Lenovo Vibe P1 Review

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the device is a 1.5GHz 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-core CPU, Adreno 405 GPU, and 2GB RAM – the same configuration as the Lenovo PHAB Plus, Sony Xperia M4 Aqua and Starmobile Knight Elite. As expected, performance is good as it can handle light to heavy tasks well including gaming. Warming can be felt but usually when it’s quick charging and playing games.

* AnTuTu – 36,631
* Quadrant Standard – 20,819
* Vellamo – 1,173 (Multicore), 1,035 (Metal), 1,948 (Chrome)
* 3D Mark – 164 (Sling Shot ES 3.0)
* Gaming Temp – 40.7 C

Connectivity and Call Quality

We are satisfied with what the Vibe P1 has to offer when it comes to connectivity. It has dual-SIM with support for 4G LTE, WiFi with WiFi Boost features which improve WiFi connection when signal is weak, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, FM Radio, and NFC.

We had no problems when it comes to call quality as voice calls are loud and clear. Mobile data also works well as it is able to connect to 4G and 3G networks as long as signal is abundant.

Battery Life

The Vibe P1’s main arsenal is its 5,000mAh non-removable battery. This is only the second time we’ve encountered a smartphone with this capacity (the first was the Starmobile UP Max). Make no mistake, the Vibe P1 can outlast most smartphones out there even with heavy usage. It can even charge other smartphones with its OTG Charging feature. A USB OTG adapter is included in the package.

Using PCMark’s benchmark tool, the Vibe P1 got a battery life rating of 13 hours and 41 minutes, ranking second in our battery rankings. As for our routine battery test (1080p video loop, in Airplane mode, at 50% brightness and volume with headset plugged in), it is capable of 20 hours and 12 minutes worth of playback.

It doesn’t stop there. The Vibe P1 also has a power manager that gives you control on how apps are utilizing the power, battery saver which is inherent in Android Lollipop, and power saving mode. Take advantage of those features and the Vibe P1 has the potential to last for days. And when the battery goes critical, Lenovo’s Rocket Charge takes care of the fast charging. Using its own charger, we can replenish the battery from 5% to full in just a little over an hour.

Conclusion

It’s difficult not to like the Vibe P1. It has a premium build with an attractive design, generous quality display, good CPU and RAM that can manage light to heavy tasks, good camera, fingerprint scanner, a slew of connectivity features, and a large 5,000mAh battery. It’s basically a tank! And you get all that for Php14,999 which is not bad.

As for the downside, and we’re nitpicking, Lenovo’s VIBE UI and its default icons could use a revamp to make it more in-line with Android’s Material design, and the device itself is thick and hefty, but you can easily sweep that under the rug considering the benefits mentioned above. To conclude, the Vibe P1 is a great phone overall.

Lenovo Vibe P1 specs:
5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, 401ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
1.5GHz 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-core CPU
Adreno 405 GPU
2GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
13MP rear camera w/ Phase-Detect AF, dual-tone flash
5MP front camera
Dual-SIM
4G LTE, 3G HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS
NFC
FM Radio
Fingerprint scanner
Android 5.1 Lollipop w/ Vibe UI
5,000mAh non-removable battery
152.9 x 75.6 x 9.9mm
187g

What we liked about it:
* Premium build and attractive design
* Good display
* Good performance
* Excellent battery life
* Fingerprint scanner
* 32GB storage with dedicated microSD card slot

What we didn’t like:
* Hefty and chunky
* VIBE UI icons looks toyish