Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro review: Expanding universe

Conclusion

The Vibe Z2 Pro is just as classy as it is big. Lenovo has done a great job of putting together a marvelous piece of hardware. The metal build not only looks good, but also gives you that premium feel that's a must for a handset in this price range.

In spite of its massive display, the Vibe Z2 Pro isn't any larger than its competitors. Much like Huawei did with the Ascend Mate 7, Lenovo trimmed the bezels to make the phone manageable, which will certainly broaden its appeal.

The company says the Vibe Z2 Pro is a result of its engineers having no budget to try and stick to and it shows. The 6" display of QHD resolution is excellent, the camera does very well and the build and finish are great. We just wished the company went for the latest Snapdragon 805 chip as it would have added the final touch to a perfectly rounded package.

Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro key test findings:

• Fantastically solid aluminum build with very thin bezels
• The 6" IPS QHD display is sharp, vibrant, but somewhat lacks contrast.
• Great battery life thanks to the 4,000mAh battery, which can be further enhanced using the Power Management app
• All-round connectivity with LTE Cat.4, dual-SIM option available
• Overall great performance and great CPU score, but fails at GPU benchmarks
• Relatively quiet loudspeaker, lacks stereo setup
• Still images offer a lot of detail and saturation, but not much in terms of dynamic range
• Great looking 4K videos with a lot of detail
• Video player handles all video and audio codecs, but not AC3 sound and subtitles
• Vibe UI v.2 is great, fast and with tons of personalization options and custom apps

Mind you, the phone's chipset is the only component that isn't the latest in mobile technology. Everywhere else, the Vibe Z2 Pro can easily stand up to much more prominent rivals.

As for the software, while we aren't fans of Chinese companies trying to emulate the iOS experience under Android, we have to admit Lenovo has done well with its launcher. For the most part it's perfectly intuitive and offers heaps of functionality.

The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro isn't without its flaws though. In a phone this big, we can't see how Lenovo couldn't fit a microSD card slot. We do appreciate the pair of SIM slots, but a cheap memory expansion option would've been great.

The phablet universe is expanding rapidly and the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is bound to face some heavyweight competition. All three major camps (Android, iOS and Windows Phone) offer alternatives to the Vibe Z2 Pro that are at least worth a look.

The most notable of them is the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It has a slightly smaller 5.7" Super AMOLED display but of the same QHD resolution. This means a a ppi edge for Samsung, but also more vibrant colors and excellent contrast. The Galaxy Note 4 doesn't have an all-metal body, but it's the first from the series with a metal frame and the improved faux leather back is more durable than the metal body of the Lenovo flagship.

Samsung has also worked on a lot of improvements to its TouchWiz UI and it feels more polished than ever. Complete with the mighty S Pen, the phone is a productivity powerhouse. Then again the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is €100 cheaper than its Samsung rival, so the value for money is there.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The newly launched Motorola Nexus 6 offers the pure Android experience on a similar 6" QHD display. However, it's a Super AMOLED panel just like the Galaxy Note 4's. Under the hood, there's the more powerful Snapdragon 805 chipset, while the 16MP camera has OIS. We don't know how it performs just yet, so we can't make a meaningful comparison.

The Nexus 6 is an upsized second generation Moto X that doesn't have a removable battery or a microSD card slot. If you're an Android purist you should definitely keep an eye on this one.

Motorola Nexus 6

Last in the Android camp comes one of the biggest Vibe Z2 Pro competitors, the Huawei Ascend Mate 7. Its compact size, metal build and Kirin 925 chipset arguably come the closest to matching the Lenovo flagship. You will have to settle for a 1080p screen and video recoding that maxes at the same resolution though.

Huawei Ascend Mate7

In the iOS corner we have the Apple iPhone 6 Plus - Cupertino's first attempt at a phablet. Unfortunately, despite only packing a 5.5" 1080p display, the Apple smartphone has an almost identical footprint to the Vibe Z2 Pro's and its aging camera (with OIS but still) doesn't go a long way justifying that exorbitant price.

However, there's no denying the iOS has its impressive arsenal of weapons so if money's no object the iPhone 6 Plus is certainly worth a look.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

And if you are on a budget, may we suggest you turn to Windows Phone and check out the Lumia 1520. It's a year old now and features the dated Snapdragon 800 chipset and 1080p resolution on a similarly sized 6" IPS screen. It's not quite as good as the Vibe Z2 Pro overall but it's way cheaper and has a very strong weapon in its 20MP PureView camera.

Nokia Lumia 1520

All in all, the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is a great phablet, even if not quite the best there is. Its take at Android may not be everyone's cup of tea and the lack of expandable storage may turn a few people off, but those looking to get a fresh new interface while saving a few bucks certainly won't regret going the Lenovo way.