The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
As part of its aggressive campaign to attract technology-savvy Filipino millennials, Lenovo Philippines has added three new models to its lineup of Vibe smartphones, with one promising improved selfies, and the other two boasting of impressive batteries that can be recharged quickly.
During their media launch at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City’s Entertainment City complex on November 10, top officials of the Chinese computer-technology and mobile-phone giant’s local subsidiary introduced the Lenovo Vibe S1—which, the company says in a statement, “takes selfies to the next level”—and the Lenovo Vibe P1 and P1m, which has “massive batteries and smart power-saving tools.”
“In this day and age, smartphone users are more inclined to take selfies. It has become one of the most popular types of photos (today), as large (numbers) of selfies are taken and shared on social media every day,” Dino Romano, country manager of Lenovo Smartphones Philippines, says in the statement.
“With the advancements in technology, consumers demand more from smartphones. They want their selfies to be unique, so they can stand out (on) social media. This is why Lenovo designed the Vibe S1,” he adds.
The Vibe S1, unlike its many competitors in the market, boasts of three cameras: two on the front and one on the back. According to Lenovo, the 8-megapixel primary front camera takes crisp and detailed pictures, while the 2MP secondary front camera gathers depth-of-field data and imitates the way people perceive depth.
The smartphone also has a BSI (backside illumination) sensor that improves the quality of selfies taken at night or under low-light conditions, while the Vibe Xtension plug-in selfie flash permits users to take up to a hundred selfies on a single charge.
As for the unit’s 13MP rear camera, it has a face-detection autofocus feature that increases focusing speed, and a dual-LED (light-emitting diode) flash that enhances color tones based on ambient lighting and temperature.
The Vibe S1 also has several photo-editing functions. These include “Blur,” which allows users to refocus anywhere on the selfie for a maximum of three focal planes, and “Cut Out,” which lets users crop other people out of one selfie or replace the background of another with one of their own choosing.
The smartphone has a 64-bit MediaTek MT6752.1 7GHz (gigahertz) Octa-Core processor; the Android 5.0 (Lollipop) operating system; 3-gigabyte RAM (random access memory); 4G LTE (long-term evolution) connectivity; a 2500mAh (milliampere-hour) battery; 32GB of internal storage and up to 128GB of microSD external storage; and dual nano SIM (subscriber identity module) support, among others.
Longer battery life
On the Vibe P1 and P1m, Lenovo describes them in a separate statement as having a manual power-saver switch that can extend their battery life, as well as an OTG (on the go) charging function that allows multitasking users to charge other USB (universal serial bus)-connected devices or accessories while on the move.
“The Vibe P1 and P1m are equipped with high-performance processors (that can) run games and apps seamlessly, and support fast connectivity and smooth access to online content with 4G LTE,” Romano says in the statement.
The Vibe P1 and P1m have high-powered batteries that, on each charge, can last for more than 24 hours, even with constant use: the former, a 5000mAh one that allows the unit to charge other phones at any time; the latter, 4000mAh.
The Vibe P1’s quick-charge function permits 24-watt charging without overheating. The unit can be paired with several devices, such as cameras and headsets, using NFC (near-field communication) technology; and features an embedded fingerprint scanner on the “home” button that supports black-screen unlock and gives users greater convenience and security.
The Vibe P1m, meanwhile, possesses nano-coating technology that renders it splash-proof, and protects it from the rain and accidental spills.
The Vibe P1 has, among others, a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 1.5GHz Octa-Core processor; a 13MP face-detection autofocus rear camera with dual-color flash, and a 5MP front camera; and up to 32GB of internal storage and up to 128GB of microSD external storage.
The Vibe P1m’s specifications, on the other hand, include a 64-bit MediaTek MT6735P 1.0GHz Quad-Core processor; an 8MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash and 5MP front camera; up to 16GB of internal storage and up to 32GB of microSD external storage; and dual SIM support.
Both phones have the Android Lollipop; 2GB RAM; and 4G LTE connectivity. ALVIN I. DACANAY
The Lenovo Vibe S1 sells for P15,999 and can be bought from authorized Lenovo Mobile dealers starting in the last week of November. The Lenovo Vibe P1 and P1m sell for P14,999 and P7,999, respectively, and are now available at those dealers. For more information, visit www.lenovomobile.com.ph.