If you approach the Lenovo VIBE Shot from the back, you can be forgiven for thinking it’s a very slim digital camera instead, with a rear that seems to be designed in landscape orientation. And that’s not accidental either. This Lenovo Android device may not boast the Dolby Atmos technology that its MWC 2015 siblings have, but it pretty much makes up for it in one other aspect. As you might have guessed already, the VIBE Shot sells itself as a digital photographer’s weapon, flaunting some specs to make camera lover consider the device.
The rear camera is, of course, the focus of the device. A 16 megapixel camera, for one, is made from a six-piece modular lens. It boasts not just of Optical Image Stabilization but also of infrared focus advertised to be twice as fast as regular autofocus. The tricolor LED flash is also special as it ensures that brightness is carefully adjusted to the ambient light color. And to emphasize the device’s camera focus, Lenovo is putting a physical shutter button. It almost sounds like a Sony Xperia Z smartphone, and it does in more ways than one, as we’ll see later. There are two preset configurations of Smart and Pro settings that users can easily switch to at the flick of a switch. Selfie lovers will definitely love the fact that the front camera is a large 8 megapixel one.
While a decent digital camera, the VIBE Shot is also a formidable smartphone. The 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 610, running at 1.7 GHz, might almost sound mid-range, but the rest of the specs are quite high end. There’s 3 GB of RAM, for example. And while the screen isn’t QHD, at 5.0 inches, 1920×1080 Full HD is already quite decent. Sadly, there’s only 32 GB of internal storage, but you can expand it up to 128 GB via a microSD card. It has LTE connectivity and supports dual nano SIM cards. It also comes with Android 5.0 right off the bat.
Like Lenovo’s high end smartphones, it isn’t skimping here on build quality. Taking a page from Sony’s design book, it sandwiches an aluminum frame between layers of Corning Gorilla Glass. At only 7.3 mm thin and 145 g, it is lightweight, slim, and durable at the same time. Definitely a classy smartphone as far as look goes. Or a classy digital camera with smartphone features.
[UPDATE] Here’s a video of this hybrid smartphone and digital camera in action.
The Lenovo VIBE Shot will make its way to retailers that carry its smartphones starting June, with a price tag of $349. Colors come in red, gray, or white.
