Lenovo backed ZUK will launch its first smartphone later this year and we have received more exclusive details of the ZUK Z1 device.
Lenovo backing a start-up isn’t all that shocking. Everyone has seen what a small disruptive company an achieve (take a look at OnePlus) and Lenovo obviously want a taste of it.
Chinese start-up ZUK will be benefiting from Lenovo’s input, and it won’t be just Chinese phone fans who will be able to buy the phone once launched as the brand also have European aspirations.
What about the phone though? What can we expect from the fledgling brand? Well we have already learned about U-touch, a fingerprint scanner and gesture system on the chin below the screen and we also know that a battery of more than 4000mAh will be in place, what else?
Today we can confirm that the ZUK Z1 will be a Snapdragon powered phone, although we don’t know which SoC it seems likely an SD810 will be used. Since Lenovo have been known to use Mediatek and even Intel chips in phones this is certainly some interesting news.
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The partial specifications that we have been sent also reveal the ZUK Z1 will have 3GB RAM (1GB RAM less than the OP2) and an option of either 16/32 or 64GB which indicates the inclusion of an SD card is very unlikely.
Screen size is 5.5-inch although we don’t yet know the resolution or the physical size of the phone. A 13 mega-pixel AF rear camera will sit on the rear with LED flash, and Android 5.1 will run on the phone. CyanogenMod is also mentioned in the specs, but we do not know if this will be an optional ROM or the stock system. Perhaps Chinese customers will get stock Android while EU customers receive CM?
The details go on to mention that an August 2015 date is scheduled for launch and that the supported networks of the ZUK Z1 include GSM/EDGE- 2、3、5、8； CDMA- BC0；
UMTS- 1、2、5、8； CDMA2000- BC0； TDSCDMA- 34、39
TDD- 39、40、41(38)； FDD- 1、3、7, and that a fast charge 5V/2A solution will be used to keep the phone full of power.
With those additional details now known what do you think of the ZUK Z1 so far? Does the newcomer stand a chance?
For me it would be enough right now if Lenovo could bring a solid international Firmware for its K3 Note OTA.
I want 4.7”
Those days are long gone, 5-5.5 is the norm now.
Then wait for Jiayu S4. The only 4.7″ model worth waiting for.
Then buy an iphone 🙂
Cheers, I will. Please give this chap his reward.
If CyanogenOS is there as the stock stuff (NOT ROOTED…) Then I’d deffo consider…
Just out of curiosity wouldn’t you want it rooted? I never use CM because I am not a fan of the stock android look or feel. Too plain for me.
you kidding “plain” ? i think you still like old age Vanilla Android UI
Nope I like MIUI (Xiaomi) and Flyme (Meizu). Compared to those two stock Android is very plain and boring.
Exactly the same way I feel. :p
Ye, I have a specific sort of taste when it comes to the UI… Cyanogen fits this perfectly. I’ll explain…
I really like Stock Android, I like the ‘Google’ style it has and it’s the way Google intend Android to look and feel, you might wonder, why not a Nexus device then? They’re great and all, a colleague has a Nexus 6, and another has a Nexus 5, for me they lack the ‘cool’ features that I actually use, namely Off-screen Gestures, for some reason Google don’t see these as being a necessary part of the experience, this is where Cyanogen comes in for me… Cyanogen brings lots of bells and whistles built on from the ‘Google-esque’ like the theming engine which gives me the customization I need when things get a little ‘boring’ which is one of the big things, I also like all the other little extras they tend to add in here and there… I feel that CyanogenOS/CyanogenMod is more like Android+. This brings me onto the rooting…
One of the huge things that drove me toward the OnePlus One in the first place was that CyanogenOS/CyanogenMod would be on it and not rooted. The reason I dislike root is simply because I do mobile banking, my mobile banking app (Barclays) is a right B@stard when it comes to sniffing out root, On my old Galaxy Note I used to flash CyanogenMod nightlies, scope it out for a bit, make sure theres no ‘huge’ bugs, then I’d un-root it (which really was quite a complex procedure considering how easy it should have been (editing the build.prop) this would then break the nightly updates but mobile banking would then work… However, by breaking the OTAs, I wouldn’t be able to do inplace updates unless I flashed from recovery, but then I’d have to do the whole un-rooting process again which really wound me up in the end blah blah blah… So like I say, CyanogenOS is great for me as I get my take on ‘Android+’ but I get to use all the apps that don’t like root. (Plus the fact that I really genuinely just don’t see any point in root, I know theres the whole ‘Xposed’ world of modding but I think Android is already unlocked miles more than iOS is anyway and for me I don’t need to go further…
I hope that explains it a little bit at least?
🙂
Explains it perfectly lol. I actually had a tough time choosing between the OPO and MX5 for the contest. The Bamboo OPO looks incredibly good and the OPO is an amazing all around phone. I just prefer Flyme to CM.
To be honest, if I had the choice I think I would have gone for the MX5 too, just for the freshness and the change if that makes sense..?
Will you do a review in the forums please Balco? I’d be interested to see what you make of it after some use 🙂
Absolutely but it wont be for a bit, I am on the road traveling and the phone is being sent to my parents house. So probably sometime in August. But I like to be very thorough when I do reviews anyways, usually take a few weeks and really put the phone through its paces.
Are there ways to flash a custom rom and still be unrooted ?
Unfortunately not, I’ve asked many a good ROM developer if they would release a non rooted version of their ROM with absolutely no success…
The problem is, the vast majority of rom flashers out there need root, or should I say, ‘think’ they need root…
I know that many roms come “pre rooted” – my understanding is that this means they already have SuperSU zip file within them.
Whereas with some roms, root access is granted after flashing the rom in custom recovery ie flashing SuperSU at the end.
Root is only needed to use “Root Apps” eg TiBu, Adaway, Greenify (although i believe there is a non root version now)
If you would kindly clarify ?
In CyanogenMod 12.1 in the settings menu under developer settings it gives you the option to turn root on or off
It’s been in previous builds too but it doesn’t seem to properly turn it off…
Considering the specs, if the price is right, could go on my list of likely smartphones to buy.
Z1 sounds like The One or maybe they’re really targeting the OPO crowd.
Also Zuk.com sounds so wierd….
the online shop is zukshop.cc
Weird. They want to launch the phone in Europe but don’t include FDD-LTE B20. That’s gonna be a downer in some countries.
Sounds like they are trying to be this years OPO…
Wise decision choosing Qualcomm! MediaTek has a terrible reputation in N.America.
This reeks of a “me too” and I have serious doubts about it.
The OnePlus 2 looks more promising already.
I’ll still give them equal chance to impress me and my wallet 😀
Elephone Trunk also will have Snapdragon CPU
ZUK Z1 will be launch in india?
So zuk z1 will not come in india? we are waiting for zuk z1.
ZUK Online shop is zukshop.cc
blog is zukphone.cc
or if you are in china, drop to jd.com 😛
yes, i’m in China