So the time came when the prefix “mini” began to be added to the name of smartphones with 5-inch displays. This is a Nubia Z9 Mini device, which came out a little earlier than a smartphone without a ZTE Nubia Z9 frame. Once in the Chinese market, it immediately became popular, due to an interesting design, excellent camera, clear display and good performance.
It is also worth noting that this line also includes another instance - Nubia Z9 Max, which is the largest in the trio. Moreover, it also differs from the Nubia Z9 Mini, whose review will now begin. And maybe the younger brother’s screen is not so big, and the performance is not the highest by today's standards, the device still has something to show.
“Goal like a falcon”
The Nubia Z9 Mini comes in a square black package, about the same as other representatives of this line. Only the material in this case is not plastic, but cardboard, although at first glance it is difficult to determine.
The box contains a USB cable, an instruction manual, a paper clip that opens the SIM card slot, and a power supply. Accessories like headphones and a memory card decided not to put, although the size of the package makes you think about it at first.
Appearance standard
It is difficult to talk about the appearance of the device when it practically does not change. And this also applies to budget options and premium models. There are no too interesting elements in their image. On the contrary, everything is pretty common - a classic shape, rounded corners and flat faces.
But still, the smartphone looks good. A gray rim surrounds it around the perimeter. It seems that it is made of metal, but it is pure plastic. The back panel is also plastic, but thanks to an interesting diamond-shaped texture, the light from it is reflected in an unusual way. True, this surface is glossy, so fingerprints quickly cover it. The lid itself is removed, opening the slot for the memory card. The reason for this is also the fact that soon replaceable panels should appear to change the appearance of the device.
At the front, the Nubia Z9 Mini has everything as standard - all kinds of sensors, a front camera, a speaker and traditional three buttons: “Home”, “Back” and “Menu”. By the way, the Home key can notify you of missed events. In this case, it starts to blink.
On the right side of the device there is a slot for a SIM card. From pressing a special paper clip, the holder leaves. Of course, he is alone here, but he is able to accept two Nano-sims at once. On the right side are the volume control and the power button.
Ergonomics and protection
The front part of the smartphone ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini, the review of which continues, fully covers the protective tinted glass. Actually, the third generation Gorilla Glass is used here. So the display is well protected.
The device is convenient to hold in hands. Firstly, it has a small diagonal, and secondly, and this is slightly unusual, the front and rear panels protrude slightly above the side faces of the smartphone. Because of this, the device seems thinner, and it’s more convenient in the hands.
Screen Features
The IPS matrix and the unusual CGS technology are available on the ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini screen. User reviews are mostly positive. In modern devices, this is rarely seen. Typically, developers use OGS, which allows the touch glass and display to make one. Using single-crystal silicon technology, they were able to make the screen even thinner, and the response time is shorter. By the way, the technology cannot be called a novelty, because its first tests took place a couple of decades ago. And now she again found her application in mobile devices of the Nubia family.
The fact that the smartphone shows a high-quality image, and so it is clear. This is evidenced by a 5-inch FullHD-display, the pixel density of which has a value of 441 ppi. But hardly anyone will surprise you with this. The distance from the screen to the side faces is 4 mm, and above and below - 16 mm.
Brightness can be adjusted automatically, the light sensor is responsible for this. But there is also manual tuning. There is enough margin of brightness in order to safely use the device on the most sunny day. But this can not be called an innovation, like a proximity sensor that turns off the backlight during a call, and a multi-touch that can recognize up to 10 touches. By the way, the glass has an oleophobic coating that can easily cope with any dirt.
Performance
The internal characteristics of the ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini should also be affected. The hardware review here is especially important for those who are going to download the most demanding applications from the Play Market. Let's see what's inside.
The first thing I want to note is the new Snapdragon 615 processor, which runs on eight cores. Some of them are energy-saving, and therefore operate with a slightly lower frequency. The system is also complemented by a powerful Andreno 405 video chip and 2 GB of RAM. Agree, a good filling! Probably not yet an application that does not start on the Nubia Z9 Mini. User reviews, by the way, say the same thing.
But the built-in physical memory may just seem a little for the most demanding applications. Here it is only 16 GB. After deducting the necessary 4 GB to maintain the smartphone, as a result, only 12 GB remains. But you also need to pump up music and watch a movie. In general, there is little space. Most likely, many still use the slot for a memory card.
Software
Launch Nubia Z9 Mini helps “candy” Android. True, not everyone will recognize him, since many elements have been remade under the local Nubia shell. What happened in the end may be of interest to some. The smartphone is full of settings and various sections.
Suppose there is a need to work with two applications at once. It is as easy as shelling pears. To do this, run the function of two screens and display the required information on them. Yes, this is not a new feature, but it is useful, so it certainly will not be superfluous.
How does the ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini work with multimedia applications? User reviews say good. And indeed it is. About office applications, the Internet and social networks you can not talk at all. After all, the most demanding games go without problems at maximum settings. Thanks to the powerful enough “stuffing”.
Networking features
A mobile device from the Nubia family is able to detect three networks at once: 2G, 3G and 4G. The Nubia Z9 Mini LTE smartphone works seamlessly with all mobile operators. During the test, the connection was stable and clear, and the signal was never interrupted.
The Bluetooth, WI-FI and GPS modules showed themselves well. They work instantly. By the way, there is a magnetic field sensor, which makes it possible to use a smartphone as an electronic compass.
Sound quality
As for the dynamics of the smartphone, it is too loud. Sound should not be set to the maximum, as it will cut the ear. In good headphones, which are not included, it is pleasant to listen to music. The sound is juicy, and there is enough bass.
During the conversation, there are also no complaints about the speaker. The interlocutor is heard well, his voice is distinguishable. In principle, the sound can also be adjusted by slightly adjusting the low and high frequencies using the DTS function.
In addition, the device can easily become an FM receiver. Only as an antenna will you have to connect your ears. You can also record conversations. And you can do this in both directions.
Chamber features
For creating videos and photos, the Nubia Z9 Mini is equipped with two cameras. The front has an 8-megapixel resolution and an Exmor R imx179 module. You can even customize it. For example, she can track a smile or take pictures when she is on her face.
The rear camera with a resolution of 16 megapixels has an Exmor RS imx234 module, as well as an LED flash and autofocus. How to remove ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini? W3bsit3-dns.com and other forums at least talk about quality shooting. The main camera has a wider and more flexible set of functions.
It is possible to choose between automatic and professional mode. Real photographers will have something to do, because in the settings there are many interesting parameters. This smartphone can easily replace the "soap box". And the dimensions of the optics allow it to compete even with some "SLRs". With sufficient lighting, the pictures are clear, detailed and noise free. In the dark, the quality is naturally worse. But this can be slightly corrected by the HDR mode.
Working hours
The Nubia Z9 Mini smartphone model is a one-piece device, so it has a non-removable battery. Its battery capacity is 2900 mAh. And although it is equipped with a bright FullHD-display, this is enough. We recall the energy-saving cores and undemanding device platform.
Read "smart" allows up to 20 hours, watch videos - about 10, and play games - generally half as much. But isn't this a great result? Indeed, in the mode of calls and rare visits to the Internet, a smartphone can easily last two days. Moreover, it has a couple of functions that are ready to support the charge of the device.
Total
That's all that can be said about the Nubia Z9 Mini smartphone, a review of which is presented above. Definitely, the guys from ZTE turned out to be a standing device. And although this model is not the first in the Nubia lineup, it can still be attributed to the category of flagship mobile devices. The smartphone has a good medium-sized screen, suitable characteristics for launching any application and a camera that takes clear photos and shoots high-quality video.
Respect also to developers for the removable rear panels, with which you can change the appearance of the device. Impressive and "thrifty" battery, which can not boast of many more resource-intensive devices.
The only thing missing is the NFC module. But how many people need it? And one more thing - the smartphone has a good processor, but not the most powerful one that developers could install. But on the other hand, what would they put in the other models from the Nubia Z9 triple then?