In the summer of 2017, sales of the new model of the Chinese manufacturer ZTE started. Domestic buyer is already familiar with this brand. It can’t be attributed to the flagships, of course, but nevertheless there are interesting “things” in it that attract attention.
The ZTE Blade V8 mini smartphone (we will consider reviews later) is the “younger” version of the already familiar V8 model. After the last price was reduced, these two devices began to compete. The difference in cost is about 2000 rubles. For a novelty they ask for 13,000 rubles, while for the “elder brother” - 15,000 rubles. There are no special differences in the "filling" between them. Surprisingly, their sizes are similar. But the manufacturer reduced the capabilities of the camera and screen. Let's see what came of it.
Appearance: impressions of the owners
Regarding the design, the ZTE Blade V8 mini (Black, Gold) reviews get only good ones. Surprisingly, the “younger” version is practically not inferior in size to the “older” one. Its display is only 0.2 inches smaller. The updated model did not receive any special changes in appearance. The only exception is the fingerprint scanner. In the V8 mini, it is located on the rear panel. There are three navigation buttons in front of the screen. They are not equipped with a backlight, two of them can be reassigned.
The body was made of metal parts. Plastic inserts displayed only in the upper and lower parts, for the full operation of the antennas. They are quite easily distinguishable. However, in the reviews, users say that the smartphone causes a pleasant tactile sensation. Thanks to the narrow body in the hand, the phone lies comfortably, practically does not slip.
The owners of the fingerprint scanner have no comments. The place that the developers have chosen is quite successful. Most owners claim that there is no need to specifically reach out or bend your finger in order for the fingerprint to be read. The scanner, although not lightning fast, however, is still quite fast. The reviews on the ZTE Blade V8 mini Gold say that errors in its operation are extremely rare.
The controls are displayed on the right side face. The power button is well felt, the same can be said about the volume control. In this model, the latter is implemented using two split keys. The microphone hole and microUSB port are at the bottom. The manufacturer brought the main speaker to the rear panel. In the comments, the owners claim that there are no problems with the sound volume.
The assembly received a good mark. No slots were detected by users, there is no backlash either.
Talk about the screen
Studying the many reviews of the ZTE Blade V8 mini, you will notice that most people highlight the display characteristics. Its diagonal is 5 inches. IPS-matrix provides high-quality image, the resolution of which is 1280 × 720 pixels. Attractiveness gadget gives glass 2.5D. In the factory settings, the manufacturer used a calm color scheme. For some users, it seemed a little dull. But this is not a problem, since in the settings you can always choose the optimal level of saturation and change the tint temperature.
In positive comments, users highlight a sufficient range of brightness, lack of pixelation, good viewing angles. Image distortion appears only with a large tilt.
Platform
What processor does the ZTE Blade V8 mini run on? Reviews of advanced users indicate that the device is based on the Snapdragon 435 chipset with 8 computing modules. The maximum frequency they are capable of is limited to 1400 MHz. For the graphics meets a pretty good accelerator Adreno 505. All this is supplemented with three gigabytes of RAM in the version with ROM - 32 GB. There is another modification - 2/16 GB. In the reviews, the owners claim that for their price segment the device shows excellent performance results. You can work on it not only with simple sentences, but also play 3D games. As for the latter, sometimes “brakes” may occur, therefore, to avoid such troubles, you just need to lower the graphics settings.
The owners of this model were pleased with the new version of Android - the seventh. On top of the operating system, a proprietary MiFavor 4.2 shell was used. The interface looks pretty attractive. Animated pictures are smooth, the system itself is fast. When switching between tabs, the phone practically does not think.
ZTE Blade V8 mini: camera reviews
The indisputable advantage of this model is the main camera. For her, the manufacturer used a dual module. The first has a resolution of 13 megapixels, the second - 2 megapixels. Compared with the "older" version, the pictures are a little worse, but this is not critical. With good lighting, you can get a high-quality shot, being anywhere, whether on the street or indoors. Small noises and blur appear only at night. To improve the saturation level and avoid glare, it is recommended to use the HDR mode. In addition to it, the camera application has a large number of other settings. An additional 2-megapixel module is used only for 3D shots and bokeh effect. If you believe the reviews of the owners, then such features of the device are not too impressive.
For selfie shots and video communication, an 8-megapixel module is provided. “Frontalka” shows good results even in low light. The lens is wide-angle, so you can take pictures of a large company.
Battery and battery life
A large number of reviews on the ZTE Blade V8 mini are dedicated to autonomy. Unfortunately, the device does not show high results in this criterion. The developers installed a 2800 mAh battery on it. The maximum that you can count on with an average load is one day of work. A 100 percent battery charge lasts no more than 3.5 hours of the active screen. Such results are below average, but quite tolerable.
The developers have installed a special option that is responsible for the temperature of the battery. For heavy loads, you can enable forced cooling.
Summary of customer reviews for the ZTE Blade V8 mini
Unfortunately, this smartphone model caused a mixed reaction from customers. On the one hand, it impresses quickly with its work, the absence of freezes, and on the other, it does not shine at all with battery life. Let's look at what, according to users, is the indisputable advantage of the V8 mini smartphone.
- High-quality assembly.
- Fast work of a fingerprint scanner.
- Good features of the front camera.
- Nimble shell.
But the small-capacity battery, Wi-Fi, which works only at the 2.4 GHz band frequency, weak shooting with the main camera at night significantly spoiled the impression of buyers.