India’s homegrown brand Micromax may not have seen good days in the past few year, but, it appears that the company is planning a comeback to the market. The company which had become popular thanks to their budget alternatives to big brands like Samsung and HTC back at a time where players like Xiaomi and OnePlus were nonexistent, now is challenged by many big smartphone players offering budget smartphones.
The smartphone market has become extremely aggressive and competitive, forcing big players like Samsung, Sony and Moto to launch products that compete with the budget alternatives of Chinese brands. While for India’s brands, especially those who depend on Chinese OEM manufacturers to manufacture their products, the margins continue to shrink.
This made it difficult for Micromax to tackle the current market, and while the company was plagued by bad market reputation, and poor after sales service, there were issues within the organizational structure.
Our sources tell us that Micromax has prepared and is ready to hit the market with mid-rangers phones priced around the Rs. 15,000 price bracket. These phones will offer up not only a few interesting features and specifications but will also include impressive warranties. The first series of smartphones from Micromax should start appearing end of March or early April.
Micromax’s Online brand YU will also see a revamp and major launches in the coming months. Micromax appears to have re-organized the company’s structure and is planning more products for the mobile accessories market as well.
Micromax’s twitter handle also recently became active with some news of an upcoming smartphone.
The new Xiaomi Mi In Ear Headphones Pro HD, add a premium yet affordable option to the already good lineup of budget headphones from the Chinese Manufacturer. The problem is that you will have a hard time getting your hands on one.
HTC has officially rolled out the HTC Sense Companion to HTC U Ultra Devices today. The minor update allows users to access the new virtual assistant on their HTC U Ultra devices. HTC is pushing out the update in a phased manner, so users should start to see the assistant in some hours if not immediately.
The HTC Sense Companion is HTC’s answer to the Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri and Samsung’s upcoming Bixby. HTC claims that the AI on the Sense Companion leads and improves over time, based on your habits and needs . The update is free and is available via the Google Play store. While, not an interactive assistant like Apple’s Siri or Google’s Assistant the Sense Companion trans your updates, reminders, contacts , locations, etc and reminds you of things based on habits using the secondary display.
While still in nascent state, the companion, honestly looks quite like “Google Now” with the cards and location based recommendations for food and lifestyle.
Call us duped, but the “big announcement” OnePlus referred to in their tweets turned out to be a dud after all. No there is no blue edition OnePlus 3T ( But wow a blue would have been awesome OnePlus), however, there is a new All Black edition of the OnePlus 3T to be sold exclusively at the Colette store in Paris for a price of Euro 479. Ready to book your flights ? Not so fast, since there will only be a limited run of the phones, with only 250 units up for grabs with the Colette logo engraved on the back. So, you might want to re-consider the journey.
The black does look like a colour we might be interested in, however we do not dig the additional branding so much. The OnePlus 3T in itself remains the same as before with the same specs, and innards along with the same display and camera so no major change on the hardware front and no major design change.
Together, we’re proud to announce the OnePlus 3T colette edition. The colette edition of the OnePlus 3T is a remarkable and painstakingly designed smartphone that brings the timeless class and unrivalled style of colette to OnePlus.
Call us unimpressed, but then maybe we built up our expectations too high. In case you are interested in checking out the device visit :
colette store 213 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001, Paris, France
Lenovo has launched the Moto G5 plus in India with a starting price of Rs. 14,999, while the company is expected to launch the Moto G5 with a removable back panel at a later date.
The Moto G5 Plus is a big departure from its predecessor, the Moto G4 plus. For starters, the Moto G5 plus has an all metal unibody design, while the Moto G4 Plus only had a polycarbonate construction.
The Moto G5 also is running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, a chipset that was used in the Moto Z Play, the company’s sub-flagship smartphone in 2016. On the front the Moto G5 Plus has a 5.2 inch LCD display along with a 1920 x 1080p resolution. It comes with Gorilla Glass 3 cover which gives it additional scratch and damage protection. The Moto G5 Plus also runs Android 7.0 out of the box that comes along with some simple customisations from Moto. You also get the usual Moto gestures, that include double chop for flashlight, and a twist of the wrist for quick launch of the Camera. What’s interesting is that you can now use the oval fingerprint sensor as a one button navigation tool. You can swipe left and right to go back or launch the multi-tasking window. You can also press it down to lock the screen or press it down longer to launch the Google Assistant.
Perhaps the most exciting feature is the camera now comes with 4k Video recording at 30FPS which is a first for phones in this price bracket. The rear camera comes with a 12MP dual pixel lens and the front has a 5MP camera. You can also capture Slo-Mo video at 720p/120FPS.
Samsung may be hard at work readying their next big smartphone/s but the world can hardly wait. These are possibly the most leaked Samsung smartphones till date, and whether one agrees or not, Samsung has some serious flagships getting ready to face the world. If leaks have told us anything, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, will both have impressive displays, cameras and internal hardware. Let’s quickly do a roundup of everything we know so far.
Two Phones
It is known that Samsung is launching two phones, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8+. While the Galaxy S8 will have a 5.8 inch display with a QuadHD+ resolution, the larger Samsung Galaxy S8+ will have a 6.2 inch display with the same resolution. Apart from the difference in sizes and battery the two phones may not offer up any additional differences.
Design
Samsung has taken a new approach towards design this year, while the aesthetic of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ will remain identical to the edge variant of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, the phones will be dominated by the display. Samsung has had to remove the physical button from the front of the phones, which also means that the fingerprint sensor will be removed from the ideal front location to a rear location next to the camera module. Samsung will most likely retain the IP68 aspect of the Galaxy S7 on the Galaxy S8 and S8 plus, which was one of the biggest reasons for Samsung’s success with the Galaxy S7.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will both have curved edge displays, with a QuadHD+ resolution. However, the screen to body ratio on the new phones will be more than 85%, letting the display rule the front of the phone, eliminating unnecessary bezels and including from the top and bottom of the phone.
We also know from leaks that the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 plus will have curved corners of the display. We have already seen this with the LG G6, where the company claims the rounded edges make the display survive better in cases of drops and prevents it from cracking at the corner.
Samsung is also said to be working on a 3D Touch type of technology that will allow the user to press down on the display to mimic the home button or open contextual menus. The displays of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus are also expected to support S-Pen input, so the Galaxy Note fans don’t have to wait for the company to launch the Galaxy Note 8.
Cameras
Looks like there is no special magic trick this time around. While Samsung had one of the best cameras on smartphones in 2016, the company may not make big changes to the cameras on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus . Both the phones will be fitted with 12 MP sensor equipped main cameras with a Dual Pixel technology and the ability to shoot 4k video.
Hardware
Despite the fact that Samsung has an impressive chipset, the Exynos 9, which is capable of heavy multitasking and shooting 4k video at upto 120 fps while supporting a 4k display. Samsung may just save all that power for the Note 8 and since the South Korean tech giant has placed the largest order of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, it is highly unlikely that Samsung will have an Exynos variant going out to market. There are also no leaks or reports that suggest otherwise.
Samsung will also stick to 4GB of RAM and not jump the gun with 6 GB which at this moment seems like overkill by all standards, despite the fact the OnePlus 3/3t have it, there is not much use for it in real world applications.
Battery Safety and Charging
Samsung has learned a lot from the Galaxy Note 7 battery failures, and even though the company just shrugged off the cause and problem of the batteries in the Note 7 devices. Samsung has designed a new 8-point program to ensure battery safety. What Samsung will also do is a leave space around the batteries themselves allowing for certain expansions, which would print a battery puncture, that may be caused by hitting some other component inside the phones.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Chipsets support the latest Quick Charge 4 which is capable of offering 5 hours of usage in just 5 minutes of charge. Samsung may not leverage this feature for their upcoming Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus as rapid charging degrades the battery, and Samsung cannot afford another battery fiasco. Samsung may stick to adaptive fast charge offered by Galaxy S7 which is more in like with Quick Charge 3.0 standards.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will also support wireless charging with the Qi standard, and wireless fast charge using Samsung proprietary charging pads.
Virtual Home and Bixby
Since Samsung will remove the physical home button from the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, a virtual home button will take palace on the front around the center of the bottom portion of the display. If the phones do support a 3D Touch type interface, the virtual button could simply be a placeholder for the press point to go back to home.
Samsung is also working on a new virtual assistant called Bixby, said to launch with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus. Leaks have also shown off an additional physical button on the sides of the phones, which remains different from the power and volume button. This is possibly a direct launch button for the Bixby assistant. However the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will support the Google Assistant out of the box, which would cause confusion as to which assistant you should use on your phone.
USB C, Headphone Jack and Iris Scans
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ will have a USB C port of charging and syncing and will also retain the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Samsung may not be ready yet to explore removing the audio port as a large audience of it’s buyers may not be ready for the switch. Leaks also suggest that the audio will be tuned by AKG, and there is a high possibility that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ with come bundled with AKG earphones as well.
Samsung will also retain the Iris Scanner seen in the Galaxy Note 7 as a new security standard in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. meaning users will be able to lock certain files, folders and apps, along with their phones with a simple retinal scan.
Operating System
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will most likely launch with Android 7.1 along with Samsung’s own layer of Touch Wiz type interface which will allow for things like Briefing to sit on the left of the home screen. This will also allow for Samsung Knox security, S-Pay and the whole array of Samsung Apps to work with the phone. Samsung has cleaned up the UI in the past and the Galaxy S8 is expected to launch with a slight redesign to the look making it cleaner and more minimal.
Launch Date
Samsung has confirmed that it is holding a launch event on the 29th of March in New York city, it is traditionally where Samsung launches the Galaxy S series phones. Samsung may also however launch other products at its event, like the improved Gear VR headset designed to work with the new smartphones, which does come with a new controller and a new design.
In markets like India Samsung will hold launches as early as second week of April, to launch and announce the phones.
Networks and SIM cards
Samsung will retail two models of Both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, for markets like US and Canada Samsung will sell a single SIM card variant with a second slot for micro SD card expansion of the storage. The second variant will allow for two SIM cards on a hybrid setup, i.e. it will either accept two SIM cards or one SIM card and one microSD card.
Availability and Price
Initially Samsung was supposed to start selling the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus mid April, the date has now been shifted to April 29th and may further be shifted to early may. Reports indicate that Samsung wants to run additional tests before launching this phone to prevent any Galaxy Note 7 type failures.
Pricing pundits are pricing the Galaxy S8 starting € 799 ( approx Rs. 56000 ) and Galaxy S8+ at € 899 ( approx Rs. 63000) as a starting price for the 64 GB variant, Samsung may also launch 128 GB variants of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ which will be priced higher by €100.
In India the Galaxy S8 is expected to start at Rs, 59,990 for the Galaxy S8 and both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to go on sale early May.
A lot of people are eagerly waiting for the launch of the Moto G5 Plus in India. Flipkart and Moto both, have been teasing the launch of the phone over their social media platforms, and now have officially announced that the phone will be a Flipkart exclusive. The Moto G5 Plus was announced at MWC 2017 and comes with a complete redesign of the G Series. An all metal body along with some serious upgrades on the inside the phone will start selling 15th March onwards and shipping soon after.
While no details of pricing are available, the Moto G5 plus is expected to launch around the Rs. 15000 price bracket, much like last year’s Moto G4 Plus. Also much like last years launch, the company will only sell the Moto G5 Plus initially and later launch the Moto G5, and possibly a “Play” variant down the line.
The Moto G5 has a 5-inch LCD display, while the G5 Plus has a bigger 5.2-inch screen, both of which have a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. The optics on the Moto G5 consist of a 13-megapixel Sensor along with an Aperture of f/2.0 with phase detect autofocus with a 5 Mp front camera, the G5 Plus, however, gets a 12-megapixel f/1.7 camera with dual-focus pixels and can record 4K video, while the G5 is limited to 1080 p Full HD. The Moto G5 Plus too has a 5 MP front camera.
The Moto G5 Plus gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU and 650 MHz Adreno 506 GPU. Stay tuned for more updates.
Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus have received a significant Rs. 10,000 price cut on all its variants and all colours. The iPhone 7 which was originally selling for Rs. 60,000 for the 32GB variant is now available for Rs. 49999 for the same variant and the price changes apply for all variants all the way up to the 128 GB iPhone 7 plus which originally sells for Rs. 82000 but is now available for Rs. 71999. This also includes the Jet Black colour which was on high demand at the time of the launch of the iPhone 7. The deal however does not include the iPhone 7 Plus at 256 GB which still remains pricey at Rs. 92000.
This news comes in wake of ever growing rumours of Apple’s next iPhone which, as a tenth anniversary upgrade, is expected to have some radical changes to design and technology. iPhone’s have usually never received price cuts in India, however, since this trend started in 2016, it has helped Apple move huge number of handsets and achieve record high sales for a phone segment which is now leads. This may possibly be the best time to grab an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with the next upgrade a good 6 months away, your shiny ( or matte) iPhone can be bought for a good discount. The deal also appears to be a limited time offer.
Samsung has made a lot of official announcements for the launch of the Galaxy S8 and possibly the S8 Plus, the phones that will mark a comeback after a 6 month lull for the company. The phones are expected to launch on March 29th, and if leaks are anything to go by the phones are going to be pretty impressive.
— Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) March 1, 2017
Samsung is working on a design that will stretch the display on both sides making the screen to body ratio of the phone pretty impressive, and near the 90% mark. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 plus will also have the latest Snapdragon 835 along with 4 GB of RAM and 64 Gb of onboard storage with microSD expandability.
The company may not launch the S8 with dual cameras, and keep that feature an exclusive for the Galaxy S8 Plus. A new image leaked by evleaks points to what is possibly the best look yet at the new Galaxy S8 . If we merge Samsung’s teasers with the image tweeted by evleaks, the similarities are uncanny. Check out the merged image below.
Lenovo has just sent out invites for the launch of the Moto G5 plus in India, while the invite doesn’t say much, we had already reported that the phones will be launched in India mid march. The Moto G5 and G5 Plus run Android Nougat out of the box and, the regular G5 has a Snapdragon 430 processor, while the G5 Plus gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU and 650 MHz Adreno 506 GPU.
The Moto G5 has a 5-inch LCD display, while the G5 Plus has a bigger 5.2-inch screen, both of which have a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. The optics on the Moto G5 consist of a 13-megapixel f/2.0 system with phase detect autofocus with a 5 Mp front camera, the G5 Plus, however, gets a 12-megapixel f/1.7 camera with dual-focus pixels and can record 4K video, while the G5 is limited to 1080 p Full HD. The Moto G5 Plus too has a 5 MP front camera.
We expect these phones to launch around the Rs. 15000 price bracket, stay tined for more info. You can follow the full MWC launch story here.
Lenovo launched the Moto G5 and Moto G5 plus at MWC 2017, the revision to the popular Moto G series phones now sport an aluminum unibody design along with pricing that can excite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo6bFoC_3f8
The Moto G5 and G5 Plus will run Android Nougat out of the box and, the regular G5 has a Snapdragon 430 processor, while the G5 Plus gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU and 650 MHz Adreno 506 GPU. The G5 has a 5-inch LCD display, while the G5 Plus has a bigger 5.2-inch screen, both of which have a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
The optics on the Moto G5 consist of a 13-megapixel f/2.0 system with phase detect autofocus with a 5 Mp front camera, the G5 Plus, however, gets a 12-megapixel f/1.7 camera with dual-focus pixels and can record 4K video, while the G5 is limited to 1080 p Full HD. The Moto G5 Plus too has a 5 MP front camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASpz0-PrQXs
The Moto G5 is available in 16GB or 32GB of storage capacities with support for microSD cards up to 256GB. The G5 Plus will have options between 32GB or 64GB with expandability unto 256GB. Depending on the model you either get 2 GB, 3GB or 4 GB of RAM. Both the Moto G5 and G5 plus will support dual-SIM capability along with VoLTE. The Moto G5 has a removable and replaceable 2,800mAh battery while the Moto G5 Plus gets a sealed 3,000mAh battery.
Features on the phones include Moto Display for notifications, and the Moto gestures, just as other Moto phones.Both the Moto G5 and G5 Plus will get the Google Assistant when they launch later this quarter.
The Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus will launch worldwide including India in March in with two color options that include the fine gold which is almost identical to the Moto M and the Lunar gray color.The Moto G5 will start at €199 (Rs. 14000) with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, while the G5 Plus will set you back Rs. 15000 with 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage.Motorola is expected to launch these phones in India Mid-March, stay tuned for more info.
This ends the Rumors , the Nokia 3310 is finally back and with all glory in a brand new avatar. The new colorful 3310 keeps the iconic design hues of the popular Nokia 3310 that sold 126 Million units back when it was launched. The 2017 Nokia 3310 works on the Nokia’s Series 30+ , with a 2.4-inch QVGA display, supports expanded memory via a microSD slot.
The new Nokia 3310 is not a weighted power tool, like the earlier edition. The re-design is a lighter, smaller and thinner unit which looks more refined yet keeps the rugged polycarbonate exterior.
The phone is missing the original Snake game, but is replaced by a modern Snake game. What are the features you ask? the Nokia 3310 has a standby time of 31 days, and a talk time of 22 hours. The Nokia 3310 will now have a 2 MP camera with LED flash along with an FM radio and a Micro USB Charger, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
The phone is expected to go on Sale in Q2 2017 for a price of 49 euros ($52/ Rs. 3500).
The Samsung Galaxy S8 will be an important phone not only for Samsung fans, but also for Samsung. The company has had a bad half year, with the Note 7 blowout, barely in the rear view mirror for the South Korean company, the word looks on to the S8 and S8+’s arrival.
According to new reports Samsung will launch the phone on March 29 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 along with supposedly the larger Samsung Galaxy S8+ will go on sale on April 21st in certain parts of the world including the US market, UK and UAE. The Indian counterpart is expected to arrive early may according to our Samsung sources.
Samsung has put in motion a large marketing plan and their largest push promo budget yet, to make the Galaxy S8 a success. In India, the company will finally look for Brand Ambassadors for the flagship phone, signing on celebrities that target the youth.
The news report from a Korean publication suggests that Samsung will have ample supplies of the phone to have sales steady by May – June 2017. The company has reportedly invested large sums of capital in battery design and management making the phone safe, which will be explicitly demonstrated during their global launch. Samsung’s new phones have also raked in the largest order of Snapdragon 835 chips from Qualcomm limiting supplies for other brands like LG and HTC.
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ with different screen sizes – 5.7-inches and 6.2-inches respectively. The phones may feature their new Assistant Bixby and 6GB of RAM as standard. The S8 and S8 plus will also be available with upto 256 GB of storage and microSD expandability like the S7 edge, along with IP68 or better water resistance. Wireless charging and new wireless charging accessories are also expected.
A new leak has also shown off the New Gear VR from Samsung which comes with a remote controller built into the body. The Gear VR is expected to be priced at US $ 199 in India retailing for Rs. 14999.
LG will try to one up the Samsung Galaxy S8 by launching the LG G6 as early as 26th Feb at MWC in Barcelona with the phone hitting the markets by 10 March. The company has already teased some features of the LG G6 including an all new design, QuadDAC support FullVision display and the LG UX 6.0 running Android 7.1.
Tipster Evan Blass also recently leaked the image shown above, which are from case manufacturer Speck showing both the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8 in their full render glory.
Samsung has a whole lot of memory and media options available, from SSDs to microSDs, Samsung also supplies Nand flash cards to most Smartphone manufacturers. The new Evo Plus cards are available in capacities ranging from 16GB to 256GB and boast impressive speeds of 90MB/s + for Reads as well as writes making them not only ideal for playback of high res media files but also a fantastic option for Professionals who need to capture high quality 4k footage.
Price
The cards range in price from Rs. 500 for the 16 GB variant all the way upto Rs. 9900 for the 256 GB variant of the card.
Build
The Micro SD card features a temperature resistance rating of -25° to 85° Celsius, and can survive in seawater for upto 72 hours making it extremely resistant and resilient in storing your data safely. The Evo plus card from Samsung does have magnetic and x-ray shielding allowing you to secure your data from the airport scans.
Speed
While the smaller size variants from 16 GB to 128 GB storage capacities are rated for 80 MB/s Reads and only 20 MB/s writes the 256 GB card really shines with high speed card access. Making this ideal not only for smartphones with 4k video recording capabilities, but also for devices, like the GoPro, DJI Osmo and drones that use microSD and capture 4K footage.
While our actual tests show much lower speed than the rated 95MB/s Reads and 90MB/s writes, the overall result is still impressive for a 256 GB microSD card.
Conclusion
The 256 GB Samsung Evo Plus is a solution not for the faint of heart, with a hefty price tag of Rs. 9,900 the 256 GB Samsung Evo Plus will definitely put a big hole in your pocket but will also give you storage and speeds that you need to access the storage. With media storage mediums getting cheaper and cheaper the Samsung 256 GB Evo Plus which retails for Rs. 13999 is now available for Rs. 9,900. It is a high quality well built reliable and resilient card and does not throw up any read/write errors on devices and gives the speeds that are required.
Lenovo P2 as a smartphone offers an interesting mix of hardware and features, focusing more on the massive 5100 mAh battery which offers an impressive battery life on the phone which is just 8.3 mm in thickness. But, do the rest of the features match up with the price of the smartphone? And, is the Lenovo P2 worth your money? Let’s find out!
[section label=”Video Review”]
[section label=”Build And Design”]
Build and Design
The Lenovo P2 has a well built and solid, scratch resistant unibody aluminium design which should look good for long periods of time, if you don’t manage to ding and drop your phone a lot. The shell is well built and looks premium. The dual chamfers, one on the front and one on the back along with chrome accents around the camera, led flash and buttons makes the phone look clean and well made. The manufacturing of the phone is in India. So, Make in India for the win.
Design is very reminiscent with the phones we have seen in the past, with placements of the camera and led flash much like vibe phones seen recently, especially the K6 Note. If you liked the design on those phones, then the P2 does offer up improvements.
[section label=”Hardware”]
Hardware
The hardware is not top notch, with the Snapdragon 625 chipset based on 14nm tech offering octa-core at 2.0 GHz and an Adreno 506 GPU (similar to the Redmi Note 4) the Lenovo P2, is available in 3 GB or 4GB RAM options with 32 GB or 64 GB of Storage. You can add an upto 256 GB card but you lose the 2nd SIM slot on the hybrid tray (boo). The main camera is 13 MP with an f/2.0 aperture and the front camera is a 5MP shooter and the phone is powered by a massive 5100 mAh battery.
[section label=”Performance”]
Performance
The phone features a less powerful 625 chipset, so do not expect this to be a performance monster. The Lenovo P2 scores mediocre benchmark scores, and does decent multitasking Gaming experience is good , but no the best. The phone manages RAM well and despite a stock Android feel, some optimisations in the UI allow for smooth multitasking and everyday use, despite several weeks of usage.
The phone manages heat really well and we did not find the phone heating up extensively even when handling heavy tasks and high end graphics.
[section label=”Multimedia and Display”]
Multimedia and Display
The Super AMOLED display is a perfect example of technology trickling down to mid range phones. Super AMOLED, which is traditionally restricted to Samsung flagships, is now being used by Lenovo on their P2, giving it exceptional viewing angles and good depth of colour and brightness. The indoor and outdoor visibility is good and Black-levels are deep. The display does over-saturate the colours, a problem with most Super-AMOLEDs, however colour profile options allow for some basic changes. Switching to the Normal display mode in the settings shows some natural colours which definitely are flatter to the eye.
The viewing angles and colour quality of the display make watching videos and movies on the phone a great experience. You also have a decent speaker, but the included earphones are poor. Buy yourself a good pair of headphones (/earphones) to enjoy the good multimedia output from the headphone jack.
The P2 does not have Dolby support, and possibly the only phone in Lenovo’s arsenal to miss this out, Strange!
[section label=”Operating System”]
OS and UI
The Lenovo P2 runs on Android 6.0.1 out of the box, with a promised upgrade to Nougat in Late March 2017, which is a bit of a let down. You can expect to start hearing news of Android 8 around that time. However, it is good that the company has given a clear timeline of the updates.
The UI is fast and responsive and thanks to the RAM management stays that way for a long time. The UI is also close to stock much like their Moto phones, and the experience does feel much more like a Moto phone. Little bloatware is preloaded which can easily be uninstalled for those who do not need the unwanted Apps.
The Ui also has some interesting features, like using the Home button/fingerprint scanner for navigation and hiding the Nav-bar for a fuller-screen experience. You also have the ability to have two instances of apps like WhatsApp and Facebook installed so you do not have to log-out of apps and then log-in again. Helpful for those managing both personal and work social profiles.
[section label=”Battery”]
Battery Life and Charging
The Lenovo P2 lives up to expectations of a long battery life. Mixed with a 14nm architecture and a massive battery of 5100 mAh, the Lenovo P2 is a battery king. Expect 2 days of use for most advanced users and longer for average users. The ultimate power mode converts the Smartphone into a feature phone extending the battery life for weeks on an end.
[blockquote]The Lenovo P2 may be a truer battery and charging king [/blockquote]
The included fast charger is speeds up to the point where it delivers an impressive 12V 2A charge making the phone charge to a full in around 1.5 hours. When compared to Dash Charge, the Lenovo P2 may stay back in percentages, i.e achieving 40% vs 60% on the OnePlus 3 in the same time.
However, in real life numbers, it charges 2040 mAh of battery in the same time the Dash Charge charges 1800mAh and that too on a micro USB port. Lenovo has some interesting battery capability here.
Talk Time : 14 Hours
Screen On Time : 20 Hours +
Internet Browsing : 15 Hours +
Video : 10 Hours +
With the battery life, and optimisations, the Lenovo P2 becomes an impressive companion for travellers and media consumption junkies.
Netflix-athon anyone?
[section label=”Camera”]
Cameras
The Lenovo P2 has a 13 MP main camera which has a 21mm f/2.0 aperture equipped lens. Offering an impressive field of view and good depth of field. HDR works well and images look good in well-lit conditions. The phone also manages decent low light images, but you will find yourself using the flash a lot to get good pictures, if lighting is not adequate.
Colors can turn out flat, and images look definitely better on the Super-AMOLED display of the Lenovo P2 than they do on a LCD or LED panel at your home. The main camera also captures 4k video at 30fps, which allows you to get some high resolution video with a chipset that most manufacturers have restricted to Full HD. You also get electronic IS for video which is good for shaky hands, though, you lose some resolution and field of view once you enable this feature.
The front camera is good only is proper lighting, otherwise shots are over processed and noisy. For selfie-lovers the beauty mode cleans up most post processing needs. However, we found turning this off worked better for more natural and sharper looking images. Video on the front is restricted to 1080p and will come in handy for basic usage.
[section label=”Conclusion”]
Conclusion
The Lenovo P2 is designed for those who either travel a lot or forget charging their phone often. Features like a super fast charge, ora long battery life is a boon to a lot of people who work long hours too. Performance is good for most users but the phone is not designed for hardcore gaming enthusiasts and performance junkies.
The Lenovo P2 has a fast UI and some interesting features that can come in handy for new business owners like the dual apps and dual profiles on some social apps. The phone has excellent network strength, and works well with 4G and VoLTE. The hybrid SIM slot is a no-no for us but the option of buying the phone with a big storage of 64GB is an option. An option however, that is not currently on sale.
Another option to consider is that the Lenovo Z2 Plus which features a Snapdragon 820 chipset is now available for as low as Rs. 14999 which supersedes the value of the Lenovo P2 as a better price for spec ratio phone. Making the smartphone space more complicated than ever before.
The included fast charger is speeds up to the point where it delivers an impressive 12V 2A charge making the phone charge to a full in around 1.5 hours. When compared to Dash Charge, the Lenovo P2 may stay back in percentages, i.e achieving 40% vs 60% on the OnePlus 3 in the same time.
