Lenovo isn't known as a great producer of smartphones, but the company is looking to change that perception. Despite its recent acquisition of Motorola, Lenovo has unveiled two of its own smartphones today in a huge wave of devices the company unveiled at CES 2015. The P90, a workhorse with an enormous battery, and the Vibe X2 Pro, an update to the recently released Vibe X2. Both will be available this spring, but if you live in the US, don't get too happy — Lenovo says they won't be coming to any US carriers.
The P90 Is the first phone running on Intel's 64-bit Atom 1.8GHz quad-core processor, and supports LTE-Advanced (FDD and TDD), which offers theoretical download speeds of 150Mbps. It's also packing a huge 4000mAh battery that Lenovo tells us will last about two days. (In comparison, the Droid Turbo has a 3900mAh battery, which topped out at 31 hours in our review). Lenovo is targeting the P90 at business customers, and that's probably a wise move — unless you need the battery life, it's probably wise to avoid one of the more generic-looking phones released in recent memory. You can purchase the P90 for $499 from Lenovo's website this Spring.
The colorful Vibe X2 Pro looks like a clear improvement over the Vibe X2 that was just released in October, which makes you wonder why Lenovo even bothered releasing the X2 in the first place. The X2 Pro is thinner, has a bigger display, and is more powerful than the X2. The X2 Pro comes with a 5.3-inch display, up from 5 inches on the X2. It also comes with a 64-bit 1.5GHz Snapdragon octa-core processor, and a 13MP rear camera with optical image stabilization. Even with those advancements, the thing that makes the X2 Pro stand out is the 13MP front-facing camera, matching the camera on the rear.
Lenovo isn’t the first company to try putting the same camera on the front and back of a smartphone — HTC released the Desire Eye last year, which features dual 13MP cameras, but we found the front-facing camera didn't live up to the hype. It will be interesting to see if Lenovo has managed to make the world's best selfie camera and if it will make people actually want to buy this phone. Lenovo is pricing the Vibe X2 Pro $399, a great price for an unlocked phone with the specs to match up with some of the better devices on the market.
As is the trend these days, Lenovo has built a wearable, a smart band called the Vibe Band VB10. You shouldn't buy it. You shouldn't even recommend it to people you hate, because that would be too mean. It's one of the worst looking wearables I've ever seen. The Vibe Band VB10 connects via bluetooth to your phone and can display your notifications on its E ink display. It's waterproof, has your standard fitness tracking features, and a battery that Lenovo says will last a week, nearly six and a half days longer than you will actually use it for. In an era of smartwatches and watches that are smart, this does not match up to the competition. The Vibe Band VB10 will also be available in the spring, and just like Lenovo's smartphones it won't be sold in the US. No matter your location, buying Lenovo's wearable isn't a good idea.
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