Xiaomi is one of the most popular brands in India and, as a result, has enjoyed much success. The company’s major selling point is its competitive pricing. It doesn’t hurt that most of their phone has excellent features and are at the top of the market. It has, of course, led the way for other manufacturers to try the same tactics in a bid to gain more market share. Lenovo, one of the main competitors for Xiaomi in China, the company is now trying to hedge into the Indian markets as well. Let’s jump into this Lenovo A6000 Plus Review.
The Lenovo A6000 Plus was recently released by the same in a flash sale. The A6000 and A7000 were released in a similar manner some time back and it looks like their marketing strategy works since both these models were quite successful. The latest Lenovo A6000 Plus is an upgrade over the A6000 model. Most of the specs remain the same, but you may notice some improvements that make it better than the original smartphone.
Design and Display
If you are asked to identify the phones kept side-by-side, it will not be an easy task at all! Look-wise, there is no difference between the Lenovo A6000 Plus from the A6000. Both of them look the same and are identical! The Plus model features a comfortable weight and dimensions while enjoying matte finish at the back. The ergonomics of this phone are pretty satisfactory as well.
You will notice that the volume rocker and power button are located on the right side of the phone. On the top, the Micro-USB port and 3.5mm socket are housed while the two speakers take their place on the bottom of the rear. The front camera and earpiece are situated above the screen. The screen remains the same as A6000 featuring a 294ppi 5-inch panel.
Specifications and Software
The 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC seen in the Lenovo A6000 remains a fixture for the Plus model as well. One of the major distinguishing factors between the regular and the Plus models include the increase in internal storage and RAM. While newer smartphone features 16GB of storage and 2GB RAM whereas the older one had only 8GB and 1GB respectively. Another good news is the fact that the storage is expandable up to 32GB with microSD cards. This feature has been kept in place to offer more value to customers who are looking at the long-term benefits of owning such a device.
Most of the other specifications are the same. You will see that the smartphone comes with Bluetooth 4.0, 4G connectivity, and a 2,300mAh Lithium-polymer battery. The phone also boasts of an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. The Lenovo A6000 Plus runs on Android KitKat 4.4.4 with the Vibe 2.0 user interface layered on top. Unfortunately, it does have a lot of bloatware and way too many pre-installed apps. While some could be said to be useful, most of them just are occupying space.
If attention was paid to this, this could free up some valuable space that could be put to good use. Regardless, you can always disable or uninstall it. Coming to the user interface factor of the phone, many feel that the lack of an app drawer is a major drawback. The UI also feels a bit cheap and cartoony. If you purchase it and are not pleased with the default settings, you can always download a launcher from the Google Play Store.
Camera
The camera app is designed to be minimalist. All the settings are grouped together under a single menu. You can switch between the photo, video, and the panorama mode in a jiffy. You will also be glad to know that there are shortcuts to access the front camera, flash, and HDR mode. Coming to the autofocus feature, it is quick and usually, quite accurate.
The camera specs are also the same as the Lenovo A6000. While the camera is good enough, it is not consistent, and you may sometimes end up taking poor shots. A couple of main issues include overexposure in daylight shots and poor outlining in low-light conditions. Video is limited to 720p as with its predecessor.
Performance
The RAM has been enhanced in this model and now, you can be sure that the performance is boosted by a great deal. This is good news for a budget model like this one. In addition to getting better performance, you will now be able to use more apps simultaneously. This was not something you could have done with the A6000 since it would almost always slow down.
The Lenovo A6000 Plus boasts of better benchmark numbers as well. The device got 21,392 and 11,860 in AnTuTu and Quadrant. 3DMark and GFX Bench scores were similar to the A6000 at 5262 and 9.6fps respectively. The Lenovo A6000 Plus is a 4G model and would be a great option once 4G networks are rolled out extensively in India. As of now, most users in India only receive 3G service. Coming to battery life, you will not be disappointed. It can last you easily for over a day. Compared to the older version, it gives slightly more battery life.
Verdict
The Lenovo A6000 was a great smartphone. Lenovo has managed to work out the few kinks it had and introduced the Lenovo A6000 Plus model, which is now one of the most popular phones out there. With better performance and excellent value, there is no doubt that users are flocking to buy this. It also doesn’t hurt that it has a better battery and more storage space and RAM.
Coming to its drawbacks, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of it. However, it still does not feature any protective glass on the screen or have stunning cameras. If Lenovo could work out these problems, the A6000 Plus would be a brilliant option indeed. At the moment, it is available in limited quantities and only via Flipkart, a popular eCommerce platform in India.
