Lenovo India Mobile Business Head Sudhin Mehta, at the beginning of the launch event, drew everyone’s attention to the important contribution of battery in the company’s popular smartphones in 2015 and 2016. The year has changed but the company’s strategy has not changed completely. Lenovo K8 Plus is actually an upgrade of Lenovo K6 Power. But this time the important feature is not just the battery. Customers will now also get two rear cameras. By the way, you get both these features in the slightly more expensive Lenovo K8 Note as well. But the company understands the importance of every thousand rupees for the customers during purchase, that is why these features have been made a part of the slightly cheaper version. Has Lenovo made any big compromise due to the low price of K8 Plus? To know the answer to this question, we spent some time with Lenovo K8 Plus and Lenovo K8 at the launch event. How did we like these handsets at first glance? Let us tell you…
Before discussing the first look of Lenovo K8 and Lenovo K8 Plus, let us make the difference between the two phones clear. The displays of Lenovo K8 Plus and K8 are 5.2 inches. The difference is in the resolution. The Plus variant has full-HD resolution and the regular variant has HD display. Apart from this, you will get only one rear camera in Lenovo K8. At the same time, Lenovo K8 Plus has Helio P25 processor and K8 has Helio P20. And the biggest difference will be in the price, which can be revealed only in the coming time.
When we held the Lenovo K8 Plus smartphone in our hands for the first time, it was not easy to differentiate it from the Lenovo K8 Note. But there is no doubt that it is light. K8 and K8 Plus are also quite compact. Both phones fit easily in the palm. There is no problem in reaching the power and volume buttons on the right edge or the fingerprint scanner present on the back. Both phones have a 3.5mm audio jack on the top and a USB port on the bottom. There are speaker grills on both sides of the port. Let us tell you that both handsets come with Dolby Atmos support. Both phones have a music button on the left edge which can also be customized. Right above it is a slot for microSD card and SIM card. It is good that the company has not provided a hybrid SIM slot.
The screens are crisp. The viewing angles are also decent. And we have no complaints about the phone’s response to finger gestures (touch response). It is worth noting that such complaints are rarely found in phones of this price range. We have already told you that you get different processors in K8 and K8 Plus. In the limited time spent with them, we found that there is no problem in multitasking. Apps launch quickly. However, any final decision on performance will be possible only after the review.
Both the phones run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and the company has also promised an Android Oreo update. Like the Lenovo K8 Note, these phones also come with stock Android. Due to this, the UI of the phone has been freed from unwanted apps. Be ready to enjoy Android Nougat features like app shortcuts and Google Assistant.
Now let’s talk about the important feature of Lenovo K8 Plus, the dual rear camera. There is a 13-megapixel sensor along with another 5-megapixel sensor on the back. With the help of both sensors, it will be possible to bring bokeh effect. Pro mode is also provided in the camera app. We used the camera of this phone during the launch event. We have no complaints with the quality of the pictures taken in the limited time. But to tell in more detail, we would suggest you to wait for the review. The smartphone also has an 8-megapixel front camera with aperture F/2.0, 84-degree wide angle lens and a ‘party’ flash. Our selfies also came out well from this. There will be no problem in using them on social media.
On the other hand, Lenovo K8 has only one rear camera. You get a 13-megapixel sensor. Whatever the quality of the pictures, it is clear that you will not be able to do the same kind of artwork with the Lenovo K8’s camera as you can with the Plus or Note variants. The few pictures we took were satisfactory. The same can be said about the pictures taken with the 8-megapixel front camera.
One specification common in all three Lenovo phones is the battery capacity. All three handsets have 4000 mAh battery. This figure indicates a reliable battery life. On the other hand, the company has claimed that the phone will run for about two days without charging. But we will give our verdict only after the review.
Two rear cameras have been a premium feature till now. But companies like Xiaomi, Motorola, Coolpad and Honor have brought it within the reach of common consumers. In such a situation, how can Lenovo stay behind? It started with Lenovo K8 Note which was well received by the customers. Now the company has introduced Lenovo K8 Plus, an upgrade of Lenovo K6 Power, for its fans. Along with this, Lenovo K8 has also been launched to maintain its reach in the offline market. Will these smartphones live up to the company’s claims? Has the company found a winning formula by combining budget and strong specifications? The answers to these questions will be found only in the future. But Gadgets 360 will at least clear some of your dilemmas by reviewing these handsets.