The budget smartphone market over the past couple of years has begun to look much more interesting than before. Chinese manufacturers now manage to make devices several times cheaper than the flagships of the A-brands, but with a very interesting design and ample performance. Of course, this also affects the competition in the segment. Users now want to get a device that is not just cheap, but also functional. Today in the review we will see if the Lenovo VIBE K5 Plus smartphone managed to compete with its rivals at MWC 2016.

The smartphone is on sale in the usual two-color packaging for Lenovo. The package contains not only the device, charger and headphones, but is supplemented with a protective film for the display and a transparent plastic cover-overlay. Those who are very worried about the safety of their gadgets will not have to spend extra money on these accessories. True, the case is not perfectly fitted, but you should not demand more from the complete accessory of a budget smartphone. It will cope with its function.

First impressions of the K5 Plus were spoiled a bit by the problems in setting it up. Recovery from recent backup ended in nothing. Well, it happens. But even when setting up as a new device, there were minor problems: either the application loading would freeze, or for some reason Wi-Fi reasons will be turned off - in general, it was possible to install and configure all the applications I needed only from the third time. Fortunately, there were no other surprises. Hopefully, this is only a problem with our test sample, and the coming software updates will defeat these troubles.

Design and usability

Externally, the VIBE K5 Plus does not stand out from most ordinary smartphones. The choice of the user is available in white and gold case design options. In India, for example, there is a black case, but there is no such option on the Ukrainian website of the company. We got a white sample for review (with only white front panel). The back cover is removable, it is made of aluminum, but there are plastic inserts on the top and bottom. The lid flows smoothly into the sides of the device, which are separated from the display by a shiny edging.

The size, materials and shape of the case do not match well, the smartphone is slippery and it is not always convenient to use it with one hand. Of course, it will fit in a large palm without such problems, but it will still remain slippery. The complete cover does not greatly affect slippage, but it also slightly increases the dimensions. So before buying, you should definitely go to the store and spend some time with the device. In numbers, the dimensions of the gadget look like this: 142 x 71 x 8.2 mm, the weight of the structure was 150 grams.

The case is collapsible, the back cover is completely removable for installing SIM-cards and a memory card (you can install two operator cards in a smartphone and add microSD to separate slots, and not, as it is fashionable now, to make the second slot combined, for one thing). Despite the removable "back", there are no special problems in operation. The mounts hold the lid tightly and do not emit extraneous sounds.

All controls are located on the right side, the left side remains empty. At the bottom end there is only a hole for the spoken microphone, and a headphone and microUSB jack is placed on top. On the back part, in addition to the main camera with flash and an additional microphone, two main speakers were taken out. Front above the display - speaker, camera, proximity and lighting sensors; under display three touch buttons without backlight.

The smartphone looks, subjectively, not bad, but there is nothing special in its appearance. We didn’t like only two points: the speakers are located where they overlap with your fingers during games and watching videos, which, accordingly, leads to sound distortion; the location of the microUSB connector on top is not the best, it is inconvenient to use the device with the cable connected. Otherwise, if the size of the case suits the user, then some global problems should not be in use.

Display

The front panel of the smartphone houses a 5-inch display with Full HD resolution... The pixel density is 440 ppi - a remarkable number of pixels for such a diagonal. The IPS-matrix shows quite a pleasant picture. The viewing angles are good. There is a reading mode that applies a yellow filter to the screen. There is also a possibility manual setting saturation and color temperature.

There is also a light sensor in the state employee, but its work leaves much to be desired. The picture remains readable in the sun, but protective glass very reflective. The oleophobic coating works as it should. There are no complaints about the accuracy of the sensor. Recognizes the display up to 5 simultaneous clicks.

Calibration is imperfect, but even with a direct comparison with flagship devices, the picture does not disappoint - before, not in all top smartphones there were such good screens. The only thing that the display lacked was the polarizing layer. But you hardly expect to see this in an inexpensive device. In general, such a display will be enough for an unpretentious user. Subjectively, the screen is very good for everyday use.

Sound

The company calls the sound one of the strongest aspects of the smartphone. The rear panel houses two speakers with support for Dolby Atmos technology. As expected, these are not the best speakers on the market, they are far from the level of HTC or Moto X Style, but they are clearly one of the strongest in their class. There is a lot of volume, the user can comfortably watch videos on YouTube, be it a video blog, a movie trailer or a music video. The only complaint is the location. The speakers are often covered with fingers during games and watching videos, and when they are upright, they are completely covered with a palm, and the sound is distorted.

The earpiece and microphone do their job well. The bundled headset is uncomfortable and sounds frankly cheap, but if you use good headphones, then the sound is enough. The signal, of course, is far from ideal, but it will be enough for most users.

Cameras

Today's state employees have interesting cameras, and the K5 Plus is no exception. The 13-megapixel sensor allows for pretty good shots. Compared to flagship cameras, of course, the difference is significant, but with good daylight the user will be able to get a satisfactory frame. It will probably take a few tries, but you can get a decent shot. Video is recorded at a maximum of 1080p, but the recording quality is poor when around bad light... Like all cameras, this one requires a lot of light, otherwise detail drops and unwanted artifacts appear. At night, when the street lights are on, the photos will be blurry and with a clear white balance missed.

The biggest problem is not even the quality of pictures in poor light, but the speed of work. The camera starts up for a relatively long time - you won't be able to quickly get the smartphone out of your pocket and immediately take a normal picture. But the camera app is simple and intuitive. For fans of built-in effects, the K5 Plus has this feature.

The front camera has a 5MP sensor. In fact, like the main camera, this one will need a lot of light, otherwise the picture will come out soapy. This effect is enhanced by regular retouching tools. But it's worth mentioning that we are talking about a budget smartphone, and for the price, these cameras are quite good.

Hardware platform and software

Inside the Lenovo VIBE K5 Plus, there is an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, an Adreno 405 video core, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of ROM expandable using a memory card (up to 32 GB). From wireless interfaces it lacked only NFC, but there is support for 4G networks. In tests, the results, quite predictably, are not record-breaking. The smartphone heats up during games within the comfortable range, and with simpler tasks, the heating is practically not felt.

As I already wrote, at first the smartphone worked with errors, which negatively affected the first impressions. Further things were better, but sometimes slight delays and twitching of the animation were observed. Alas, there is no stable smoothness of the interface and applications. When actively working with several tasks, when you need to quickly switch between different applications, it is especially felt. On the other hand, this is not the case and often these problems appear.

The gadget is running Android 5.1.1 with a proprietary Vibe UI interface. Outwardly, the launcher is unlikely to appeal to all smartphone users. Some special useful functions he doesn't. Fortunately, it is not difficult to use any other UI design option. Subjectively, pure android would fit much better here. Perhaps this would have a positive effect on the overall performance of the device. I would very much like to hope that such a hitch in work is a problem with the test sample.

Autonomy

The removable battery with a capacity of 2750 mAh is capable of working a day with a very active use pattern - in other words, you can quite count on 4 hours of the screen. Of course, serious gaming or navigation will affect this figure. My smartphone could show 3.5-4.5 hours of a working display. A big bonus in this case is the ability to replace the battery, which is much more convenient than any power bank. So the user should not have critical problems with autonomy.

The Lenovo A6000 and A7000 series phones for less than RUB 10,000 were well received by the public. Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus from the same company costs 7,800 rubles, but is it also good?

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Phone - Reviews

This time, Lenovo focused on special functions smartphone, and not on its technical characteristics. Let's take a look at the example of Vibe K5 Plus, what came of it.

In addition to the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus itself, inside the box we will find a standard Charger, cable Micro USB, user manual and screen protector. Headset headphones are not included.

Specifications

• Display: 5 "Full HD IPS Display, 441 ppi
• Operating system: Android 5.1
• Processor: 1.7GHz, 64-bit Snapdragon 616 with eight cores
• GPU: Adreno 405
• RAM: 2 GB
• Inner memory: 16 GB
• Expandable memory: up to 128GB
• Sensors: gravity, proximity, light, electronic compass
• SIM: Dual micro-SIM (LTE + LTE)
• Rear camera: 13MP F2.2, OV13850 lens
• Front camera: 5 MP F2.8,
• Weight: 142 grams
• Battery: 2750mAh

Equipment and design

V slim body Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus combines metal and plastic - the back cover is removable. The smartphone looks stylish and fits comfortably in the hand, and weighs 142 grams. On the back is the camera, flash, Lenovo logo and Dolby stereo speakers.

The MicroUSB port is at the bottom, the 3.5mm jack is at the top. The slot for SIM cards and Micro SD is located behind removable battery... On the right side, you will find the power button and volume rocker. The surface of the smartphone is a little slippery.

The 5-inch IPS display with a 178-degree viewing angle has a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels and a density of 401 PPI. Colors are not clear enough, they lack saturation. Alas, there is no protection like Gorilla Glass.

There are sensors for gravity, proximity and light, as well as an electronic compass.

Software

Vibe K5 Plus works on Android base 5.1 Lollipop with user interface Lenovo UI. Software terribly inconvenient, the smartphone often slows down.

Among the special features, the TheaterMax 2-screen split screen technology is available for an incredible viewing experience. virtual reality... Once paired with your AntVR headset, you can stream any content to big screen... TheaterMax allows you to enjoy smooth graphics, surround sound and responsive 3D gameplay.

Smartphone performance

Snapdragon 616 64-bit 8-core processor with 1.7 GHz frequency and 2 GB of RAM is not enough for stable operation. Even opening the dialing or taking a picture will not succeed without freezing. Under heavy load Lenovo smartphone The Vibe K5 Plus heats up very quickly.

Also worth noting is 16 GB of internal memory (up to 128 GB when using microSD) and the Adreno 405 graphics accelerator.

The Vibe K5 Plus phone is equipped with a 13MP Omnivision OV13850 lens with f / 2.2 aperture and LED flash.

Under normal lighting conditions, the shots are decent, with sufficient contrast and vivid colors. When HDR is turned on, the image begins to appear artificial, and the clarity decreases if the lighting is insufficient. Compared to Redmi camera Note 3, Vibe K5 Plus is inferior in everything.

The front camera is a 5-megapixel lens with an f / 2.8 aperture.

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Battery

The 2,740mAh battery drains in less than a day. despite the low performance, the smartphone consumes energy quickly.

Outcome

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is disappointing on most parameters. Lenovo has focused on TheartreMax, sound quality and design, but performance, camera and battery endurance are just as important.

Review Lenovo K5 Plus A6020A46. In early 2016, at the MWC 2016 in Barcelona, ​​Lenovo unveiled its new budget smartphone under the name Lenovo Vibe K5 and its "older brother" Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus.

The packing set is the simplest. Along with the smartphone, the box contains: battery, charger, microUSB cable and a set of documentation. Also, depending on the region of sale, the kit may include: wireless headset, protective film and plastic bumper.

Unboxing video

Specifications models a6020a46

The main differences between the new products are the processor and the screen.

The Lenovo Vibe K5 smartphone is equipped with an 8-core Snapdragon processor 415 while the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus packs a Snapdragon 616 processor.

Both smartphones have 16 GB of internal memory and a slot for microSD cards with a capacity of up to 32 GB.

Despite the fact that the display both here and there has a diagonal of 5 inches, the younger version has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, and the more powerful one has a FullHD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The telephone module has support for two SIM cards and is capable of operating in GSM, WCDMA and LTE networks.

There are two cameras: a 13 MP main camera with autofocus and LED flash, and a 5 MP front camera to create high-quality selfies.

The quality of the shooting is average, an example of shooting with front camera you can watch the video:

Video from the camera

The battery is removable and marked BL259.

Its capacity is 2750 mAh.

The thickness of the novelty is only 8.2 mm.

Characteristics Lenovo K5 Plus

Video

The device is running the Android 5.1 operating system.

Appearance

As you can see, the smartphone has similar features with Apple products and this is not surprising, because many manufacturers are trying to recreate a similar appearance to one degree or another.

On the front side of Lenovo Vibe K5 there are: a front camera, sensors, a voice speaker, a 5-inch display and three touch-sensitive control buttons.

On the back there is a camera with flash, microphone, Lenovo logo and two speakers.

Lenovo unveiled two new smartphones at MWC 2016 on February 21, the K5 and K5 Plus. The new items can definitely be called not just brothers, but siblings, since the similarity in characteristics is 90%, only one of them is a little older and even then not very much. Let's take a look at the details.

Differences

Smartphones, to put it mildly, do not differ much in their technical characteristics and parameters. There are only two main differences: displays and processors, and the rest is absolutely identical. Both new products have a five-inch screen and support for Dolby Atmos technology, which allows you to reveal all the facets of the sound of your favorite music. If you end up with relevant and properly mixed content, then it will generally be good.

External speakers (yes, there are two of them here) play quite loudly (above average) and efficiently. Still would! How else with Dolby Atmos support?

Detailed specifications Lenovo K5 and K5 Plus

Both gadgets have a 2750 mAh battery and, according to the manufacturer, the talk time on the 2G module is up to 32 hours, 3G - up to 15.1 hours, the standby time is up to 322 hours. Of course, there is support for LTE networks. Random access memory installed 2 GB, and built-in storage 16 GB, expandable up to 32 GB due to Micro SD memory cards. Both new items are supported by 2 SIM cards Micro format and run on Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.

Technical Lenovo specifications VIBE K5 and the plus versions are best compared visually, using a plate. In green, I mark the more interesting specifications in the extended version.

The usual version (VIBE K5) was not at the company's stand. There was only K5 Plus. Already on this indirect basis, we can conclude that there is no model without the "plus" prefix and there is no need to release it. Later, I will explain why, but for now let's go over the device and a short, but still user experience.

Design

Outwardly, the smartphone does not represent anything special.

The design is the most common and there are a lot of similar smartphones on the market. Personally, the novelty reminded me of the long-gone Samsung Galaxy star Plus GT-S7262.

White, plastic, strongly protruding chrome-plated frames around the perimeter of the front side.

Above the screen is standard set front elements: 5 megapixel camera, sensors and earpiece.

At the bottom, there are touch-sensitive buttons for controlling the system. They are devoid of backlighting.

At the back, the device received a metal cover and plastic inserts at the top and bottom. All this is very boring and we have seen it more than once from a variety of companies.

System and performance

The device runs on Android 5.1 OS. Since the novelty is completely new and many manufacturers are already installing Android 6.0 (the latest series of devices from LG, for example), the release of fresh devices with outdated operating systems is a strange step. However, the shell and software are well optimized.

Animation flies, switching between applications does not slow down - everything is fine with that.

In AnTuTu, the K5 Plus scores about 35 thousand points. Not a bad result, but also completely unbreakable. The most important thing is that the device does not behave like a budget flaw and works quite stably.

Cameras

It was decided to install a 5-megapixel front module and a 13-megapixel main module in the device. There was not the best lighting on the stand, but it was not complete collapse, so the smartphone had a chance to show itself and its photo capabilities.

It's nice that he coped with the test. Photos are of quite decent quality, a good level of detail, no problems with autofocus, and so on.

The only thing that confused me was the errors that the automatic mode made when setting the exposure. Out of about 20 frames, I left only seven pieces. The rest were either blown out, or the system made a mistake when setting the white balance. In general, if you are going to shoot with the K5 Plus, take several shots at a time. By the way, this general rule, which is applicable to any photographic equipment, even if it is a SLR camera.

Outcome

Both new products are available in three colors: platinum-silver, champagne pink and graphite gray. The company showed only silver, the most versatile options. I haven't seen the rest, so I can't say anything about them.

Let's move on to the most interesting thing - cost. Firstly, Lenovo K5 Plus price will be $ 149 (approximately 11 thousand rubles). For this money, even with no appearance, the smartphone is still very good. Doesn't slow down, fresh platform (Snapdragon 616), good cameras.

Everything seems to be good. However, there is a second. This is the price for regular version Lenovo VIBE K5. It is $ 129, or about 10,000 rubles. What?! You pay a thousand rubles (maybe one and a half) and get a Full HD screen instead of a weak HD one and a more efficient processor. Where is the logic?! Why release a junior version at all when with technical point of vision, it is noticeably inferior to the older one, and the difference in price is very small? I have no answer to this question

However, both phones will be available in select countries as early as March. Nothing is known about Russia. If the smartphone goes on sale, it will be by the summer.

Release date: March 2016 (worldwide) Price: $ 129 and $ 149

Today we have Lenovo review K5 or there is another name - Lenovo A6020, which is a novelty in 2016, first shown at the NVC-2016 technology exhibition in Barcelona. Including several more powerful modifications came out, but we'll talk about them another time.

Vibe line smartphones are always referred to as premium series devices, that is, flagship flagships. But specifically, the Lenovo Vibe K5 is more of a budget phone.

The box is made of white cardboard with the image of the gadget on the front. In addition to the phone, the kit includes:

• quick start instructions and warranty card;
• charger for 5 volts, 1.5 amperes;
• MicroUSB cable;
• earbuds;
• plump plastic case;
• protective film.

Quite a rich package bundle, which is not often seen.

Appearance

Lenovo k5 case is made of plastic, glass and metal. The manufacturer offers several colors: light gray, dark gray or graphite and gold.

The front of the phone looks standard. Above the screen is an earpiece, a front camera with a 5 megapixel extension, as well as light and proximity sensors. There is also a notification indicator located in the upper right corner. It can change its color to green and red. Below the display are the standard navigation keys for the Android system. They are without backlighting, but with reflective paint.

On the right side face there is an on / off button, as well as a volume rocker. The left end is empty. A hole for a microphone is made on the bottom side. made of plastic. The upper end is made of plastic, which is not easy, but to improve the signal of the antennas. There is also an output for charging MicroUSB, a standard 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset or headphones.

The back cover is made of aluminum with plastic inserts. It is removable. The lid is not very flexible, but nevertheless it can be removed, which can be generally attributed to the pluses. The main frame of the lid is made of aluminum, but the top and bottom strips are made of metal, although they are plastic.

Under the cover is a removable lithium-ion battery, two microSIM slots and a separate slot for a memory card. On the back cover- the main antenna, under it there are several contacts from it.

There are two speakers on the bottom. One of the main features of Lenovo k5 is the presence of two stereo speakers. This, combined with Dolby Atmos technology, allows you to get a fairly high-quality sound. True, the technology can be fully appreciated only with headphones. The sound is loud and spacious.

In the upper part, there is a peephole of the main camera with an LED flash (its extension is 13 megapixels), and under it is a second microphone for noise reduction. In the middle is the Lenovo logo.

Dimensions:

• Height - 142 mm;
• Width - 71 mm;
• Thickness - 8.2 mm:
• Weight - 142 grams.

Lenovo K5 turned out to be a weighty smartphone due to its metal back cover.

The device lies comfortably in the hand.

The phone is easy to operate with one finger. There is a dusting on the back cover, but the smartphone still slips in spite of this.

Screen

The K5 has a 5-inch display with an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. This figure is very average today. The screen is made using IPS-matrix technology. The density is 204 ppi.

The viewing angles are pretty good and of high quality. The fonts look sleek. It can be noted that the screen in this gadget turned out to be of high quality with a good margin of brightness.

Supports display up to 5 simultaneous touches. There is a light oleophobic coating on the surface. The finger glides well, but it feels like the coating is weak, and it can wear out over time.

Processor, OS and autonomy

The technical characteristics of the device are as follows:

• Quallcom Snapdragon 415 octa-core processor. Four Cortex A-53 cores operate at a maximum frequency of 1.4 GHz, two auxiliary ones can reach speeds up to 1 GHz at low load. Although in the settings the processor is displayed as 615. This is due to the fact that they differ only in different operating frequencies. The original 615 runs at 1.7 GHz, as the 415 runs at 1.4 GHz.
• Video accelerator Adreno 405.
• RAM - 2 GB.
• Built-in memory - 16 GB, where 11.6 GB will be available at the start. Supports memory cards up to 32 GB.

But how does the Lenova vibe K 5 behave in games? In heavy Asphalt 8, the picture is juicy, which does not particularly affect the smoothness of the process. The phone behaves more or less adequately. There are no brakes. But if you take, for example, football stimulants, then the results are not very good. Fps drawdown appears. Tanks also go quite smoothly, but subject to lower settings.

The processor is controversial, for games - below average.

The device works in the operating room Android system 5.1 with a proprietary "shell" Lenovo Light UA on top of it.

Inside the gadget, a battery of only 2750 mAh is installed, which will be enough for a normal working day when used in an average load mode. If you are going to load it with games, you will have to recharge it twice a day.

Camera

As mentioned earlier, the device has two cameras: the main one with 13 megapixels and the front one with 5 megapixels. Standard set.

The user has at his disposal:

• Flash light.
• Autofocus and touch focus.
• Supports HDR mode and other yardage, which can be independently configured in the camera menu. From "Auto" and motion to night photography to "Night portrait" and "Beach".

Including the owner can choose the professional mode, where he will adjust the ISO level, add contrast, saturation, sharpness or shutter speed.

The features of the front camera are that in the settings you can select “ mirror photo”, That is, the image will be exactly the same as you see it on the smartphone screen.

• 4 to 3 mode;
• Auto;
• White balance;
• Image quality;
• Additional effects.

But despite this, the quality of the photo is poor. The picture is a little blurry, there is no clarity and too much grain.

And when darkening the photo, in general, does not reach the level that it should be.

Perhaps, with subsequent firmware updates, this issue will be partially resolved.

The maximum video recording resolution is 1800p format. The maximum duration is 30 minutes. There is an autofocus mode and electronic image stabilization.

Results and price

What do we get in the end for 7 thousand rubles? As always, there are pros and cons.

1. Interesting design.
2. Separate SIM cards and memory card, that is, there is no need to choose anything.
3. High quality screen.
4. Loud stereo speakers.

1. Not all games run well, Lenovo's optimization is a bit lame.
2. Very "weak" battery.
3. The price of this device.
4. Cameras.

Lenovo K5 is, in principle, a good smartphone that will suit most everyday tasks, but you should not expect more from it.

Video

A video review of the smartphone can be viewed below.