When asked to think about innovative Chinese smartphones manufacturers, most people think to Huawei and Xiaomi. But there are also other companies which are doing their best at delivering the latest technologies, despite a lot of people around the world ignore them. Lenovo, Nubia, and ZTE are among these ones as all of them released a flagship phone with the support to 5G connectivity. We are referring to Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition, Nubia X 5G, and ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G. In each case, we are talking about 5G variants of existing flagships sold at very interesting prices. But are their 5G variants as interesting as other 5G handsets? And which one is the best? After reading this comparison, you will have an idea.
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G vs Nubia X 5G vs ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G
| Nubia X 5G | ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G | Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 154.1 x 73.3 x 8.4 mm, 181 g | 159.2 x 73.4 x 7.9 mm, 175 g | 157.5 x 74.6 x 8.7 mm, 185 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), LTPS IPS LCD Secondary display 5.1 inches 720 x 1520 pixels (HD+), OLED |
6.47 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), AMOLED | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD slot | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie, MiFavor 9.1 | Android 9 Pie, ZUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 16 + 24 MP, f/1.8 and f/1.7 | Triple 48 + 20 + 8 MP, f/1.7, f/2.4 and f/2.2 20 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Quad 48 + 8 + 16 + 2 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4, f/2.2 and f/1.8 32 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3800 mAh, fast charging with Quick Charge 4 18W | 4000 mAh, fast charging with Quick Charge 4+ 18W | 4000 mAh, fast charging 18W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot, 5G | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 5G, waterproof IP68 | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 5G |
Design
Most of the Nubia X 5G body is covered by displays: the phone features two displays so it can use the rear cameras as front cameras too. That means the phone does not need a selfie snapper, neither a notch to house it. So its screen-to-body ratio is incredibly high and there are no holes on the display. That is why (alongside the secondary display) its design is the most amazing. On the other hand, ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G comes with the most interesting build quality as it is fully waterproof (up to 1.5 meters depth for 30 minutes) with the IP68 certification. Even Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition has an awesome design, with a transparent back allowing to see its internal components, but I personally prefer the Nubia X form factor and its more compact body.
Display
When it comes to display quality, Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition is the clear winner, at least on the paper. Thanks to the HDR10 standard and the high DCI-P3 coverage, it should provide the most accurate color reproduction. However, Nubia X 5G is much more interesting with its dual display. It has a classic 6.26-inch display on the front and a secondary 5.1-inch compact display on its back which you can use to save battery as it is smaller and the OLED technology consumes less energy.
Hardware/Software
These devices are all powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset, so they offer amazing flagship-class performance, the best you can expect in 2019. Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition wins the hardware comparison simply because it has the most powerful memory configuration: up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of internal storage. And you can even expand the internal storage up to 1 TB thanks to a micro SD slot. The phones run Android 9 Pie out of the box.
Camera
It will be hard to establish a winner of the camera comparison between ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G and Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G as their photo quality is very different depending on the scenarios, and both of them are able to shoot outstanding photos. I personally prefer the ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G because its main sensor has a brighter focal aperture and OIS, as well as 3x optical zoom. These are very important features to get good photos. Nubia X 5G wins the selfie comparison as it is able to use its rear cameras as front cameras thanks to the secondary display.
Battery
Both Lenovo Z6 5G Edition and ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G come with a big 4000 mAh battery, but 5G drains a lot, so we will have to test them thoroughly in order to establish if they are good battery phones and which one lasts more. Nubia X 5G has a smaller battery, but its secondary display might let it last more with some usage patterns. Note that ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G is the only to feature wireless charging.
Price
We only know that ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G carries a €900/$1015 price tag, while prices for Nubia X 5G and Lenovo Z5 Pro 5G are still unannounced. Independently from the prices, overall, my favorite one is the ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G because of the bigger display, water resistance, stereo speakers and wireless charging.
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G vs Nubia X 5G vs ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G: PRO and CONS
Nubia X 5G
PROS
- Dual display
- Up to 512 GB of storage
- Uses rear cameras as front cameras
- No notch
CONS
- Smaller battery
Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Edition
PROS
- Transparent back
- Big battery
- Potentially good price
- Great memory configurations
CONS
- Nothing particular
ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G
PROS
- Waterproof
- Big battery
- Wireless charging
- Stereo speakers
CONS
- More anonymous design
