Lenovo which had acquired Zuk somewhere in 2015 is in news again. They have come up with Lenovo Z2 Plus in India, an upgraded model of Zuk Z1. It was released earlier in May 2016 in the China. Similar to its Chinese counterpart Lenovo Z2 Plus is now among the buzz in India and is also touted to be the cheapest phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC in India.
Lenovo has priced it aggressively at Rs 17,999 for 3GB/32GB variant and Rs 19,999 for 4GB/64GB variant. You must note that there is tough competition in this segment with devices like OnePlus 3, Mi5, LeMax and much more but, Lenovo has come up again and with a phone with good specification at such a low cost. We shall find out whether Lenovo Z2 plus has what it takes to challenge its competitors under this price segment in this quick hands on and overview.
Specifications
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Design and Bulid Quality
We have seen that most of the mid range flagship come with a metallic unibody, but Lenovo have made this to be a fibre glass body with 2.5 D glass at top and bottom. Though, this makes the phone looks much premium, we must admit that a metal body has its own advantages. Also, the phone is not slim either, may be because of 3500 mAh battery in such a small form factor. But its notable that its much handy because of its compact size. The 5.0 inch screen makes it easily usable with a single hand.
Lenovo has beamed Z2 Plus to have a roll cage similar to that of a car which helps in protecting the inner components from sudden impact due to a sudden fall. I think this is a brilliant considering the fibre glass body and hence gives extra protection. We must note that we have only one button on the front side of the phone which can be further customized to use as shortcuts. The design is simple and classic and avoids unnecessary curves. Also none of the sensors are eliminated.
Finally, the phone has good design and a premium build quality. The only downside would be the fibre glass body (if you wanted a phone for rough use).
Let’s take an overview of the Z2 Plus
Front
On the front, we can find the 5.0 inch Full HD display, on top of it we have the earpiece with an 8 MP camera and also some couple of sensors. We can also find the fingerprint sensor below the display. The buttons are placed on the screen itself.
Right
We have the volume rocker followed by the power key. Then we have a sim tray to fit dual Nano SIM.
Bottom
On the bottom we find 3.5 mm jack, then a Primary Microphone followed by the USB Type C charging and data syncing port. At last we find the speaker unit.
Rear
On the rear side we find the 13 MP camera with a single LED flash. We also find the secondary noise cancellation microphone. We also find nice Lenovo branding on the bottom.
The phone is clean on the top and left side.
Lenovo Z2 Plus Photo Gallery
Display
Lenovo Z2 Plus comes with a 5.0 inch Full HD IPS LCD screen that is with a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels. This resolution in a 5.0 inch display results in a brilliant pixel density of 441 PPI. This phone also features a 2.5D curved glass which adds to the enhancement of the display. The display is crisp and has some good visibility.
The viewing angles are great also the 5.0 inch display which makes it much easier to handle. Also it’s bright enough for outdoor use. Though some may have preferred a 5.5 inch screen considering the media consumption, I personally prefer a smaller display. It also comes with oleo phobic coating which avoids finger prints.
Some let downs in the display include that it does not come with a Gorilla certified glass, though Lenovo promises it to have some coating which gives it scratch protection.
Camera
Lenovo Z2 plus comes with a 13 Mega Pixel rear camera with an aperture of f/2.2. This phone is enabled with Phase Detection Auto Focus that is PDAF and Electronic Image Stabilization that is EIS. These two would enhance the image quality. We have a single LED flash but we might have expected a dual tone LED flash.
The rear camera can record upto 2160p at 30 FPS. Camera performance is good under daylight but it’s somewhat grainy under low lighting conditions. Front facing camera is an 8 Mega Pixel one with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.4 micro meter pixel size. It can record videos up to 1080p.
Special Features
Unlike Zuk Z1, Z2 plus does not come with Cyanogen OS but with somewhat near to stock android features. Also the customizable fingerprint sensor is a new change in this phone , you can customize this to use as shortcuts to camera, calculator etc by various gestures like press and hold, tap and hold, slide etc. This is known as UTouch 2.0.
Also, the roll cage is an important addition to the build quality. The fibre glass body also needs a special mention here. The pedometer sensor which works with the U-Health app also adds some value to the package.
Price and availability
As stated earlier, Lenovo Z2 Plus comes in two variants in India. The lower variant being 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage which retails for Rs 17,999 and the higher variant would be the 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage which retails for Rs 19,999. It comes in black and white colour options. This is an Amazon exclusive product and will be available for open sale from 25th September.
Lenovo is also selling some accessories with it which includes Chrono case for a price of Rs 1299, Skullcandy Ando earphone for a price of Rs 1299 and also another stealth case for around Rs 699.
Conclusion
At a price of Rs 17,999, Lenovo have managed to give a phone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 which is quite an achievement. Also, we are getting a fibre glass body and a 5.0 inch display which is rare to find in this segment. But we have many other competitive phones which offer same performance but with a larger display almost around the same price.
Hence, I would say Lenovo Z2 Plus is a must buy if you want a 5.0 inch display with good performance, a big battery and premium looks at an affordable price. The only reason you will not buy this phone will be the 5 inch display size, which I find great.
