There is a constant endeavour to make smartphone cameras better, and this is most visible perhaps in mid-range phones. Now Chinese smartphone maker Lenovo is hoping to offer an improved camera experience with the Vibe Shot (Rs.25,499).
Well-built and compact
For a phone that packs in a powerful camera with a big sensor, the Vibe Shot is incredibly slim (7.6mm) and light (145g). There is a dedicated shutter button on the side spine, as well as a toggle that lets you switch between Pro and Auto modes. Both these keys fall easily under the fingers when you are taking a photograph. The glass back has a black and grey dual-tone finish, and while it looks good, it smudges easily. The metal frame gives the Vibe Shot a rugged look and the phone feels firm in the hands.
Its closest rival, the OnePlus 2 (Rs.24,999), is bigger, heavier (175g) and thicker (9.8mm). The OnePlus 2 also looks better and feels more comfortable in the hand because of the slight curve on the back and the sandstone finish.
Camera: powerful, but not many modes
The Vibe Shot packs in a 16-megapixel camera with tri-colour flash, optical image stabilization, and a Pro mode. This is definitely a high-quality camera, because it is far better than what any phone offers at that price, including the Asus Zenfone 2 (Rs.22,999). The focus is pretty effective, be it autofocus or the user tapping on the screen to set it. The Pro mode gives the user control over settings such as ISO and shutter speed, as well as some additional settings such as Artistic HDR, Blur Background and Wide Selfie. However, there is no video recording available in the Pro mode. The low-light results are good even without flash. The daytime shots look rich and well detailed, and the sensor is able to handle uneven lighting easily. However, we did notice that the sky looks a bit overexposed in most shots in the morning and evening sunlight.
The One Plus 2 comes with a powerful 13-megapixel camera. It handles colours well, and the laser focus technology enables it to focus faster on an object. However, it is not very good in low light, with some amount of noise showing up in images. The 8-megapixel front camera is wide and sharp enough for group selfies.
Display: small but crisp display
The Vibe Shot’s 5-inch display has a screen resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels. While most rivals have bigger 5.5-inch displays, this one should appeal to users who want something more compact. It is a bit reflective, but that doesn’t spoil visibility in sunlight because Lenovo has added some colour optimization features which improve visibility in bright light. The viewing angles are impressive, the colours look vivid and the text, sharp. Though the OnePlus 2 has a bigger display, the Vibe Shot’s display looks sharper and more colourful. Despite the small screen, we enjoyed games and HD movies on it.
Powerful and smooth performer
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor and paired with 3 GB of RAM, the 4G-capable Vibe Shot can keep 10-15 apps open in the background at the same time before it starts showing signs of sluggishness. So it should be good enough for most users, who will run a gamut of email, messaging and social networking apps regularly.
Gaming performance isn’t as smooth though, and we noticed a slight frame-rate drop while playing FIFA 15 on the phone. While most users may not bother about this issue because the gameplay itself isn’t held hostage, it is still something to ponder on because the phone does use a lot of RAM.
The battery (3,000 mAh) backup is somewhat on the lower side, and it barely lasted a full day on a single charge.
The OnePlus 2 runs on more powerful hardware, has more RAM (4 GB) and internal storage (64 GB) compared to the Vibe Shot’s 32 GB, but it faces heating issues (because of the heating problems that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor continues to struggle with when stressed).
Unique flavour of Android
The phone runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop), with a layer of the Vibe user interface over it. It’s going to get the Android M update. This is an elegantly designed custom interface with plenty of customization options and colourful themes.
Verdict
There is no doubt that the Lenovo Vibe Shot is a capable mid-range Android smartphone, with the definite highlight being the capable camera, as well as the rather refreshing look. However, as a complete package, the OnePlus 2 is a better option if you aren’t a power user—it has the advantage of a bigger display, more internal storage, a better design, a simple user interface and a competitive camera.
