We Got Some Hands-On Time with the Lenovo K8 Note!
Lenovo just released two K8 series smartphones in the Philippines. While you shouldn’t sleep on the Lenovo K8 Plus, the Lenovo K8 Note has the hardware to make it steal a bit of the limelight from its sibling. Armed with a deca-core processor, a 4000mAh battery, and dual rear cameras, the Lenovo K8 Note looks to be packing quite a punch. Before it goes through our review process, let’s take a quick look at the device.
Lenovo K8 Note Specs
- 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio X23 deca-core processor
- Mali T-880 MP2 GPU
- 4GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display; 1080×1920 resolution, 401 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- 64GB of expandable storage
- Dual SIM
- 4G, LTE
- 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel rear camera, f/1.7 aperture, PDAF, dual LED flash
- 13-megapixel front camera, f/2.0 aperture, LED flash
- WiFi, Bluetooth
- GPS, A-GPS
- Fingerprint scanner
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 4000mAh battery
Initial Impression: A Steal If You Time Your Purchase Right
The Lenovo K8 Note has a metal body that gives the device a premium feel despite its price tag. No clever way to hide its antennas, instead they’ve gone with plastic on the top and bottom of the device. The phone has curved edges and corners to make it easier to hold the hand though it does feel a little thicker than most phones we’ve been handling recently. The body of the K8 Note is splashproof so, while it cannot be fully submerged, at least it’ll be protected from accidental spills.
**UPDATE: Sadly, no protective case was included in the box of the Lenovo K8 Note.
Let’s take a look at the button and port layout.
On the right side, you have the volume rocker and power button.
On the left side, are two slots for the SIM cards and micro SD card. Below that is a dedicated music button but it can be customized to launch other apps.
On the bottom a micro USB port and the speaker grilles, but only one of them actually hold a speaker but it is equipped with Dolby Atmos audio to ensure great sound quality. We’re a tad disappointed that we’re not getting a USB Type-C port but, then again, a lot of phones in its price range are still rocking micro USB ports.
On top is a 3.5mm audio jack.
You have a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, which gives you a decent pixel density at 402 pixels per inch and a screen-to-body ratio of 71.1%. It’s got a decent amount of brightness to be used outdoors and since it is an IPS panel, viewing angles are good too.
Below the display are capacitive navigation keys and above it is the earpiece, 13-megapixel front camera, and its LED flash.
Flip the phone over and you’ll see the devices dual camera setup in a vertical orientation with the dual-tone LED flash beside it. You have a 13-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel depth sensor to help get smoother bokeh. Below the cameras are the fingerprint scanner that unlocks the phone rather quickly.
Under the hood of the Lenovo K8 Note is a 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio X23 deca-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage that should give the device some zip. While previous iterations of the K series of phones had the company’s Vibe UI overlay, we’re happy to see Lenovo ditched it and go with stock Android Nougat. We have confirmed that it will be getting an upgrade to Oreo. Juicing up the Lenovo K8 Note, is a 4000mAh battery with support for TurboCharge to get it back up and running in a jiffy.
That’s pretty much it for our quick review for the Lenovo K8 Note, which has been priced at Php 13,999. The device and its sibling will be exclusively available on Lazada and will be part of the Lazada Online Revolution where you can grab the Lenovo K8 Note for Php 8,999 Check back in a couple of days for its full review and its first shots we’ve taken with its dual camera setup.
