A stylish smartphone with a very high-quality camera is the Lenovo Vibe Shot. An overview of its capabilities, hardware and software parameters of this device, as well as reviews about it - these are the things that will be discussed further. The pros and cons of this smart phone will also be highlighted, on the basis of which recommendations will be given regarding the purchase of this device.
Who is this camera phone for?
According to its characteristics, this device refers to mid-range solutions. This is clearly indicated by the model of the central processor installed in it, the diagonal of the display and the cost. The key feature of this gadget is its main camera. It is it that allows the device to stand out from other similar devices. In essence, this smartphone belongs to a new, still nascent class of devices - “camera phones”. That is, phones in which the technical parameters are very mediocre, but the camera boasts impressive features, high quality photos and exactly the same video quality. Finally, it should be noted that this is a fairly recent device. The gadget itself was presented in March this year at the MWC-2015 exhibition in Barcelona. Well, sales of Lenovo Vibe Shot in Russia began three months later, that is, in June of this year.
What comes with a smartphone?
Very good equipment for this device. It includes:
- Smartphone with a non-removable battery.
- Charger.
- Cord for charging the battery and for synchronizing with a PC.
- Transparent Case for Lenovo Vibe Shot.
- Protective glossy film for the front panel.
- High-quality stereo headset with tangled wires and suction cup speakers.
- A warranty card, a quick start guide and an advertising brochure are a complete list of the documentation that comes with the device.
This list just lacks a flash card. But taking into account the fact that the capacity of the internal drive is 32 GB, there is no particularly urgent need for an external drive in this case.
Gadget design
If you look at the device from the front panel, then there is nothing unusual in it. This is a typical representative of the line of "smart" phones of this Chinese manufacturer. Most of it is occupied by a 5-inch touch screen. Above it is a conversational speaker, hidden behind a metal mesh. A peephole of the front camera for “selfie” and video calls is also displayed here. Well, in the same place are the sensor elements of the device. In turn, under the touch screen there are three touch buttons for controlling the device: “Back”, “Home” and, of course, “Menu”. The front panel of the smartphone is protected by shock-resistant glass "Gorilla Eye." More specifically, his third generation. The sides of the device are made of metal. All device controls are displayed on the left side of the device. Here is the lock button and volume controls. In addition, the camera control button is also displayed here (using it, you can take pictures and video) and the slider to select the camera mode.
On the upper edge of the smartphone there is a noise reduction microphone and a wired port for connecting an external speaker system to the device. At the opposite end, another wired micro-USB port, a loud speaker and a talking microphone are displayed. On the left side there are two slots with trays in which SIM cards and an external flash drive are installed. The back of the device, like the front panel, is made of high-impact glass "Gorilla Eye". Outwardly, it looks more like the front of modern digital cameras than the back cover of a smartphone. Here is the logo of the manufacturer and the name of the gadget model. In the upper left corner, the peephole of the main camera with a 16 megapixel sensor element and improved characteristics is displayed. Next to it is a triple LED backlight of different colors and an infrared sensor, which in this case replaces laser autofocus.
There are three color options for the case: white, red and gray. The weak half of humanity will like the first two performances. And Lenovo Vibe Shot Red is more practical. The remaining fingerprints, scratches and dirt are not so noticeable on it. But the white version of this camera phone cannot boast of such a thing. Well, Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 Gray is the most universal solution. It is suitable for everyone, and in the same way as on the red version of this device, possible damage and remaining fingerprints are not so noticeable on it. Finally, it should be noted that the case in this device is not separable. Accordingly, if the device breaks down, it will be problematic to do without the help of a qualified technical specialist.
CPU
The computing foundation is really good at Lenovo Vibe Shot. A review of the technical parameters of the gadget indicates that it uses the "Snapdragon 615". Of course, this is not a flagship solution, but its capabilities are quite enough to solve any problem. This chip consists of two computing clusters. The first of them provides high energy efficiency processor solutions. It includes 4 computing cores based on the A53 architecture, which are capable of overclocking to 1 GHz. The second module provides high-performance chip. It also consists of 4 computing modules of the same architecture. But to increase their frequency, unlike the previous 4 cores, they can already up to 1.7 GHz in the highest load mode. If necessary, all eight cores can work in parallel, but the battery of the gadget will be discharged just before our eyes.
Some of the most demanding toys will not be able to go with maximum settings on this gadget. But, on the other hand, this device is aimed at fans to take high-quality photos or record videos. And with this, the problem of this central processing unit certainly will not arise.
Screen and its parameters
Smartphone Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 is equipped with a high-quality display, the characteristics and parameters of which are certainly not satisfactory. Its diagonal is 5 inches. In this case, the screen resolution is already very good by today's standards, 1080p, or 1920x1080. The density of pixels on its surface is 441ppi. It goes without saying that with such a density, a single pixel certainly cannot be distinguished by the ordinary eye. The matrix of the screen is made according to the most advanced technology at the moment - “IPS”. Because of this, viewing angles and energy efficiency are at a decent level. Another plus of the device is the availability of OZHS technology. That is, there is no air gap between the touch panel and the surface of the screen matrix. As a result, image quality is getting an order of magnitude better.
Video card
The Lenovo Vibe Shot is equipped with the Adreno 420 graphic accelerator developed by Qualk. Of course, this is far from a flagship solution, but for intermediate-level gadgets, its computing capabilities are quite enough. Even most modern three-dimensional toys will go on it. True, some of the most demanding of them will not function at maximum settings. With the rest of the application software, the owners of this smartphone will generally not have any problems with the position of the graphic part.
Cameras
Of course, the main plus compared to competitors is the main camera in Lenovo Vibe Shot. Photos and videos taken with her help are really high quality. She has a 16 megapixel sensor. At the same time, the manufacturer did not forget to equip it with such important components as an autofocus system, triple LED backlight (of different colors, which allows you to adjust the backlight response level depending on the illumination of a future photo) and an infrared sensor (it replaces laser autofocus). There is also digital zoom. This camera records video in 1080p. At the same time, the update speed of pictures is 30 frames per second. This allows you to get high quality recordings on Lenovo Vibe Shot. The camera, displayed on the front side of the gadget, is equipped with a more modest sensor - 8 megapixels. But this is quite enough for comfortable communication using calls. For the now popular "selfie" these 8 megapixels is also enough.
Memory
An interesting situation is with RAM in Lenovo Vibe Shot. A review of the technical specifications of this device indicates the presence of 3 GB of RAM. But the user can only rely on 1.5 GB, and the rest of it is occupied by system processes. It is difficult to say what preinstalled software RAM is clogged with, but this is definitely a lot. But, on the other hand, even 1.5 GB of RAM will be enough for comfortable work on this device. Moreover, it will even be possible to launch several applications at once and switch between them without problems. Well, with so much free random access memory you can not install additional special software that will clean the RAM. The capacity of the integrated storage device is 32 GB. About 6 GB of them are filled with system software. The remaining free space the user can use at his discretion. This is quite enough to install a substantial number of applications, to store many musical compositions or several films in good quality. In general, the owner of this gadget can safely do without an external drive, but there is such an opportunity in this “smart” phone. The maximum amount of installed flash cards can be 128 GB. This will definitely solve all the problems with a possible lack of memory in this device.
Camera phone autonomy
The Lenovo Vibe Shot smartphone is equipped with a 2900 mAh battery. As noted earlier, it is non-removable, and the case in this device is non-separable. With an average load on the device, one charge will definitely last 1.5 days. If you put this device in "Emergency mode" (the phone can only make calls and receive and send short test messages), then it will be possible to stretch for 3 days on a single charge. Well, if you launch some rather demanding three-dimensional toy, then the smartphone will be discharged in 4-5 hours. Therefore, the autonomy indicators in this gadget are very mediocre. Well, you can’t expect more from a 2900 mAh battery, a processor with 8 cores on board, a large 5-inch screen (although it is made using energy-efficient technology, but its resolution is 1920 × 1080). To improve the autonomy of the device, the new owner will have to purchase an additional external battery for a fee. This will allow in any scenario to avoid possible shutdowns of the gadget when the battery is completely discharged. There is another significant nuance in this device related to its autonomy. When the battery is completely discharged, the alarm does not start at all, unlike most similar devices. Reviews from the owners of the gadget indicate this. The solution to this problem, again, is to purchase and connect an additional external battery.
Interfaces
The generally accepted set of interfaces in this gadget:
- Both SIM cards perfectly support all the cellular networks possible today, including 4G, which has not yet received wide distribution.
- Almost all Wi-Fi standards will function without problems on this camera phone. An exception in this regard is the new standard "ac", which has not yet received wide distribution. But still, with a properly configured wireless router, in this case there should not be a problem.
- “Bluetooth” allows you to share a small amount of information with similar mobile gadgets. Also, with its help, an external wireless speaker system can be connected to the device.
- The navigation capabilities of the device are implemented using the GPS system.
- There are only two wired methods for exchanging data: a 3.5-mm audio port and a universal micro-USB.
Software
One of the most recent versions of system software is installed on Lenovo Vibe Shot. The firmware is based on version 5.0 of such an operating system for mobile gadgets as Android. Moreover, both the central processor and system software are oriented to 64-bit computing. The result is simply an excellent level of performance for a mid-range device. But, again, the operating system is not installed in its pure form, as the search giant distributes it to its devices. On top of the system software installed a special proprietary software shell on Lenovo Vibe Shot. Because of this, the firmware works more stably and reliably.
And how much is it now?
The Lenovo Vibe Shot smartphone was priced at $ 485 at the start of sales. It was for so much that it could be purchased in the first half of summer. Now its value has decreased by $ 100 - to the level of $ 385. Of course, with similar technical specifications, you can find a cheaper device. But the camera features of this gadget are really phenomenal. Therefore, if you need a smartphone and a digital camera with a high-quality camera all rolled into one, you can safely turn your attention to this particular device.
Owners opinion
There are simply no significant flaws in the Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90 7. This smartphone is really well balanced. Certain complaints are caused only by its autonomy, but, as noted earlier, to solve this problem by purchasing an additional external battery is not difficult. Otherwise, this smartphone leaves only a positive impression. This is the central processor, and the memory subsystem, and the display. Well, about the main camera, there can be no question: this is the best solution in the segment of camera phones.
Comparison with other similar devices
There are essentially two competitors for Lenovo Vibe Shot. Comparison with their hardware characteristics is clearly in favor of this device. One of the competitors is Huawei's Honor 6. It is based on the outdated Kirin 920 chip with 8 computing 32-bit cores, it is equipped with exactly the same amount of RAM, it has the identical capacity of an integrated drive. And the main camera will be more modest - 13 megapixels versus 16 megapixels. As a result, the cost of this smartphone is lower, and is $ 270. The second device is Xiaomi Mi-4. Its parameters are almost identical, but the Snapdragon 801 processor will lose the Snapdragon 615 in new and multi-threaded applications. Yes, and the main camera’s sensor is also weaker - the same 13 megapixels. Hence the price of 250 dollars.
Therefore, in the segment of camera phones, the Lenovo solution looks most preferable. Only here he has better parameters, and therefore, for these advantages, in any case, you will have to pay extra.
Summary
With virtually no significant flaws, the result was a Lenovo Vibe Shot. A review of its parameters and capabilities just proves it once again. If you need a smartphone with a very high-quality camera, then you can safely purchase this particular gadget. This is one of the best solutions to date in a nascent segment of devices such as a camera phone. But at the same time, the strengths of this smartphone are not limited to just a camera. It also has a powerful processor, a well-organized memory subsystem and a large display diagonal, which boasts very good characteristics. Among its main disadvantages, only a weak degree of autonomy can be distinguished. But this issue is easily and simply solved by purchasing an additional external battery, and after that this gadget becomes just perfect.