ZTE has released another device from the Nubia series. This line is the flagship device of the company. The new Z9 Max is a fellow version of the Mini. What did the smartphone get, besides the increased size?
Equipment
Like all representatives of the Nubia series, the Z9 comes in a coated box. Packaging makes a good impression. Having not yet taken the ZTE Nubia Z9 Max phone out of the box, you can feel its solidity. Although a beautiful wrapper is used by absolutely all manufacturers for expensive smartphones.
In the box, the owner will find a ZTE Nubia Z9 Max Black mobile phone, documentation, a paper clip, a USB cable, a network adapter. The entire instruction is written in Russian and even contains the addresses of places where you can fix the device. Attracts attention and USB-cable, made in a corporate style.
Appearance
By design, it is noticeable that the manufacturer did his best. The device looks solid, and most importantly, expensive. In the Nubia Z9 Max phone, which we are reviewing, you can see the side panels made of metal. The back of the device is made of plastic, which successfully simulates glass. The back side instantly collects fingerprints and dirt, although it is doubtful that this minor flaw will greatly upset the user.
The appearance of the smartphone would be more joyful if it were unique. The brainchild of ZTE strongly resembles Sony products from the Z series. Although you can understand the manufacturer, the design is really interesting and successfully implemented. There should be no complaints of creaking or gaps on the part of the user. The smartphone is perfectly assembled and every detail fits perfectly. However, the annoying colors of the device are a bit upsetting. The manufacturer decided to release the device in black and white versions.
The front of the device was taken under the screen, speaker, sensors, touch button and front-end. At the back, the company placed the main camera, flash, its logo and service labels. The headset connector is located on the end at the top, and the speaker is located below with the USB jack.
The sidewall on the right side of the device has become the location of the volume control and the power button. On the left edge of the device you can see two slots designed for cards. Having received a diagonal of 5.5, the device has become noticeably larger than its predecessor Mini. However, the user can still take the device with one hand. Although it’s still difficult to work with the gadget for a long time. The weight of the device is 165 grams. The owner will definitely feel uncomfortable at work.
Display
The Z9 model is slightly larger than its predecessor due to the fact that it received a diagonal of 5.5. The manufacturer’s screen is excellent. The IPS matrix gives the Nubia Z9 Max an overview of angles, increases brightness and significantly improves the behavior of a smartphone in bright light. In addition, the brainchild of the company received 1920 by 1080 pixels. This corresponds to Full HD resolution.
The number of ppi is 401, which means that the user will not notice the pixels, even looking at the display. The image is excellent, the phone will appreciate the brightness and color saturation. The manufacturer also did not forget about protection. On top of the screen is the third-class glass Gorilla Glass. The smartphone supports up to ten sensor touches. Sometimes you have to click on the icons several times, but this is a shell flaw.
Camera
The company installed a 16-megapixel matrix in the Nubia Z9 Max smartphone. The feature overview will surprise with a Sony sensor called the IMX 234 Exmor RS. The sensitivity of the camera to light is adjustable in the range of 40-3200. The resolution is also quite suitable, namely - 5312 by 2988 pixels. Images are rich and well detailed.
The user will be interested in night shooting. A photo taken in the dark will delight in quality. The only drawback is the slightly blurred boundaries of the objects. In general, the main camera of the device shows itself only from the best side.
For fans of selfie, the company installed a front-facing camera with an 8 megapixel sensor. A Sony IMX 179 sensor from Sony is also installed in the front camera. The resolution with a good number of pixels (3264 by 2448) consolidates the success. The manufacturer added some features to the camera. The front camera can recognize a smile and even improve the tone of the face.
Communication
You can install two cards in your phone. Unfortunately, when making calls, the second SIM goes into standby mode. In addition to 4G LTE, the Nubia Z9 Max 5.5 smartphone also works in familiar networks. The device supports 3G, GSM, CDMA and HSDPA. Not without the usual functions of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Hardware
The manufacturer, unfortunately, stinted on a more advanced processor for the Nubia Z9 Max. A review of the "filling" informs the buyer about the installed SnapDragon 615. The company equipped the device without the Max prefix with a more recent version - 810. Accordingly, the performance of the updated flagship has noticeably suffered.
The device received eight cores, 4 of which are 1.5 GHz each, and the rest have 1 GHz. As a video processor, Adreno 405 was chosen, familiar from many smartphones. In general, the power of the device is not bad, but the company is not yet able to compete with market leaders.
By the number of Z9 RAMs, we can say that the phone is more likely to be in the middle class. The brainchild of ZTE received only 2 gigabytes of memory, of which only 1.2 GB is available for the user's needs. This characteristic does not look particularly attractive, especially in the flagship series.
The situation with the memory built into the device is slightly better. The owner will have 16 gigabytes at his disposal, of which 4 GB will have to be forgotten. The Android system takes up a considerable amount of memory. The expansion of the volume is available due to the flash drive up to 128 GB.
There is an advanced version of the device. In the more powerful Z9 Max model, SnapDragon 810 is installed, and the RAM is increased to 3 gigabytes. Also in the "heavier" version, the role of the video accelerator is played by Adreno 430. The buyer should carefully study the characteristics of the device before buying.
System
The version of Android 5.0.2 provides the Nubia Z9 Max smartphone. The system overview will interest the user with noticeable changes that affected not only the location of the icons. The shell installed by the company will also be of interest. The smartphone is adapted to work with Nubia UI 3.0.8. The interface, like the phone itself, looks strict. In general, ZTE has proven worthy.
The user is not recommended to flash the device. In the documentation, the manufacturer mentions that self-replacement of the system voids the warranty. It will be foolish for the owner to refuse a whole year of technical support.
Autonomy
The battery in the Z9 is built-in. The battery capacity is 2900 maH, which seems sufficient. But how are things really? The smartphone due to the "filling" and the large Full HD display turned out to be very "greedy". With average use, the battery lasts for a day and a half. In principle, the result is not bad, but more was expected from the flagship.
Advantages
Appearance is one of the main factors when choosing a modern device. The Z9's design is great. The user will get not only a powerful, but also an attractive Nubia Z9 Max smartphone. Reviews about the majority are satisfactory. Of course, the device is compared with Sony, but this is a minor flaw.
A good display was also liked by users. Naturally, the Full HD screen is quite expected in the flagship. The reviews rated the main and front cameras, which received interesting functions.
Negative reviews
Users are confused by not the best autonomy of the phone. Although the device provides almost 10 hours of active use, this is not enough for the flagship. Many owners did not like the back of the collection of prints. Plastic made under glass looks good, but the oleophobic coating is clearly not enough.
The absence of at least some headset in the set upsets. Of course, this accessory is not included in the set of most flagships, but, according to customers, this is not the best solution.
Total
Nubia Z9 Max, without a doubt, a very interesting device. Chinese manufacturers have definitely reached a new level of excellence. However, it is difficult to consider the Z9 Max as a flagship. Many middle-class devices have similar characteristics.