Lenovo reveals two new Vibe smartphones

Lenovo has revealed the latest additions to its Vibe smartphone line up : the Vibe X2, the world’s first multi-layered smartphone, and the Vibe Z2, Lenovo’s take on the ever-growing trend of dedicated selfie phones. 

First up is the 4G Vibe X2. This flagship handset has a triple-layered design and measures 7.2mm thick and weighs 120g. It will be available in four colours (white, red, gold and dark grey), and it will also be the first global handset to be powered by one of MediaTek’s brand new MT6585 Ture8Core processors. It also has a 5in Full HD 1,920×1,080 display and will run Android 4.4 KitKat.

On the back of the phone is a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash, while a 5-megapixel sensor sits on the front of the phone. Lenovo promises multiple shooting modes as well as “beautification” features for your selfies. The front camera even has auto-shutter gesture control so you can activate the camera just by blinking. The Vibe X2 also comes with 32GB on onboard storage, giving you plenty of room for your music and video files. 

^ The Vibe X2 has a unique layered design.

The Vibe X2 will also have click-on accessories called Vibe Xtensions, according to Lenovo. These cases essentially become a “fourth layer” on the phone and will help extend battery life by up to 75 per cent and improve the phone’s sound quality. The 5.1mm thin battery will make the phone quite chunky, though, taking its total depth to 12.3mm.

Meanwhile, the Vibe Z2 is Lenovo’s new selfie phone. Its brushed metal unibody design is available in white, gold and titanium, and it measures just 7.8mm thick and weighs 158g. Its 5.5in display has a 1,280×720 resolution and will apparently have a brightness rating of 600cd/m2, making it one of the brightest screens on the market. This comes after Sony’s announcement this week that the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact will also have 600cd/m2 displays. 

The Vibe Z2 is also Lenovo’s first 64-bit powered smartphone, so it will be able to take advantage of future versions of Android that support 64-bit computing, such as Android L which is due later this year. It comes with a quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8916 processor and will be paired with 2GB of RAM. Like the Vibe X2, the Z2 will also come with 32GB of internal storage.

^ The Vibe Z2 has an 8-megapixel front sensor for taking selfies

In terms of camera capabilities, the Z2’s rear camera has a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor BSI sensor, and an 8-megapixel sensor with an anti-distortion lens on the front. As with the X2, the Z2 comes with beautification features, button-free shutter control and a new Instant On option so you can capture photos in a flash from the standby screen.

Lenovo will launch both phones in October, first in China and then markets in Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The Vibe X2 will cost $399 USD and the Vibe Z2 will cost $429 USD. It’s currently unknown whether either phone will make it to the UK.