LENOVO has become a serious contender in the Indian smartphone segment over the past few years. After the success of the Lenovo Vibe P1, the firm is now coming up with a sequel of its very popular smartphone. Like the P1, the Lenovo P2 too stands out for its large battery, the only feature many users are bothered about these days. However, that does not mean there is nothing new in this phone.
Lenovo has dropped the Vibe branding on this new smartphone, but it does look a bit like the older model. The one big difference is the change in shape of the dedicated power saving button. The phone weighs more or less the same as the earlier version. The phone feels very solid despite the plastic body. Also, the slight bold edges offer a good grip.
What is good?
I would buy this phone just for its battery. It is a great relief to use a phone where charging the battery is a once-every-three days ritual and that, too, only if you are a heavy user. In fact, using this as a secondary phone, the battery lasted almost a week before I had to recharge it. And about half an hour of charging can equip you to see the rest of the day through in most cases. However, to get the phone fully powered up will need an overnight pit stop.
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The battery size might not have changed much from the last generation, however the AMOLED screen means the power is used better than before. And it is still a very good screen for those who like to consume videos on the go. The screen is also very bright and you can manage indoors easily at just about 20%.
The phone has a clean user interface which is as close as you can get to pure Android. It has some added features in the fingerprint scanner like with the Zuk Z2 and you can use it to go back or enter recent tasks. If you get used to this, then navigation bar can be hidden from settings.
The P2 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 which handles most tasks well. It also manages to stay cool under stress. The graphics performance is also pretty neat with no stuttering during games. The phone has a very reliable camera that manages a good shot, thanks to its Smart mode feature. In this mode, the phone recognises the situation and adjusts accordingly. The clicker is fast and low-light photos are not too grainy.
What is not that good?
Well, Lenovo has been able to make the P2 slim, but it is not light. It is among the heavier phones you will use thanks to the beefy battery inside. This is a mid-range phone and you have to see the processor as well as the camera in that context. There is nothing wrong with both, but they are not top notch in any respect. The benchmarks scores of the phone are also in this range, where a flagship phone would have been two years ago. This is nothing to worry about though.
Should you buy?
Yes, if battery is your biggest pain point and you are a regular smartphone user with not much expectations when it comes to processing. At the moment, the P2 appears like a great value for money device that will rise to all your expectations at this price point. Buy it if you are okay carrying around a slightly heavy phone.
