Lenovo launched the Vibe K5 Plus at Mobile World Conference (MWC) in late Feb of 2016 and within a month their latest offering in the Budget Smartphone segment has arrived in the Indian market.
The Vibe K5 Plus is being portrayed as the successor of the hugely successful Lenovo A6000. It has been priced at INR 8,500 in India and comes in three color variants: gold, silver and graphite. Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 3 on 3rd March 2016 and has been in the market for over 2 weeks now.
There are 2 models of the Redmi Note 3 – one with 16GB storage / 2GB RAM and another with 32GB storage / 3GB RAM priced at INR 9,999 and INR 11,999 respectively.
Now before we get down to the reasons why you should consider buying the Vibe K5 Plus instead of the Redmi Note 3, here’s a quick head-to-head comparison of the Key Specs of the 2 phones:
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Display |
5” FHD IPS Screen |
5.5” FHD IPS Screen |
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Processor |
Snapdragon 616 |
Snapdragon 650 |
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GPU |
Adreno 405 |
Adreno 510 |
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Memory |
16 GB |
16 GB / 32 GB |
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Ram |
2GB |
2GB / 3GB |
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UI |
Vibe UI on Android 5.1 |
MiUi on Android 5.1.1 |
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Connectivity |
Dual Sim 4G + Micro SD Card |
Dual Sim 4G OR Single Sim 4G + Micro SD Card (Hybrid Slot) |
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Camera |
13MP + 5MP |
16MP + 5MP |
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Battery |
2750mAH Removable Battery |
4050mAH Non-Removable Battery |
8 Reasons Why You Should Consider Buying Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Over Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
1. No Flash Sale
Lenovo finally noticed that NO ONE likes flash sales, so the company finally dropped the flash sale model for the K5 Plus. Lenovo’s K4 Note, Vibe X3 and now the K5 Plus are available on “Open Sale”.
After having a very bad experience with the flash sales of Redmi Note 3 in past 2 weeks we have decided that this definitely a pro as the Vibe K5 Plus will be available on open sale starting 23rd March.
2. 5-inch Screen
Apple has also launched a smaller iPhone, the iPhone SE so we can come to some kind of conclusion that smaller screen phones are still desired, the 5” inch screen on the K5 Plus is sharp with FHD resolution and sits exactly in the middle between large and small screens. The Vibe K5 Plus is easier to use in one hand.
When compared to Xiaomi Redmi Note 3’s 5.5-inch screen, the K5 Plus feels better in hand and is easier to pocket as well.
3. Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is an amazing technology which Lenovo now includes in all their offerings. The k5 plus is also no objection, the phone has dual Dolby speakers at the back of the phone + the Dolby Atmos can be enjoyed to its fullest when we pair it with good quality earphones.
The Redmi note 3’s loudspeaker is not bad the Vibe K5 Plus gets dual rear speakers with a lot better audio quality with Atmos. Moreover, the listening experience is enhanced over earphones as well.
4. TheaterMax
This is a technology in which Lenovo has invested a lot and it has definitely paid off. Using TheaterMax you get a sort of theater like experience on your phone. The phone's screen gets divided into 2 equal parts and when the phone is paired with AntVR Headset the experience is amazing.
In Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 there nothing like this.
5. Vibe UI
We don’t usually include UI in a comparison but here it needs to be mentioned. Vibe UI has transformed into a near stock android experience this year, probably due to MOTO influence.
Lenovo is pretty good with updating the Android version on the Vibe UI as seen on the K3 Note, the phone was recently updated to Android Marshmallow 6.0, which shows dedication and when we compare the same thing with MIUI, most Xiaomi phones are still running on either KitKat or Lollipop.
6. Removable Battery
A removable battery is always appreciated, and the Redmi Note 3 is the first Redmi Phone which has a non-removable battery. The Vibe K5 Plus also has a metal back similar to Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 but still manages to keep the removable battery option.
7. Dual SIM + Memory Card
The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus has, in total, 3 slots - 2 SIM Card Slots + 1 Micro SD Card Slot. A lot of companies have started to follow a trend of having only 2 slots in which the 2nd slot is hybrid which supports SD cards.
This is actually not appreciated by customers. So in Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus Lenovo has included 3 slots unlike the Redmi Note 3, which has a Hybrid SIM card slot.
8. Lenovo Service
Xiaomi has had a problem regarding after sales services in the Indian Market, while Lenovo has a well-established chain of service centers and provides better after sales service.
Conclusion
Lenovo has definitely made a very good mobile phone for the price. It will be very interesting to see how companies like Xiaomi fight back but till then the K5 Plus does looks a very god deal for INR 8500.
