ZTE has today launched Nubia Z9 Mini in India, as its next premium device for 16,999 INR. The mid-range smartphone has a lot to offer to justify its price tag. We had the opportunity to play with it a pit prior to the launch event, and here is how we felt.
ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini Quick Specs
- Display Size: 5 Inch Full HD IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080p resolution, 441 ppi
- Processor: 1.5 GHz Snapdragon 615 Octa Core
- RAM: 2 GB
- Software Version: Android 5.0.2 Lollipop based Custom Nubia UI
- Camera: 16 MP rear camera, 1080P Video recording, F2.0 Aperture
- Secondary Camera: 8 MP, 1080p video recording
- Internal Storage: 16 GB
- External Storage: MicroSD support up to 128 GB
- Battery: 2900 mAh
- Connectivity: 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, GLONASS
ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini Hands on Review, Comparison with Xiaomi Mi 4i [Video]
Design, Build and Display
Nubia Z9 Mini is a premium midrange smartphone. There is glass on front and glossy plastic finish back plate which feels like glass and metal around the edges. You can remove the back plate to access MicroSD slot, though battery is sealed inside.
Buttons on the side edge are made of metal and give good feedback. The most noticeable part on the screen is the Nubia signature capacitive home button with a red backlit ring. The full HD display is gorgeous, and sharp and with wide viewing angles. Colors are a bit oversaturated. Mono speaker driver is present on the bottom edge which is a good thing.
Processor and RAM
Processor used is 1.5 GHz Snapdragon 615 quad core, which is now notorious for heating issues, though we do thing issue isn’t anywhere near as severe as what is circulating the World Wide Web. We will have to spend more time with Nubia Z9 Mini to know if it holds true for this device as well. We didn’t notice any lag and everything seems blazing fast.
Camera and Internal Storage
The rear camera has a 16 MP camera sensor sourced from Sony sensor with f2.0 aperture lens. Camera app is feature rich and easy to use. The AF speed is very fast and picture quality seems very good. The front 8 MP camera on the front can also record 1080p full HD videos. In our initial testing, selfies turned out well nit, natural and awesome.
Internal storage is 16 GB and this can be further expanded by another 128 GB using MicroSD card. This is sufficient to keep almost all categories of users happy.
User Interface and Battery
A 2900 mAh battery on 5 inch device is a very good deal and we expect this should take you through your day rather comfortably.
User interface is Android 5.0.2 lollipop based custom UI, which like most other Chinese ROM does not have an app drawer and is rich with customization options.
ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini Photo Gallery
Conclusion
ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini is a very interesting mid-range smartphone with a great camera, smooth performance and a sharp full HD display. From what we have seen so far, this looks like a very convincing smartphone. The handset will be available exclusively on Amazon.in starting from today.
