When purchasing a smartphone, in addition to its attractive appearance, a trained user is primarily interested in the technical properties of the model. Beauty is beauty, but the device you buy must certainly have a minimum of necessary functions. And this is not to mention the quality of the product and its performance. If we consider in this context Lenovo Vibe Shot, then this device is certainly one of the functional, high-quality and productive. We hope that this review will help dear readers become familiar with the main characteristics and advantages of this interesting gadget.
Appearance
The Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90a40 smartphone has a stylish design. The monolithic body of the device is made on the basis of a candy bar, and therefore there are no removable surfaces. The manufacturer offered crimson, pearl white and graphite gray colors for the gadget. The body is decorated with a monolithic metal frame with a rough surface, thanks to which the device is easy to hold in the hand and does not slip out. Rear end The device has a glass panel with a camera eye in the corner, and therefore it looks more like a modern camera. Thanks to the high quality of assembly, the model feels like a monolithic plate, nothing creaks or plays.
Performance
The device is powered by an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 system with a clock frequency of 1700 MHz. The core frequency is much higher than its analogues, and therefore the performance here is higher, the device runs smoothly and quickly. To process graphics, the gadget has an Adreno 405 video accelerator. The device’s RAM is 3 GB. Of the 32 GB of built-in flash memory, 23 GB is available to the user, with the possibility of increasing it using a micro SD memory card with a capacity of up to 128 GB. The model has a powerful radio module that provides reliable communication both via the GSM channel and the 4G LTE communication standard. The connection is also stable even with weak signals Wi-Fi. The radio module works with 2 SIM cards and also has an FM receiver.
Screen
The smartphone has a 5-inch diagonal IPS touchscreen, protected from scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass. Thanks to the display resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and large diagonal, viewing photos and videos is quite comfortable. To set the screen brightness, you can use automatic adjustment, which is changed by the ambient light sensor, but the user can also adjust it manually. Thanks to MultiTouch technology, about 10 touches on the display can be processed simultaneously. Using a sensor, the screen is blocked when it approaches the ear. The screen is activated after tapping the glass twice.
Camera
The Lenovo Vibe Shot camera phone has two camera modules with 16 and 8 megapixel matrices. The main camera has a 6-component lens, a three-color LED flash, an optical stabilization system and infrared autofocus. She can shoot videos. The front camera has a fixed focus, and instead of a flash, there's a 'light fill' feature that turns on for a soft backlight while taking Selphys. The resulting image can be edited according to your parameters using a special editor program. Photos taken with cameras during daylight hours are clear and bright.
operating system
The device is based on the Android 5.0 LolliPop OS platform, which allows you to update the firmware via OTA. The device is equipped with the usual Vibe UI interface. The user has access to a large number of menu settings that make using the smartphone convenient and understandable. The gadget has many programs installed, many of which may never be useful in operation, so in order to save energy, they must be turned off. The device has many useful applications, including functions for fast file transfer, creation backup copies, contact restoration, etc.
Equipment
The gadget comes with the following accessories: Charger, micro-USB cable, stereo headset, protective film, plastic case. This is one of the few models that includes such a number of functional elements. If desired, this set can be supplemented with a stylus and headphones.
Autonomous operation
Thanks to Li-Polymer battery, a capacity of 2900 mAh ensures effective autonomous operation of the device. Viewing information at an average display brightness level allows the device to operate for about 13 hours. If you watch the video, this figure reaches 8 hours. When running 3D games, the device runs for 3.5 hours. It will take 2 hours to charge your smartphone. The battery is charged via a micro-USB port.
Dimensions
The device, with dimensions of 70/142/7.3 mm, is quite large smartphones, but you can still put it in your pocket. The device’s screen occupies almost the entire surface of the device, and its weight, equal to 145 g, is somewhere in the middle category.
Conclusion
To summarize, we note that this nice gadget with an unusual design performs almost all the important functions of modern mobile devices. If you are primarily interested in the device appearance and functionality at a low price, then this purchase will be very useful. A large set of equipment and the ability to use various applications will make the model’s operation convenient. For those who are interested in this review and are generally interested in new products in the world mobile communications, I recommend reading a new interesting article about
Lenovo Vibe Shot is a stylish two-in-one device, where a camera with optical stabilization, infrared autofocus and tri-color flash is adjacent to an 8-core processor and slots for two SIM cards with LTE support. Vesti.Hi-tech found out how successful the hybrid turned out to be.
Lenovo launched the Vibe Shot camera phone at MWC 2015. As you know, “smart” phones today take over the functions of point-and-shoot cameras, and not only flagship models are getting quite advanced cameras. The rapid growth in the number of selfie fans has forced smartphone manufacturers to pay more attention to the resolution and functionality of front cameras. One of the successful examples of such a “big-eyed” device is one with a 13-megapixel sensor on the front panel. But the advanced capabilities of the main camera and the “smart” phone are combined in a device such as a camera phone. So, last year Samsung presented another version of such a technical symbiosis -. However, Lenovo believes that the Vibe Shot contains everything a novice mobile photography enthusiast needs.
Specifications
- Model: Z90a40
- OS: Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Lenovo Vibe shell
- Processor: 8-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939), 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.7 GHz) + 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.0 GHz), Hexagon V50 DSP co-processor (up to 700 MHz) )
- Graphics subsystem: Adreno 405 (550 MHz)
- RAM: 3 GB (one channel LPDDR3, 800 MHz)
- Storage: 32 GB (approx. 25 GB available), microSD/HC/XC memory card slot (up to 128 GB)
- Screen: capacitive, IPS matrix, 5-inch diagonal, resolution 1920x1080 pixels, pixel density per inch 441 ppi, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Cameras: main - 16 MP, 6-lens optics, f/2.2 aperture, optical stabilization, infrared autofocus, triple three-color led flash, video recording/playback 1080p@30 fps, front - 8 MP, fixed focus
- Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, microUSB for charging/syncing (USB 2.0), 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Network: 2G, 3G (HSPA+, up to 42 Mbit/s), 4G Cat.4 (up to 150 Mbit/s) LTE-FDD: b1, b3, b7, b8, b20; LTE-TDD:b40
- SIM cards: 2 microSIM slots (3FF format), Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS)
- Navigation: GPS/GLONASS, A-GPS
- Radio: FM tuner
- Sensors: accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, digital compass
- Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer, 2,900 mAh
- Colors: red, white, gray
- Dimensions: 142.7x70.0x7.6 mm
- Weight: 145 grams
Design, ergonomics
From the back, the Vibe Shot camera phone looks a lot like a slightly horizontally elongated point-and-shoot camera. The designers were quite successful in stylizing the body as a camera.
True, the new product is significantly thinner - only 7.6 mm, because the lens here does not have an optical zoom, as, for example, in, the average thickness of which is 16.6 mm.
The front and back panels of the Vibe Shot are made of protective glass, and along the perimeter of the case there is an aluminum frame, painted in one of three colors - red, white or gray. The case materials largely determine the weight of the device - only 145 g.
We received a Vibe Shot “in red” for testing, whose difficult past life was evidenced by chipped paint and even small scratches on the frame. As you know, any glass panel looks nice only as long as it is not touched by hands. After which the gloss begins to collect, it seems, all possible fingerprints, giving the exterior of the device a very sloppy look. All this fully applies to the new camera phone.
At the top of the front panel of this device there is a conversational speaker, a front camera, light and proximity sensors, as well as a charging/notification indicator.
Below the display there are dedicated touch keys ("Menu", "Home" and "Back") in the form of proprietary backlit icons, the operating time of which is adjusted in the settings. There you can also check the option so that the "Menu" button turns into " Latest apps"For some reason, the manufacturer refrained from applying any logos on the front panel.
Two closed slots were placed on the left edge of the case. The top one hides a double tray designed for installing two microSIM (3FF) subscriber identification modules. And in the bottom slot there is space for a microSD memory card. The locks are opened with a key-clip, which is included in the kit.
In the lower left corner of the case there is a mount for a strap, which will certainly come in handy when using the camera phone regularly.
But on the right edge, in addition to the volume rocker and the lock key, there is a dedicated button for the camera (“shutter release”), as well as a mechanical switch for its operating modes (Auto and Pro).
At the top end there are holes for a second microphone (noise reduction) and a 3.5 mm audio connector.
The microUSB connector for power and synchronization is located at the bottom end of the case, surrounded by decorative grilles, behind which a microphone and a “multimedia” speaker are hidden.
Looks most impressive back panel camera phone made of dark glass.
Here, on a gray horizontal strip with a brushed metal texture, also decorated with the Lenovo Vibe logo, there was a place for the main camera lens, a triple LED flash and an infrared autofocus sensor.
The 5-inch device is quite comfortable to operate even with one hand. True, the glass case on both sides is quite slippery, so special thanks to the metal frame, which allows you to more or less reliably fix the device.
Well, you can completely insure yourself against an “accident” with the help of a strap, especially since there is a fastening for it. The placement of a dedicated shutter button assumes a landscape (widescreen) orientation of the device. Well, in the normal (portrait) orientation of the smartphone, when this button is hidden by the palm, the volume rocker comes to the rescue (however, this option should first be checked in the settings).
Screen, sound
The camera phone is equipped with a display based on an IPS matrix made using OGS (One Glass Solution) technology.
On a screen with a 5-inch diagonal and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (Full HD), a pixel density per inch of 441 ppi is provided.
The backlight level can be adjusted manually (there is a good margin of brightness) or use automatic adjustment using the light sensor. By the way, don’t forget about the special high-brightness mode, which is discussed below. The capacitive screen of the smartphone supports multi-touch, and the AntTuTu Tester and MultiTouch Tester programs confirmed that up to ten simultaneous presses are recognized. Increasing the sensitivity of the touch layer in the settings allows you to operate your smartphone with gloves.
To determine color balance, not only preset modes, but also manual adjustment. For example, adaptive mode is recommended when using a smartphone for a long time, True Color is recommended for accurate color reproduction when viewing photos, etc., and when using the high brightness mode, you should not forget about the increased power consumption. It is believed that to obtain optimal colors, the default mode is quite suitable, the parameters of which are set at the factory. However, the custom mode makes it possible to easily adjust the image to your liking, changing its tone (from cold to warm) and saturation (from pastel to bright). For comfortable use of the device in the dark, a “night” mode is provided. Among other things, for difficult conditions lighting also has a so-called extended “outdoor” mode. The anti-glare properties of the display allow you to work effectively with your smartphone even in sunlight. As already noted, the front and back panels of the device are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. At the same time, the oleophobic coating helps to quickly remove abundantly collected fingerprints.
Due to the stylish design of the grilles, you expect something more from the “multimedia” speaker (located behind the right one). But in reality the volume level is at an average level. By the way, placing the grille at the end of the case prevents it from being accidentally closed if you put the smartphone, for example, on a table. One of the nice features is worth noting the playback of FLAC files regular means. The package with the smartphone includes a regular audio headset, which, at a minimum, will be useful as a short-wave antenna for the FM tuner.
Camera
In Vibe Shot, the main camera has a 16-megapixel BSI matrix, as well as a 6-element lens with an f/2.2 aperture and optical stabilization. In addition, it has infrared autofocus ( laser rangefinder) and a triple (three-color) LED flash, which can also double as a flashlight. The manufacturer claims that the operating speed of the infrared autofocus used is two times higher than usual (presumably, contrast autofocus). It feels like focusing is really quite fast when shooting. The maximum image resolution is 5328x2997 pixels (16 MP) for the “widescreen” aspect ratio (16:9), 4000x3000 pixels (12 MP) and 3000x3000 pixels (9 MP) with frame aspect ratios of 4:3 and 1:1, respectively. Examples of photos can be viewed.
In turn, the front camera received an 8-megapixel sensor, but without autofocus and flash. The maximum resolution of the “self” is 2448x2448 pixels (1:1), 3264x2448 pixels (4:3) and 3264x1836 pixels (16:9), respectively.
The best quality of videos from the main camera is obtained in Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels, 16:9) with a frame rate of 30 fps. In addition, HD (720p) and NTSC (480p) modes are available to it, but 4K shooting (3820x2160 pixels) is not supported here. For front camera The upper recording limit is limited to HD quality at 30 fps. All content is saved in MP4 container files (AVC - video, AAC - audio).
Although the smartphone has a hardware key, you can also release the shutter by touching the screen, by a timer, by a smile, and for the front camera, also by a gesture. To open the Camera application, you can tap on the corresponding icon on the home screen, swipe up from the lock screen, and when the display is off, hold down the hardware shutter key.
A special mechanical switch quickly switches the camera from Auto to Pro mode and back. At the same time, in automatic mode, for shooting portraits, landscapes and food, by default it is suggested to use the “smart” option (S icon).
The “Camera” settings determine the aspect ratio, resolution, quality, shooting method, white balance, ISO, exposure metering mode, volume rocker function (sound, digital zoom, shutter release), etc. When shooting self-portraits, simply moving the slider makes it easy to get rid of skin defects, and in low-light conditions, for “crossbow shots”, filling with pink or yellow light is also offered.
The “orbital” settings of the Pro mode are well known from cameras Lumia smartphones, when you independently adjust ISO, shutter speed, exposure, white balance and focus.
To independently build a composition, you may need a horizon level, as well as auxiliary lines on the viewfinder (4 parts, 9 parts, logarithmic spiral).
In the “professional” mode, scene shooting programs are also available - “Panorama”, Art-night, “Artistic HDR”, “Blurred background” (blur effect for macro photography) and “Panoramic self-portrait” (including for group “selfies” - gruffy). At the same time, for example, for Art-night there are options “Night City”, “People in Motion”, “Scene” and “Low Light”. And when shooting using “Artistic HDR”, you can refine the scene - “Automatic”, “Portrait”, “Still Life”, “City”.
Filling, performance
Although Vibe Shot has a camera worthy of any flagship, it itself cannot claim this high position. After all, its filling is built on a platform for middle-class devices - Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939).
Eight 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores, made in compliance with the 28 nm design standards, are divided equally into two clusters, one of which is clocked at up to 1.7 GHz, and the other at 1 GHz. The integrated graphics accelerator Adreno 405 received support for DirectX 11.2, OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenCL 1.2. The Snapdragon 615 architecture, which includes, in particular, the Hexagon V50 signal processor, provides for the implementation of GPS, Bluetooth 4.0 wireless interfaces, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, as well as a Multi-SIM modem with support for LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150 Mbit). The basic configuration of the smartphone is supplemented by 3 GB of LPDDR3 (800 MHz) RAM, which is controlled by a single-channel 32-bit controller.
On synthetic tests AnTuTu Benchmark The Vibe Shot camera phone performed at the level of last year's flagship.
But in multi-core tests (Multicore) and when assessing the horsepower of the processor (Metal) on the Vellamo benchmarks, the new product competed with the modern one with varying degrees of success.
On a visual test of Epic Citadel with variable settings High Performance and High Quality, the average frame rate at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels did not differ very much (55.2 fps versus 53.9 fps). But with Ultra High Quality it decreased quite significantly (25.8 fps).
On the universal gaming benchmark 3DMark, where the smartphone was tested on the recommended Sling Shot set, a result was recorded (95), and on the optional Ice Storm Unlimited set - 7,423. Problems are unlikely to arise with the launch of most popular games. The manufacturer even recommends several of them, including Asphalt 8, Green Farm 3, Real Football 2015, Spiderman Ultimate Power, etc. It should be borne in mind that on “heavy” applications the fps parameter will “sag” when maximum settings. But what you definitely won’t have to complain about is the lack of RAM.
The total number of points earned by the LG G4S on the cross-platform benchmark Base Mark OS II was 280.
The smartphone has 32 GB of internal memory, of which approximately 24.7 GB is available. You can increase the built-in storage using a dedicated slot using microSD/HC/XC cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB. In addition, the smartphone has a USB-OTG mode, which allows you to connect external USB drives.
The dual tray of the top slot can accept two microSIM (3FF) format subscriber identification modules. At the same time, LTE is supported in the first tray, and only GSM/GPRS in the second. Since there is only one radio module, the DSDS (Dual SIM Dual Standby) mode is implemented - both SIM cards are active, but when one is busy, the other is also unavailable. Note that the cellular modem is designed for LTE networks Cat.4 (up to 150 Mbps) in the LTE-FDD (b1, b3, b7, b8 and b20) and LTE-TDD (b40) frequency bands. As you can see, in this purchase there are “troika”, “seven” and “ace” - “Russian” frequency bands b3 (1,800 MHz), b7 (2,600 MHz) and b20 (800 MHz). Other wireless communications on the tested smartphone include Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz only).
The AndroiTS GPS Test program showed that the smartphone's multi-system receiver successfully picks up signals from Russian and American satellites from the GLONASS and GPS constellations, as well as from Chinese satellites from BDS. In addition, A-GPS mode is supported.
The smartphone is non-removable lithium ion battery capacity 2,900 mAh. The manufacturer assures that with a fully charged battery, the device will help maintain a conversation for up to 30 hours or remain in standby mode for up to 19 days.
In AnTuTu Tester battery tests, almost two hours of work with full load The device got quite hot and earned 3,714 points. Videos in MP4 and Full HD quality at maximum settings played continuously for more than 6 hours.
Energy saving features are collected in the Power Manager tab. Okay, time battery life can extend the normal power saving mode, which is activated either forcefully or when the battery level is 5% or 15%. Savings in this case are achieved by reducing productivity, as well as disabling background synchronization and vibration signals. In addition, you can use the so-called smart saving option, which limits the needs of the screen and graphics accelerator. Thus, reducing the backlight brightness reduces power consumption by 5-20%, and optimizing the coprocessor operation - by 10-25%. As a last resort, there is also an emergency mode of operation, which leaves only voice calls and text messages. It is proposed to switch to this mode according to a schedule, for example, at night.
Software
The proprietary Vibe UI shell turns out to be exactly those “trees” behind which the “forest” is not visible, or more precisely, the Android 5.1 operating system. The fact is that surrounded by a proprietary interface from Lenovo, well known from other smartphones from this company, you simply forget about the presence of a “lollipop”.
However, for example, buttons quick settings in the notification panel are called up, as in Lollipop, with a second swipe (notifications are displayed after the first).
From the Theme Center application it is easy to change not only themes, but also wallpaper, as well as the appearance of the task manager, and even ringtones.
The most interesting options are still collected on the “Special” settings tab. Here, in particular, it is proposed to activate “Double Tap” to wake up the smartphone by double tapping on the screen. “Speed shot” allows you to take an “instant” photo when the display is dark by double-clicking on the volume rocker. Using "Smart Scenarios", it is easy to configure the launch of various applications or services according to a predetermined schedule or when connected to a selected point Wi-Fi access. But using the “Smart Menu” on any desktop you can call up a pop-up menu containing icons for performing certain actions or calling services/applications.
Purchase, conclusions
The stylish Lenovo Vibe Shot smartphone, embodied in glass and metal, has a large amount of RAM, a camera with optical stabilization and infrared autofocus, and the ability to play sound files without loss of quality, as well as separate slots for a memory card and two SIM cards with LTE support.
True, glass is not only slippery, but also easily soiled and easily collects fingerprints. Therefore, without regular grooming, Vibe Shot will look somewhat untidy. In addition, the main camera in this smartphone cannot shoot video in 4K resolution. Nevertheless, Lenovo has quite successfully combined a smartphone with average performance in one “shot” (which, however, is enough for the eyes daily tasks) and a very advanced camera. First of all, you should pay attention to the new device not avid gamers, but for those who are more drawn to mobile photography. True, there is one “but”.
At the time of testing, Vibe Shot was already offered two thousand more than its recommended price (that is, for 26,990 rubles). So, in terms of this parameter, the camera phone is confidently approaching last year’s flagship, for which Lenovo’s partners are currently asking 29,990 rubles. Let us remind you that this device, in addition to a 16 MP camera with optical stabilization, also received much more powerful processor and QHD screen.
Review results Lenovo smartphone Vibe Shot
Pros:
- Stylish design
- Large amount of RAM
- Advanced camera
- Playing FLAC files
- Separate slots for memory card and two SIM cards with LTE support
Minuses:
- Stainless, slippery body
- 4K video is not supported
The famous Chinese company Lenovo has always been very careful in the design and positioning of its devices. Sometimes the spirit of experimentation could take designers and developers so far that truly original gadgets that deserve close attention appeared on the market. In 2015, at the MWC exhibition held in Barcelona, the world was presented new smartphone company under the loud name Lenovo Vibe Shot.
Essentially, the Vibe Shot is a mid-budget smartphone, but with a clear focus on photo capabilities, as its name itself suggests quite directly. The smartphone turned out to be very unusual from a design point of view and immediately attracted a lot of attention. However, we all understand perfectly well that beautiful and bright does not mean comfortable and practical. In this article we offer you our Lenovo review Vibe Shot. Let's try to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of this device, and also tell you about its capabilities as a camera phone. Make yourself comfortable and let's get started.
Let's first look at specifications smartphone, so that later it will be much easier for us to navigate its capabilities:
- operating system: Android 5.1 plus proprietary Lenovo Vibe shell;
- Single-chip system: eight-core, 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with a frequency formula of “4 cores ARM Cortex-A53 1.7 GHz plus 4 cores ARM Cortex-A53 1.0 GHz”; graphics core - Adreno 405 with a clock frequency of 550 MHz;
- RAM: 3 GB, single channel LPDDR3 @ 800 MHz;
- Persistent flash memory: 32 GB plus microSD card slot up to 128 GB;
- Display: capacitive, IPS matrix, 5-inch diagonal, resolution 1920×1080 pixels, pixel density per inch 441 ppi, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3;
- Cameras: main - 16 MP, 6-lens optics, f/2.2 aperture, optical stabilization, infrared autofocus, triple three-color LED flash, 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second; front - 8 MP, fixed focus, no flash;
- Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, microUSB, 3.5 mm headphone jack;
- Networks: 2G, 3G (HSPA+, up to 42 Mbit/s), 4G Cat.4 (up to 150 Mbit/s) LTE-FDD: b1, b3, b7, b8, b20; LTE-TDD: b40;
- Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, A-GPS;
- Sensors: accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, digital compass;
- Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer, 2900 milliamp-hours;
- Dimensions: 143×70×7.6 mm, weight - 143 grams.
As you can see, the smartphone fully corresponds to its mid-budget category and is only significantly better in terms of the main camera than its competitors from the same category. price segment. However, do not forget that because of the camera this phone also costs a little more. We will find out very soon whether the photo capabilities will be a strong argument in favor of the Vibe Shot or whether the smartphone will be able to surprise us with something else.
Equipment
Honestly, the configuration of the Lenovo Vibe Shot z90a40 was able to amaze us, of course, in a pleasant sense of the word. Other options Lenovo phones they also cannot be called poor, but this time they seem to have outdone themselves. The smartphone comes in a flat, long, two-color box made of hard, high-quality cardboard. As soon as you take it in your hands, you immediately begin to receive pleasant emotions and understand that in front of you, or rather, inside the package, there is a really good thing. Inside the box, all delivery elements are located in the same plane, so the box itself has an unusual shape: it is quite long, but very small in thickness.
In addition to the smartphone itself and the standard complete documentation in the box, we also found:
- 1.5 amp charger;
- microUSB cable for charging and synchronization;
- Wired in-ear headset with a flat, tangle-free wire;
- A paper clip for removing card trays;
- Protective film on the screen;
- Solid translucent plastic bumper on the back cover.
Agree: this package is quite worthy of a flagship. However, now it is rare to find such a rich package even in expensive phones. Therefore, when you open the Vibe Shot box, you get a good mood and a feeling that you, as a client, are really important to the manufacturing company. Having familiarized ourselves with the complete hardware and appreciating its very high quality, we immediately moved on to studying the features of the smartphone itself.
Design
Yes, you just need to twirl the Lenovo Vibe Shot in your hands a little to understand what a stylish gadget it is. The phone is an all-metal candy bar, covered with protective tempered glass on the back and front. The smartphone comes in three colors: pure white, black and red-black. In our case, it was the last and, in our opinion, the most attractive red option that came up for review. On the reverse side, Lenovo Vibe Shot resembles a real camera, or, as people say, a “point-and-shoot camera.” This design is very original and we have never seen before; nevertheless, in this regard, Lenovo designers tried their best and did not fail. This effect is achieved thanks to the two-color design. back cover(gray and black in our case) and the location of the camera in the upper corner. Also on a thin gray frame we have the inscription “Lenovo Vibe”, a three-color LED flash and a laser focus module.
When turned off, the entire front side of the device appears completely black and noblely matte, while an all-metal frame surrounds the perimeter of the smartphone. In our case, the frame is red, it also has a matte tint, and thanks to it, the smartphone holds confidently in the hand and does not slip at all. The phone really feels like it’s all metal in your hands, it’s monolithic, doesn’t creak, doesn’t play, or presses through. In terms of assembly, it is very difficult to find fault with the Vibe Shot, and, as they say, there is no particular reason for this.
But what is worth criticizing Lenovo Vibe for is that the back panel is very dirty. It is almost glossy, and in this case a high-quality oleophobic coating should have been applied. However, unfortunately, the grease-repellent coating in this Lenovo device is not of high quality. Fingerprints on the lid collect very quickly, and when you try to remove them in one motion, unsightly stains form. Phone owners will have to constantly wipe it, which creates some discomfort when using it.
But, one way or another, the Vibe still has much more advantages; for example, I would like to highlight the rather compact dimensions of the smartphone, which are only 143x70x7.6 millimeters. Lenovo may not have created the most compact five-inch device in its class, but in terms of ergonomics, the phone is okay. The phone easily fits in the pocket of even skinny jeans and, despite the rather sharp corners, does not cause any discomfort when walking. Also, due to its small size, this smartphone is very easy to use with one hand. You can reach almost any point on the screen with your thumb, and the functional elements are located conveniently and are easy to grope.
Well, at the end of the block about design, we’ll tell you a little about those very functional elements and connectors that are located on the smartphone body. This is usually one of the most boring parts of a review, but in the case of the Lenovo Vibe Shot there is actually a lot to talk about. On the front panel, everything is standard: the earpiece and front camera are on top, and three navigation touch buttons are on the bottom. The buttons are invisible when the phone is in standby mode and give it a more rugged look. When the screen is turned on, they are illuminated, however, the backlight is not too bright and is difficult to see in the sun. At the top end of the phone there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack and an active noise reduction microphone. At the bottom end there is a microUSB port for charging and synchronization, as well as grilles for speakers, one of which is purely decorative. There is also a special loop for a hand strap in the lower left corner. It’s rare to see such an element in smartphones, but since the designers decided to focus on the similarity with the camera, it obviously won’t be out of place here.
Now let's get to the fun part. Firstly, on the left side there are two hidden trays, one for two micro SIM cards, the second for a microSD memory card. Yes, you understood everything correctly. The Vibe Shot is one of those few unibody smartphones where you don't have to compromise between a memory card and a second SIM card, and that's great. It’s also worth mentioning that the left side is very flat, the phone stands quite stable on it, so you don’t really need to buy a tripod. You just need to place your smartphone on a flat surface, and you will be able to shoot remotely. Secondly, on the right side we also have many very original elements. In addition to the already familiar lock key and volume rocker, Vibe Shot also has a dedicated physical switch between automatic and professional shooting modes, as well as the camera shutter button itself. When you press the shutter button lightly, the camera focuses on the subject; when you press it all the way, a photograph is taken. The device's capabilities as a camera phone are really well emphasized, and most importantly, all these elements are quite easy to use, which is very, very pleasing.
Display
A review of the Lenovo Vibe Shot smartphone, of course, would be completely incomplete if we didn’t tell you about the display of this device. We have a five-inch screen equipped with an IPS matrix with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and a pixel density of 441 ppi. The display is covered with a special protective Gorilla glass Glass 3, which protects it very well from minor scratches and abrasions. Also, the Lenovo screen has a high-quality oleophobic coating. Fingerprints are practically not collected and can be easily removed with a napkin if desired.
The IPS matrix of the smartphone is very pleasing. White balance and purity high level, black saturation is quite good, but black uniformity at the edges of the screen suffers a little. At an acute angle, the picture practically does not fade or invert, but the contrast still drops slightly relative to the perpendicular view, as well as the overall brightness, so the result is not ideal. By default, colors in Lenovo are quite oversaturated and unnatural, but there is an option in the settings "True color", which turns colors almost perfect, making the color range as close as possible to RGB.
The maximum brightness of the Vibe Shot screen is not the highest and is 425 cd/m². However, thanks to the high-quality anti-reflective coating and the absence of an air gap between the matrix and the glass, the display remains highly readable even in bright daylight. The device also provides "High brightness mode", which is capable of raising the screen brightness even more than can be done manually, namely up to 435 cd/m². As they say, it’s a small thing, but it’s nice. Besides this there is also "Automatic adjustment mode" brightness depending on lighting. It works quite well and is practically non-irritating, the brightness is selected very optimally for the current conditions, and switching occurs quickly, without much braking.
Overall, the Lenovo Vibe Shot’s screen is of high quality, without any serious flaws. Yes, the IPS matrix here, although of high quality, is not the best possible. But otherwise, the display boasts very impressive characteristics and good performance. The screen does not ripple or flicker, the sensor sensitivity is good, the phone responds well to gestures and supports up to ten touches simultaneously. In a word - not bad.
Sound
Although the Vibe Shot is not positioned as a music phone at all, if you compare it with other mid-budget models, it sounds very good. From external speakers, the sound traditionally tends to the high frequency range, but the mid frequencies are quite sufficient, which is quite unexpected for this class of smartphones. Lenovo's sound is clear, rich and quite interesting; listening to music on it is very pleasant and not at all shameful.
But when you connect headphones, the device transforms and surprises even more. The sound becomes even clearer and brighter, the smartphone begins to cover the entire possible sound range. In addition to the usual highs and mids, music tracks also acquire very distinct lows, and the sound becomes much deeper. The volume of the phone, although not excessive, is more than enough, we think those who like to listen to music louder will be satisfied.
A standard player is used to play music on the phone. Google Play Music, radio is also present, but it only works when headphones are connected. As for the earpiece, the interlocutor can be heard very well, his voice is quite recognizable.
Cameras
Now let's see how Lenovo Vibe Shot lives up to its proud title of camera phone. And indeed, if you look at the characteristics of the main camera, you understand that the developers really tried to comply with the chosen direction. We have a 16-megapixel camera equipped with a six-component lens. Other features also include an f/2.2 aperture, tri-color LED flash, fast laser autofocus and optical image stabilization. It would seem, what else does an amateur photographer need to be happy? But characteristics are characteristics, and you need to look at the final result, which is what we will do right now.
You can launch the camera either from the screen or by pressing the shutter key on the right side. Moreover, if you press the shutter twice in locked screen mode, the camera will immediately take a quick photo. The camera application launches very quickly, literally within a second. By default, the phone is set to shooting mode "Auto". In this mode, the camera interface is not overloaded with unnecessary elements, and the smartphone selects the basic settings independently, although the adjustment does not occur within a very wide range.
When the slider is set to "Pro" All camera settings become available to the user in manual mode. In Pro mode, the owner can adjust: shutter speed, exposure compensation, white balance, focal length and ISO. The adjustment range is quite wide, but not too detailed, in our opinion. also in this mode provides access to various ready-made shooting scenarios, including: "Panorama", "Blurred background", "Art Night", "Artistic HDR" And "Panoramic self-portrait". In general, as far as manual adjustment is concerned, we were satisfied, although one would have expected wider options for customization in a “camera phone.”
The quality of the pictures is very pleasing. The clarity is good, the detail is also high, but with the rendering of shadowed areas everything is somewhat worse and noise is clearly noticeable. The camera copes very well with long-range plans and macro photography; when looking “at infinity,” the detail of distant objects is good, and when shooting very close objects, a very beautiful background blur effect is added. The smartphone's focus works very quickly and clearly, and optical stabilization allows you to shoot confidently while moving; in this regard, Lenovo is doing well. The flash is not very bright, but at the same time it illuminates objects well and does not overexpose the frame, that is, it works quite softly. When shooting at night, no digital noise is observed, but the noise reduction robot is clearly visible, which can blur certain images in some images. small parts. But what I definitely didn’t like was the way the mode worked "HDR". In fact, it copes with its task, but all the colors become too bright and unnatural, which greatly discourages the desire to ever turn on this mode.
As for the front camera, it is quite good, but there is nothing unusual about it. This is an eight-megapixel module with an F/2.2 aperture and a fixed focal length. The camera does not have its own flash, but there is a function “Filling the image with light”. Various embellishments are also available, such as the ability to fine-tune the skin smoothing setting. The pictures come out very detailed and clear; in general, this camera is quite good for selfies.
Summing up, I would like to say that the camera turned out to be very, very worthy. Essentially, when you buy a mid-range device, you are rewarded with a camera of a higher class, and this is very nice. However, if you call the Lenovo Vibe Shot a camera phone, then a very large number of questions arise from the category “Why not this way, and why not that way?” Still, Lenovo has fallen a little short of the level of real photography giants, and this mainly concerns, of course, the software part, but one way or another it’s a worthy attempt.
Memory and memory card
Lenovo Vibe Shot z90 is equipped with 32 gigabytes of main flash memory and 3 gigabytes of LPDDR3 RAM. In this regard, the smartphone from Lenovo is a real average. Today, this combination of RAM and main memory is the most optimal in terms of relevance and cost. So, in general, the smartphone is quite pleased with its parameters.
Lenovo also supports microSD memory cards up to 128 gigabytes. As we said earlier, the Vibe Shot has a separate tray for a memory card, so the owner does not have to sacrifice one of his SIM cards to expand the phone's memory. Today, very few all-metal phones offer this option, so it is necessary to write down this feature of the Lenovo smartphone as a clear plus.
Connection
In terms of communications, Lenovo Vibe is also doing well. The phone supports almost all current networks today, including: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, LTE Cat4 (FDD Band 1/3/7/8/20, LTE TDD Band 40).
Among the wireless interfaces, the smartphone also has: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, there is OTG, but, unfortunately, there is no NFC module, which is popular today. Navigation is present in the phone; popular GPS, A-GPS, GLONNAS and BDS systems are supported. The first satellites are found quite quickly - within about ten to fifteen seconds. When you start again, it only takes a few seconds to find the same number of satellites.
Battery life and performance
The Lenovo camera phone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 as a single-chip system. This is an eight-core 64-bit processor with a frequency formula of “4 ARM Cortex-A53 1.7 GHz cores plus 4 ARM Cortex-A53 1.0 GHz cores” and a dedicated Adreno graphics core 405 with a clock frequency of 550 MHz.
This chipset at one time was one of the leaders in the mid-budget category of single-chip systems, but with the release of the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, it is already considered obsolete and is actively leaving the market. Today, the 615 is still quite capable of coping with the daily tasks assigned to it, such as watching high-quality videos or surfing the Internet, but there is no talk of a reserve for the future. In the AnTuTu benchmark, this processor scores about 39 thousand points and quite confidently competes with the Mediatek MT6752, however, see for yourself:
| Benchmark | Lenovo Vibe Shot (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615) |
Oppo R7t (Mediatek MT6752) |
Xiaomi Mi 4i (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615) |
Nubia Z9 mini (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615) |
Huawei P8 (Hisilicon Kirin 930) |
| AnTuTu 5.7.1 | 39 081 | 41 510 | 38 578 | 37 689 | 45 909 |
| GeekBench 3 | 727/2590 | 810/4021 | 672/2651 | 564/2047 | 896/3804 |
When it comes to gaming applications, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 can hardly be called gaming processor. However, it copes with simple and undemanding games quite easily, and even some serious projects are tough for it. In particular, Asphalt 8, Minion Rush and Angry Birds 2 launched and worked at maximum settings, while having high frequency personnel changes. The popular online project WoT Blitz managed to play comfortably on medium settings with a frame rate of 30–40 frames per second in intense scenes.
Lenovo Vibe Shot is equipped with a non-removable lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 2900 milliamp-hours. In moderate usage scenario of this battery with enough reserve for the whole day. With more active use, the device may ask to be charged before nightfall, but this is a completely normal situation for devices of this category. The smartphone charges very quickly: it took us a little over two hours to fully charge from zero to hundred. As for testing with the main energy-saving functions disabled, you can count on the following results: 13 hours in reading mode, 8 hours when watching videos, 3 hours 30 minutes in heavy games.
Software
Lenovo Vibe Shot comes with operating system Android version 5.1 and Lenovo Vibe proprietary shell. Like any other proprietary shell, Vibe UI also has its own distinctive features. Among the very first features that catch the user’s eye is a very bright, colorful design and very original background images paired with backdrops. Lenovo also has a proprietary “smart” button and a set of standard company utilities called Lenovo DoIt. Unfortunately, there is a fly in the ointment, which is a very large number of unnecessary pre-installed programs for Vibe UI.
Bottom line
The Lenovo Vibe Shot z90 review is coming to an end. I would like to say that the phone turned out just great, but that would not be entirely true. And, perhaps, the main complaint about the smartphone is... no, not the camera. Yes, Lenovo fell a little short of the quality of “true” camera phones, but don’t forget that this is still a mid-budget phone, and not a flagship. From this point of view, the phone’s camera and photo capabilities are superb, and overall the smartphone turned out to be very balanced and of high quality. The main question about the Vibe Shot is its price. The phone costs significantly more than its main competitors, which are not positioned as camera phones, but nevertheless have very good cameras. This serves Lenovo badly, as many users choose cheaper devices, even if they are less original.
But still, be that as it may, Lenovo Vibe Shot turned out to be a very worthy and original smartphone, which will definitely be remembered by many people for its original design and good quality execution. If you manage to find this phone at a discount or the price is not as important to you as image and originality, then we can safely recommend this smartphone to purchase.
Video review of Lenovo VIBE Shot
We also invite you to watch a video review of the Lenovo Vibe Shot smartphone.
Contents: Phone, cover case, protective film, headset, USB cable, SIM card eject key, charger, warranty card
Product description
The device works with Micro-SIM cards from all GSM operators.
Phenomenal performance.
VIBE Shot comes with 64-bit Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 1.7 GHz and RAM volume 3 GB. The smartphone supports modern high-speed data transfer technologies, runs on...
The device works with Micro-SIM cards from all GSM operators.
Phenomenal performance.
VIBE Shot is equipped with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.7 GHz processor and 3 GB of RAM. The smartphone supports modern high-speed data transfer technologies, runs on the latest Android OS, is equipped with a camera for professional photography and has other interesting features.
Two smart cameras - front and rear.
With the 16MP rear camera, you can take professional photos even in low light conditions. The camera has unique features: infrared autofocus - twice as fast as usual, an advanced six-component high-definition lens, optical image stabilizer and a BSI sensor with true 16:9 resolution. The 8 MP front camera is great for taking selfies, including panoramic ones, and video chatting.
Five-inch Full HD display with bright and clear images.
A five-inch Full HD display (1920x1080) with a bright and clear image allows you to fully enjoy games, videos and viewing photos high resolution. Thanks to IPS technology, the display provides wide (almost 180 degrees) viewing angles.
Large memory.
With 32GB of built-in memory, VIBE Shot can store a variety of photos, music, and other files. In addition, you can install in your smartphone microSD card to increase the memory capacity to 128 GB.
Ultra-fast data transfer.
VIBE Shot supports LTE connections(4G) and Bluetooth 4.1 LE, allowing you to download data at speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s. This will help you get the most out of your websites, apps, and games.
OS Android 5.1 Lollipop.
operating room Android system Lollipop features a number of innovations and improvements, as well as a radically new appearance. It has become faster and more efficient and at the same time consumes less electricity. Plus, it works great with your favorite Google apps.
Convenient and reliable.
VIBE Shot weighs just 145g and is 7.6mm thick, so it fits easily into your pocket or bag. The aluminum body is comfortable to hold in your hand, and the high-strength Corning Gorilla Glass 3 will reliably protect the device.
At one time (10 years ago) camera phones constituted a special category mobile phones. They stood out from others in terms of shooting quality and had an unusual design that makes them look like a compact camera. But with the advent of sensor dominance, differences in appearance different models decreased significantly, smartphones became more of the same type. However, some companies still create camera phones that are inspired by the traditions of the past. One of these devices is the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90, which is the subject of this review.
The smartphone was released in March 2015. Now you can purchase the device for $360-400, depending on the region and store. For this money, the user gets a middle-class device, close to flagships. A special feature of the smartphone is that it clearly belongs to a camera phone, which consists of a somewhat unusual design.
Technical Lenovo specifications Vibe Shot Z90 match price category. It is equipped with powerful and modern hardware, which is not up to par with flagships, but is capable of coping with all tasks.
Design, case materials, dimensions and weight
The smartphone has a stylish, but not very practical design. The developers at Lenovo tried to make it as similar as possible to a compact point-and-shoot camera, but without sacrificing functionality and convenience.
The glass front panel looks strict and laconic. It shows the speaker grille and the front camera lens, as well as three touch buttons. The design is rectangular, with almost no rounded elements. Overall, the front panel looks nice. 
The back of the smartphone is also covered with glass. This gives it a premium look, but only do not use the device yet, as the panel collects fingerprints well. There is also a strip of textured aluminum on the back of the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90, which houses the logo and camera lens with flash. 
The smartphone frame is metal, painted in grey, white or red to choose from. On the right side are the volume and lock buttons, the camera switch and the shutter button. 
On the left are trays for SIM cards and MicroSD storage. 
At the bottom there is a MicroUSB port and a music speaker grille. 
On top is a 3.5mm jack and a noise-canceling microphone. There is a hole in the corner for a hand lanyard.
The dimensions of the smartphone are 14.2x7 cm, thickness – 7.3 mm. The weight of the devices is 145 grams.
CPU
The Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 is powered by the eight-core Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615 chipset. It consists of a pair of quad-core Cortex A53 clusters, differing in frequencies: 1 and 1.65 GHz, for light and heavy tasks, respectively.
Graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 405 GPU, which cannot be called advanced. But this video core is not listed among outsiders either: 36 thousand in AnTuTu is the average for a smartphone a year ago. All demanding games will run at medium settings.
Memory
The smartphone has 3 GB of low-voltage memory of the DDR3 generation. This volume is typical for flagships of those times; here the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 did not lag behind its competitors. About one and a half gigabytes are occupied at the start, free space in RAM disappears quickly, but this does not negatively affect multitasking.
Internal storage is 32 GB, about 25 of which are available to the user. If it seems small, the memory is expanded using a flash drive. Fortunately, there is a dedicated slot for it, and there are no practical restrictions on volume.
Battery
The capacity of the non-removable lithium polymer battery in the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 is 3000 mAh. This is a good indicator for a five-inch smartphone, but the battery life is no more than average. In reading mode with a dim backlight, the operating time reaches 12 hours, online video plays for just over 8 hours, and the WoT Blitz game drains the battery in 3.5-4 hours. In standby mode, the average result is 2 days of operation.
The included charger is capable of delivering a current of up to 1.5 A. It replenishes the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 battery in about 2 hours, while the computer takes about 5 hours.
Cameras
Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 is positioned as a camera phone. His extraordinary appearance screams about this. The smartphone camera is equipped with a 16 MP matrix, supports laser focusing and is equipped with a flash of 3 bright diodes of different colors that provide warmer lighting. It's nice to have an optical image stabilizer.
On the side edge there is separate button switches the camera mode to professional. Works very well automatic setting camera that detects environmental conditions. In professional mode, you can focus the camera on the foreground or background, the ability to use long exposures (you can photograph the starry sky) and much more. However, you should not expect great capabilities from these settings; they are not up to par with conventional cameras.
Two characteristics, the aperture of the optics and the dimensions of the matrix, are quite ordinary. A traditional five-element lens is used, the aperture of which opens to F/2.2. The sensor is standard with 1.12 micrometer pixels.
The camera turned out to be good, but not at all ideal. As for a smartphone for $300, it’s quite enough, but in the case of a camera phone for almost $400, you want more. Of course, unlike the 13 MP in Chinese phablets for $150, the camera in the Vibe Shot Z90 is certainly better.
Below are examples of photos taken on Lenovo Z90, Samsung A5 2016 and Sony C4. All smartphones are approximately in the same price category, Sony is $40 more affordable.
In the photo above you can see that samsung cameras the worst color rendering, the picture is "blue". The Sony C4 produced warmer tones, almost too much so. Lenovo got the most optimal shot. his original is below:
Below is an example of camera shots in poor lighting (on a well-lit street):
The front camera has an 8 MP matrix with the same aperture (F/2.2), but without autofocus.
Shot with the front camera
Both of them record video in 1080p resolution at 30 FPS. In the example video below you can see how the frame jerks due to poor software implementation.
There are many settings and modes, which you can familiarize yourself with in the video review at the end of this text.
Screen
The Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 uses a 5" IPS screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The pixel density is more than 400 ppi, which is very good. The display is covered with third-generation tempered Gorilla Glass and recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches. The screen is excellent, the brightness is good, Viewing angles are close to ideal and color rendition is quite natural.
Communications
The smartphone is equipped with two slots for SIM cards in MicroSIM format, and one radio module. Support for all common networks is declared, including GSM, UMTS, LTE. 4G operates on channels 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 (FDD) and 40 (TDD). Dual-frequency Wi-Fi is used to access the Internet. Bluetooth complies with version 4.1. The navigator is dual-system, with support for GPS and GLONASS. It works well, finds satellites (on a cold start) in about a minute, and maintains contact with them.
Sound
The sound of the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 is loud on both the main and earpiece speakers. It is clean, reveals frequencies moderately (although, of course, there is traditionally not enough bass). The sound in the headphones is pleasant and spacious. There is also an FM receiver on board the smartphone.
operating system
The operating system of Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 is Android 5.1 with VibeUI graphical shell. Traditionally for Chinese manufacturers, there is no separate menu for program shortcuts, everything is located on the desktops. The idea is not for everyone, but in general there are no complaints about the OS. The system operates smoothly and without obvious bugs or crashes.
Pros and cons of Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90
- high-quality screen;
- acceptable camera;
- stylish and unusual design;
- Lots of RAM and permanent memory.
Flaws:
- easily soiled body;
- mediocre battery life in games;
- The aperture of the optics is only F/2.2.
Who is a smartphone suitable for?
The main consumer audience for smartphones are people who are used to taking a lot of photographs. The attractive appearance of the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 makes it interesting for both men and women. The device is stylish, but quite strict and seasoned, so it will organically fit into any image. In terms of characteristics, everything is also not bad: there is enough functionality for all tasks, so it is also suitable for those who value capabilities more than beauty. Gamers may not appreciate the mediocre battery life in games.
Our review of the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90
As the review showed, the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 is a balanced mid-class smartphone with quite modern capabilities. Despite the fact that a year has already passed since its release, the device is not at all outdated. It has a cool screen, decent hardware, enough memory and good looks.
As for the camera, it’s really good, but buggy due to poor implementation of the firmware (everything went away after the update). All criticism regarding it is not because of the poor photo quality, but simply because I wanted something more from a pronounced camera phone advanced.
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