Lenovo K8 Note with dual camera, stock Android to go on sale on 18 August at Rs 12,999 on Amazon

Lenovo’s #KillerNote, the K8 Note has just been launched in India. Lenovo promises that the device will offer killer features at a killer price and that it will be an Amazon exclusive. While the launch event itself was rather tame, the device itself might actually be just as interesting as Lenovo thinks it is.

The K8 Note succeeds the K6 Note in the budget smartphone category, and in that bracket, this phone certainly seems impressive. Lenovo claims that with the K8 Note, they actually listened to feedback and designed the phone accordingly. People’s complaints about performance, not having the latest version of Android, the quality of the camera and more were takin into account.

Lenovo’s Anuj Sharma broke down the key features of the phone, and we think it best to explain them as he did.

Killer Camera: Referring only to the rear camera, Sharma explained that the unit is a dual-camera setup with a 13 MP and a 5 MP sensor. The 13 MP sensor uses a 5-element lens with an f/2.0 aperture. The 5 MP sensor is only present for depth-sensing. Sharma says that both units simultaneously capture data when an image is taken, but that “machine learning algorithms” are applied to the 5 MP unit for separating the background from the subject. We’re not sure if the camera is generating a true depth-map, like the iPhone 7 Plus, but Lenovo claims it works well. We’ll be sure to thoroughly test the feature when we review the device.

Killer Performance: Speaking on the performance, Sharma pointed out that it’s the hardware and software in combination that provide great performance. Testament to this fact, we feel, is the performance of the Google Pixel vs the LG G6. The latter is buggy while the former is fluid.

Sharma says that the most important step Lenovo took towards addressing the performance issues was the removal of the Vibe UI and any other custom skinning from Android. We’re a fan of stock Android ourselves, and to see a company that loves Android skins suddenly give it up was heartening. Sharma also said that skins can have security issues.

On the hardware front, the device features a 10-core Helio X23 chip that uses 4x ARM Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.4 GHz, 4x ARM Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.85 GHz and 2x ARM Cortex A72 cores clocked at 2.3 GHz. Together with this, you get up to 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Lenovo thinks that this is the first device to market with a Helio X23.

When comparing benchmark figures, Sharma says that the K6 Note managed 43,000 points in AnTuTu. The K8 Note manages 90,000.

Killer Multimedia: Claiming that Lenovo devices are known for their multimedia capabilities, Sharma says that the device will include support for Dolby Atmos as well as Lenovo’s TheatreMax technology. The latter is sort of a VR experience that creates a “100-foot equivalent screen at 40 feet”.

We’ve seen these on other phones before, but there are not the features that stand out. On the K8 Note, Lenovo has gotten rid of the pestiferous hybrid SIM slot and added a dedicated microSD card slot as well as a dedicated, dual-SIM slot. At long last, frustrated dual-SIM users will be able to use two SIM cards and a microSD card. Speaking of microSD cards, the device can support cards up to 128 GB in capacity.

The screen is a 5.5-inch Full HD screen (1920×1080 pixels).

Another interesting feature is the presence of an extra button on the side of the device. By default, this button works as the music button. You can tap it to start the music app, long-press it to play/pause your music, double-tap to fast forward and triple to reverse. Better yet, the button is programmable to open any app you choose.

Killer Selfies: Apparently because consumers see selfies and photography as two different experiences, Lenovo is touching upon them separately. The front camera, or selfie camera as it is now known, on the K8 Note is a 13 MP f/2.0 unit with a wide-angle lens. Better yet, you actually get an LED flash on the front! The front camera also supports Lenovo’s ‘Pro’ mode.

Killer experience: The last aspect that Sharma touched upon was that of the “experience” of using the device. He explained that the device fully supports fast charging and that a 15 W charger would be included in the box. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass and has an oleo phobic coating.

The phone is also splash resistant – but not waterproof – and can handle the rain, adds Sharma.

The body is made of 5000-series Aluminium and the device will be available in two colours: Fine Gold and Venom Black. A fingerprint sensor is present on the back of the device.

The K8 Note will be available exclusively on Amazon in two configurations at two price points: A 3/32 GB RAM/storage combo for Rs 12,999 and a 4/64 GB combo for Rs 13,999. This is less than the launch price of the K6 Note.

The device will go on sale at 12 pm on 18 August on Amazon.

Additional offers, include 80 percent off on Kindle ebooks, a 64 GB data pack from Idea for Rs 343 (valid for 56 days) and a discount on the Moto Sports headphones.