The Google Pixel 3 XL was only unveiled last month, but it's already beginning to look excruciatingly outdated, thanks to a raft of new handsets with a phenomenal screen-to-body ratio, including the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and the Honor Magic 2.
While the Pixel 3 XL bundles its dual front-facing camera system and sensors into an egregiously large notch at the top of the display, Lenovo's all-new Z5 Pro hides its smarts behind a sliding mechanism. This has enabled the latter to achieve a stellar 95% screen-to-body ratio.
That matches the current industry leader, Honor Magic 2, and bests competitors, including the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 (93%), Oppo Find X (86.9%), Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (84.2%) and iPhone XS Max (84.4%).
Lenovo has fitted its latest handset with a 6.39-inch display with FHD+ resolution. During the announcement, the company revealed that it is using a Samsung-built panel for the Z5 Pro, so expect brilliant viewing angles and vivid colours galore.
It's also worth noting that the Lenovo Z5 Pro has the largest display of any notch-free smartphone available right now, so this could easily become the best choice for those looking to binge a raft of box sets during their morning commute.
Just like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Lenovo has embedded the fingerprint sensor inside the glass display on the front of the Z5 Pro.
Sliding down the screen reveals the dual front-facing camera set-up, which consists of a 16-megapixel and 8-megapixel sensor. The smaller of these will also be used for IR facial recognition for improved Portrait Mode-style photography with artificial bokeh blur to the background behind the subject.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Bafflingly, Lenovo has also included the speaker grill behind the sliding mechanism. That means you'll need to slide down the display before you're able to make a phone call, which seems like a frustrating trade-off for that impressive screen-to-body ratio.
On the back of the Z5 Pro you'll find another dual-camera set-up, this time with 16-megapixel and 24-megapixel sensors with an aperture of f/1.8. Lenovo is making a lot of noise about its new AI-powered Super Night photography mode, which is designed to take better shots in challenging low-light conditions.
Powering the latest from Lenovo is Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 710 chipset, coupled with 6GB of RAM, and a 3,350 mAh battery cell. There is also dual Nano SIM functionality and NFC for contactless payments via Google Pay.
Unfortunately, Lenovo isn't shipping its latest hardware with Android 9.0 Pie. Out of the box, the Z5 Pro will run Android 8.0 Oreo, complete with Lenovo's ZUI 10.0 software skin slapped over the top.
Lenovo Z5 Pro is selling models with 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, but there's no word yet on whether this is expandable via microSD. Lenovo is also staying tight-lipped about whether the Z5 Pro will be coming to the UK in the future. If it does, expect the price to be somewhere around ¥1,998 (roughly £220, $287).
As a former Staff Writer for T3, Aaron writes about almost anything shiny and techie. When he’s not barking orders at Alexa-powered microwaves or gawping at 5G speed tests, Aaron covers everything from smartphones, tablets and laptops, to speakers, TVs and smart home gadgets. Prior to joining T3, Aaron worked at the Daily Express and and MailOnline.
-
Wahoo Elemnt Ace review: Struggling to keep pace
Promising a colossal screen, advanced navigation, and unique features like a wind sensor, the Wahoo Elemnt Ace aims high but stumbles with poor battery life, a dim display, and a bulky design
By Matt Buckley Published
-
Double O-heaven? Could this hybrid be James Bond's next ride?
Hybrid Aston Martin Valhalla is finally here, and I can't wait to drive it
By Alistair Charlton Published