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Lenovo Vibe K5 Note, the newest addition to Lenovo’s K series, is now out for India. The Vibe K5 Note comes here just eight months after the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note was launched. But unlike the previous version, this one goes straight on open sale. However, Lenovo is not bundling the ANT VR headset with this for an additional price, and users have will have to purchase it separately at Rs 1,299. Lenovo Vibe K5 Note is launching in two versions in India: 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM, and this appears to be a strategy across Lenovo-owned brands.
The Moto G4 was launched in a more expensive Plus version as well as the regular Moto G4. With Lenovo Vibe K5 Note, the starting price is Rs 11,999 for the 3GB RAM version, while the 4GB RAM one costs Rs 13,499. The new phone is pitched as a ‘content consumption’ device, with support for Lenovo’s TheaterMax technology, which the company points works across all applications and forms of content on the smartphone, and is more than just regular VR. Here’s our first impression of the smartphone based on the time we spent in the demo zone.
Let’s get it straight: With Vibe K5 Note, TheaterMax is the USP or at least that’s how Lenovo is pitching it. The company first introduced this technology in India with the K4 Note, then the more premium Vibe X3 and now brings it to the latest smartphone. So how does TheaterMax work? Users will need an ANT-VR headset, and the smartphone needs to be inserted between this headset. It’s not as sturdy looking as the Samsung Gear VR, and in the demo zone it took me a couple of minutes to figure out how exactly to slide this smartphone into the headset.
Before sliding it in, a user needs to long press the Power button on the Lenovo Vibe K5 Note mode, and switch on the VR mode which shows in the list of options. Again this was something I didn’t know, and I feel the phone should at least prompt a user about the same when they first insert it in the ANT-VR headset.
So what exactly happens with TheaterMax? As soon you turn on the VR mode, it will start showing everything on the device in two screens. Once you insert the phone in the headset, these two screens merge to make one screen, which gives you a theatre like experience. The transition to TheaterMax works quite smoothly, and the device didn’t stutter or lag as it switched modes.
WATCH VIDEO: Lenovo Vibe K5 Note In India
The Vibe K5 Note’s 5.5-inch full HD display is also quite sharp and vivid, which is another plus point when using this phone in the mode. Lenovo says TheaterMax can be used across applications and you don’t really need VR specific content to watch movies, videos, or games using their technology. Basically, you can get your regular mobile games in a VR-style mode. This is in addition to support for the regular 360-degree VR content.
I played Asphalt 8 via with the TheatreMax headset on Vibe K5 Note, which is an experience in itself. While the game ran smoothly, figuring out controls on the Amkette GamePad Pro 2 with the headset on was a challenge. Plus, if you want to go gaming in TheaterMax, you’ll need to invest another Rs 2,800 on the Amkette GamePad Pro 2.
Honestly, it’s not an easy or comfortable experience, especially for someone like me who wears spectacles to play the game — for the record, I had to take the glasses off. But then there are people who can spend hours wearing VR headsets without experiencing discomfort.
Lenovo has also launched a TheaterMax Bluetooth controller, which is another investment needed if you want to try this on your phone. The controller by itself will cost Rs 999. Lenovo is bundling the ANT VR headset and controller together for Rs 999 on Flipkart, while the GamePad and VR headset can be bought together at Rs 1,999.
With Lenovo Vibe K5 Note, the design is similar to the Vibe K5 Plus, with the metal unibody, and marks a departure from the K4 Note. The phone has 5.5-inch full HD display at 401 ppi. It runs the MediaTek 64-bit Octa-core 1.8 Ghz MT6755 processor, and will have 32GB storage space with 128 GB microSD support. The camera is 13MP with PDAF and the front camera is 8MP. Lenovo has kept the battery at 3500 mAh, which is a slight bump from the previous K4 Note’s 3300 mAh one.
The other big change in the Lenovo Vibe K5 Note is the UI. This one comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the company’s Pure UI on top, and the UI is very pure Android. While the Notifications tab is more in line with the Vibe UI, the apps are organised more like stock Android.
Lenovo has also included a Secure Zone feature, where promises additional encryption and password protection for personal data inside it. It will also let users install and run two WhatsApp, Facebook, Gmail accounts on one device. This sounds similar to MIUI8’s dual app feature.
The Vibe K5 Note offers decent specifications on paper, but with smartphones this battle is now over. Most phones offer an extra USP, and Lenovo is hoping that in this case, the TheaterMax mode will be a convincing one.
