Lenovo Z5 smartphone - advantages and disadvantages

Lenovo is a Chinese electrical engineering firm. Popular products are laptops and mobile phones. The company occupies a leading position in the world market for the production of laptops. By the sale of mobile phones - 5th place in the world. The young company, only 34 years old and starting with a start-up capital of $ 24,000, has achieved incredible results in the electrical market.

In June 2018, the company presented a new smartphone model - Lenovo Z5. Before the presentation, the company "warmed up" the audience with claims that this gadget will outstrip its competitors in all respects. The creators stated that this model will become a hit on the mobile device market: full framelessness, 4 TB of memory, a capacious battery. Has Lenovo really managed to create a budget quality gadget? Throughout the presentation, the Lenovo Z5 was compared to the iPhone X and Xiaomi Mi8. Because these Z5s are similar in design. But comparing with the iPhone is a stupid idea, since it does not offer any price competition. Nevertheless, let's figure it out.

Technical specifications

Well, let's try to find out how the Chinese surprise us this time?

Design

Particular attention in this smartphone should be paid to design. The screen diagonal is 6.2 inches. In the hands, like a "shovel" and catches up with the size of some tablets. But despite this, it fits well in the palm of your hand. It is not convenient to operate with one hand, and you need to be careful so that the gadget does not fly out of your hands. In general, the appearance of a smartphone in 2018 will not surprise anyone. But we must admit that in its price category the gadget looks the most modern and stylish. At first glance, the Lenovo Z5 smartphone is indistinguishable from the iPhone X. The same narrow bezels, "monobrow", full screen. But this is only from the front.

So what's on the front? Upper "monobrow", which fit: earpiece, front camera and notification sensor. The monobrow is narrower than that of competitors, but it cannot be hidden. And although the manufacturer said that the screen will occupy 95% of the front panel area (frameless), in fact - 90%.

In addition, before the presentation, Z5 was positioned as a breakthrough and innovation in the world of mobile phones. But among hundreds of new gadgets, this model outwardly does not stand out in anything. The frames are narrow, the lower one is almost invisible. On the back are two cameras, one of which is 16 megapixels and the other is 8 megapixels, a fingerprint scanner and a flash. Colors: black and "Aurora" (gradient from blue to purple). Material: metal glass and aluminum frames. Oleophobic coating, thanks to which fingerprints on the case can be easily wiped off. It looks beautiful, shimmers in the light. Will not leave the owner unattended.

On the left side of the case are the volume rocker and the unlock key.

On the right is a slot for a SIM card and a memory card. You can insert into the gadget either two SIM-cards, or one SIM card and one memory card.

Below the device are:

• 3.5 mm headphone jack;
• Type-C connector for charger;
• Speakers and microphone.

There is an additional microphone on the top bezel of the smartphone.By design, everything is clear, let's move on to the screen.

Display

The screen in the Lenovo Z5 is love at first sight. The display of this model was immediately presented as the main advantage of the smartphone. This can be understood by picking up the phone. IPS matrix with FullHD Plus resolution and an aspect ratio of 18.7 to 9. The screen resolution is 2248 x 1080.

Particular attention should be paid to color rendering. You don't have to dig into the color settings - white will be pure white, bright colors will remain vivid. Also, a huge plus will be that the picture is not distorted from any angle. Although a light sensor is present, the gadget does not change the brightness of the screen depending on the lighting. But this is not a problem, since the screen brightness can be changed independently. It is guaranteed that in bright daylight the screen will not be blown out, and in the dark the eyes will not be cut by too bright light. In general, the display in the Lenovo Z5 will delight even the most demanding user.

Operating system and firmware

The firmware is ZUI 4.0. This is a simple, unremarkable version. Everything is intuitive to use. It looks nice and attracts with its simplicity.

Operating system - Android 8.1. In the first weeks of use, it works smartly, practically without interruption. But, after some time, it starts to lag a little. This isn't Lenovo's oversight. Minor problems are noticeable in other Android devices as well. When buying any modern smartphone with this operating system, you should expect good work only at first. Then you need to reset everything to the factory settings.

Communication

Supports all communication standards, including 4G, works great with all Russian mobile operators.

CPU

The Z5 has an 8-core Snapdragon 636. This is not a bad processor. Not at all. He copes with daily tasks, and even pulls any games, but not at the highest settings. The processor has eight 64-bit Kryo 260 cores, clocked at 1.8 GHz. For its price, this is a great filling. Cope with its tasks "with a bang."

Memory

The gadget has 6 GB of RAM, and built-in 64 or 128 GB. In fact, it is not clear why a smartphone from this price category and with these functions already has 6 GB of memory. It was possible to reduce memory, and thereby make the smartphone even cheaper. Built-in memory of the client's choice - 64 or 128 GB. The 128GB version costs $ 80 more, so don't forget that you can insert a memory card and not overpay.

Interestingly, the manufacturer announced in an advertising campaign that this smartphone has 4 TB of memory. But at the presentation it was indicated that access to 4 TB can be obtained only in the cloud for storing files. Indeed, before the presentation of the smartphone, the claims of the creators for such an amount of memory were impressive. If they managed to create such a device, then for sure it would become innovative in the market of Chinese devices. But alas ...

Camera

There is no need to talk much about the cameras in this gadget. Because there’s nothing special to say. Most standard cameras. The main one is 16 + 8 Mp. It cannot be said that the quality is good. But this smartphone was not presented as a camera phone. Enough to take a photo of the lecture notes, to capture something on a walk, but high-quality pictures will not work. It's better to look for other gadgets for photos. The light sensitivity of the camera is 16 megapixels f / 2.0, and the additional 8 megapixel camera is responsible for the relief of the photo. There is a portrait mode, that is, there is a "bokeh" effect. It's worth noting that the portrait mode works quite well. There is a choice of the degree of background blur. The pictures are quite detailed. But, of course, you can see that the camera here is not designed for modern mobile photography. There is no camera stabilization. Flash - dual LED.

8 megapixel front camera with f / 2.0 aperture. Selfies are of decent quality.

If you evaluate the smartphone by the camera, then there is definitely nothing special here. Design - vertical dual cameras on the back. Lenovo, like other oriental firms, is chasing the trend.Therefore, we chose this arrangement of the main camera, and the front camera on the top panel is “monobrow”.

Wireless technology

It should be noted right away that there is no NFC, as in most Chinese smartphones. Everything is explained by the fact that this technology is not used in China, so manufacturers do not always consider it necessary to add such a function to their gadgets. It turns out that you will not be able to pay at the store checkout using your phone.

Of the wireless technologies, the Z5 has 802 / 11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0.

Navigation

This smartphone supports navigation systems typical for Chinese smartphones: GPS, Beidou, GLONASS.

Battery

We will also talk about the battery separately. Battery capacity - 3300 mAh. But despite this, the device is quite autonomous. With active work, it lasts for the whole day, and this is with the dimensions and display of the device. In normal mode, if you use the phone only for calls and SMS, it is enough even for 2-3 days. But who buys a smartphone just for calls now?

Although by today's standards, a 3300 mAh battery is not that much, but for such a smartphone at such a price, it is quite enough. Those who will use the gadget longer than the expected autonomy will carry PowerBank with them, but this cannot be avoided even with expensive phones. The presentation stated that the gadget can work 45 days in standby mode. But most likely, this was said for advertising purposes.

The device supports fast charging.

Sound

The sound quality is good enough, despite the fact that there are no stereo speakers. A little hiss is heard at high volume.

Sensors

The smartphone contains:

• Notification sensor;
• Fingerprint scanner;
• Light sensor;
• Gyroscope - determines the viewing angle;
• Compass;
• Accelerometer - allows you to change the orientation from portrait to landscape.

Unlocking

You can unlock your phone using your fingerprint. The scanner is located on the back cover. There is no face unlock.

Weight

The smartphone weighs only 165 grams. This is not enough for a 6.2-inch display and its dimensions.

Equipment

• Mobile phone;
• Network adapter;
• Type-C cable;
• Instruction;
• Silicone Case;
• Tool for removing the SIM card.

Price

They know how to please Lenovo with the price. The Z5 costs just $ 200 for 64GB, and $ 280 for 128GB. That is, approximately 13,500 rubles or 19,000 rubles. Given that the average price for smartphones in 2018 is 24,000 rubles. Of course, the quality is not the same as that of Apple or other big competitors. But the design is captivating! Therefore, buying this smartphone, you will spend a minimum of money, but you will get maximum aesthetic pleasure. Well, it's worth noting that the smartphone is completely worth its money.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Design;
• Price;
• Screen;
• Memory;
• Good gesture controls.

• Lack of NFC, infrared and barometer;
• Cameras;
• Battery;
• No face unlocking;
• The software is for the Chinese market;
• Disabled notifications.

Reviews

What is the first thing everyone notes? Design. Yes, almost everyone is delighted with the large screen and the minimum bezels. Of course, this is not the screen that was announced before the presentation, but still.

Next, the price. Although no one is surprised by the Chinese cheap new products, Lenovo is "shot" this time. The smartphone is presented as for the middle class, but the price is even lower. It is not clear why you can buy a phone so cheaply right after the presentation. Perhaps marketers are attracting customers this way. But on the other hand, this is the correct tactic. Because if the prices were higher, hardly anyone would buy these gadgets. Indeed, in fact, the price for competitors' devices would be the same, but the quality would be better. Therefore, Lenovo hit the mark with the price. It is clear that over time it will become even cheaper. But by that time, many new products will be released again.

The third thing that attracts users is the processor. Among the reviews, you can find a comparison of processors - Snapdragon 630 and 636. The differences are noticeable. The 636 scores 15% more in multi-core and as much as 53% in single-core. This suggests that the 636 version is many times more productive than the 630.And, as it was written above, the phone copes with all its functions more than well.

Conclusion

Lenovo marketers did a good job on the ad campaign. Everyone expected the "wow" effect from the phone, but many were disappointed. And although much of what was supposed to be a feature of this gadget was not implemented, the smartphone still has more advantages.

Who should buy this smartphone?

Yes, photography lovers will definitely be disappointed. But those who value aesthetics will definitely not pass by. Also, a smartphone should be purchased for those who want to get a stylish gadget for ridiculous money. It is cheaper than most modern Chinese smartphones, and in some ways better than them. For those who do not use their phone to the maximum, this is fine.

Among other gadgets in this price range, it looks bright and attractive. If you do not want to overpay, then this smartphone is definitely for you.