In December of 2013, Lenovo released the Vibe X which is a very nice device with decent specs but commands a high price given its limitations. Almost a year later, the company released its successor, the Vibe X2, now with better specs, build and design. Not to mention, a cheaper launch price compared to its predecessor. Did Lenovo hit it right this time? Find out by reading our full review.
Design and Construction
The Lenovo Vibe X2 sports a totally different design compared to its predecessor. While the Vibe X sports a metallic iPod Touch 4th-gen-like design, the Vibe X2 sports a clean-cut and edgier look. It’s now made of plastic but with the kind of quality that any phone would be proud to have.
It has a matte finish and feels really solid and features what Lenovo calls the multi-layered design language which means that the Vibe X2 looks like it has multiple colored layers of plastic stacked on each other under the display. In the case of our review unit it’s a stack of white, silver and gray.
On the front we have the 5-inch Full HD display, along with the earpiece, 5 megapixel front camera, and three capacitive buttons. On the left side we have the Dual-SIM card tray which can accommodate a microSIM and a nanoSIM. On the right are the volume rocker and power/lock button with a metallic concentric-circles finish.
Found right on top is the headset jack, down at the bottom is the microUSB port and microphone. Found at the back is the 13 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, secondary microphone, Lenovo logo, speaker, and the metal contacts for VIBE Xtensions accessories like the clip-on JBL speaker.
On hand, it’s surprising how light the device is at 120g. At 7.3mm thick, it may not be as thin as some of the sub-7mm high-end smartphones nowadays but it feels very comfortable (thinner than the iPhone 5S which is at 7.6mm) and gives your fingers more space to grip. Overall, the Vibe X2’s design and construction is impressive. It’s light, sturdy, good-looking, and not boring to look at.
Display and Multimedia
The Vibe X2 retains the 5-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution or 441ppi of its predecessor but it’s crisper and more vibrant. Viewing angles and colors are great even when used outdoors. In addition, the thin bezels on the sides make the screen really attractive to look at. As for sound quality, don’t get fooled by the small speaker grills at the back as it is capable of producing crisp sounds with decent bass.
That being said, the Vibe X2 is also a great multimedia device. Watching movies on it is a treat as as it comes with ClearMotion feature which makes your videos more fluid and detailed.
OS, UI, and Apps
The Vibe X2 comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Vibe UI 2.0. It’s cleaner, straight-forward, and employs flat icons which makes it attractive and easy to the eyes.
Aside from the usual Google apps, the Vibe X2 comes with Lenovo’s own apps like Lenovo Security, Lenovo SHAREit, Lenovo SYNCit, and its own Theme Center. Pre-installed apps are present as well like WPS office, Evernote, Guvera, UC Browser, SCOOP, Rambla, and a few demo games like Asphalt 8, Green Farm 3, Real Football 2014, and Spider-Man: Ultimate Power. The good thing about this is they can be uninstalled to free up some space.
Speaking of space, the Vibe X2 comes with 32GB of internal storage with 25GB as usable. It doesn’t have a microSD card slot but the default storage capacity isn’t bad for its asking price.
Camera
Handling the imaging department is a 13 megapixel rear shooter with LED flash. It is capable of taking photos with good quality although we noticed that it is inclined to use a slower shutter speed even when there’s sufficient lighting. This can sometimes result to blurred or overexposed photos. Color can be improved as well as some shots look washed-out. Take a look at the samples below:
On the bright side, the Vibe X2’s camera comes with useful features like Panorama Mode, Filters, and HDR. There’s also the Quick Snap and Raise to snap features found on Settings which lets you capture a photo by double tapping the screen when it is off or by raising it. As for the 5 megapixel front shooter, it has a wide-angle camera which is good for group photos as well as the beautification feature if you want to improve your selfie shots.
The Vibe X2 is also capable of shooting videos at Full HD resolution at 30fps. Watch the sample video below:
Performance and Benchmarks
The Vibe X2 is powered by a 2.0GHz MediaTek MT6595m octa-core CPU, PowerVR G6200 GPU, and 2GB of RAM. Partnered with Android KitKat, the Vibe X2 is snappy and responsive. Apps launch quickly and we didn’t experience any lags while playing graphic intensive games like Asphalt 8. In other words, performance is really good.
Below are the benchmark results:
* AnTuTu – 48,838 (non-verified score)
* Quadrant Standard – 20,379
* Vellamo – 1,800 (Metal), 2,307 (Multicore), 3,165 (Chrome Browser)
* PCMark – 3,971
* 3DMark – 14,366 (Ice Store Unlimited)
Connectivity and Call Quality
One of the main features of the Vibe X2 is its dual-SIM support (micro + nano) with LTE connectivity. So far we didn’t encounter problems with its connectivity features. Voice calls are also great provided that you have a healthy signal in your location.
Battery Life
Providing juice for the Vibe X2 is a 2,300mAh battery which is an improvement from the Vibe X’s 2,000mAh. We ran our routine battery test which involves playing a 1080p video on loop on Airplane mode at 50% volume and brightness with headset plugged in, and the result is 8.3 hours worth of playback which is good.
We also tested it with the ClearMotion feature on and we got 5.3 hours worth of playback which is not bad at all. In addition, Vibe X2 also lets you manage how the device consumes resources with the help of Power Manager and the Scheduled power on & off feature.
Conclusion
The Lenovo Vibe X2 is light years away from its predecessor, the Vibe X. It’s faster, more feature-packed, and better-looking. If there are things to complain about is the underwhelming camera and the lack of microSD card slot and USB OTG support. As for its SRP, Lenovo has probably learned when it comes to reasonable pricing and launched the Vibe X2 for just Php18,999. Compare that with the Vibe X’s original asking price of Php19,999 which sounds like a joke.
To conclude, Lenovo got it right with the Vibe X2. It has a fantastic display, great performance, Android KitKat with an attractive UI, dual-SIM with LTE, good battery life, and sub-Php20k price tag. And with Android Lollipop promised for the device, things are looking good for the Vibe X2.
Lenovo Vibe X2 specs:
5-inch Full HD IPS display, 441ppi
2.0GHz MediaTek MT6595m octa-core CPU
2GB RAM
32GB internal storage
13 megapixel AF rear camera w/ LED flash
5 megapixel fixed-focus front camera
Dual-SIM support (AP region)
4G LTE, HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
2,300mAh battery
Android 4.4 KitKat w/ VIBE UI 2.0
140.2 X 68.6 X 7.27mm
120 g
What we liked:
* Great display
* Great build and design
* Great performance
* Attractive UI
* Good battery life
* Dual-SIM with LTE support
* 32GB internal storage
What we didn’t like:
* No microSD card support
* Underwhelming camera performance
* No USB OTG support
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