Lenovo Vibe K4 Note review: Phabulous

Introduction

Last year the K3 Note launched as a "big features, small price" phone and now the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note continues the legacy. It has impressive stereo speakers, a sturdy metal frame and a fingerprint reader. It's the kind of spec sheet we see from a premium mid-ranger, except this one stays under the $200 mark.

The K4 is also known Vibe X3 Lite and for a good reason - you get much of the same quality hardware and advanced features at aaalmost half the price of the Vibe X3.

Most impressive is the multimedia focus of the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note. It starts with 2x 1.5W stereo speakers around the 5.5" screen, then there's a Wolfson audio codec for high-quality playback. This chip also manages the 3-mic system and cancels acoustic echo and ambient noise in the 1080p videos shot with the phone's 13MP camera.

And Lenovo built its own VR tech called TheaterMax, but first, let's focus on the most important features.

Key features

• Dual-SIM functionality
• Metal frame and polycarbonate back
• Front stereo speakers (2x 1.5W)
• 5.5-inch LCD IPS 1,080 x 1,920px resolution, 401ppi
• MediaTek MT6753 - octa-core Cortex-A53 1.3GHz, Mali-T720MP3, 2GB/3GB of RAM (A7010/A7010 a48)
• Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
• 13MP rear-camera sensor, f/2.2, phase-detection AF, dual-LED flash
• 1080p@30fps video, 5MP front-facing camera sensor; 3 mics, advanced noise reduction
• 8GB/16GB/32GB of storage (a48 version only with 16GB), expandable up to 128GB via microSD (dedicated slot)
• LTE Cat.4 150 Mbps, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio
• 3,300mAh Li-Po battery
• Fingerprint reader
• Wolfson WM8281 audio codec, Dolby Atmos, TheaterMax (ANTVR headset support)

Main disadvantages

• Limited regional availability
• No Marshmallow (yet)
• No Quick Charge support
• Can't have 3GB RAM with 32GB storage

Did you spot it? The major downgrade from the Vibe X3 to the Vibe K4 Note is the camera. Gone is the 21MP/2160p shooter, instead you get a less impressive 13MP, f/2.2 camera with 1080p video. It does use Samsung's ISOCELL tech, though. The change in chipset doesn't bode well for gaming performance either, but we'll have to double-check our intuition.

Lenovo Vibe K4 Note official images

Again we remind you of the price difference, it's quite significant. It seems that the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note is currently available in select few markets, but those lucky regions are getting a lot of bang for their buck.

We can't wait anymore to hear those speakers, so join us on the next page (wish you can listen with us).