Three-smartphone clash today should be interesting. We have one flagship killer in the form of Lenovo Z2 Plus, one affordable model sporting powerful hardware in the form of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, and one solid overall performer, Lenovo Vibe K5. Which one is the best, and what are the main differences between three devices? Find out here.
Dimensions, Design
The Redmi Note 4 is the largest of the bunch thanks to its big 5.5-inch screen. The phone measures 151 x 76 x 8.4 mm, an average size for a 5.5-inch device. The phone sports design very similar to the one used on the Mi 5s Plus. the front is dominated by a large screen with three soft keys placed under it; the back has two antenna bands (one on top the other on the bottom) and a camera and a fingerprint scanner placed on the upper middle part of the backside. Along with curved back sides placed for a better grip, the phone looks nice, but not phenomenal.
Lenovo Z2 Plus measures 141.7 x 68.9 x 8.5 mm, not too big, not too compact. The phone sports a tough fiberglass chassis which is also very pleasing to the eye. With a sleek design, the Z2 Plus is one very beautiful device.
The Vibe K5 measures 142 x 71 x 8 mm, a bit larger than the Z2 Plus that sports display of the same size (5-inch). The design is a bit tacky, there’s just no defining details that can make the phone different than other models. Overall, the Vibe K5 is one average-looking device.
Hardware, Display
Let’s start this section with Lenovo Z2 Plus. The device comes equipped with Snapdragon 820 (2×2.15 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo along with Adreno 530), a very potent SoC that can run any game, can play any video and can and will provide extremely snappy performance. Added are 3/4GB of RAM and 32/64 of internal storage. The storage can’t be expanded.
The Redmi Note 4 is powered by Helio X20 by MediaTek (2x Cortex-A72 @ 2.3GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.85GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.4GHz combined with Mali T800 GPU) that can score more than 84,000 points in Antutu (almost 10,000 points more than Snapdragon 650 used in Redmi Note 3). The SoC will provide tons of power and can be compared to last year’s flagship chipsets from Qualcomm. You can pick between two editions; Standard edition sports 2 gigs of RAM and 16 GB of built-in storage while High edition comes with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage (storage can be expanded via SIM 2 slot).
The Vibe K5 has Snapdragon 415 (4×1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 coupled with Adreno 405 GPU), a solid choice for a 720p resolution screen. The phone comes with 2 gigs of RAM and 16 GB of storage which can be expanded via a dedicated SD card slot.
The Redmi Note 4 offers a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD display, perfect for any potential use. Lenovo Vibe K5 comes with a 5-inch 720p IPS LCD screen. The sharpness could’ve been better (294 ppi pixel density) but it is very near the magic “300 ppi” mark, making any pixelation very hard to spot. The Z2 Plus comes with a phenomenal 5-inch 1080p LTPS (Low-Temperature Poly-Silicone) IPS LCD, offering natural colors, high viewing angles and extremely fast response rate.
Camera
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is equipped with 13 MP (f/2.0) main camera sensor, promising a solid quality of photos taken with the phone. The camera features phase detection autofocus, dual-LED flash, and HDR; it can record 1080p at 30fps videos. The selfie snapper counts 5 MP (f/2.0).
Lenovo Z2 Plus has a nice 13 MP (f/2.2) camera, featuring phase detection autofocus, LED flash, and HDR. The main camera can record 2160p videos at 30fps. The selfie camera counts 8 MP (f/2.0) being able to take some quality selfies.
Lenovo Vibe K5 comes with a 13 MP (f/2.2) camera offering autofocus, LED flash, and HDR. It is capable of recording 1080p at 30fps videos. On the front, we have a 5 MP (f/2.8) snapper.
Battery, Software
The Redmi Note 4 features a huge capacity (4100 mAh) power bank that should keep the phone running for three straight days before needing a charge. The phone comes with Android Marshmallow and features MIUI user interface.
Lenovo Z2 Plus also has a large battery (for its screen size) with a capacity of 3500 mAh. The device should be alive for around two days before the battery ends empty. It comes with Android Marshmallow coated with ZUI 2.0 user interface.
The Vibe K5 has a 2750 mAh battery that should last one whole day. The device features Android 5.1 Lollipop.
The Z2 Plus and The Redmi Note 4 support fast battery charging tech and are equipped with a fingerprint sensor. The Vibe K5 has none of those.
Conclusion
Between the Redmi Note 4 and Lenovo Z2 Plus, the main point of difference is the screen. Both phones (even though Z2 Plus comes with more potent Snapdragon 820) offer plenty of computing power, with Lenovo not having an SD card slot (which could be problematic if going with 32 GB version). Tough call; if you want a large screen go for the Redmi Note 4, if wanting a sleek device with a tough body and a compact (at least for today’s standard) screen pick the Z2 Plus.
The Vibe K5 is a budget device and it should only be considered if your budget is low; but, if you don’t want to spend too much money on a smartphone, there are better choices for the price.