Lenovo K8 Note Unboxing and First Impressions

Earlier, Lenovo Mobile Philippines has disrupted the local midrange smartphone scene w/ the launch of the K8 Note, a very aggressively priced handset.

 Lenovo K8 Note unboxing and impressions

How aggressive? For the price of PHP 8,999 during Lazada's Online Revolution sale (November 9 to December 12), you'll get a real midrange grade smartphone w/ 10-core chip, 4GB RAM, 64GB expandable storage, 4,000mAh battery, dual camera setup, and pure Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system w/ promised Oreo update.

Those specs are commonly found on phones w/ over PHP 15K price tag! Insane right? Read on!

Lenovo K8 Note Specs

Display: 5.5-inch FHD IPS 1920 x 1080 resolution w/ 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass 3 protection at 401 ppi

CPU: 2.3GHz 64-bit Helio X23 deca-core processor

GPU: Mali-T880MP4

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 64GB expandable via micro SD card up to 256GB (dedicated)

Back Camera: 13MP f/1.7 + 5MP w/ PDAF and dual tone LED flash

Selfie Camera: 13MP f/2.0 w/ LED flash

Battery: 4,000mAh w/ 15W turbo charging

OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat

Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth 4.1, FM Radio, OTG, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: Fingerprint scanner, Dolby Atmos, dual mic, P2i, splash resistance, Colors: venom black, fine gold

Dimensions: 154.5 x 75.9 x 8.5 mm

Weight: 180g

Price: PHP 13,999 (PHP 8,999 sale price)

Unboxing / Accessories

Everything inside

The Lenovo K8 Note arrived in a simple refreshing green box. Inside, you'll find the unit itself together w/ the stock 3A 18W fast charger, USB to micro USB charging cable, SIM ejector tool, and paper documentations.

Lenovo failed to include a free case and earphones w/ mic. But, that's very forgivable due to its amazing specs for the price.

Build Quality / Design

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The Lenovo K8 Note is sturdy! It is made out of mostly metal and has few plastic parts top and bottom part of the back plate. The 5.5-inch FHD IPS TheaterMax screen is protected w/ a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

3.5mm jack on top

Mic, micro USB port, and single speaker below

Dual SIM and microUSB slots and dedicated music key

Textured powered button and volume rocker at right

The K8 Note followed the same designed footprint of the K6 Note combined w/ a Huawei Mate 9 like dual camera placement behind. It isn't the slimmest smartphone around, but it isn't the thickest despite its LARGE 4,000mAh battery as well.

Aesthetics is clean!

The top and bottom bezels are quite thick, but it doesn't have poor use of space. You'll find the front camera, sensors, and LED flash on top and the capacitive keys below. Side bezels are quite slim too. The main camera is a bit protruding though.

Ergonomically, the handset has smooth curves all over and has proper textures at the back to make it not that slippery to hold. (It is still slippery, but not as slippery as expected).

All its ports and buttons are on proper locations as well. Lenovo even added a dedicated dual SIM and microSD card slots. It has a dedicated "music key" at left that can be used to launch different applications.

Initial Findings

Very high AnTuTu score for the price

1. Build is standard, but design is nice despite the slight thickness due to its large battery capacity. We like that the 2.5D curved glass is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Display is bright and accurate so far. It has 10 points of touch too!
2. THE SPECS is STUNNING for the initial sale price. It has the highest specs you'll find under 15K that's officially available the country today. The best part? You can get this phone for as low as PHP 8,999 during Lazada's Online Revolution campaign starting November 9 to December 12. It even has a HUGE 4,000mAh 15W fast charger!
3. The OS and UI is CLEAN and nice as well. It boots w/ near stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS that will be updated to Oreo sometime early next year.
4. The camera specs is quite interesting too! It is actually the most affordable smartphone in the country today w/ an f/1.7 lens. In particular, it has a 13MP f/1.7 + 5MP w/ PDAF and dual tone LED flash behind. For selfies, it has a 13MP f/2.0 camera w/ LED flash in front.
5. The capacitive keys aren't lit, but it has LED notification light, OTG, gyroscope, and an accurate fingerprint scanner behind.

Related: Lenovo K8 Note: First Camera Samples

As of the moment

BEST DEAL yet! It's the only smartphone in the country w/ Helio X23 deca-core processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB expandable storage, 4,000mAh 15W charger, 13MP f/1.7 + 5MP dual camera, 13MP selfie camera, LTE connectivity, and fingerprint scanner under PHP 10K so far.

VERY promising!

For our review: Lenovo K8 Note Review - A pound per pound GREAT?