First impressions of the Lenovo Vibe X3

It has been a while since Lenovo launched a top end mobile. They have been concentrating a lot on the mid tier segment and now Lenovo is back in the king’s fields with the Vibe X3. After being briefed about the device by Lenovo, frankly I thought that this device is going to cost a bomb. I was expecting it to be priced at around Rs 30k and Lenovo trumped the cards. The device is priced at  just Rs 19999. Here is my first impression of the Lenovo Vibe X3.

In the Box

• Vibe X3 mobile with a sealed in 3500 mAh battery
• Matte finish / translucent back case
• Screen protector film
• SIM ejector tool
• 10W fast charger
• USB – microUSB cable
• In-ear headphones

Check out the unboxing video

Lenovo is on a path of continual improvement. With every mobile, the design is getting better. The Vibe X3 inherits its design traits from the Vibe S1 and the K4 note. The back is curved and is made of high quality resin. The sides are of metal with the antennae fused into it. The back has a matte finish and it adds to the grip. The 5.5 inch display on the front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The front also has dual speaker which are compatible with Dolby atmos. The X3 has a finger print scanner at the back and 21 MP camera with dual tone LED flash. It has a 3 mic system for noise cancellation. The top has the 3.5 mm audio jack and the IR blaster. It also has NFC. There are not many mobiles out there with a combination of NFC and fingerprint scanner. This gives the X3 an edge when mobile payments become a reality.

The mobile is convenient to hold in the hand and single hand operation is out of question. But the X3 has single hand mode, which gives you a convenient small screen to operate. The navigation keys are not back lit and its off screen. I wish Lenovo makes it on-screen, if they are not able to provide back light. Otherwise, I have nothing to complain on the design.

Lenovo clearly says that the X3 is a flagship device because of the experience and not because of its spec sheet. It is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 with hexacores and supported by a Adreno 418 for graphics processing. The version that is available in India would have 32 GB of internal storage and 3 GB of RAM. It is a dual SIM dual band LTE device, but one of the SIM slots can be used to expand the memory by upto 128 GB with a microSD card. All that may not sound like a 2016 flagship device. But you will have to look beyond the numbers. The Vibe X3 offers an enriched user experience when it comes to Audio and Video. The display is a full HD IPS panel, which has, what Lenovo calls Perfect view. A perfect view screen shows you all the colors visible to the human eye and also has the highest contrast ratio. Apart for a dedicated chip for voice calls, X3 has a 3 chip configuration for audio processing.

In reality, the device has a great display. It is one of the best displays I have seen on a Lenovo mobile till date. I tested mp3 files with variable bit rate on my Audio Technica M50 and it was a bliss. The flac audio sounds even more better. I would stick to simple adverbs for now and will reserve my thoughts for the detailed review. In short, your take away is that the Lenovo Vibe X3 offers great audio visual experience and hence an entertainment flagship device.

The Vibe X3 has dual front facing speakers. The speakers are Dolby Atmos compliant and deliver great surround sound. The Vibe X3 is powered by a 3500 mAh battery and it supports quick charging. It is bundled with a 10 w charger and it promises the charge the device faster. How long does it take to discharge? That’s something we will have to wait until I try out the mobile for a few days.

Vibe X3 has 21 MP Sony IMX230 sensor for the primary camera. The camera is made of a 6 piece lens arrangement. The front facing camera is a 8 MP camera. This is one of the best camera hardware we have seen in a Lenovo mobile. With the very little time I spent with the mobile, I can say that the camera is truly capable.

Check out the camera samples

Vibe X3 still runs on Android 5.1 but the new Vibe UI is light weight and fresh. Just like Motorola UI, the Vibe UI is very minimal and is very close stock android.

The Vibe X3 could be a game changer for Lenovo. Given that it is priced at Rs 19999, it has eliminated all the contenders in that segment. The 808 based Moto X style 32 GB version is priced at Rs 32k while the Nexus 5X is priced at Rs 24k. With the killer pricing, Lenovo is now competing with the big boys. Also on the performance department, the X3 competes with OnePlus 2 or even the Zenfone 2. Also the Vibe X3 will be available from amazon on open sale, all days. Lenovo is clearly aggressive in India and the Vibe X3 is a testament of its commitment to rule the Indian market.

Picture Gallery (Vibe X3)