Lenovo K8 Note 32GB

I’ve been using the Lenovo K8 Note for a week, and have to say that the smartphone not only carries forward the awesome features of its predecessors, but also brings all the good stuff available in offerings from the competition (along with borrowing quite a few tricks from Moto devices). With prices starting at Rs 12,999 (Rs 13,999 for the higher-end model), the K8 Note has a killer pricing, and of course, a look at its spec sheet (mentioned above) suggests that it also has a killer instinct on all fronts – potentially capable of decimating the competition.

With a 5.5-inch display and 2.5D glass, a metal unibody construction, and curved edges, the Lenovo K8 Note looks just like any other budget offering. It’s only when you take a closer look, you’ll notice subtle, yet important differences.

Like all Chinese companies, Lenovo used to layer its Android smartphones with a custom skin, and in the brand's case, it was dubbed Vibe UI. It later started shipping Vibe Pure UI on its offerings to offer a clutter-free interface. But with the K8 Note, the brand is completely reversing its strategy. It has decided to take the same route as Moto devices, i.e. offering stock Android with the latest iteration.

Within a short time, dual cameras on phones have become a necessity rather than a rarity. And now, we’re seeing them across budgets, and not just in the high-end segment. Following the trend, Lenovo has bestowed the K8 Note with a pair of cameras – with the primary Purecel sensor rated at 13-megapixels with f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP secondary sensor from Samsung. The combination lets you click images with depth-of-field effect as the secondary camera captures depth information. The camera app also lets you choose the aperture between f/1.2, f/1.8 and f/2.8. Thanks to stock Android, you can access the camera app even from the lock screen or while using any other app by simply double-pressing the power button.

Deca-core processors aren't new – they've been around for almost two years when MediaTek launched its first chipset with 10 cores, the Helio X20. But for some reason, deca-core processors never caught on… quite possibly because no major phone maker utilised these SoCs. The Lenovo K8 Note aims to change that. It draws power from the Helio X23 SoC, which offers four power-efficient Cortex-A53 cores running at 1.4GHz, four powerful cores Cortex-A53 tuned at 1.85GHz and the remaining two Cortex-A72 cores aimed at performance with a clock speed of 2.3GHz. Coupled with a Mali T-880 GPU, the smartphone promises buttery-smooth performance and incredible graphics. And my usage was a testament to that, as I didn’t face a trace of lag while navigating screens and jumping between apps. In fact, the K8 Note is easily the most powerful smartphone in its segment, as per benchmark results.