In the west, Lenovo is primarily known for laptops and being the name behind Motorola’s recent phones, but it’s easy to forget Lenovo has a phone range all its own. It won’t be so easy to forget once you set your eyes on the Lenovo Z5 Pro GT, even though the phone is unlikely to be coming to the U.S.
The first thing you’re likely to notice about the Z5 Pro GT is the almost complete lack of bezels. That’s because, like the Oppo Find X and the Vivo Nex S before it, the Z5 Pro GT is a slider phone. The front-facing cameras and earpiece are hidden inside the phone’s body, and they will mechanically pop out when required. Other than that, the phone is similar in look to the Lenovo Z5 Pro — aside from the emphasis on red accents around the frame, and the carbon fiber pattern under the glass back.
Inside is where the Lenovo Z5 Pro GT really sets some records. The Z5 Pro GT will likely be — alongside the OnePlus 7 — one of the first phones in the world to feature the new Snapdragon 855 processor, which should make it a top-level performer. It’s the other stats that set records, though, as the Z5 Pro GT packs in a massive 12GB of RAM. That’s the most RAM ever seen in a smartphone. There will also be up to 512GB of internal storage.
Oddly, the Z5 Pro GT will miss out on Pie, as it’s running Android 8.1 Oreo at launch. Presumably, an update to Android 9.0 Pie will be forthcoming, but it’s still a disappointment not to see it on launch.
There is a 6.39-inch AMOLED display running a 2,340 x 1,080 Full HD resolution, and you will find a 3,350mAh battery powering it. You will find two camera lenses on the back of the device — a 16-megapixel primary lens, and a 24-megapixel secondary lens. There are two front-facing camera lenses, a 16-megapixel primary lens joined by an 8-megapixel infrared lens for facial recognition, though there is also an in-display fingerprint scanner. NFC is included and it comes with dual nano SIM slots. USB-C is included, but there’s no headphone jack; instead, you’ll get a USB-C dongle for your headphones.
The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT will be available for pre-order from January 15, ahead of its release on January 24. There is a lower-powered version of the phone equipped with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and that will cost 2,698 yuan (about $390). The big-time model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage sees a significant bump in price though, falling at 4,398 yuan (about $640). There are unfortunately no plans for a U.S. release at this time.
