Lenovo has just launched the Z2 Plus or the ZUK Z2 in India with the top of line hardware at a very affordable price point. The smartphone possibly offers the best value for money proposition in the country. Only two handsets dare to compete with the Lenovo Z2 Plus in terms of specifications while still bearing a reasonable price tag. Yes, we are talking about the Xiaomi Mi 5 and the LeEco Le Max2. Today, we will pit them against Lenovo’s latest offering.
Even though it may seem that the aggressive pricing of the Z2 Plus will help it win the competition hands down, in reality, the Mi 5 and the Le Max2 do have some notable advantages. Read on to know which of the handsets will be the best for you.
Similarities between Lenovo Z2 Plus, Xiaomi Mi 5, and LeEco Le Max2
- Each one of the smartphones sports the mighty Snapdragon 820 with four Kyro cores combined with Adreno 530 GPU. There is a catch though, while in the Z2 Plus and Le Max2 the processor has the highest clock speed of 2.15 GHz, in the Mi 5 it maxes out at 1.8 GHz. This does make the latter a bit less powerful than the other two.
- Another important aspect, connectivity, is basically identical in all three handsets. They come with the same Qualcomm modem with extensive 4G support along with VoLTE (Voice over LTE). Dual-band Wi-Fi and USB Type-C port are common in all of them.
- All the three devices can shoot up to 4K 2160p videos at 30 fps from the rear camera and Full HD 1080p footages through the selfie unit.
- Speaking of the display technology, each of them sports LTPS IPS LCD panels. The Lenovo Z2 Plus and Xiaomi Mi 5 also has a similar Full HD 1080p display resolution.
- The smartphones feature similar dual SIM slots and support dual standby. All of them can only take in Nano sized SIM cards.
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the Operating System in each of the three mobiles although layered with different User Interfaces.
- They all come with non-removable Lithium-ion Polymer batteries which are Quick Charge compliant.
Differences between Lenovo Z2 Plus, Xiaomi Mi 5, and LeEco Le Max2
By now you have already seen that the three handsets have a lot in common. Now, let’s find out the differences between each of them.
- The three smartphones sport different screen sizes. The Z2 Plus has a 5-inch display; the Mi 5 has a slightly larger 5.15-inch one, and the Le Max2 features a large 5.7-inch screen. Moreover, the latter features a much higher QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution panel.
- In India, the Lenovo sells two storage variants of its smartphone, one sporting 3 GB RAM with 32 GB internal storage and another with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB inbuilt memory. Xiaomi offers only the 3 GB / 32 GB variant of the Mi 5 in the country while LeEco currently has the 4 GB / 32 GB model in stock. Regarding RAM capacity, the Z2 Plus, and the Le Max2 are at a tie, while the former is the clear winner if the storage is considered
- Each of the handsets sports different battery capacities. A 3500mAh cell juices up the Z2 Plus while almost similar 3000mAh and 3100mAh batteries fuel each of the Mi 5 and the Le Max2 respectively. The higher battery capacity combined with a smaller screen size will certainly result in better power back-up in Lenovo’s latest smartphone.
- Coming to the optics department, LeEco offers the highest pixel count with its 21 MP primary The Mi 5 has a decent 16 MP unit, and the rear camera of the Z2 Plus is a 13 MP one. However, the latter has a major drawback, while the Le Max2 and the Mi 5 has OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), the Z2 Plus has to rely on the inferior EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization). The front camera of the LeMax2 and the Z2 Plus are identical 8 MP units, while the Mi 5 sports an advanced 4 MP Ultra Pixel selfie shooter.
- The Z2 Plus is available in Ceramic White and Titanium Black color options; the Mi 5 comes in Black, White and Gold variants while LeEco sells only the rose gold version of its Le Max2. The Z2 Plus sports a fiberglass body while Xiaomi uses 3D glass and LeEco comes with metal construction.
- Talking about the sizes of the three devices, it is quite evident that Le Max2 with the massive 5.7-inch display is the largest of the lot. The Mi 5 is a little bit bigger but slimmer than the Z2 Plus. Weighing at 185 grams, the Le Max2 is the heaviest of all, while Mi 5 is the lightest with a total weight if just 129 grams. At 149 grams, the Lenovo Z2 Plus sits in between.
- Finally, let’s speak about the pricing of the handsets. The Z2 Plus is the cheapest with a price starting from Rs. 17,999 for the 3 GB / 32 GB model while the 4 GB / 64 GB one costs Rs. 19,999. In comparison, both LeEco and Xiaomi sells their flagships at Rs. 22,999.
Tallying all the above points, we can see that each of the smartphones has their own pros and cons. Performance wise, the Le Max2, and the Z2 Plus easily surpasses the Mi 5. But the latter sports the best looks, has the best display quality and features arguably one of the best pair of cameras in the mobile industry. Nevertheless, the Lenovo Z2 Plus beats each of them with its incredible pricing.
