This smartphone appeared on the market a long time ago - in 2014, so it is not a new product. Today, a smartphone costs about $210, which, of course, is a bit expensive. It should be noted that interesting offers with good prices periodically appear on Chinese websites. So, for example, the Grand ZTE S2 brand can be purchased today for $86. While reviewing the Nubia Zed7 model, we will try to find out what is better to buy: former flagships or budget new items.
The smartphone is supplied in a white, presentable box. There is a special transport film on the back of the phone, and a regular protective film on the front. There is also a spare glass for the phone, which is good news, as well as instructions and other waste paper.
The charger produces 1.5 amperes and is designed for Chinese sockets, but the sellers also include adapters for Russian analogues in the kit. Finally, the last item is a standard USB cable.
Appearance
The smartphone is available in two colors: white and black. Screen diagonal - 5.5 inches. Display resolution - Full-HD. The third generation of impact-resistant Gorilla Glass is installed on the front.
At the bottom there are three touch buttons with a little backlight. At the top there are: front-camera, earpiece, various sensors, for example, reacting to light. The event indicator is the home button - when you miss a message or call, it starts to light up red.
Bangood
At the top end there is a standard headphone jack (3.5) and an infrared port. At the bottom there is a USB connector, as well as a hole for a conversational microphone.
There is nothing on the left side, but on the right, as expected, there is a button for adjusting the volume, a button for turning the smartphone on and off. The back of the phone houses the main camera and LED flash, with an additional noise-canceling microphone right in the center. At the very bottom is the main speaker with two protruding spikes, thanks to which the sound is not suppressed if you place the phone on a flat surface.
The back of the device is pleasant to the touch and does not attract fingerprints much, except when your hands are wet. This cover can be easily removed. There is a non-removable battery, two slots for Micro SIM and one slot for micro SD card.
The phone is well assembled. The lid does not bend, nothing dangles or plays during shaking. The phone lies quite comfortably in the hand.
The dimensions of the device are 76 millimeters in width, 152 millimeters in length and 8.7 millimeters in thickness. It weighs very little - 160 grams.
Software part
The phone runs on proprietary firmware - nubia UI, based on Android 5. There will be no over-the-air update because the device was released in 2014. Everything that was possible has already been updated.
The interface is multilingual. Translation into Russian covers more than 90% of all phrases and applications. Initially, everything is installed in Chinese, but if you go to the settings and select the “Automatic language” option, then you can install Russian in it.
What do you need to know about this firmware? It is quite large and functional. For example, there is an NFC data transfer mode. You can adjust color saturation and color temperature mode (from cold to warm, and vice versa).
Hardware of the Zte Nubia Z7 Max smartphone
In gig-bench the phone scores 899 and 2040 points. The Ultra Citadel toy plays at almost 50 frames per second with Full-HD resolution 1920 x 1080. And all this at ultra high graphics settings. After half an hour of play, it turns out that there is still some throttling, because the speed drops to 44 frames per second.
In the Antutu test, the phone scores 59,478 points, mainly thanks to its processor - SnapDragon 801 (32 bits, 4 cores, maximum clock frequency- 2.5 gigahertz).
13.1 megapixel camera without interpolation. RAM - 2 gigabytes. Front camera - 5 megapixels without interpolation. The built-in memory is 32 GB, but 25.8 GB is initially available. Multitouch is designed for a full 10 touches, although on the first attempts it is easy to make only 9.
You can purchase the Zte Nubia Z7 Max smartphone on the website Bangood. Product delivery time ranges from two to eight weeks when ordered in a standard way. The cost of the product is $86.00. Supplied included Charger, an adapter for Russian sockets and a standard USB cable. There is also a spare glass for the phone, a protective film and a user manual.
How many working sensors does the phone have?
- Magnetic sensor (the device has a working compass);
- Gyroscope (the phone can be used for virtual reality glasses);
- Orientation sensor;
- Proximity sensor;
- Accelerometer;
- Light sensor;
- Wi-Fi sensor. Even being three walls away from the router, the phone is able to catch its signal by 50%.
WITH via USB With the adapter, you can easily connect a flash drive, a mouse, and even a printer to your phone for print output. The screen of the phone is not of a budget level. In absolute darkness, even when changing angles, the picture on the display is visible without any inversion. If you set the brightness to minimum, then everything is visible quite well (in the dark). The only downside is the home button, which is too bright.
Communication, sound and GPS
The phone works fine in 2G, 3G, 4G - frequency range full. Compared to the Xiaomi phone, the earpiece speakers are much louder. The sound of music in the headphones is of excellent quality. Comparing with the Xiaomi Red Me 3 Prime phone, we can say that the Zte Nubia Z7 Max is not inferior to it at all.
The external speaker is also loud. Of course, there are not enough low frequencies, but it is felt that the speaker is not cheap. The GPS module is of excellent quality - it can catch more than 15 satellites at a time.
Game test
GTA San Andreas. It is not comfortable to play at the maximum setting; for normal play it should be set at a medium level. Racing on maximum settings You can play, but you need to understand that you won’t be able to play tanks on high settings. The maximum processor heating reaches up to 42 degrees Celsius.
Camera overview, wireless interfaces and conclusion.
Camera
The Nubia Z7 Max phone is equipped with two cameras.
Front camera 5 MP, image size 2592×1944 pixels.
The front camera can shoot video in 1080p resolution.
The main camera is 13 MP, image size is 4208×3120 pixels.
The main camera has a 13 MP module with a Sony Exmor IMX214 CMOS sensor with OIS optical stabilization, autofocus and a single-section LED flash. By default, the camera application is set to “auto” mode, which itself selects, in its opinion, the best settings. The “pro” mode is richer in settings; in it you can already set the white balance and change the exposure.
The main camera can shoot video in 720p, 1080p and UHD (4K) resolution.
It is possible to set the focal length.
The camera interface is quite concise and simple (in my opinion, it completely replicates the interface iPhone cameras). It is very difficult to get confused in the settings.
For quick and convenient use cameras - there are several ready-made settings on the desktop, they are made in the form of shortcuts.
Examples of pictures taken with the front camera:
The photo quality for the 5 MP camera is excellent; the pictures for the front camera are simply wonderful.
At night, it will be more difficult to get a clear shot; the camera is a little blurry.
Examples of pictures taken with the main camera:
The main camera is not bad, the photos come out beautiful, but the colors are a little unnatural, darker and not vibrant. Auto focus works very well.
Focus on stone:
Focus on the sea:
Text:
Examples of pictures in the evening:
In the evening, pictures remain clear, but become very grainy.
Wireless interfaces.
The smartphone has the entire necessary set of wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, Glonass, 3G and LTE. Wi-fi work the module is good. The reception is very stable. Lte works in bands 3/5/7, band 20 is not enough for a complete set, since many operators in many regions broadcast 4g on this particular band, but the most common 7th is present and I personally am interested in it.
Reception and transmission in the LTE network operator Yota in Sochi:
The speed of data transmission and reception corresponds to this network, everything is fine with this.
After turning on the AndroiTS program, the phone almost immediately saw twenty-six satellites and was able to connect to fourteen of them. GPS and GLONASS work very well.
The phone has NFC module. You can not only transfer files via Android Beam, switch to different profiles and connect to other devices, but also pay using your smartphone.
List of all available sensors in the device:
The sensors are working properly.
Regarding the quality of speech reception and transmission - everything is excellent. The phone holds the signal confidently, the audibility of the opponent in the conversational dynamics is good, no extraneous noise or sounds.
Conclusion.
My first acquaintance with this phone happened almost immediately after it entered the market. At that time, I liked the device, but I was a little confused by the small size and the same price. Now that I purchased the device for almost $100, I can safely say that for that price I have not seen anything better. Even if we take into account the fact that these phones are now almost out of stock and have increased in price by $50-60, this is still a very good, if not the best offer on the market, especially if you don’t chase new products. The phone can do everything and even a little more than the new ones budget smartphones. It has 32 GB of internal memory and a separate, non-combined slot for a memory card with a second SIM card. NFC is rarely found even in top new products, and the processor and GPU still cope with almost all tasks, of course not like the current top ones, but clearly no worse than smartphones with MTK processors. The only controversial point even now is the size of the device. Many still want a compact device, even though optimal size display has now grown to 5.2 inches, and this smartphone equipped with a 5.5-inch display, and given size is too big for many.
- Gorgeous Full HD IPS OGS screen with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3
- Amazing cameras
- NFC available
- good time battery life for a 3000 mAh battery.
- 32GB of internal memory and a separate slot for memory cards (not combined with the second SIM card slot)
- On this moment not the most modern Snapdragon 801 platform
- 2GB random access memory
- Non-monolithic body with non-removable battery
- Lack of 20 Band LTE (I’m finding fault, since at the time the phone was released, probably only iPhones could boast of this band)
- Marky building
Overall, to sum it up, the phone is very good. He is strict and at the same time stylish appearance(albeit a little soiled). A clear, bright Full HD display and good cameras. At the moment, the price for the phone is good, but not as tempting as at the time of purchase. If you don't chase new products and don't play the most demanding 3D games, you need to buy a phone. Since for this price It is almost impossible to purchase a phone with 32GB of memory, a 5.5-inch display and a separate slot for a memory card in addition to two slots for SIM cards.
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 76 mm (millimeters) 7.6 cm (centimeters) 0.25 ft (feet) 2.99 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 152.7 mm (millimeters) 15.27 cm (centimeters) 0.5 ft (feet) 6.01 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units measurements. | 8.7 mm (millimeters) 0.87 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.34 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 160 g (grams) 0.35 lbs 5.64 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 100.97 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 6.13in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | White Black |
| Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body. | Plastic Metal Glass |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| CDMA CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) is a channel access method used in communications in mobile networks. Compared to other 2G and 2.5G standards like GSM and TDMA, it provides higher data transfer speeds and connectivity more consumers at the same time. | CDMA 800 MHz |
| TD-SCDMA TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) is a 3G mobile network standard. It is also called UTRA/UMTS-TDD LCR. It was developed as an alternative to the W-CDMA standard in China by the Chinese Academy of Telecommunications Technology, Datang Telecom and Siemens. TD-SCDMA combines TDMA and CDMA. | TD-SCDMA 1880-1920 MHz TD-SCDMA 2010-2025 MHz |
| UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on GSM standard and applies to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a technology fourth generation(4G). It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) |
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC |
| Technological process Information about technological process, on which the chip is made. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | Krait 400 |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption. | 4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster as system memory, and other levels of cache memory. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 4 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 2500 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Graphics processing unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphic applications. IN mobile devices it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc. | Qualcomm Adreno 330 |
| Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications. | 4 |
| GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 578 MHz (megahertz) |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random Access Memory (RAM) in use operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 2 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR3 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates. | Dual channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data. | 933 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | IPS |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5.5 in (inches) 139.7 mm (millimeters) 13.97 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.7 in (inches) 68.49 mm (millimeters) 6.85 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.79 in (inches) 121.76 mm (millimeters) 12.18 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. More a high resolution means sharper detail in the image. | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail. | 401 ppi (pixels per inch) 157 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about maximum quantity colors that the screen can show. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. | 72.09% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 3 OGS (One Glass Solution) |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera. | Sony IMX214 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device. | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer more high quality images despite the lower resolution. | 4.69 x 3.52 mm (millimeters) 0.23 in (inches) |
| Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows the use more pixels per unit area, thus increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality at high ISO levels. | 1.115 µm (micrometers) 0.001115 mm (millimeters) |
| Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor of a particular device. | 7.38 |
| ISO (light sensitivity) ISO indicators determine the level of light sensitivity of the photosensor. A lower value means weaker light sensitivity and vice versa - higher values mean higher light sensitivity, i.e. better ability of the sensor to work in low light conditions. | 100 - 1600 |
| Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger. | f/2 - 22 |
| Excerpt Shutter speed (exposure time) refers to the amount of time the camera's shutter is open while taking pictures. The longer it is open, the more light reaches the photosensor. Shutter speed is measured in seconds (eg 5, 2, 1) or fractions of a second (eg 1/2, 1/8, 1/8000). | 1 - 1/5000 |
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. | 4208 x 3120 pixels 13.13 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device. | 3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality. | Autofocus Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Scene Selection Mode Macro mode |
| 1080p@30fps Blue filter glass 5-element lens |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 3100 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| 2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 40 h (hours) 2400 min (minutes) 1.7 days |
| 2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 720 h (hours) 43200 min (minutes) 30 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 40 h (hours) 2400 min (minutes) 1.7 days |
| 3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 720 h (hours) 43200 min (minutes) 30 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics device battery. | Fixed |
Despite the presence of official suppliers of its products, the Chinese giant is little known in our country, and if the average user has encountered models from this company, it is most likely with inexpensive budget solutions. But its range includes products that, in terms of their characteristics and workmanship, can compete with the flagship devices of leading brands.
One of them will become a hero this review. ZTE Nubia Z7 Max is part of the updated Nubia 7 line of premium devices, which in addition to it there are two more smartphones: ZTE Nubia 7Z Mini and ZTE Nubia 7.
You shouldn’t pay much attention to the “Max” prefix, since the most powerful device in the line in terms of characteristics is the ZTE Nubia 7, while the Nubia Z7 Max and Nubia 7Z Mini are positioned as junior models and differ only in size.
Specifications
| Model | ZTE Nubia Z7 Max |
| Screen | 5.5", IPS, pixel density 403 ppi |
| Permission | 1920 x 1080 |
| operating system | Android 4.4 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC), 2.5 GHz, Krait 400, quad core |
| GPU | Adreno 330, single core |
| RAM, GB | 2 |
| Flash memory, GB | 32 |
| Memory card support | MicroSD up to 64 |
| Cameras, Mpix | Main 13 (flash, autofocus), frontal 5 |
| Battery, mAh | 3100 |
| Dimensions (WxHxT), mm | 76 x 152.7 x 8.7 |
| Weight, g | 160 |
| SIM slots, pcs./type | 2, microSIM |
| Price, rubles | ~14,000 order from China/ ~18,000 in Russian stores |
On paper, we have before us another “shovel phone” with a modern filling and at a very reasonable price - if you buy it in stores, and very tempting if you order directly from China. Let's see if he can surprise us.
Packaging and equipment
The ZTE model comes in a small, nice-looking box made of thick cardboard.
On the front side there is only the name of the line to which the device belongs - Nubia.
Introduction
My previous smartphone was ZTE V987, very successful model from quite popular and good brand. But nothing stands still, the soul asks for updates, and so, after a long study of forums, assortment and prices, the choice fell on a representative of the same company -. This gadget is already a higher class and belongs to the current top-end Chinese models. Here are its characteristics:
Operating system: Android 4.4
Network: CDMA 800, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GSM 850, GSM 900, LTE 1800, LTE 2100, LTE 2600, TD-SCDMA 1880, TD-SCDMA 1900, TD-SCDMA 2010, TD-SCDMA 2025, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, UMTS 850, UMTS 900
Processor: Quad-core, 2 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AA
Graphics subsystem: Adreno 330
RAM: 2 GB
Data storage memory: 16 GB
Memory card slot: yes
Memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
Support 2 SIM cards: yes
Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n/ac) Dual-Band, Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP), microUSB (USB 2.0, OTG) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
Screen: New Mode2/ IPS, 5” diagonal, resolution 1920x1080 pixels, PPI 445, automatic backlight level adjustment
Camera: 13 MP with autofocus, LED flash, video recorded in 4k, 1080p, 5 MP front camera
Navigation: GPS (A-GPS support), Glonass
Additionally: FM radio, G-Sensor, gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor, digital compass
Battery: 2300 mAh
Dimensions: 69.3 x 140.9 x 8.19 mm
Weight: 145 grams
So, what immediately catches your eye from the characteristics compared to the competition? Of course, 2 SIM cards, the presence of a slot for an SD card, LTE that supports Russian frequencies, and the price. I will try to describe in my review all the strengths and weaknesses of the smartphone that I was able to identify during such a short time in my possession.
Contents of delivery
The box, made of strong cardboard, looks very stylish and impressive; you immediately feel that inside is not some kind of Chinese craft, but something more interesting. The color is white on the outside and red on the inside. But the factory equipment is very meager (this trend has now spread everywhere): the smartphone itself, with an already glued protective film, microUSB cord, charging. The seller also included an adapter for Russian sockets. Design
I’ll say right away that Nubia looks even better in reality than in the photo. It’s hard to find any special touches in design, but every little detail adds up to something akin to a “wow” effect.
The “Home” button is designed in the form of a red circle, which lights up while using the gadget, flashes when charging, missed calls and SMS. Thanks to a tip from one of the users, I learned that you can also set up notifications for other programs. To do this, you need to add to the screen settings menu the right application in notifications on the lock screen. To the right and left of the central button there are red dots that light up only with the screen. They perform the “Back” and “Menu” functions, and the location can be changed in the settings (by default, “Back” is on the right).
The rear camera has a red steel frame, which also looks very interesting.
Materials and assembly
The smartphone is made of plastic. The back cover is matte and is removable, unlike the battery. Due to the fact that the battery was screwed to the body, the rigidity was sufficient, but even here there were some mistakes. In my sample, in the places where the battery was attached, the plastic “blurred” a little and therefore the end turned out to be uneven, which in turn led to a slight play and creaking of the cover. The problem is not significant, but it leaves a small residue. I note that I solved it quite quickly with the help of tape and scissors :)
Dimensions
Nubia, with a 5" screen, has excellent dimensions: 69.3 x 140.9 x 8.19 mm. The frames on the sides are thin, there is nothing superfluous at the top and bottom. The smartphone fits perfectly in the hand (of course, a matter of habit), and it is also lightweight - 145 g. The battery played a significant role in the small mass, but it was later.Such dimensions, weight and materials of the case made it very slippery, and for some who are not used to handling equipment carefully, I would recommend purchasing a rubberized or silicone bumper. Controls and Connectors
On the right side are the power and volume keys. Moreover, the power key is located in the area of the thumb (we are talking about right-handed people), due to this it is convenient to unlock the device with one hand. Looking ahead, I’ll say that you can turn on the screen on the native firmware with a double tap. The key travel is moderately rigid, without play, with quiet clicks; in general, I would call their performance ideal. The left side is free of any controls.
Under the screen, as mentioned above, there are touch buttons “Home”, “Back”, “Menu”. There are no complaints about their work; clicks are recorded accurately and without false positives. True, there is one point that is quite possibly related to the firmware - the right or left button periodically does not light up. It is not possible to track any pattern, but it does not affect performance.
Above the screen there is a speaker mesh, proximity and light sensors, and a 5-megapixel front camera.
At the top there is a jack for headphones and a 3.5 mm headset. At the bottom there is a microUSB and a microphone hole.
On the back there is a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash, a hole for a second microphone, which is used for noise reduction and sound recording when shooting video, and a speaker hole. It should be noted that there are small protrusions to the right and left of the slot, which do not allow the sound to be greatly muffled when the smartphone lies on a hard horizontal surface.
Screen
The Nubia Z7 mini uses a screen made using New Mode 2 technology, which also has another name - IGZO. This technology It is also used in the new flagship from Meizu. The matrix produced by Sharp is considered one of the best in the world at the moment, and also has high energy efficiency.
Viewing angles are maximum. There is enough brightness to spare, the screen remains readable even in sunny weather with a protective film attached.
There are some minor issues with auto brightness, but at the moment I’m used to it and I’m almost always happy with it. In the settings menu there is an “Intelligent Sensor” item, which should somehow improve its performance. This moment still remains a mystery to me. 
There are also options for adjusting the saturation and hue of the screen 
and backlight settings for the central ring. 
For comparison, I took a couple of screenshots with the ZTE V987, which has a slight “yellowishness”. Nubia from below, standard settings. 
Overall, I really liked the screen; at first I constantly wanted to unlock the smart phone to admire it :)
Camera
The main camera of Nubia Z7 mini is 13-megapixel, Sony Exmor IMX 214 sensor, five lenses, f/2.0 aperture. The maximum image resolution is 4208x3120 pixels. Next to it is an LED flash, which can also be used as a flashlight. 
Owners have different opinions about the quality of the pictures. What can I say, they are radically different even when viewing the same photographs. There are so many people, so many opinions, I personally concluded that the camera is excellent. Perhaps there are some software flaws, but with straight hands and the right frame, even in automatic mode you can get wonderful pictures. Some photos lack brightness and contrast, but even SLR cameras are not protected from this.
Also, some people complain that the photos turn out dark, but firstly, in the “Pro” mode of the camera you can manually set the exposure point separately from the focus, and secondly, you can increase this very exposure in the settings. So, it’s better to see once than to read a hundred times, so examples of photos are below, and even more can be found. All pictures were taken with default settings and were not subjected to any processing. Note that with a couple of clicks in any graphic editor The quality of the resulting photos can be significantly increased by “playing” with brightness and contrast. In addition, the result can be improved by setting more fine adjustments in the camera itself.
By clicking on the picture you can open the original.
Sunny evening:
The photo was taken during the day, but closed window.
Cloudy evening:
Night:
Macro:
In room:
With flash Without flash
Front-camera. Resolution 5 megapixels, no autofocus. But the focus is somehow not set up very well - when shooting yourself, the image turns out to be clear a little further than the distance of an outstretched arm. In the photo with an apple this is noticeable; the objects in focus are located just behind it.
Video. Maximum recording quality is 4K (3840 by 2160 pixels), standard – FullHD (1920x1080). There is also tracking autofocus. The quality of the video suits me quite well; for example, I’m posting a couple of videos (you shouldn’t watch directly on the site, because the video resolution in the preview is significantly reduced):
Sound
Perhaps this is the most difficult section for me, because... I don’t have sensitive hearing, and I can’t compare it with something of obviously high quality.
So, I have DUNU Trident DN-12 headphones, which have very high price/quality ratio ratings among professionals, and two smartphones: ZTE Nubia Z7 mini and ZTE V987. I will say this, I personally liked the sound, and without any software processing it is better than on the V987. When you enable the built-in Dolby Digital Plus in the firmware, a pleasant and fairly deep bass appears, and the sound begins to please you even more. But I didn’t like the built-in DTS - the sound is kind of a mess.
But I achieved the best sound using the ViPER4Android program configured according to the instructions. The sound with it becomes rich, developed, deep. To be fair, I note that I really like the sound with the viper on the V987 too. I could hear only slight differences from Nubia in the midrange, for the better for the latter.
Music player when playing
The external speaker is quite loud, the sound is good, not wheezing, but there is practically no bass.
Autonomous operation
The smartphone has a 2300 mAh battery. Most will say that this volume is not enough, but to achieve such a compact size and weight something had to be sacrificed. A lower processor frequency and an energy-efficient screen can be a small help.
With average load, I charge the Nubia once every two days. Auto brightness and 2G mobile internet are always on, sometimes 3G. Over the weekend, she lasted just over a day, this time included a couple of short calls, about 5 hours of communication on social media. networks (the screen was not always on) and 2 hours of watching online video (both with Wi-Fi turned on). 20 minutes of a TV series on the Internet will drain your smartphone by 5-6%. 
According to measurements from one popular resource, the Z7 mini should last 13 hours 20 minutes in reading mode, 7 hours 20 minutes in video mode, and 4 hours 50 minutes in 3D gaming mode. During use, I have no There are reasons not to trust these numbers, everything is approximately as it is.
Platform, memory
The smartphone is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 platform, one of the top ones at the moment. It includes a 4-core processor, in Nubia operating at a reduced frequency of 2 GHz, instead of 2.5, and a graphics subsystem (GPU) - Adreno 330 with a processor frequency of 578 MHz. The device has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. The lack of main memory is more than compensated by the presence of a slot for microSD cards. Volumes up to 64 GB are supported.
Performance, tests
Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to test the smartphone in games, but according to reviews from other owners, there are no problems with this; most modern ones run at maximum settings. In all other respects, the device simply flies, applications open quickly, there are no lags. True, the native launcher fails - when scrolling through desktops, there are slowdowns. I hope this will be fixed in later firmware versions. Below are some screenshots from AnTuTu. 
Interfaces
The smartphone can work in a huge range of different networks:
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
CDMA 1X/ EVDO 800
TD-SCDMA B34/B39
WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100
TD-LTE B38/B39/B40
FDD-LTE B1/B3/B7
The presence of such a range of supported networks and two SIM cards gives the Z7 mini a huge advantage compared to its competitors. LTE in Russian networks should work without problems. I managed to get an MTS SIM card for testing and try out 4G. The connection happened immediately, the network level was good, but the speed was not encouraging, it was practically no different from 3G. I took measurements in different parts of the city (Pskov). I would like to believe that the problem is not in the device, but in the quality of the operator’s network. 
Connector microUSB supports the OTG standard, which makes it possible to connect USB drives and various peripherals (keyboard, mouse) to it. As far as I know, there is no MHL support.
Built-in module Bluetooth in smartphone version 4.0 with A2DP support.
WiFi The module is dual-band, supports operation in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.
There is no NFC or infrared port in the younger model.
Navigation
Nubia Z7 mini supports, in addition to GPS and Glonass, the Chinese Beidou navigation system. Satellites are found very quickly and in huge numbers. During a cold start indoors, three meters from the window, I caught 17 satellites in about a minute. On the street this takes a few seconds. Perhaps, such high-quality GPS work is already a plus when compared with competitors in the same price range, but working on MTK. 
Software
The smartphone works under Android control 4.4.2 with the proprietary Nubia UI 2.5 shell. In order not to greatly increase the review, I will not describe all the capabilities of this shell, but instead I will share a link where this has already been done for me and in full (thanks to the user rualvik from the 4pda forum)
I will attach just a few screenshots of the main or distinctive functions.
Desktop(clock widget - Chronus) 
Dialer and messages 
Settings 
Touch sensor settings 
Gesture sensor settings 
Split Screen
Profiles 
Bottom Key Settings 
Application "Energy Saving". In it you can view energy consumption statistics for various applications, manage autorun, and add programs to the white list that do not need to be unloaded from RAM when cleaning. 
Security app. The names of the menu items speak for themselves. 
Replacement covers
One more distinctive feature smartphone is the availability of interchangeable covers of various colors. You can add black to those shown in the photo; they are already on sale. 
Conclusion
For a week and a half, no questions arose about the quality of communication. Both I and I were always reached by phone. The sound in the conversational speaker is very clear, there is enough volume to spare. But the vibration is not too strong, which is not surprising, given the size of the device.
The price for the Z7 mini is currently around $280, which in Russian rubles at the current exchange rate will be just over 11,000. But don’t forget that there are group purchases, various discounts, coupons and sales. I was able to buy my copy for $254, which at the exchange rate a month ago was 9,400 rubles. For that kind of money, given the support for LTE in Russian networks, the presence of connectors for two SIM cards and a slot for a memory card, Nubia simply has no competitors. The closest models cost almost 2 times more. If you are not interested in any of these parameters, then a little more room for thought opens up, although even in this case the “minka” will be able to argue.
Pros:
Price
Powerful filling
Great screen
Russian LTE support
Dual SIM support
Support large quantity communication standards
Availability of a slot for microSD
Excellent GPS
Not a bad camera
Excellent sound in conversational dynamics
Small size for its diagonal
Overall good design and build
Replacement covers
Minuses. I can’t single out any of them as such, but I’ll still list some minor shortcomings:
Battery. But as I wrote above, you can live.
The lid may not fit tightly on some samples. Solves with straight hands.
A slight “dampness” of the firmware and the absence of the official Russian language in it. There is a high probability that these shortcomings will be corrected by the manufacturer in the near future.
UPD. We managed to get a SIM card with 4G support. Updated review.
I'm planning to buy +23 Add to favorites I liked the review +35 +71