Lenovo K8 Plus Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Lenovo K8 Plus is an impressive smartphone that combines sleek design with powerful performance. With its 5.2-inch IPS LCD display and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, the phone offers sharp visuals and durability. Powered by a Mediatek MT6757 Helio P25 chipset and an octa-core processor, it delivers smooth multitasking and lag-free usage. The device comes with 32GB internal storage and expandable memory options. The standout feature of the Lenovo K8 Plus is its dual-camera setup, allowing you to capture stunning photos with its 13MP + 5MP lenses. Other notable features include a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, a long-lasting 4000mAh battery, and the option to upgrade to Android 8.0. With its affordable price point and elegant design, the Lenovo K8 Plus is definitely a smartphone worth considering.

Design and Build Quality

The Lenovo K8 Plus boasts a sleek and premium design that exudes a sense of sophistication. With its glass front (protected by Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum back, and aluminum frame, the device showcases a harmonious combination of materials. The 5.2-inch IPS LCD display dominates the front, offering a generous screen-to-body ratio. The device's dimensions of 147.9 x 73.7 x 9 mm make it compact and easy to hold, while its weight of 165g adds a sense of sturdiness without being too heavy. The back panel features a smooth texture that enhances grip and adds to the overall feel of the phone. The finishing touches on the Lenovo K8 Plus are commendable, ensuring a seamless fit and finish throughout. The placement of buttons and controls is ergonomic and intuitive, allowing for easy one-handed usability. The bezels surrounding the display are noticeable but not overly distracting, maintaining a good balance between aesthetics and practicality. Overall, the construction and build quality of the Lenovo K8 Plus are commendable, making it a robust and durable device that is both visually appealing and functional.

Display

The Lenovo K8 Plus features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The screen-to-body ratio is around 68.4%, which means there are noticeable bezels surrounding the display. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, offering resistance against scratches and minor drops.

In terms of color accuracy and vibrancy, the display of the Lenovo K8 Plus performs reasonably well, providing vibrant and punchy colors. The brightness levels are adequate for indoor usage, but outdoor visibility might be slightly compromised under direct sunlight.

The touch responsiveness of the display is smooth and accurate, ensuring a seamless user experience. The pixel density of approximately 424 ppi results in sharp and detailed visuals. However, the device does not support features like HDR or wide color gamut, which could have enhanced the viewing experience further.

The viewing angles are good, allowing for comfortable viewing from different angles without significant color distortion. The absence of an anti-reflective coating might lead to some glare in bright environments.

The Lenovo K8 Plus does not incorporate a notch design and follows a more traditional display layout. The presence of bezels around the display might make it feel slightly dated compared to modern bezel-less designs.

Overall, the display of the Lenovo K8 Plus offers a satisfactory viewing experience with decent color reproduction, sharpness, and touch responsiveness. While it may not have the latest display technologies or advanced features, it still delivers a suitable visual experience for everyday usage.

Performance

The Lenovo K8 Plus is powered by a Mediatek MT6757 Helio P25 chipset, which features an octa-core processor consisting of four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.5 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.4 GHz. This chipset, coupled with the Mali-T880MP2 GPU, ensures smooth performance and efficient multitasking capabilities.

In terms of CPU benchmarks, the Lenovo K8 Plus performs well, delivering reliable processing power for everyday tasks and demanding applications. The processor efficiency allows for quick app loading speeds and a smooth user experience, ensuring lag-free performance. The system optimization contributes to its overall efficiency, allowing for seamless multitasking without any noticeable slowdowns.

When it comes to gaming performance, the Lenovo K8 Plus offers satisfactory gaming capabilities. The Mali-T880MP2 GPU delivers decent graphics scores and handles most games with ease. Although it may struggle with more graphically intensive games, it provides a satisfactory gaming experience for casual gamers.

In benchmark tests, the Lenovo K8 Plus showcases its performance metrics. Synthetic benchmarks highlight its capability to handle various tasks efficiently, providing an overall smooth user experience. Gaming benchmarks also indicate its ability to handle most games at moderate settings without significant lag or frame rate drops.

Furthermore, the thermal management of the Lenovo K8 Plus is commendable. The device efficiently dissipates heat, ensuring that prolonged gaming sessions or demanding tasks do not lead to overheating. This thermal management contributes to the device's consistent performance and prevents any performance throttling due to excessive heat.

Overall, the Lenovo K8 Plus offers a reliable performance package with its capable chipset, efficient CPU and GPU, and effective thermal management. It provides a smooth user experience, allowing for multitasking and gaming without noticeable lag. While it may not be the most powerful device in its price range, it offers good performance for everyday use and casual gaming.

Software and User Interface

The Lenovo K8 Plus comes with the Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system out of the box, which can be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo. This ensures users have access to the latest features and improvements offered by the Android platform. The operating system provides a smooth and user-friendly interface, allowing for easy navigation and multitasking. Lenovo has also added its own customization layer on top of the stock Android experience, which provides a few additional features and tweaks to enhance the user experience.

One aspect worth mentioning is the pre-installed apps on the Lenovo K8 Plus. While the device does come with a few useful apps, such as Lenovo's own file manager, there are also some pre-loaded apps that can be considered bloatware. These apps may not be essential for every user and can take up valuable storage space. However, it's worth noting that some of these pre-installed apps can be uninstalled or disabled if they are not needed.

Overall, the software on the Lenovo K8 Plus offers a good balance between stock Android and Lenovo's own customizations. The operating system provides a smooth and responsive user experience, with access to a wide range of apps and customization options. While there are some pre-installed apps that may not be necessary for everyone, they can be easily managed. Ultimately, the software on the Lenovo K8 Plus ensures a user-friendly interface and allows users to make the most out of their device.

Camera

The Lenovo K8 Plus comes equipped with a dual-camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 13-megapixel primary camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 5-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. This combination allows for a good amount of depth of field effect in portrait mode shots, ensuring that the subject remains in sharp focus while the background gets a pleasing blur. The camera also features PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) for faster and more accurate focusing.

In terms of image quality, the Lenovo K8 Plus performs well in daylight photography, capturing images with good detail, natural colors, and decent dynamic range. The camera's low-light performance is respectable, thanks to its larger aperture and sensor size, allowing for better light gathering capabilities. The device also includes a night mode that helps in reducing noise and enhancing low-light sensitivity for better night photography.

The camera app offers various features such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode for capturing well-exposed shots in challenging lighting conditions, panorama mode for wide-angle shots, and pro mode for manual control over settings like ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. Additionally, the device has AI scene recognition, which can automatically detect and optimize settings based on the scene being captured.

When it comes to video recording, the Lenovo K8 Plus can shoot Full HD videos at 30fps. It also supports video stabilization, ensuring smoother footage even when shooting while moving. The device offers slow-motion video recording and time-lapse features, allowing users to add creative effects to their videos. The supported video formats include MP4 and H.264.

Overall, the camera of the Lenovo K8 Plus offers a decent photography experience, especially in well-lit conditions, with features that cater to both photography enthusiasts and casual users alike.

Battery Life

The Lenovo K8 Plus comes with a powerful Li-Po 4000 mAh non-removable battery, offering a good battery life for everyday use. The device boasts a standby time of up to 401 hours on 3G and a talk time of up to 26 hours on 3G. With its efficient power management and optimization features, the battery performance of the Lenovo K8 Plus is commendable. The device also supports fast charging, allowing users to quickly charge their device and get back to using it without much downtime. However, it does not have wireless charging options. The battery capacity of the Lenovo K8 Plus is adequate for moderate to heavy usage, providing a reliable backup throughout the day. Users can also take advantage of the battery saver mode to extend battery life when needed. Overall, the Lenovo K8 Plus offers a decent battery performance and efficient battery management, ensuring a satisfactory battery endurance for users.

Connectivity and Networking

The Lenovo K8 Plus offers a range of connectivity options to ensure seamless communication and data transfer. It supports dual SIM functionality, allowing users to easily switch between two different phone numbers. In terms of network compatibility, the device supports GSM, HSPA, and LTE technologies, enabling users to connect to high-speed internet networks. With LTE connectivity, users can enjoy fast data speeds and smooth browsing experiences.

For wireless connectivity, the Lenovo K8 Plus features Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, which allows users to connect to Wi-Fi networks and access the internet without using mobile data. The device also supports Wi-Fi Direct, enabling direct file transfer between compatible devices. Bluetooth 4.2 is available on the device, allowing users to connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as headphones, speakers, and smartwatches.

In terms of navigation, the Lenovo K8 Plus comes with GPS support, which provides accurate location tracking and enables users to navigate with ease. Additionally, the device includes a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer. However, it does not support USB-C, which is a newer and more versatile USB standard found in some smartphones.

Overall, the Lenovo K8 Plus offers a solid range of connectivity options, including dual SIM support, LTE compatibility for fast data speeds, Wi-Fi for wireless internet access, Bluetooth for wireless device connectivity, and GPS for navigation.

Additional Features

• Standout features: The Lenovo K8 Plus offers a range of standout features that enhance the user experience. With its 5.2-inch IPS LCD display and full HD resolution, users can enjoy vibrant visuals and sharp details. The device also boasts Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection for added durability.


• Water and dust resistance: Unfortunately, the Lenovo K8 Plus does not come with water or dust resistance capabilities. It is advised to keep the device away from water and dust to prevent any damage.


• Additional sensors: Apart from the standard sensors like accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, and compass, the Lenovo K8 Plus does not have any additional advanced sensors or sensor suites. However, these sensors are sufficient for most everyday use cases.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Lenovo K8 Plus is a mid-range smartphone that was released in September 2017. When comparing it to other related gadgets in the market, it faces competition from devices such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Moto G5 Plus, and Huawei Honor 6X.

In terms of specifications, the Lenovo K8 Plus features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. It is powered by a Mediatek MT6757 Helio P25 chipset and comes with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM, depending on the variant. The device runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, which can be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo.

When compared to its competitors, the Lenovo K8 Plus offers similar specifications and performance. The Redmi Note 4 and Moto G5 Plus also come with similar display sizes and resolutions. However, the Redmi Note 4 has a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, while the Moto G5 Plus offers a slightly better camera performance.

In terms of pricing, the Lenovo K8 Plus is positioned as a budget-friendly option, with a price of around 200 EUR. This makes it a competitive choice when compared to its rivals in the mid-range segment. The device offers good value for money, with its decent performance and feature set.

Overall, the Lenovo K8 Plus competes well with other related gadgets in the market. While it may not have any standout unique features, it offers a solid performance and a competitive price point. Its market positioning, along with its feature and performance comparison, make it a worthy choice for consumers looking for a mid-range smartphone.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Lenovo K8 Plus is a decent budget smartphone that offers a good overall performance. With its sturdy build quality and sleek design, it provides a comfortable feel in the hand. The device features a vibrant display, ensuring an enjoyable viewing experience. The camera setup captures decent photos with good detail and color accuracy. The battery life is impressive, lasting through a full day of moderate usage. However, the outdated Android version and the lack of software updates may disappoint some users. Overall, if you are looking for a budget-friendly smartphone with satisfactory performance and reliable battery life, the Lenovo K8 Plus could be a suitable choice for you.