Change is here! Lenovo launches its smartphones in Pakistan

Honestly speaking, I have been feeling quite abandoned by global smartphone brands, like HTC, Sony, LG, and even Apple. It seems like these companies do not consider Pakistan a market whereas they are vouching for a market share in the neighboring China and India.

However, it seems our Chinese friends have spotted the potential in our market. Weeks after Oppo's launch in Pakistan, China's largest smartphone brand (and world's largest PC manufacturer) Lenovo has decided to setup shop in our humble homeland.

Hosted at the lavish Mövenpick Karachi, Sharay Shams, Head of Smartphone Business for Lenovo Middle East and Africa, introduced five devices that cater to different segments of the market. During his introductory speech, he said that he was proud that Lenovo takes his homeland serious. Yes, Mr. Shams is a Pakistani!

Now, let's talk about the devices.

Lenovo has divided its devices market into three categories: Vibe, S, and A. Vibe is the "Smart Size" category (or in layman terms, Flagship) whereas S is "Smart Style" (or Functional) and A is "Smart Start" (or First-step).

Here is a brief look of the devices.

Vibe Z2 Pro

Announced earlier this month, the Vibe Z2 Pro is the top-of-the-line offering from Lenovo. The smartphone has a 6-inch QHD screen, one of the largest and certainly most brightest in the market. It has a 16 MP camera (with Dual LED) which has the capability to record 4K videos. The camera UI looks very (yes, very) similar to Nokia Camera app. But, the real difference is in the hardware. The camera has 6-piece lens module which gives 14% better image results. For your selfies, there is a 5MP snapper at the front-end. It comes with Android KitKat.

Inside the hood, it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset (MSM8974AC) with a 2.5GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU, 3GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU. The phone has 32GB internal memory; however, there is no mention of microSD. The best part: it comes with a whopping 4000mAH battery. No word on the price, though.

S850

Now, isn't that a sexy blue phone? Well, the S850 will also be available in pink and white too. This little all-glass beauty comes with a 5-inch HD screen, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and Mali-400MP2 GPU. It has a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera. It has 16GB internal memory, but no microSD card slot. It runs on Android KitKat. It will be available in early September for Rs. 29,700.

S860

If the S850 was beauty, then the S860 is the beast. This phone surely fits the Lenovo motto of "For Those Who Do". The Lenovo S860 comes with a 4000mAH battery, almost twice of the industry norm. It has a large 5.3-inch HD screen with great angle views. Under the brushed metal exterior, there is a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, and Mali-400MP2 GPU. The phone has 8MP LED Flash back camera and a smart 1.3MP front camera for your selfies. The availability is scheduled for early September for Rs. 36,500. It's a Android KitKat device.

S650

Finally, a sensible KitKat phone for the masses. Unlike the disappointing Core 2 from Samsung, the Lenovo S650 has a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB internal memory. It also has an microSD slot. It comes with a 8MP AF rear camera and a VGA front camera. It has 4.7-inch QHD IPS screen which is great for watching your YouTube videos. The availability is scheduled for early September for Rs. 19,700.

A369i

Lenovo A369i is the most affordable in the lot. Made for the first-time users, the phone runs on Android Jellybean 4.2. It has a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory with microSD slot, 4-inch WVGA screen, and 2MP rear camera. No front camera on this one. It is priced at Rs. 8,900.

Change is indeed here!

This is not it. There are five more devices—A328, A536, A606, S580, and S856—that Lenovo plans to launch in the coming weeks. Seeing Lenovo smartphones in Pakistan gives me hope of getting a device which is not a rebrand of a brand (aka Qmobile).

In all honesty, Lenovo has a fair chance with its devices, especially with S850, and S650. The devices are priced very suitably. I hope the same will be the case for Vibe Z2 Pro. Furthermore, the Lenovo team needs to learn how to present a device. I overheard the CEO showing someone how one of the Lenovo smartphones can take a selfie if you blink at the front camera slowly. This cool feature was not mentioned in the entire presentation.

All in all, change is indeed here and we now have more options in the market apart from Samsung and Huawei. In the end, it's an ultimate win for the consumer! :)

A Brief Chat With Khurram Awan, MasterChef's Judge and Mövenpick Karachi's Executive Assistant Manager for Food & Beverages

Anyone who is familiar with MasterChef can recognize Khurram Awan in an instance. During the show, he showed that he is a straightforward, no non-sense type of a person. He was critical but remained modesty—something that is missing nowadays in people who attain success.

A few days, I was at the Mövenpick Karachi to sample their new buffet menu "The Taste Of Pakistan" of The Pakistani restaurant. I met Khurram there. We had a smallest of all introductory chat, but he seemed genuinely nice and hospitable. As there were many to greet and meet, I went on to taste the buffet. "Mazaydaar" (delicious) is the only word for the cuisine at The Pakistani inside Mövenpick Karachi.

During the taste testing, the bloggers were informed that they can have a word with Khurram Awan (or in case, if he is not there, we were told to email questions). I was unlucky to miss, so I sent email in my question and hoped that he would reply. He did.

I hope everyone will enjoy reading it.

Ever since Mövenpick Karachi started its operations, I have noticed it has generated quite a buzz around its food, starting from a redefined Hi-Tea experience to a great Iftar offering at Kababji and now the Tastes of Pakistan cuisine at The Pakistani. This shows that there has been a lot of experimentation going on. What kind of response did you get from the diners?

First of all I would like to Thank you for taking time out and visiting us at the inaugural ceremony of Tastes of Pakistan – regional food promotion at our signature restaurant "THE PAKISTANI". When we started in Jan 2014 and our plan was and still working to have the best Food & Beverage offerings at Mövenpick Hotel Karachi. General perception about hotel is that is expensive and food has just normal taste. Our main focus is to create home taste for our guests staying with us or visiting us in our restaurants. We believe on fresh products and freshly prepared food for our guest. Our Executive Chef is successful so far revisiting the food recipes and tweaking them to the best. Our experiments have paid off so far and by introducing a very well balance Hi Tea experience to our guests. Tastes of Pakistan will be another mile stone and we have planned many more exciting promotions in coming months. Our guests visiting our food & beverage venues are very happy with our food offerings and quality and have received excellent feedback.

Over the years, the tastebuds of Pakistani diners have gone global. With the Tastes of Pakistan, it seems you have gone back to the basics. Do you think this experience will work out for Mövenpick?

Very well said Saad. Of course, the awareness regarding food is different now and the horizon is has expanded and I must say that the media has played an important role in it. We have linked Tastes of Pakistan with 14th August, as Azadi Week celebrations, being the only Mövenpick hotel present in this region we proudly present our food to our very own populace. Pakistani food is rich in every aspect and we or I am sure none of the Pakistani will leave its base. Our food represents our culture, heritage, ethnic and cultural diversity. It is not about experience it is about creating experience for our guests. Being an international hotel we have quite a good number of foreigner guests and we take this as an opportunity to present our rich culture and food

Lastly, you were a judge at MasterChef. You tasted the food and gave feedback, sometimes critical and many a time crucial. Now, after MasterChef, food at Mövenpick will be judged very critically. How do you feel about it?

Hmmm… I knew this was coming my way. MasterChef Pakistan has created a benchmark for food industry and has been very successful. Yes we did lots of food tasting and gave our feedback. Food at Mövenpick was judged even before MasterChef but rightly said now it will be more thorough. Honestly we have not created any strategy for this but our aim is to offer food which is fresh.

Yeah, it's only a three-question interview and I am really happy that Khurram took out the time to reply. Do give the Taste of Pakistan a try, especially the Kata Kat which was the best I have eaten in a fine dine restaurant. The press release is stated below with reservations details.

Karachi Pakistan, 8th August 2014: Movenpick Hotel Karachi launched a cultural week with the title of “Tastes of Pakistan” at The Pakistani restaurant to highlight the different cultures of Pakistan in celebration of Pakistan’s Independence Day – which is on 14th August 2014.
During this week-long event from 8th August 2014 – 14th August 2014, an exclusive dinner buffet inspired by the different cuisines of Pakistani culture will be served. The menu includes famous dishes from several regions of Pakistan such as: Lamb Malai Seekhan, Chicken Sajji, Mutton Chaamp, Chapli Kabab (KPK), Jheenga Masala (Sindh), Mutton Kunna (Punjab), Rogan josh (Baluchistan), Chicken Karahi Dahi wali (Punjab), Bakrai ka paya (Punjab), Karachi Haleem (Sindh), Balouchi Bhindi, Balouchi Bhindi, Lahori faloda, Khajoor ka halwa, Aam ka halwa, Amrood ka halwa, etc. 

“We have linked Tastes of Pakistan with 14th August, as Azadi Week celebrations; being the only Mövenpick hotel present in this region we proudly present our food to our very own populace. Pakistani food is rich in every aspect and we or I am sure none of the Pakistani will leave its base. Our food represents our culture, heritage, ethnic and cultural diversity. It is not about experience it is about creating experience for our guests. Being an international hotel we have quite a good number of foreigner guests and we take this as an opportunity to present our rich culture and food”, says Mirza Mansoor Ahmad, General Manager.
Folk singers will sing traditional songs from the different regions of Pakistan like Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi, Pashto, etc. The restaurant is decorated with props precisely representing each region. A hut has been constructed at the entrance of the restaurant with tradional chairs, huqqa, paan station, well, wheel cart, ajrak in a village-style setup. The decor is an attraction for guests to take pictures in a village setup while experiencing the exotic variety of cuisines. 

On the social media, the hash tag for posting the details of the campaign is #TastesofPakistan. To experience the delicious variety and cultural ambiance, the guests can reserve their tables by either calling on 021-3563 3333, Ext: 4246 or by sending an e-mail at hotel.karachi@moevenpick.com.