Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Review in the Philippines

Lenovo was like “This is how you sell VR in the Philippines”. Devise a software improvement that will turn a Lenovo smartphone into a VR partner. That is the Lenovo K4 Note also known in other markets as A7010.  Lenovo Philippines launched K4 Note and Vibe X3 bundled with a FREE VR a month ago. Stay a little while as we present to you Lenovo K4 Note review.

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Lenovo K4 Note Review

After the success of the A7000 and A7000 plus, Lenovo changed the gameplay by introducing the next A7 series but renaming it in the region as Lenovo K4 Note. 

Not only they changed the form factor of the device but they also introduced something new on the software side of it. They partnered with AntVR and sold the K4 Note to the Philippine market with VR headset and created Theather Max.

See also: Five things you need to know about AntVR.

Design and construction

Lenovo is known to have a decent design in their smartphones. Even if you know that their midrange devices are a mix of thin plastic covers but they pair it with a quality metal body and really neat premium looking materials. Holding it does not feel cheap at all.

The Lenovo K4 Note is an example of  a midrange device that still feel premium when you hold it.

The K4 Note (together with the X3) are still using the old design template. They have a removable back cover that when detached will reveal the 3,300mAH battery, the dual SIM (micro) slots and the microSD slot for storage expansion.

With chamfered metal and curved edges, the K4 Note’s power button and the volume control are located on the upper right side. It is where these buttons should be in all smartphones I should say. Very comfortable to locate and use.

Up top, slightly on the right side is the 3.5mm audio port.

At the bottom is the microUSB slot which I think Lenovo should upgrade already in their next model. This year, I want to see all models of Android devices to be using USB Type C. It is the most convenient type of port because of its reversible nature.

The loudspeaker is strategically located at the bottom below the capacitive buttons. And a pinhole mic beside the microUSB port.

Display and UI

Lenovo K4 Note’s UI is the same as what you have in your  A7000 Plus. The built-in Theme Changer app will list down several themes appropriate to your liking.

You won’t miss the app drawer as it is still there on the home screen sitting at the center of the predefined apps at the bottom of the screen.

Pulling down the quick menu brings down quick options like the flashlight, WiFi, mobile data, Bluetooth, Dolby and few others.

K4 Note has 5.5-inch IPS FHD 1080 x 1920 pixels. This one brings a bright and crisp display with no viewing angle issues. With the full HD display, you get to watch vibrant and high definition video content. However, it contributes to draining the battery faster.

You can’t also miss any notification from your major apps runing on the background, thanks to the blue LED notification found on the upper right side of the screen.

Camera

Here’s the typical image output from a Lenovo smartphone.

The 13MP rear camera takes beautiful photos. Using the standard camera settings, the image produced by K4 Note has these exif information — File size is 1.6MB, 4096 x 2304 resolution, lens opening of F/2.0.

Here are few other samples.

In low light, the K4 Note struggles to deliver the true color of the subject. Plus you need a steady hand otherwise, you will get a blurry image.

Fingerprint sensor

The fingerprint sensor is becoming a standard in today’s smartphones. The K4 Note (and Vibe X3) are the first Lenovo smartphone to implement it.

The K4 Note fingerprint scanner is 90% accurate most of the time. I had no major issues using it.

However, you can only store a maximum of two (2) fingerprints.

Unfortunately, the fingerprint scanner is only used to unlock the phone. No other functions that it can be useful as of now.

TheaterMax and VR

Included in this Lenovo K4 Note Review is Lenovo’s software improvement called Theather Max.

Now here’s something that you’ll get excited. Lenovo has introduced TheaterMax, a software improvement enabled with K4 Note.

From any screen, pressing the power button activates the quick menu with the usual selection such as Power Off, Restart, Airplane mode, Silent Mode and the VR Mode.

Selecting the VR mode turns on a split screen.

In this mode, the device is now ready to be attached to the AntVR.

This is the K4 Note mounted on the AntVR.

And this is how a Youtube clip appears when Theater Mode is turned on.

The (AntVR) VR headset bundled with Lenovo K4 Note is a basic VR headset. It is made of hard plastic with adjustable strap. There are no controls and moving parts. You simply insert the K4 Note to the VR headset after enabling the Theater Max and you are good to go.

Like we said, it AntVR is a basic VR headset. You can’t expect too much from it. You will struggle in mounting the K4 Note to it. And once you mounted it, you have to struggle again reaching the on-screen button for playbacks. Most of the time, you will accidentally hit other buttons while mounting it.

An ordinary video clip can be watched using the VR, just turn on the Theather Max and voila!

I have done this several times since our TV in our room suddenly stopped working. I’d watch Youtube tutorials using the VR while lying in bed.

Battery

The 3,00mAH removable battery, just like the A7000 Plus, performed with outstanding remarks. When managed properly, that means you just turn on mobile data when needed, it will survive you for the whole day. On WiFi, you will recharge the phone by midnight already.

Performance

With  Mediatek MT6753, 64-bit Octa-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53 on-board paired with 3G of RAM running the entire show, you get smooth and fast performance with Lenovo K4 Note. I never had lags in switching from one apps to another.

A minor issue though that I would like to mention in the SMS app. If you receive an SMS from somebody not in your contact list, there is no shortcut menu that lets you add the number to you contact. You have to dial it first and cancell the call. From there, that is the only time you can add that number to your contact list.

Voice quality, audio playbacks, and loudspeaker performance are all outstanding. No drop calls were experienced and audio quality is clear and crisp.

Lenovo K4 Note Specs

Conclusion

I’d say that the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note can be your daily driver. With its decent specs, you can rely on with this device as a productivity tool.  As an entertainment device, the presence of AntVR brings the virtual reality into the next level. Even regular video clips can be viewed with the VR when Theather Max is turned on. I wish though that Lenovo can come up with a premium VR headset with controls to make the experience more convenient.

Currently, the Lenovo K4 Note is available at P10,699. At this price, you get a free AntVR headset.

I think it is a good buy, given the introduction of VR technology and the free AntVR headset.  Don’t mind the free plastic casing included in the box. It is cheap and wears off easily.

Overall, I say, good job Lenovo PH!