the best smartphones/phablets we’ve come across. The quad-HD display, 16MP camera with OIS and pro functionality, massive 4,000mAh battery and twin SIM card support are some of the most notable features this power device has. The only drawbacks we found that some of the competition has are lack of SD card slot and non-water proof design. The large size isn’t everyone’s cup of tea either, but it has its advantages. That said, there’s only so much a smartphone can do and have for the price of AED 2,699 ($735).
Should you buy this phone? The Sony Xperia Z3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 are its main competitors. We haven’t tested the Z3 and are in the process of testing the Note 4. This phone lacks the Xperia’s waterproof capability but bests the Note 4’s camera, hands down. If waterproof isn’t a priority for you and you don’t have much use for a stylus and you’re interested in a phablet that packs a stunning display, power under the hood and a fantastic camera, then this phone is definitely worth your money.
