Lenovo Z2 Plus (ZUK Z2) Review: A compelling buy


ZUK Z2 Review Lenovo Z2 Plus

To be very honest, Lenovo’s phones have hardly excited us too much. But this was before ZUK came out, and the ‘mid-range flagship’ revolution took place. Since then, things have taken an interesting turn.

The ZUK Z1 was a phone that appealed to a very niche consumer set. And although it may not have the massive sales numbers to show for it, the Z1 did sell fairly well.

ZUK’s 2016 entry was the ZUK Z2, which came in two main variants — the ZUK Z2 (called the Lenovo Z2 Plus in India) and the ZUK Z2 Pro. It’s a 19,999 INR phone (4GB RAM; India) that international buyers can avail for just around $250.

We’ve reviewed the Pro before, and let’s take a deep look at the Z2 today.

Lenovo Z2 Plus (ZUK Z2) Review

Specifications

  • 5-inch 1920 x 1080p display
  • Snapdragon 820 SoC
  • 3GB/4GB RAM
  • 32/64GB ROM
  • 13 mega-pixel rear camera
  • 3500mAh battery

Design & Build

The Lenovo Z2 Plus/ZUK Z2 (referred to as the ‘Z2’, here on) isn’t the biggest or the sleekest phone you’ll come across this year. It’s rather thick, and definitely way smaller than most phones that you see in the market today. This is thanks to a 5-inch display that you’ll find on the phone.

What this means is that the Z2 doesn’t look like the best-looking device in photos or in real life for the first time. However, the phone is extremely ergonomic and easy to use. The small screen size means that the fingerprint scanner sits in the front, on top of the home button (which has a bit of its own story).

ZUK Z2 Review Lenovo Z2 Plus

The rear of the phone is all glass, which is a bit of a problem. Problem because: (i) when laid flat on the back, the suction means it’s a little tough to pick up and (ii) it looks great, and every fingerprint mark left on it is an OCD disaster.

Jokes apart, the number of design elements on the Z2 are way fewer compared to what we’ve grown used to seeing. And this certainly work well, especially with the small form factor.

Subtle Lenovo/ZUK branding on the rear combined with regulatory markings on the bottom rear of the phone make for all the printed content on it… none of which is ‘in your face’ kind, unlike some other phones.

I’ve been told by a few people that happened to see the phone that it looked a lot like the iPhone (I don’t think so, however). Anyway, it’s up to you to decide if that’s a good thing or not.

The metal frame around the circumference of the phone has a subdued sense to it. While it does look that it adds some much-needed toughness to the structure, it doesn’t add any bling whatsoever. It’s black, and on top of that, it’s fully matte. It’s a bit of an extreme choice, but I believe a smart one because it’ll likely appeal to people who are the target audience for the Z2. It also is in stark contrast to the rest of the phone, which is quite shiny in fact.

Overall, we’re very impressed with the build and design of the Z2. There’s no real squeaking or anything, and no fancy additions that add overhead.

Hardware & Performance

To spoil the review a bit, it’s one of the best sub-$300 Chinese phones we’ve had our hands on this year. Specs are top-notch, and more often than not, they do translate into real-life performance.

The phone ships with ZUK’s fork of Android, ZUI. The good thing is, the fork isn’t very far from stock Android, with visual tweaks and real feature additions. One of the main attractions of the phone happens to be the U-Health app, which basically aims to replace your Mi Band or similar. It works really well in my opinion — I had a chance to compare it with the activity tracker on the iPhone 6S, and the Z2 was right up there.

ZUK Z2 Review Lenovo Z2 Plus

In more ways than one, the Z2 is a phone that’s easy to miss. It’s not extravagant in any manner, and yet manages to impress almost all the time.

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The 4GB RAM on the phone feels like it’s enough for most average users. I’ve often had tonnes of apps running in the background, mostly without any issues. It’s only when it’s been a while (a week) since a reboot when the phone starts showing signs of fragmentation in memory.

Moving on, the display on the phone is a 5-inch panel with 1920 x 1080p resolution. While it’s not bad by any standards, I’d have to concede about the display being a minor weak link in the phone’s otherwise stellar set of specs. The display can sometimes be hard to use in the sunlight, which is mostly thanks to the reflective coating on top.

The fingerprint scanner is a delight to use, especially with all the features Lenovo/ZUK have embedded into it. By default, tapping on the button will act as ‘back’ while pressing it will take you to your home screen. Besides that, everything else is configurable. You need to spend time getting used to it alright, but once done, you end up saving a lot of time.

The config we have with the Z2, besides tap (back) and press (home): tap and hold (recent apps), press and hold (Google Now), double press (dialer) and swipe (to swipe between recent apps). Again, it does take time to get a hang of it, but it’s worth investing the time. Meizu users, however, will feel at home with this feature for the most part.

Battery life, again, has been impressive. We’ve managed to get over 5 hours of screen on time almost each time, which is something you don’t often get to see on phones of today. A bit of a tradeoff, because the phone isn’t the thinnest you’ll find, but certainly worth the extra couple mm of thickness!

ZUK Z2 Review Lenovo Z2 Plus

A little disappointing is the sound output on the phone. The bottom mounted speaker is in a nice position to deliver some proper sound output, but often you’ll find it lacks volume. While I have no complaints about the sound quality, the volume does leave a bit to be desired. Perhaps something that can be fixed with software? Maybe… but I wouldn’t bank on that happening.

Camera

The phone has a very potent camera, but with some shortcomings. The camera app is easy to use and can take some really really nice photos in daylight… but the camera can struggle a bit in darker situations.

Another bummer is the lack of a manual mode. Heck, there’s no slow-shutter too, which is something we’ve grown used to even on cheaper phones. There’s certainly room for improvement, in that case.

camera-sample-zuk-z2-9

Gallery

Lenovo Z2 Plus (ZUK Z2) Review: Conclusion

What we feel: The Lenovo Z2 Plus / ZUK Z2 is a really nice phone in almost every aspect. It’s only the multimedia side of things where you can expect a bit more; but besides that, at the asking price, I doubt if there’s anything better in the market.

What we’re hoping to see: Some frequent software updates that fix the speaker, and hopefully the camera. While the camera isn’t bad for what the phone costs, it’s not up to the level of the components around it.

Despite that, in all, the Z2 is definitely a phone that’s worth the money.

The ZUK Z2 can be bought here for around the $250 mark shipped. Buyers in India can get the Lenovo Z2 Plus from Amazon.in.

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39 Comments

  1. afghanPower
    October 19, 2016

    Great review, Yash! You really seem to hate the Cubot X16s; you’ve been bashing it in all of your reviews lately 😉

    • October 19, 2016

      Thanks! And haha, have I? To be honest I quite like that phone, it’s just the humongous certification marks that I like to take a dig at 😉

  2. mf1gt3r
    October 19, 2016

    Good review. Nice phone. Cool pics.

  3. Scott Rennie
    October 19, 2016

    (64gb of ROM not RAM) Feel free to delete comment.

    • October 19, 2016

      thanks 🙂

      • Scott Rennie
        October 19, 2016

        welcome.

  4. afghanPower
    October 19, 2016

    Great review, Yash! You really seem to hate the Cubot X16s; you’ve been bashing it in all of your reviews lately 😉

    • Yash Garg
      October 19, 2016

      Thanks! And haha, have I? To be honest I quite like that phone, it’s just the humongous certification marks that I like to take a dig at 😉

  5. mf1gt3r
    October 19, 2016

    Good review. Nice phone. Cool pics.

  6. Guest
    October 19, 2016

    This comment was deleted.

    • Yash Garg
      October 19, 2016

      thanks 🙂

  7. Duncan
    October 19, 2016

    Nice review.. My question is.. Now you’ve used both the z2 and z2 pro. Is it worth spending the extra 200 dollars for the pro version? I currently have an Xperia z3 compact and use my phone mainly for internet, maps, everyday communication and taking pictures.

    • October 20, 2016

      Sadly I haven’t used the Pro. It was Andi who did the review.

  8. October 19, 2016

    “…I’d have to concede about the display being a minor weak link…” — After reading your review, other minor weak links are the speaker and camera.

  9. Guest
    October 20, 2016

    Nice review.. My question is.. Now you’ve used both the z2 and z2 pro. Is it worth spending the extra 200 dollars for the pro version? I currently have an Xperia z3 compact and use my phone mainly for internet, maps, everyday communication and taking pictures.

    • Yash Garg
      October 20, 2016

      Sadly I haven’t used the Pro. It was Andi who did the review.

  10. 10basetom
    October 20, 2016

    “…I’d have to concede about the display being a minor weak link…” — After reading your review, other minor weak links are the speaker and camera.

  11. MinusPlusDivide
    October 20, 2016

    Z2 Plus camera feel like it come from Vibe Shot.

  12. Guest
    October 20, 2016

    Z2 Plus camera feel like it come from Vibe Shot.

  13. balcobomber25
    October 21, 2016

    Yash I wish you would do more reviews here because they are always very good!

    • October 21, 2016

      Thanks @balcobomber25:disqus 🙂 and yes you will see them more often, as you might have already noticed!

    • sere83
      October 21, 2016

      haha its funny i recall a couple of monthes ago I pretty much drew exactly the same conclusions about the Z2 that Yash did…. ‘but besides that, at the asking price, I doubt if there’s anything better in the market.’ and you basically said i was deluded and there were loads of way better options at the price point.

      • balcobomber25
        October 21, 2016

        There are loads of better phones at this price point. Yash doing a good review doesn’t make this the best phone at this price range. OnePlus 3, Axon 7, Honor 8 and maybe LePro 3 are all better options.

        • sere83
          October 22, 2016

          haha the 64gb models of OnePlus 3, Axon 7, Honor 8, all not in the price range of the z2 lol. Hence the quote from yashes review… Anyway lets not start this again…

          • balcobomber25
            October 23, 2016

            I was thinking of the Z2 Pro when I made that comment. The normal Z2 is a good phone but it is not the only good phone at that price point. There are phones from Alcatel, LeEco, Xiaomi, Meizu and a host of others. It all comes down to personal preference.

  14. balcobomber25
    October 21, 2016

    Yash I wish you would do more reviews here because they are always very good!

    • Yash Garg
      October 21, 2016

      Thanks @balcobomber25:disqus 🙂 and yes you will see them more often, as you might have already noticed!

    • sere83
      October 21, 2016

      haha its funny i recall a couple of monthes ago I pretty much drew exactly the same conclusions about the Z2 that Yash did…. ‘but besides that, at the asking price, I doubt if there’s anything better in the market.’…and you basically said i was deluded and there were loads of way better options at the price point.

    • balcobomber25
      October 21, 2016

      There are loads of better phones at this price point. Yash doing a good review doesn’t make this the best phone at this price range. OnePlus 3, Axon 7, Honor 8 and maybe LePro 3 are all better options.

    • sere83
      October 22, 2016

      haha the 64gb models of OnePlus 3, Axon 7, Honor 8, all not in the price range of the z2 lol. Hence the quote from yashes review… Anyway lets not start this again…

    • balcobomber25
      October 23, 2016

      I was thinking of the Z2 Pro when I made that comment. The normal Z2 is a good phone but it is not the only good phone at that price point. There are phones from Alcatel, LeEco, Xiaomi, Meizu and a host of others. It all comes down to personal preference.

  15. SSyar
    October 24, 2016

    Can you tell whats in the box.,., i mean accessories related stuff.,. and does it come with QC 3.0 charger ?

  16. SSyar
    October 24, 2016

    Can you tell whats in the box.,., i mean accessories related stuff.,. and does it come with QC 3.0 charger ?

  17. VMortens
    October 24, 2016

    Banggood has it for $205 with reyeszukz264 coupon. And this price makes it a really attractive piece of device.

    • October 24, 2016

      $205 is an insane price to pay for this phone. Even if its the 3GB RAM version, which I suspect it is.

  18. VMortens
    October 24, 2016

    Banggood has it (sold as Lenovo ZUK Z2) for $205 with reyeszukz264 coupon. And this price makes it a really attractive piece of device.

    • Yash Garg
      October 24, 2016

      $205 is an insane price to pay for this phone. Even if its the 3GB RAM version, which I suspect it is.

  19. satish gupta
    April 21, 2017
  20. satish gupta
    April 21, 2017