Lenovo Vibe K5 and K5 Plus are Android smartphones that won’t break your budget

By Simon Hill February 21, 2016

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Lenovo has just announced a pair of budget Android smartphones at MWC. The specs are far from cutting edge, but both these handsets are seriously affordable. They’re svelte at just 8.2mm, and they also sport an aluminum-style finish in champagne gold or platinum silver, which makes them look much more expensive than they really are.

We’ll look at the differences first. The Lenovo Vibe K5 has a 5-inch display with a disappointing resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. Under the hood, there’s an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 processor with 2GB of RAM. The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus also has a 5-inch display, but it’s full HD with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Inside, it’s packing the more powerful octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, also backed by 2GB of RAM.

Both devices have a 13-megapixel main camera with auto-focus and a fixed focus 5-megapixel front-facing camera. There’s 16GB of onboard storage, with a MicroSD card slot that allows you to expand your storage space by up to 32GB. Dual rear Dolby Atmos speakers promise decent sound for movies and music, and Lenovo has pre-installed a bunch of apps, such as SHAREit, SNAPit, Guvera Music for social sharing and streaming.

Unfortunately, the Vibe K5 and K5 Plus run Android 5.1 Lollipop, and not the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow. But, if you’re always running out of juice, you’ll be glad to know that the 2750mAh-rated battery is removable. That’s a rare option nowadays and it means you could carry a spare.

These are dual SIM phones with 4G LTE support and, as you may have guessed already, they’re not aimed at the U.S. market. Lenovo says they’ll go on sale in select markets, to be revealed, from March. The Lenovo Vibe K5 will cost just $130. Its big brother, the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is going to cost $150.

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Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…

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