Mobile Technology

Lenovo’s Vibe Z2 Pro smartphone puts photography first

Lenovo’s Vibe Z2 Pro smartphone puts photography first
The Vibe Z2 Pro is a decidedly high-end effort from Lenovo
The Vibe Z2 Pro is a decidedly high-end effort from Lenovo
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The handset's 16 MP camera is backed up by a range of photography features
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The handset's 16 MP camera is backed up by a range of photography features
The Vibe Z2 Pro will ship in three colors, though pricing and availability is not known at present
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The Vibe Z2 Pro will ship in three colors, though pricing and availability is not known at present
The Vibe Z2 Pro is a decidedly high-end effort from Lenovo
3/3
The Vibe Z2 Pro is a decidedly high-end effort from Lenovo
View gallery - 3 images

Lenovo, a company perhaps best known for its ThinkPad and Yoga laptop brands, has announced a new smartphone that ticks all the high-end boxes. The device sports a 2K display and with a 16 MP rear camera and a range of advanced technologies and settings, gives photography top billing.

Any high-end smartphone launching in 2014 has to do a lot to distinguish itself from the bevy of proven, premium competition. With that in mind, Lenovo has gone all out on its latest offering, packing in a host of top shelf specs and features.

The Vibe Z2 Pro features a brushed aluminum unibody design and comes with a 6-inch 2,560 x 1,440 display. When a device is pushing that many pixels, it needs some significant horsepower to keep things running smoothly. Luckily, the Pro is fitted with the same Snapdragon 801 processor we’ve seen in a number of buttery smooth handsets, including the HTC One (M8) and LG G3.

To complement its 2K display, the handset sports a tiny bezel — a design feature that we loved on the LG G3. The device’s display size places it firmly in the phablet category, but its 7.7 mm (0.3 in) thickness and svelte bezel should make it a little more pocket friendly.

The handset's 16 MP camera is backed up by a range of photography features
The handset's 16 MP camera is backed up by a range of photography features

The Z2 Pro’s camera is its headline feature. While its 16 MP sensor is fairly impressive in itself, Lenovo has seen fit to back it up with a range of features including optical image stabilization and anti-lens distortion for better portraits.

The device can shoot 4K video, and there’s a Smart mode on board that automatically detects a scene, such as a landscape, and adjusts settings accordingly. There’s also an Ultra Night Mode for better low-light snaps, and users can put the camera into Pro Mode, allowing full manual control over a range of shooting parameters such as contrast, focus, ISO and white balance.

Like many manufacturers, Lenovo has put its own stamp on Android 4.4 KitKat in the form of its Vibe UI 2.0 overlay. The custom skin is bright and colorful, more closely resembling Samsung’s TouchWiz UI than either HTC or LG’s more muted approach.

The Vibe Z2 Pro will be available in silver, gold and black. There’s no word yet on pricing or availability. Check out the video below for more on the high-end handset.

Source: Lenovo

Lenovo VIBE Z2 Pro Tour

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3 comments
3 comments
exodous
16 MP! Man, I remember my first smart phone's camera sucked. I don't take that many pictures so although impressive I'm not willing to pay more for a nice camera. The one on my S4 seems pretty good.
I hoped that by this time people would stop mucking up Android, I have run stock and it is great, much better than what Samsung has done. Still not as good as cyanogenmod, but a close second. I still scratch my head trying to figure out why manufactures need to 'put its own stamp' on it. Hopefully this will be able to load cyanogen mod.
MotocRxss
Is it LCD, LED, IPS, OLED?
MarylandUSA
In 2014, 6 inches is the new 5.5, just as 5.5 was the new 5.0. I couldnn't be happier with my 6.44-inch Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition C6806, but I'm always glad to see a major player introduce a serious 6. If only more of these 6ers would join my Sony (and its near-twin, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra C6806) in supporting all 2G, 3G, and 4G bands used by North American GSM carriers.