Seeing a new device get a sequel within a month of its launch isn’t a very common sight in the smartphone industry, but it looks like Lenovo is looking to change tradition. The Chinese manufacturer has officially launched the K5 Note, less than a month after the K4 Note was unveiled. The K5 Note isn’t a true successor, as most of the specs remain the same. The upgrades come in the form of a slightly faster processor and a larger battery. The MT6753 CPU has been swapped out for the MediaTek Helio X10, which is also an 64-bit octa-core chip but has a higher clock speed of 1.8GHz. The battery capacity has gone from 3,300 mAh to 3,500 mAh; Lenovo is sticking to a 5.5-inch Full HD display on the K5, so the increased battery size should bring noticeably higher endurance. One area where the K5 Note could be a downgrade is the amount of RAM accompanying the CPU. The device is only listed with 2GB of RAM, whereas the K4 Note came in both 2GB and 3GB RAM variants. The added month in development hasn’t brought an upgrade on the software front either – the K5 Note runs Android 5.1 Lollipop like its predecessor, which is rather disappointing. The rest of the spec sheet includes a 13 MP rear camera with phase detection autofocus, an 8 MP front camera, 16GB of expandable storage, a fingerprint scanner, 4G LTE connectivity, dual SIM slots, and a 1.5W loudspeaker with support for Dolby Atmos. A metallic body is part of the package as well, with color options of gold and silver. The Lenovo K5 Note will be available in China through a flash sale model for RMB 1,099 (roughly $167), which is as attractive a price as that which accompanied the K4 Note. No word yet on whether the device will be coming to other markets.
