Computer

Quick review of Lenovo VIBE K5 and K5 Plus. Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus – Review of a Smartphone with a Good Design, Average Battery and Camera Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	71 mm (millimeters) 7.1 cm (centimeters) 0.23 ft (feet) 2.8 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	142 mm (millimeters) 14.2 cm (centimeters) 0.47 ft (feet) 5.59 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units measurements.	8.2 mm (millimeters) 0.82 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.32 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	150 g (grams) 0.33 lbs 5.29 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	82.67 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.02in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors available for sale this device.	Silver Golden Grey
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Polycarbonate

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a technology fourth generation(4G). It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38)

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, GPU, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their functioning.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2
Technological process Information about technological process, on which the chip is made. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	4x 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, 4x 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8
Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption.	4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes)
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster as system memory, and other levels of cache memory. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache memory is slower than L1, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing caching more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	8
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1500 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Graphics processing unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphic applications. IN mobile devices it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 405
Volume random access memory(RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	2 GB (gigabytes) 3 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR3
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Single channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	800 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	441 ppi (pixels per inch) 173 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about maximum quantity colors that the screen can show.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	68.58% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch
	Anti-fingerprint coating

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc.	CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
ISO (light sensitivity) The ISO value/number indicates the sensitivity of the sensor to light. Digital camera sensors operate within a specific ISO range. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive the sensor is to light.	100 - 1600
Svetlosila	f/2.2
Focal length	3.7 mm (millimeters)
Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape.	LED
Image Resolution	4160 x 3120 pixels 12.98 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Svetlosila F-stop (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of a lens's aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Typically the f-number is specified to correspond to the maximum possible aperture of the aperture.	f/2.8
Focal length Focal length indicates the distance in millimeters from the sensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal length (35mm) is the focal length of a mobile device camera equal to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor, which will achieve the same viewing angle. It is calculated by multiplying the actual focal length of a mobile device's camera by the crop factor of its sensor. Crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the diagonals of a 35 mm full-frame sensor and the sensor of a mobile device.	3.4 mm (millimeters)
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	2592 x 944 pixels 2.45 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1280 x 720 pixels 0.92 MP (megapixels)
Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about maximum speed recording (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30fps (frames per second)

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	2750 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. Exist different types batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries most often used in mobile devices.	Li-polymer
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	32 h (hours) 1920 min (minutes) 1.3 days
2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	322 h (hours) 19320 min (minutes) 13.4 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	15 h (hours) 900 min (minutes) 0.6 days
3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	322 h (hours) 19320 min (minutes) 13.4 days
4G latency 4G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 4G network.	322 h (hours) 19320 min (minutes) 13.4 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics device battery.	Removable

Today we have a review of the Lenovo K5 or there is another name - Lenovo A6020, which is a new product for 2016, first shown at the NVC-2016 technology exhibition in Barcelona. Including several more powerful modifications, we’ll talk about them another time.

Smartphones from the Vibe line are always classified as premium series devices, that is, flagships. But specifically Lenovo Vibe The K5 is more of a budget phone.

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

Quick start instructions and warranty card;
Charger at 5 Volts, 1.5 Amperes;
MicroUSB cable;
earbud headphones;
thick plastic case;
protective film.

Quite a rich set, which is not so often seen.

Appearance

The Lenovo K5 body is made of plastic, glass and metal. The manufacturer offers several color options: light gray, dark gray or graphite and gold.

The front of the phone looks standard. Above the screen there is a speaker, a front camera with 5 megapixel expansion, as well as light and proximity sensors. There is also a notification indicator that is located in the top right corner. It can change its color to green and red. Below the display are the standard Android navigation keys. They are not backlit, but have reflective paint.

On the right side there is an on/off button, as well as a volume rocker. The left side remained empty. There is a hole for a microphone on the bottom side. made of plastic. The upper end is made of plastic, which is not easy to do, but to improve the signal of the antennas. There is also a MicroUSB charging output and 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 pliable, but nevertheless can be removed, which can generally be considered a plus. The main frame of the lid is made of aluminum, but the top and bottom strips are made to look like metal, although they are plastic.

Under the cover there is a removable lithium-ion battery, two microSIM slots and a separate slot for a memory card. On the back cover there is 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 quite high quality sound. True, the technology can only be fully appreciated with headphones. The sound is loud and spacious.

At the top there is a peephole of the main camera from LED flash(its expansion is 13 megapixels), and below it is a second microphone for noise reduction. In the middle is the Lenovo logo.

Dimensions:

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

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

The device lies comfortably in the hand.

The phone can be easily controlled with one finger. There is a coating on the back cover, but despite this the smartphone still slides.

Screen

The K5 has a 5-inch display with HD 1280 x 720 pixels. This is a very average figure for today. The screen is made using IPS matrix technology. Density: 204 pixels per inch.

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

Supports the 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 may rub off over time.

Processor, OS and autonomy

The technical characteristics of the device are as follows:

Octa-core Quallcom Snapdragon 415 processor. Four Cortex A-53 cores operate at a maximum frequency of 1.4 GHz, two auxiliary ones can reach speeds of up to 1 GHz at low loads. 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.
Adreno 405 video accelerator.
RAM - 2 GB.
Built-in memory is 16 GB, with 11.6 GB available at launch. Memory cards up to 32 GB are supported.

But how does Lenova Vibe K 5 behave in games? In heavy Asphalt 8, the picture turns out juicy, which does not particularly affect the smoothness of the process. The phone behaves more or less adequately. There is no braking. But if we take, for example, football stimulants, then the results are no longer the best good results. There is a drop in fps. Tanks also run quite smoothly, but only if the settings are lowered.

The processor is controversial, below average for games.

The device runs on the Android 5.1 operating system with the proprietary Lenovo Light UA “shell” on top of it.

Inside the gadget there is a battery of only 2750 mAh, which is enough for a normal working day when used in medium 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: a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front camera. Standard set.

The user has at his disposal:

Light flash.
Autofocus and touchfocus.
Supports HDR and other modes, which can be configured independently in the camera menu. From "Auto" and motion to night photography to "Night portrait" and "Beach".

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

The peculiarity of the front camera is that in the settings you can select “mirror photo”, that is, the image will turn out exactly the same as you see on the smartphone screen.

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

But despite this, the quality of the photo leaves much to be desired. The picture is a little blurry, lacks clarity and has too much grain.

And when darkened, the photo generally does not reach the level it should be.

Perhaps with subsequent firmware this issue will be partially resolved.

The maximum resolution when recording video is 1800p format. 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.

Interesting design.
Separate SIM cards and memory card, that is, you don’t have to choose anything.
High quality screen.
Loud stereo speakers.

Not all games run well; Lenovo's optimization is a little lame.
Very weak battery.
Price for this device.
Cameras.

The Lenovo K5 is, in principle, a good smartphone that is suitable for most everyday tasks, but you shouldn’t expect more from it.

Video

A video review of the smartphone can be seen below

Despite the fact that Lenovo did not immediately start working on smartphones, it is doing well. The smartphones released under this label may not capture the stars from the sky, but they are well worth the investment in them. For example, Lenovo K5 plus, which we will now review, costs only about eight thousand rubles. For that kind of money you can’t count on anything beyond ordinary, and we won’t do that. But the smartphone met all expectations and even did more than that - it surpassed them.

The device turned out to be quite pleasant both technically and in terms of appearance. True, Lenovo K5 and K5 Plus have one thing in common, namely, a weak battery. But there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s just a certain inconvenience associated with the constant need to carry a charger with you and be close to an outlet. In addition, buyers would be interested to find out what the difference is between other smartphones from the same line, and which one is the most profitable to buy.

When we go to the store to buy new smartphone, we pay attention to its design and characteristics, and also watch a video review in Russian, if possible. So, this model has pretty good characteristics, considering the low price:

The display is not the largest, only five inches. But this is more than enough to watch a video or find a contact number. In addition, the device is equipped with Full HD IPS Display;
As for the operating system, Android 5.1 is installed here;
The device runs on an eight-core processor (64-bit and 1.7 GHz);
RAM occupies 2 GB, and the internal memory limit is 16 GB. To expand the device's memory capabilities, you must adhere to restrictions of up to 128 GB;
The phone is equipped with gravity, light, and proximity sensors. In addition, it has an electronic compass;
You can install two SIM cards;
Cameras: main 13 MP and front 5 MP;
Weight: 142 grams;
Battery capacity 2750 mAh.

A standard video review will allow you not only to find out these characteristics, but also to see how they will work on a specific device.

Differences between K5 and K5 Plus

These two smartphones came out almost simultaneously, they are very similar to each other and are in almost the same price group. But there are also differences between them. And what they are, we will now try to find out.

As it turned out, these smartphones are practically no different. But two main factors can be identified that prove that there is still a slight difference:

Display. On the Lenovo VIBE K5 Plus, the performance is noticeably better, since it has a 5-inch IPS screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels, which allows it to work much better with the picture and display different colors. Whereas the K5 only uses 1280 x 720 pixels, although other parameters are identical;
Processors. Another very important indicator that affects the quality of the device. The cheaper model has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 (64-bit, 8 cores) with a frequency of 1.4 GHz, but the expensive one has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor (64-bit, 8 cores) with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The difference is barely noticeable, but it is there.

The remaining indicators are absolutely identical, of course, if you do not take into account the prices. This is the main distinguishing feature for the buyer. Since the difference of 20 dollars when purchasing is a little hard on your pocket, even if the amount is purely symbolic. So you can safely buy any of these models, and you won’t go wrong.

Lenovo K5 Plus a6020 design

Like most smartphones from Lenovo, the Lenovo K5 Plus (a6020), which we are reviewing, does not have a striking appearance. And in terms of filling, as you can see, this device does not shine. But for a “state employee”, a modest appearance and no less modest parameters are the norm.

The materials that were used to manufacture the device in question are universal and tested in practice. In particular, metal (aluminum) and plastic are used as side inserts. When purchasing, a transparent plastic case is included to prevent the device from being damaged.

According to color scheme, the following are available for sale:

White models;
Devices in the gold style, that is, gold;
Black.

But there are problems with the black Lenovo a6020 vibe. The fact is that the device seems to be available on the official website, but it has not gone on sale in our country. Perhaps this is a temporary phenomenon, but for now there are no offers for those who want to order a phone in black.

In addition, due to its size, the device is uncomfortable to hold in your hand. It may slip out. This is facilitated by slippery back panel. Therefore, if you don’t want to break your brand new phone, it is advisable to initially train yourself to use two hands when working with the device.

Software

The Lenovo VIBE K5 Plus uses an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor. RAM is 2 GB and ROM is 16 GB. As for the wireless interfaces that we are used to, the Lenovo VIBE K5 a6020a46 review shows that only NFC is missing. But this is not scary, since a much more practical 4G network has appeared in its place.

As for heating, which is the scourge of all budget devices, it is present, and quite strong. But an increase in temperature is felt during serious tasks, such as watching videos, playing games, etc. Happens. that the video slows down slightly, but this depends on its quality and size, and the phone gets very hot. As for telephone conversations and other standard manipulations, there is practically no heating.

In general, the Lenovo 5, which we reviewed, is not something unusual in the world of smartphones. This “state employee” has an unremarkable design and rather weak hardware. But keep in mind that this device is intended for simple tasks.

The Lenovo A6000 and A7000 series phones, priced under 10 thousand rubles, were well received by the public. Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus from the same company costs 7,800 rubles, but is it any good?

Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Phone - Reviews

This time, Lenovo focused on the special features of the smartphone, and not on its technical specifications. Let's look at the example of the Vibe K5 Plus to see 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. Headphones are not included in the kit.

Characteristics

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

Equipment and design

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

The MicroUSB port is located at the bottom, the 3.5 mm jack is at the top. The slot for SIM cards and Micro SD is located behind the 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 viewing angle of 178 degrees has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a density of 401 PPI. The colors are not clear enough and lack saturation. Unfortunately, there is no protection like Gorilla Glass.

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

Software

The Vibe K5 Plus runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop with Lenovo UI. Software terribly inconvenient, the smartphone often slows down.

Among the special functions, the technology of splitting the screen into 2 parts is available - TheaterMax, which provides an incredible experience when working with virtual reality. Once paired with your AntVR headset, you can stream any content to big screen. TheaterMax lets you enjoy smooth graphics, surround sound and responsive 3D gameplay.

Smartphone performance

64-bit 8-core Snapdragon processor 616 with a frequency of 1.7 GHz and 2 GB of RAM are not enough for stable operation. You won't even be able to dial a number or take a picture without freezing. Under heavy load, the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus smartphone 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 features a 13MP Omnivision OV13850 lens with f/2.2 aperture and LED flash.

Under normal lighting conditions, decent images are obtained, with sufficient contrast and vibrant colors. When HDR is turned on, the image begins to appear artificial, and clarity decreases if there is insufficient lighting. When compared to the Redmi Note 3 camera, the Vibe K5 Plus is inferior in every way.

Front-camera, it is a 5-megapixel lens with f/2.8 aperture.

Battery Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus

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

Bottom line

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus disappoints in most respects. Lenovo has focused on TheartreMax, sound quality and design, but performance, camera and battery life are equally important.

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

The smartphone is sold in the usual Lenovo two-color packaging. The delivery set consists not only of the device, charger and headphones, but is also supplemented by a protective film for the display and a transparent plastic cover. Those who are very worried about the safety of their gadget will not have to spend extra money on these accessories. True, the fit of the case is not perfect, but you shouldn’t demand more from the complete accessory of a budget smartphone. It will cope with its function.

My first impressions of the K5 Plus were a bit spoiled by problems setting it up. Restoring from recent backup copy nothing came to fruition. Well, okay, it happens. But even when setting it up as a new device, there were minor problems: the loading of the application would freeze, or for some reason Wi-Fi would be turned off - in general, I only managed to install and configure all the applications I needed the third time. Fortunately, there were no other surprises. I would like to hope that this is a problem only with our test sample, and the upcoming software updates will overcome these troubles.

Design and usability

Externally, VIBE K5 Plus does not stand out among most ordinary smartphones. The user can choose between white and gold body 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 received a white sample for review (only the front panel is white). The back cover is removable, it is made of aluminum, but there are plastic inserts on the top and bottom. The lid smoothly transitions 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 combine well; the smartphone is slippery and using it with one hand is not always convenient. Of course, it will fit into a large palm without such problems, but it will still remain slippery. The included cover does not greatly affect slippage, but also slightly increases the dimensions. So before buying, you should definitely go to the store and spend a little 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 to install SIM cards and a memory card (you can install two operator cards in a smartphone and add microSD in separate slots, and not, as is now fashionable, make the second slot a combined one, for one thing at a time). Despite the removable “back”, there are no special problems in operation. The fasteners hold the lid tightly and do not make any extraneous sounds.

All controls are located on right side, the left side panel remained empty. At the bottom end there is only a hole for a spoken microphone; a headphone jack and microUSB are placed on top. On the back, in addition to the main camera with a flash and an additional microphone, there are two main speakers. In front above the display there is a speaker, camera, proximity and light sensors; Below the display there are three touch buttons without backlight.

The smartphone looks, subjectively, not bad, but there is nothing special about its appearance. There were only two things I didn’t like: the speakers are located where they overlap with your fingers while playing games and watching videos, which, accordingly, leads to sound distortion; The location of the microUSB connector on top is not the best; using the device with the cable connected is inconvenient. Otherwise, if the dimensions of the case suit the user, then there should not be any global problems in use.

Display

The front panel of the smartphone has 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 a quite nice picture. Viewing angles are good. There is a reading mode that applies a yellow filter to the screen. It is also possible to manually adjust saturation and color temperature.

The budget phone also has a light sensor, but its performance leaves much to be desired. In the sun, the picture remains readable, but the protective glass reflects a lot. The oleophobic coating works as it should. There are no complaints about the accuracy of the sensor. Recognizes the display up to 5 simultaneous presses.

The calibration is not ideal, but even when directly compared with flagship devices, the picture does not disappoint - not all top smartphones used to have such good screens. The only thing the display was seriously lacking was a 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. According to subjective feelings, the screen is very good for everyday use.

Sound

The company calls sound one of the strongest aspects of the smartphone. On the rear panel there are two speakers with support for Dolby Atmos technology. Expectedly, this is not 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. The volume is quite high, 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 your fingers while playing games and watching videos, and in a vertical position they are completely covered with your palm, and the sound is distorted.

The speaker and microphone do their job well. The included 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 for most users it will be enough.

Cameras

There are some interesting cameras in today's budget phones, and the K5 Plus is no exception. The 13-megapixel sensor allows you to take pretty good pictures. 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 attempts, but you can get an acceptable photo. Video recording is carried out at a maximum of 1080p, but the recording quality leaves much to be desired when there is poor lighting around. Like all cameras, this one will need a lot of light, otherwise detail will drop and unwanted artifacts will appear. At night, when the street lights are on, the photos will be blurry and with a clear miss in white balance.

The biggest problem is not even the quality of pictures in poor light, but the speed of operation. The camera takes a relatively long time to start up - you won’t be able to quickly take your smartphone out of your pocket and immediately take a normal photo. But the camera app is simple and intuitive. For fans of built-in effects, the K5 Plus has this option.

The front camera has a 5 MP 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 further enhanced by standard retouching tools. But it's worth mentioning that we're talking about 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 with the ability to expand using a memory card (up to 32 GB). Of the wireless interfaces, only NFC was missing, but there is support for 4G networks. In tests, the results, quite predictably, are not record-breaking. The smartphone heats up within a comfortable range when playing games, but during simpler tasks the heating is practically not felt.

As I already wrote, at first the smartphone worked with errors, which negatively affected first impressions. Then things got better, but sometimes there were still slight delays and jerking animations. Alas, there is no stable smooth operation of the interface and applications. At active work With multiple tasks, when you need to quickly switch between different applications, this is especially noticeable. On the other hand, these problems do not appear that often.

The gadget runs Android 5.1.1 with the proprietary Vibe UI interface. Externally, the launcher is unlikely to appeal to all smartphone users. Some special ones useful functions he doesn't have. Fortunately, using any other UI design option is not difficult. Subjectively, pure android would fit much better here. Perhaps this would have a positive effect on overall performance devices. I really hope that such hiccups in work are a problem with the test sample.

Autonomy

The removable 2750 mAh battery can last a day with a very active usage pattern - in other words, you can count on 4 hours of screen time. Of course, serious gaming or navigation will affect this figure. My smartphone could show 3.5-4.5 hours of 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 any critical problems with autonomy.