Lenovo Vibe X2 'layered phone' launched in PH

Specs of the Lenovo Vibe X2 (Price in the Philippines: P18,999):
LTE
2GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6595M processor
PowerVR G600 GPU
2GB RAM
32GB internal storage
5-inch IPS display (1,080 x 1,920 resolution)
13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
5-megapixel front camera
2,300mAh battery
Android KitKat 4.4.2

There's a new flagship phone to look forward to in the coming weeks. The Lenovo Vibe X2, originally unveiled at IFA 2014 in Berlin, has been launched in the Philippines. And it looks to be a conversation starter as the world's first layered smartphone, which is as straightforward as it sounds: The sleek, 7.3-mm-thick chassis is made of three different-colored layers of plastic.

As if that's not enough, there's an option to add a fourth layer in the form of a clip-on, JBL-branded speaker and a battery case that reportedly extends usage times by almost 75 percent.

While designing a smartphone that (perhaps unwittingly) resembles a cracker sandwich doesn't add anything else important to the equation, we can't fault Lenovo for trying to push the envelope.

For what it's worth, the Vibe X2 is at least better-looking than its predecessor and feels more secure in the hand despite the latter's slimmer profile at only 6.9-mm thick. More importantly, major improvements to the the phone's insides—namely, the upgrade to a 2GHz octa-core processor with LTE connectivity—should translate to a significant performance boost and faster data speeds.

The handset also comes with Lenovo's Vibe UI 2.0 on top of Android KitKat 4.4.2, which flaunts a host of new features, including a battery-saving mode and the ability to turn on the display by tapping it twice and take selfies using hand gestures.

At the launch, we spent some time poking around the Lenovo Vibe X2's user interface, and it left us feeling optimistic about where the company is headed. Now, if only Lenovo would drop those cartoonish icons and adopt a more Material Design-inspired look.

Rounding out the specs are a 5-inch 1080p IPS display; 2GB of RAM; 32GB of non-expandable storage; 13- and 5-megapixel rear and front cameras; and a sealed 2,300mAh battery.

The Lenovo Vibe X2 will retail for P18,999 when it hits stores in mid-November and will be available in red, white, gold, and dark gray. As for the clip-on accessories, they will be sold sometime after the smartphone's release.

Got questions? Tweet us at @aloraguerrero and @monchlopez.