So the time has come when the prefix "mini" began to be added to the name of smartphones with 5-inch displays. We are talking about the Nubia Z9 Mini device, which was released a little earlier than the ZTE Nubia Z9 frameless smartphone. Once in the Chinese market, it immediately became popular, due to its interesting design, excellent camera, clear display and good performance.
It is also worth noting that this line includes one more copy - Nubia Z9 Max, which is the largest in the trio. Moreover, it also differs from the Nubia Z9 Mini, the review of which will now begin. And maybe the screen of the younger brother 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 box, similar to the other members of this line. Only the material in this case is not plastic, but cardboard, although it is difficult to determine at first glance.
The box contains a USB cable, instructions, a clip that opens the SIM card slot, and a power supply. Accessories likeWe decided not to put headphones and a memory card, although the dimensions of the package make us think about it at first.
Appearance standard
It's hard to talk about the appearance of the device when it practically does not change. And this applies to both budget options and premium models. There are no too interesting elements in their image. On the contrary, everything is quite ordinary - a classic shape, rounded corners and flat edges.
But still the smartphone looks good. A gray rim surrounds it around the perimeter. It looks like it's made of metal, but it's 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 it is quickly covered with fingerprints. The cover itself is removed, revealing a slot for a memory card. The reason for this is also the fact that interchangeable panels should soon appear to change the appearance of the device.
Front of the Nubia Z9 Mini, everything is standard - all kinds of sensors, front camera, earpiece and the traditional three buttons: "Home", "Back" and "Menu". By the way, the Home key can notify you of missed events. In this case, it starts flashing.
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 take two Nano-sim at once. On the right side are the volume control and the power button.
Ergonomics and protection
The front of the ZTE smartphoneThe Nubia Z9 Mini, which is being reviewed, is completely covered by a protective tinted glass. Actually, Gorilla Glass is used here in the third generation. So the display is well protected.
The device is comfortable to hold. 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 feels more comfortable in the hands.
Screen specs
The ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini has an IPS matrix and unusual CGS technology. Feedback on this subject is mostly positive. You rarely see this in modern devices. Usually developers use OGS, which allows the touch glass and the display to be made one. Using single-crystal silicon technology, they were able to make the screen even thinner and the response time shorter. By the way, the technology cannot be called a novelty, because its first tests took place a couple of decades ago. And now it has again found its use in mobile devices of the Nubia family.
The fact that the smartphone demonstrates a high-quality image is understandable. This is evidenced by a 5-inch FullHD-display, the pixel density of which is 441 ppi. But hardly anyone will be surprised by this. The distance from the screen to the side faces is 4 mm, and the top and bottom - 16 mm each.
Brightness can be adjusted automatically, the light sensor is responsible for this. But there is also a manual setting. There is enough brightness toto safely use the device on the sunniest day. But this cannot be called an innovation, as well as 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 pollution.
Performance
The internal specifications of the ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini should also be touched upon. The hardware overview 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.
First thing to note is the new Snapdragon 615 processor running on eight cores. Some of them are energy-saving, and therefore operate at 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! There is probably no app yet that won't run on the Nubia Z9 Mini. User reviews, by the way, say the same.
But the built-in physical memory just may seem small for the most demanding applications. Here it is only 16 GB. Minus the 4 GB needed to keep the smartphone running, the result is only 12 GB. But you also need to pump up music and watch a movie. In general, not enough space. Most likely, many still use the memory card slot.
Software
Nubia Z9 Mini is launched with the help of "candy" Android. True, not everyone will recognize it, since many elements have been converted to the local Nubia shell. That,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's easier than ever. To do this, we launch 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 will definitely not be superfluous.
And how does the ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini work with multimedia applications? User reviews say it's good. And indeed it is. You can not talk about office applications, the Internet and social networks at all. After all, the most resource-intensive games run without problems at maximum settings. Thanks to the rather powerful "stuffing".
Connectivity
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.
Bluetooth, WI-FI and GPS modules also showed themselves well. They work instantly. By the way, there is a magnetic field sensor, which allows you to use your smartphone as an electronic compass.
Sound quality
As for the speaker of the smartphone, it is too loud. The sound should not be set to the maximum, as it will cut the ear. It is pleasant to listen to music in good headphones, which are not included in the package. The sound is juicy, and there is enough bass.
DuringThere are also no complaints about the dynamics. The interlocutor is heard well, his voice is distinguishable. In principle, the sound can be adjusted by slightly adjusting the bass and treble using the DTS function.
Besides, the device can easily become an FM-receiver. Only as an antenna will have to connect the "ears". You can also record conversations. And you can do it in both directions.
Camera capabilities
The Nubia Z9 Mini is equipped with two cameras for creating videos and photos. The front has an 8-megapixel resolution and an Exmor R imx179 module. It can even be customized. For example, it can track a smile or shoot when it finds a face.
The rear camera with a resolution of 16 megapixels has an Exmor RS imx234 module, as well as a led flash and autofocus. How does the ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini shoot? w3bsit3-dns.com and other forums at least talk about high-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 there are many interesting options in the settings. This smartphone can easily replace the "soap box". And the dimensions of the optics allow it to compete even with some "DSLRs". With sufficient lighting, the pictures are clear, detailed and noise-free. At night, the quality is naturally worse. But this can be fixed a bit with HDR mode.
Opening hours
The Nubia Z9 Mini smartphone model is a monoblock 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. Remembering energy-saving cores and an undemanding device platform.
Read "smart" allows up to 20 hours, watch videos - about 10, and play games - generally half as much. But isn't that a great result? Indeed, in the mode of calls and rare visits to the Internet, the smartphone will easily last two days. Moreover, it has a couple of functions that are ready to support the charge of the device.
Result
That's all there is to say about the Nubia Z9 Mini smartphone reviewed above. Definitely, the guys from ZTE turned out to be a worthwhile device. And although this model does not occupy the first place in the Nubia line, it can still be classified as a flagship mobile device. The smartphone has a good medium-sized screen, the right specs to run any application, and a camera that takes clear photos and shoots high-quality videos.
Respect also to the developers for removable rear panels, with which you can change the appearance of the device. The “thrifty” battery is also impressive, which many more resource-intensive devices cannot boast of.
The only thing missing is an NFC module. But how many people need it? And one more thing - the smartphone has a good processor, but not the most powerful that developers could install. But on the other hand, what would they then put in the rest of the Nubia Z9 trio?
