The handset is characterized by its multi-layered design

Jan 3, 2015 10:03 GMT  ·  By

Lenovo might be the world’s largest PC vendor, but when it comes to smartphones, the company still has a lot to work on.

The Motorola acquisition has helped the Chinese manufacturer secure its place among the world’s top handset manufactures, but Lenovo’s own branded smartphones are yet to become customers’ sweethearts.

In recent times, the company has been showing immense improvements and its Vibe series has impressed reviewers and users alike with its class. The Vibe X2 smartphone is one of Lenovo’s recent additions. The handset has been introduced back at IFA 2014 and has managed to stir up quite a hype.

The thing is the Lenovo Vibe X2 flaunts a very particular type of design, one I can’t say I have seen with other products of this type.

Are you bored of drab black plastic handsets which abound everywhere? Not even metal design impresses you all that much these days? Then check out the Lenovo X2.

In what follows I'm going to make an in-depth description of what this peculiar smartphone looks and feels like and why it might be a good choice for you, so buckle up and let's get started.

Design

The biggest selling point of the Lenovo X2 is undoubtedly its looks. You’ll notice this aspect right from the get-go – the X2 is not your average rectangular glass slab with awkward curves built into it.

Lenovo has chosen to make this phone using three different layers of color. My test unit was splashed in shades complementing auric tonalities, so I had a golden layer, an orange one, a red one plus a black one (that’s actually the display) plastered on top of each other to create the unit.

However, Lenovo offers three more variations focusing on silver / white, orange and red paint. Anyway, these layers don’t actually have a functional utility to them, as they are just a design gimmick.

Even if at first glance the smartphone looks a bit thick, this aspect is compensated by its light weight (120g / 0.26 lbs), as the device is constructed out of magnesium. This actually makes the Lenovo Vibe X2 lighter than the iPhone 6, which breaks the scales at 129 g / 0.28 lbs.

On contact, it feels a lot better than plastic and is quite easy to grasp without it sliding off.

The phone’s dimensions are 68.6 x 27 x 140.2 mm / 2.7 x 1.6 x 5.51 inches, so the Vibe X2 is not too big but it’s not very compact either. I have small hands, so I found the handset to be a little too big for one-hand operation. However, this might not be an issue for those of you who won’t have this “size problem.”

Overall, the magnesium makes the phone quite sturdy and gives a nice, comfortable, secure feel to it. The back of our test unit boasted a gold matte finish which luckily didn't seem to be prone to smudges.

Lenovo Vibe X2 showing its colorful layers
Lenovo Vibe X2 showing its colorful layers

The handset doesn't have a removable battery, so you won’t be able to pull out any of these nice-looking layers, which are basically fixed into position.

To get to the SIM card slot, you’ll need to access the left side panel, where you need to pull out the SIM tray to discover the NanoSIM’s layer.

As for physical buttons, the metallic power and volume rocker are located on the right panel. One neat thing you'll notice is that the keys boast the same color as the layer they have been assigned to.

On top, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack while the micro USB port lives at the bottom edge. On the back, you’ll find the main camera lens with LED flash (towards the top left) and a small speaker grill located on the lower left side.

You’ll probably also notice there are three contact points next to the speaker grill, used to connect the handset to additional accessories like a battery case or a JBL speaker case.

Take into consideration that the handset has no microSD so the memory expansion scenario is out. The handset doesn't have NFC either, but that’s bound to be less bothersome.

What I've noticed after handling the handset for a while is that tiny chips of paint had fallen off some of the layers due to usage. This isn't a disaster, but it can surely become frustrating if too much of the paint job is affected.

It seems like erosion does affect the Lenovo X2 and it would be interesting to see one of these handsets after it has been intensively used for a year or so.

Display and Camera

The Lenovo X2 is a 5-inch handset offering 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and 441ppi.While I don’t have major complaints about overall color rendering in an indoor setting, things aren't the same when you take the device out in the sunlight.

Lenovo Vibe X2, display detail
Lenovo Vibe X2, display detail

The smartphone doesn't offer a horrible viewing experience, but sometimes you’ll have to look closer in order to discern what's going on on the screen. And when it comes to the dimly lit navigation keys, things get even worse.

The display also takes advantage of Gorilla Glass 3, making it quite resistant to minor scratches.

In the photography department, the Vibe X2 enjoys the benefits of a 13MP camera on the back. But, I have seen better, a lot better.

Most of the time the problem is that the resulting images feature pretty bland and washed-out colors, even if we were taking shots in a natural-lighting setting.

Things get even worse if you’re shooting in an indoor environment or in a low-light one, since the pictures deliver a lot of noise and graininess.

The maximum resolution is 4160 x 3120 pixels in 4:3 mode. You can also shoot in 16:9, but images will be cropped to 4096 x 2304 pixels.

As for the camera user interface, it’s pretty intuitive and you can browse through the effects and modes with total ease. On top you’ll spot four shortcuts including front camera switch, flash toggle, HDR and shutter trigger.

The setting menu can be accessed via a shortcut located in the bottom corner. This way you can get to choose between HDR mode, Auto scene, geo-tagging, resolution settings or anti-banding feats.

There are also three basic shooting modes to choose from including Normal, Panorama and Effects. You won’t have a lot of effect to choose from, so if you really need to edit your photographs, you’ll probably need to install a third-party app like Pixlr Express.

The trouble with the Lenovo’s Vibe X2 camera is that the focus isn't all that good, so most of the times you'll have to struggle to get the shot you want.

The handset also has a 5MP front-facing camera, capable of automatically snapping a photo when you wave to capture, make the “piece” sign or blink (this shutter gesture reduces shaking).

These features will probably come in-handy when you’re in the process of taking pictures of yourself, so they certainly satisfy the needs of selfie lovers.

Video recording is also possible with the Vibe X2, at a maximum of 1080p Full HD resolution at 30fps. The focusing can be set to continuous and there’s a toggle for video stabilizer.

Overall, the camera produces decent results, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary, so don’t go thinking you’ll be able to produce some major masterpieces using it. It’s just an average camera.

Sample image in natural light environment
Sample image in natural light environment

Power and Performance

The Lenovo Vibe X2 is powered by a 2GHz MediaTek MT6595M octa-core processor fitted with 2GB of RAM and backed up by 32GB of internal storage (remember, there’s no microSD card slot for memory expansion).

The MT6595 is what’s being touted as a true octa-core processor taking advantage of ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture with MediaTek’s CorePilot technology used to unleash the so-called Heterogeneous Multi-Processing (HMP) platform in order to unlock the full power of all eight cores of the processor.

In layman’s terms, this means the processor can handle whatever you throw at it, including activities that include multi-tasking. However, the architecture is built so as to conserve power as much as possible.

Thanks to the octa-core processor on the inside, the browsing experience is extremely smooth, so we didn't notice any lags or stumps in performance.

Lag between tapping on a function/app and onset of the action per-se wasn't really noticeable, so I could enjoy one of my current, favorite Android games (which is quite demanding on the system) – The Room, frustration-free.

We conducted a bunch of benchmark tests on the Lenovo Vibe X2 and you can check out the results in the gallery. For example, in Vellamo’s Multicore test, the smartphone scored higher than HTC’s flagship One (M8), LG G3, Nexus 5 and Samsung Galaxy S5.

In AnTuTu, the smartphone scored 47,156 points, which gave it the title of “Amazing.” Once again the device topped the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5 (also the Galaxy Note 3).

Another positive aspect is that the Lenovo Vibe X2 doesn't seem to heat up all that much.

No matter if you’re playing games or busy browsing multiple apps, the MediaTek chip manages to keep itself cool enough so it doesn't become an annoyance.

Don’t expect it to be cold as ice, though. If you’re playing a game for a prolonged period of time, it is bound to get a little warm.

Menu and Software

The Lenovo X2 runs on a custom version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat called Vibe 2.0, which frankly looks a lot like iOS.

For the time being, Lenovo hasn't said anything about rolling out the Android 5.0 Lollipop update, but we have to assume this will happen at some point.

Anyway, going back to what’s being offered on the Vibe X2, Lenovo’s Vibe UI is something you’ll either love or hate. One of the first things you’ll probably notice is that the interface doesn't have an app drawer.

So instead of the familiar app list, you’ll need to make sense of your app clutter using the homescreen panels, widgets and such.

It might be different from what you would normally see on most Android phones, but if you’re familiar with what Chinese OEMs tend to do with their UI (including Xiaomi, Huawei or Gionee), you won’t be too surprised.

A pinch gesture on the homescreen will prompt the management screen to pop up and from there you can go ahead to rearrange, delete and add panes.

Even if Vibe OS is not your usual Android smartphone interface, it still remains pretty intuitive and easily accessible and Lenovo provides enough hints to help you navigate and set up things without a lot of fuss involved.

Lenovo also embeds a Tutorial application, so if you are having any troubles setting up a particular option, I suggest you take a look at this section. For example, you can be taught how to do it: Open the Notification windows, Close the Notification window or Shortcut switch, but there are plenty others mini-tutorials to explore.

The phone does come with its fair share of pre-installed software (some might call it bloatware) including UC Browser, Kingsoft Office, One key lock, Truecaller, Clean up, Navigate, Gamestore (a bunch of Gameloft games), CLONEit, Security, SYNCit or Shareit.

In the Settings (Feature department), you’ll find some nifty features. For example, there’s the Quick Snap option which allows you to double tap the home button while the screen is off in order to snap a picture. Or there’s the option of picking up and raising the phone in order to gain access the camera (Raise to snap).

The Lenovo Vibe X2 supports gesture control, so you can even answer an incoming phone call by virtue of just picking up the device and putting it to your ear.

What’s more, you can even set the phone to switch on/off audio profiles at a predefined time or if it detects a certain Wi-Fi network, so when you enter your work environment, your handset automatically goes to Silent Mode.

There’s also a “Float” button which is exactly what the name implies – a button that floats over your apps housing a back button, lock button and shortcuts to launch apps. Not everybody might be particularly fond of this feature, but Lenovo throws it in anyway.

The Theme Center is pretty lofty as it offers numerous options of changing themes, wallpapers, sounds and lock screen layout. However, you won’t be able to customize the boot animation, system UI. Notification UI can call page layout.

Like with many Android phones, the notification pane features a scrolling panel of quick toggles at the top, which include several shortcuts for GPS, Bluetooth or Flashlight activation (and many more).

Battery

The Lenovo Vibe X2 is sustained by a non-removable 2300 mAh battery of mid-range capacity. Given the fact that we’re dealing with a 5-inch handset boasting FHD resolution and a powerful octa-core processor, you should be expecting a pretty average battery life overall.

And that’s exactly the outcome. The phone can handle whatever you throw at it including demanding games and applications, but it will also suck the life out of the device without compassion.

Under heavy usage, you’ll probably have to pop in for a charge sooner than you’d expect and the battery might not even take you through a full day of usage.

That being said, I used the smartphone for playing games, browsing online, snapping a bunch of pictures, reading a book, and in 5 hours I was already out of battery.

However, the manufacturer tries to leverage the battery deficiency somehow, by offering a bunch of options designed to boost battery life. You will find them in the Power Management section.

For example, the Ultra Power Saving Mode will restrict the UI to calls and messaging only. Other features include Screen and GPU power saver. Furthermore, the user can disable apps when the screen is turned off and there’s also a timed switch which automatically turns power saving on, at certain pre-set intervals.

Last but not least, remember the Lenovo Vibe X2 doesn't have a removable battery. What lives under the hood stays under the hood.

Connectivity and Communication

The Lenovo Vibe X2 comes equipped with Bluetooth v4.1 (LE, A2DP), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotstop, HSPA (42.2/5.76 Mbps), LTE. Cat4 (150/50 Mbps), GPS with GLONASS and A-GPS. However, you won’t find any FM Radio onboard.

The phone is available in single-SIM and dual-SIM configuration (our test unit was single). The latter takes advantage of a dedicated SIM management panel you can find in the settings menu, but it’s only available in India for the time being.

As we mentioned above, the handset doesn't offer NFC or Infrared, but this aspect shouldn't constitute such major negative point.


The Good

If you want to have a smartphone that looks unique, the Lenovo Vibe X2 is certainly the way to go. Many people tend to focus on looks when they pick up a handset and the Chinese OEM knows this.

On top of its appealing, multi-layered face, the handset also offers a capable FHD display, a powerful processor and many interesting options onboard.

The handset has a semi-affordable price tag attached to it (if you’re in India, you can pick it up for approximately $316 / €261, but in some parts of Europe the device sells for more) and given the specs packed under the hood, some might consider the X2 a bargain.

The Bad

The Chinese handset follows in the footsteps of a lot of Chinese OEMs and blatantly copies Apple’s iconic iOS platform. However, some Android users might not mind having a touch of iOS on their handset. But the absence of a dedicated app drawer might not agree with so many.

The absence of a microSD card for memory expansion might further put a dumper of things, although the handset is offered with 32GB of internal storage, which is better than the norm.

The main’s camera abilities aren't fantastic, but they aren't the worst you can find either. Even so, if you’re planning to purchase the handset for the camera, I suggest you look somewhere else.

Conclusion

Albeit being a beginner while smartphones are concerned, Lenovo has managed to do a very swell job with the Vibe X2, at least design-wise.

The specifications are pretty capable too, and you’ll be getting a bunch of nifty features with the bundle as well, which other smartphones on the market lack.

It’s a decent step forward for Lenovo, so we expect more good things to come out of the Chinese manufacturer in 2015.

Our Rating

looks 4
build 3
speed 4
battery 3
calls 3
camera 3
video 3
apps 3
screen 4
signal4

final rating 3

Lenovo Vibe X2 (68 Images)

Lenovo Vibe X2 frontal view
Lenovo Vibe X2, Google appsLenovo Vibe X2 showing its colorful layers
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