Intel isn’t the biggest name in the mobile world, but solid devices like the Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 could certainly help change all of that. The K900 isn’t just a solid Lenovo smartphone, it is also the company’s first attempt at a “phablet” device– at it looks pretty impressive to say the least.

You have to wonder though, how does it compare to existing phablet options such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Good question, and one we hope to shed a bit more light on.

While picking out a true “victor” is quite difficult considering we don’t have enough “real world comparisons” out there this early into the game, we can at least take a look at how things compare on paper.

Design

The IdeaPhone K900 is not sexy, at least not unless you love extremely boxy designs. It might not be a stylish as the Note 2, but it does appear to have a sturdy “no nonsense business” look and feel.

With its polycarbonate and metal casing, the IdeaPhone K900 is tough, however, while still providing a light and thin design. The Lenovo K900 is only 162g and just 6.99mm thick.

So what about the Samsung Galaxy Note 2? Its looks probably don’t need any introduction at this point. The Note 2 is a curvy and fun device that might not be “ultra-attractive” either, but certainly more so then the cold, boxy-looking design of the K900. What about size and weight? Actually, the Note 2 is thicker at 9.1mm and heavier at 183g.

Honestly, which device design you like better depends on what you are looking for.

If you don’t mind the boxy design of the K900 and want the thinnest/lightest choice, the K900 wins. If you want curvy aesthetics and don’t mind extra weight, then this round goes to the Note 2.

I suppose I’ll just call it a tie.

Display

With the Galaxy Note 2 you get a super AMOLED display with a 720×1,280 display and 267ppi. It is 5.5-inches in size and is actually quite stunning.

As for the Lenovo IdeaPhone K900? It manages to provide an even better viewing experience, due to being part of the new 1080p display craze. The 1020×1920 5.5-inch display isn’t any bigger than the Note 2, but it does seem to be “better” overall with a clearer resolution that is going to make watching movies and playing games an epic experience.

Hardware

The K900 is dramatically different from the Note 2 when it comes to the processor, due to using an Intel Atom Z2580 Clover Trail+ 2GHz dual-core Processor.

It also has 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSD, a 13MP rear cam with Exmor BSI sensor and dual LED flash. Additionally you have a 2MP front cam. One major NEGATIVE to the IdeaPhone K900 for some folks is that it doesn’t feature 4G LTE technology onbard.

As for the Note 2? You get a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Other hardware specs include microSD, an 8MP rear cam with LED flash and a 1.9MP camera.

You might be thinking “dual-core versus quad-core? Note 2 easily wins this”– hold on a second though. It’s not as simple as that. Based on what we know, this dual-core is actually quite the monster.

Right now we can’t confirm that these benchmarks are true (they could be faked) but allegedly the IdeaPhone K900 managed to score 25,000-27,000 on AnTuTu, versus the 21,000 on the Galaxy Note 2. Until we know more for sure, let’s just say that things are probably pretty close between the two phones when it comes to everyday performance.

Battery Life

Right now, we can’t say much here. Traditionally, Intel hasn’t managed to do as well as ARM processors but we don’t currently have details on what kind of battery the IdeaPhone K900 is packing. As for the Galaxy Note 2? IT has a 3,100mAh removeable battery.

Stylus

It’s worth noting that many of the newest phablets coming to the market have decided to ditch the stylus, figuring that most customers really don’t want/need such a feature. The K900 is part of this group of phablets.

If you plan on taking notes and doing other stylus-specific tasks, the S-Pen is one of the features that really sets the Note 2 apart from the K900.

Android Experience

The Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 will ship with Android 4.2 (though it was previewed with 4.1.2), but will use a custom UI called Le Phone UI. Interestingly though, the skin can actually be turned off, giving you an essentially stock Android experience.

As for the Note 2? You get TouchWiz and Jelly Bean. You also get a ton of specialized apps designed to bring extra functionality to both your Note 2 phablet and to make the most out of the S-Pen.

Which of these experience sounds better is probably a matter of preference.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 – Conclusion

Right now, we don’t know exactly when the IdeaPhone is coming, or even if it will make its way over to the United States at all. We also don’t know the battery life and several other factors. We also don’t know how much the phone will cost. This makes it hard to choose which phone is “better” at this given time.

Still, the Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 is certainly something worth keeping an eye out for in the future. It isn’t perfect, but it seems like a solid first-attempt for a phablet, even if the design isn’t exactly “gorgeous” and we aren’t too impressed by the lack of the stylus.

What do you think? Could Lenovo’s K900 provide Samsung a serious challenger in the phablet world or not? Or does the Galaxy Note 2 have little to worry about?

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