Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Unboxing And First Impressions, The Entertainment Machine!

Last 2015, we named Lenovo's K3 Note / A7000 Plus as the best of what our midrange scene has to offer in the Philippines. Why? Lenovo masterfully crafted the ultimate multimedia smartphone that time with good combination of great computing capabilities. This time Lenovo trying emulate that move once more with the release of the Vibe K4 Note, another multimedia centric handset that aims to elevate the game further.

Lenovo Vibe K4 Note unboxing and impressions

Disclaimer: This review unit was provided by Lenovo Philippines for an honest review

Related: Lenovo Vibe X3 Officially Launched In The Philippines Too, Multimedia Flagship For 22099 Pesos!

Lenovo bundles it with AntVR and boast the new TheaterMax technology, one of the very first to do this in the midrange category. Is just gimmick or a glimpse of the future? Let's all find out. 

Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Specs

Display: 5.5 Inch FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution w/ Gorilla Glass 3 protection at 403 ppi

CPU: 1.3 GHz 64 Bit MT6753 octa core processor

GPU: Mali T720

RAM: 3 GB

ROM: 16 GB expandable via micro SD card slot up to 128 GB

Back Camera: 13 MP w/ PDAF w/ LED flash

Selfie Camera: 5 MP FF

Battery: 3,300 mAh

OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow w/ Vibe UI

Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, FM Radio, GPS, A GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM (micro)

Sensors: Gravity, proximity, magnetic, light

Others: Fingerprint sensor, WM8281, Dolby ATMOS surround sound, 2 1.5W stereo speakers in front, AntVR headset

Dimensions: 153.67 x 76.45 x 9.14 mm

Weight: 160 g

Price: 10,699 Pesos

Unboxing / Accessories

The box

Here's the standard Lenovo Vibe K4 Note box that looks simple and easy to open as well.

Inclusions insde

Upon digging further it comes with a 2A wall charger / adapter, charging / data cables, screen protector and a plastic clear case.

The special freebies

Aside from that it has special freebies such as the AntVR. Then for a special time (April 8 to 10, 2016) only there's a FREE Lenovo 5,000 mAh powerbank and Skullcandy Ando earphones specially made for Lenovo.

Build Quality / Design

There's also a fingerprint sensor at the back (the back cover is removable as well)

It goes with thick looking metal frame with chamfered edges, metallic buttons, matte textured polycarbonate back cover and glass on top with Gorilla Glass 3 protection that prevents scratches and damages. However, it seems like this device doesn't have oleophobic coating that prevents fingerprint smudges.

Overall, Lenovo did a great job in making this a durable looking product specially for a midrange device.

3.5 mm jack on top, unlike the Vibe X3 it doesn't have an IR blaster on top

Mic and micro USB charging port below

Power button and volume rocker on the right side

In terms of design, we noticed that the Vibe K4 Note is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Even with the slight thicker design, they did a good job in making it not that visible with its slightly curved back and well rounded edges.

Aside from being pleasant to the eyes, this handset also feels great in the hands. There's 160 grams isn't that hefty and the metal frame and textured back adds more grip with surprising comfort.

Buttons and ports placement is also more on the standard side that won't give most much problems. We also liked that Lenovo adapted the fingerprint sensor placement at the back for that more ergonomic feel and easier reach.

Overall, it looks great and durable enough for the price, a much improved phone coming from the Lenovo A7000 Plus.

Camera Samples

Sample photo using the rear camera

Macro test

Selfie with beautify level 5 mode

So far the cameras performed decently and a little better than what I expected. There's little grains, but the color accuracy has good balance and it's great for macro shots. The shutter speed, and focus is also quite fast as expected.

The selfie camera on the other hand even at just 5 MP performed acceptably well and there's even a beautify function.

We'll further test it soon for that more detailed impressions.

Specs and features analysis

To my eyes, this is one of the most exciting Lenovo midrange offering yet. Aside from its good overall internals that runs on a decent MT6753 octa core chip paired with Mali T720 GPU, it also has 3 GB of RAM that provides better multitasking.

Then maybe the reason for its added weight is its large battery capacity is the inclusion of a much larger battery size of 3,300 mAh of battery. With that there's a good chance that we can enjoy the multimedia capabilities of device much longer that we're used to.

The best part of the K4 Note is its multimedia features of course. What I like here the most is it is using the WM8281 HiFi audio chip made by Wolfson that lets you enjoy music in a much higher fidelity. It's also the same type of chip that Marshall used with the London for example. So we have high hopes on what it can do sonically. Aside from that it has a 3 microphone setup that's touted to do better recordings than usual.

The other highlight of the Vibe K4 Note is the implementation of the AntVR headset that you can use for games, movies and etc. There's also a TheaterMax tech to let you enjoy 3D movies better. Aside from that you'll have 2 loud sounding 1.5 watts speakers to complete your experience.

For more detailed info about AntVR: Here's the impressions of David Gonzales of Semicurrent

As of the moment

Even if the Vibe K4 Note goes with a pricier tag compared with the A7000 Plus, it is a very solid and promising device that's worth more than its asking price. Of couse, that's if you're the type of person who loves entertainment the best. Lastly, with all the bundles included, there's a great chance that this would be a huge hit.

For our full review: Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Review - Affordable Multimedia Master