ZTE Nubia Z17 Mini smartphone garnered noteworthy demand among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves in April, last year. But that’s hardly surprising considering the phone offers an array of awe-inspiring specs and features without bearing a steep price tag.

Much to the delight of smartphone enthusiasts who have been waiting to get their hands on the well-received Nubia Z17 Mini without emptying their pocket, GearBest is currently offering a 5% discount on the handset’s original selling price. Let’s check out the details.

You can now get your hands on the Nubia Z17 Mini by shelling out only $199.99 for a limited period of time. The discount is valid for black and champagne-tinted global version of the 4G smartphone.

The Nubia Z17 Mini sports a 5.2 inches LTPS IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels at a pixel density of 424 PPI (pixels per inch). Under the hood, the phone packs a powerful Qualcomm MSM8976 Snapdragon 652 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB ROM.

On the photography front, the Z17 Mini offers a 13.0MP + 13.0MP dual camera setup with AF and flashlight, and a massive 16MP front shooter for selfie addicts. It runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system with Nubia UI 4.0 skin on top of it.

You can head straight to this link to check out the full specification and take advantage of the promo which is slated to end in just 1 day.

The post Buy Nubia Z17 Mini 4G Smartphone For Only $199.99 On GearBest appeared first on Gizmochina.

ZTE’s elite brand Nubia launched the Z17 Mini a couple of weeks back in China with a dual camera setup at the rear. The Nubia Z17 Mini isn’t a flagship device but it packs a design and specs lineup that makes it look like a flagship device. The smartphone comes in four different colours which include champagne gold, black gold, red and elegant black.

Nubia has now revealed that the red color version of the Z17 Mini will go up for sale on May 18. Already the reservation for the flash sale opened today and is currently on via Nubia’s website. Specs wise, the Z17 Mini pack a Snapdragon 653 processor which is backed by 6GB of RAM. There is also a Snapdragon 652-powered version with 4GB of RAM.

Read Also: Comparison: ZTE Nubia Z17 Mini vs Huawei Honor 8

Perhaps, the most stand-out feature on the Nubia Z17 Mini is the dual camera setup at the rear, as well as the large pixel selfie shooter. The main camera is a powerful 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor and the secondary sensor is a black and white camera which is a depth of field camera. The dual camera supports 0.1s mixed focus and also 4K ultra-high definition video recording. It can also capture in slow motion and has time lapse feature.

The Red variant on sale carries a price tag of 1699 Yuan ($247), which makes this the 4GB + 64GB. The device is available on Nubia’s website.

The post Nubia Z17 Mini Red Version Up For Sale In China Soon appeared first on Gizmochina.

Recently ZTE released Nubia Z17 Mini and it might be one of the most significant mid-range releases in the year 2017. I have to highlight it has an amazing dual and selfie camera that belong only to the camera champions in the market.

When a middle range phone is released from a Chinese brand, it is wise to be careful before making the buying decision. There are many potential drawbacks, but that’s why we’ll size and measure all the pros and cons before cutting. ZTE has proved in the past that they know to make a sexy phone with some great features and astonishing performance. Considering that Cristiano Ronaldo is posing on the ad of Nubia Z17 Mini, you can bet that ZTE has big expectations from this model. And what should your expectations be? Let’s roll it.

Top-level Nubia Z17 Specification

• Cards Slots: Dual Nano-SIM or SIM + memory card up to 200GB
• Display: LTPS IPS LCD, 5.2 inches, 1080 x 1920 res (424ppi), Gorilla Glass
• Nubia UI v4.0 runs on Android 6 (Marshmallow)
• Standard edition: CPU Octa-core Snapdragon 652 (4 x 1.8GHz plus 4 x 1.4GHz); Memory: 4GB / 64GB; GPU: Adreno 510
• High edition: CPU Octa-core Snapdragon 653 (4 x 1.95GHz plus 4 x 1.4GHz); Memory: 6GB / 64GB; GPU: Adreno 510
• Rear Camera – Dual 13MP
• Selfie Camera – 16MP
• Video: 4k
• Battery: 2950 mAh

Nubia Z17 Mini Review: Design, the feel, and the hardware

I remember back in 2015 when Nubia Z9 got launched. It was a big shift for ZTE and it attracted the attention of many right away. Even some designers were happy to see a ‘fresh face’, and those guys are usually picky. With Z17 Mini, Nubia follows this stylish design. It is very hard to accurately rate design because of personal preferences, but this model deserves high marks for it. The phone feels sturdy and sits well in the hand.

It comes in four colour combinations: 1) Elegant Black (my personal favorite); 2) Gold Black; 3) Champagne Gold; and 4) Red. It has red as a part of their branding and the phones feature great camera features that symbolically means that photography is user’s passion.

Interestingly, 97% of Z17 Mini’s body is made of aluminum, which gives a premium feel. It’s worth mentioning the curves on the edges are not fully rounded. Instead, a part of the curve is cut and that gives the phone a bit different feel in hands and a better grip. Although, it feels a bit slippery in the beginning. Adding to it weight of 155 gr,  the general feel of Z17 Mini is convincing in a way that you are holding a premium handset. With its dimensions (146.7 x 72.5 x 7.5 mm (5.78 x 2.85 x 0.30 in)), the phone feels compact enough.

Many phone makers nowadays put the fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, and to be honest, this place isn’t very useful for me personally, as I prefer the scanner on the side. But if you see what Samsung has done with the position of the fingerprint sensor on the new Galaxy 8, then I can’t complain much about Nubia’s decision.

The home button is a nice stylish red circle below the screen, while Back and Recent buttons are just small dots. In fact, this follows Nubia’s elegant design. On the bottom edge, there are holes for two speakers but when I played some music and covered the right one, the music got muted, which means there is no stereo speakers. The other one is an oversized microphone hole, which is fair enough decision for the pure aesthetics.

Nubia Z17 Mini Review: Display, connectivity, & battery

Z17 Mini is equipped with LTPS IPS LCD display. Speaking with no abbreviations, that’s a standard for mid-range phones. The viewing angle is very wide. The only thing that could behave better on this phone is brightness and contrast on the daylight. But, in this class with such performances that Z17 Mini offers, you can’t expect a much better screen as they are quite expensive. The screen is a higher number of 424 ppi (1080 x 1920 pixels) and the screen size is 5.2 inches – I really don’t know why it’s called “Mini”. The screen is sharp, crisp and has good colour contrasts. It is scratch protected with Gorilla Glass that is curved on the edges (2.5D). However, from the experience, never take it for granted and protect your screen with a foil, tempered glass or a case.

While I was testing Nubia Z17 Mini for this review, WiFi worked well, LTE and 3G network also exchanged data in a nice fashion. If that is particularly important to you, look for a handset that packs Snapdragon 820, 821 or the latest 835. Networking chips are integrated into processor’s module and that’s the most important when it comes to the quality of the network. iPhone also does a great job here, but we all know its price and limitations of iOS. There is one drawback for connectivity for now –Bluetooth has issues. My unit had a hard time making Bluetooth connections, and I hope it’s probably an issue fixable by a ROM upgrade.

Battery lasts for a day without a problem in a heavy usage regime. Of course, there is no a phone out there which you wouldn’t run out of juice if you really wanted so. That also depends on apps you use and how often you manage those working in background. Overall, the battery isn’t a hero, but it’s good enough, so you shouldn’t worry about it.

Nubia Z17 Mini Review: UI, Gestures & Apps

No matter how good specifications are, it is important that the core of UI is also well designed and that offers useful options. In terms of that, Nubia UI does a good job. When it comes to the design of the whole thing and sometimes UX of its apps, there are a few drawbacks. Worth mentioning that the Nubia 4.0 ROM reminds of MIUI a lot. Even some widgets are copied directly from there. For example, one tap to clean up RAM. However, there is also a nice widget “Lock screen” that allows you to lock the screen with just one tap. Usually, you can download it from Google Play, but software is always better to come as a part of the OS.

A very good thing about Nubia is its Theme market where you can find and download tons of free themes, and some of them are very cool. Unfortunately, the themes names and a lot of other text is in Chinese only. It is visual enough and it doesn’t stop you from using the app. But, in general, there are many parts of the system that are not translated in English. And those that are translated, usually are not written in a spirit of English language, so sometimes you need to stop and think what that means. It’s what we expats living in China call – Chinglish – a combo of English and Chinese mixed up. Also, there are some typos. All of these don’t really stop you to use all the features that Nubia offers, but it ruins UX a bit. Or makes you laugh depending on your spirit.

And good news regarding it. It seems that Z17 Mini will go internationally, including India and Europe (source to this leak). I assume it means that translations will be additionally polished and improved. Also, you can bet that the price in Europe and India will be significantly higher than here.

One of the reasons why you should consider getting Nubia Z17 is Edge Gestures. There are plenty of gestures that utilizes the side of the screen. On top of that, there are animations on how exactly to make the move and explanations of what they do.

Also, inside of the phone Settings, there is an Options Menu with various features. You can split-up the screen and easily adjust the size of each split which is sometimes a very useful option. One-handed mode – you can reduce the size of the active screen so that you can reach everything by using one hand. What I liked very much is that you can customize left and right button key. So, based on your habit with a previous phone, you can setup the Back button to be on left or on the right. Remember that buttons are only tiny red dots. Another cool feature is Super Screenshot that allows you to take screen shots of a specific part of the screen, or even to record the screen. Why saving only a copy of your screen at a moment when you make a video of it?

Besides these useful and handy features, you have integrated Security and Resources manager that helps you to manage safety and resources on your phone. And there are some features related to the fingerprint sensor that behaves like an additional physical button in some situations. That’s cool.

With all these features available, Nubia Z17 mini is a phone packed with features and you’ll be happy to have them.

Nubia Z17 Mini Review: Performance

There is a difference in high and standard version of Nubia Z17 Mini. In this review, I use the standard version with 4GB of RAM and Snapdragon 652. Both versions use the same graphic rendering chip (Adreno 510) and have the same amount of storage (64GB). The only two differences are Snapdragon 653 and 6GB of RAM. I haven’t tested the higher version on Antutu, but in terms of processing, the difference is tiny, not worth paying extra money just because of it. However, having additional 2GB of RAM comes handy and for those who can afford it, just go for it.

So, what Antutu says? The standard version scored around 83k which is a good score for a mid-range phone.

.

But more than plain Antutu or Geekbench numbers, I prefer testing phones by overloading their memory and opening bunch of apps all at once. Then switching between them, typing, browsing, playing games, etc. If the phone works without lagging, that means that it performs well. And, Z17 mini did! I had opened Asphalt 8, Gmail, Viber, Google Maps, Google Docs, VPN client (this one is heavy), Facebook Messenger, Camera, Chrome, Instagram and a few other less known apps. I was switching between apps and using them without any problems.

Nubia Z17 Mini Review: Call Quality, Multimedia & Audio Quality

The quality of the call is good and no issues with the sound. Chinese phone makers tend to have a metallic echo in the background, but Nubia is doing well and you can’t hear it. The speaker is good, a bit of a shallow sound and lack of bass, what I expect from Chinese phone maker.

Nubia Z17 Mini Review: Camera

Well, I didn’t have a title of this article ‘’Camera champion’’ not to be fascinated by it! The camera is simply amazing – dual back camera of 13 MP as well as a selfie shooter of 16 MP. Oh yes, it’s the good old Sony camera and the model is IMX258. It can be compared to the real pro SLR camera and you can pull of Bokeh effect with a simple click. However, that is not the best thing about it – the very best feature of this phone are all the apps you can use to play around with your fancy phone camera. 3D photo, panorama, Multi-expo, Star trail, Trajectory and much more. Photos in daylight and night have great colours and contrasts. The video is also great, producing some very well lit videos even during night time. It captivates environments better than our own eye in low light.

This brings me to the conclusion that this phone is targeting millennials and all people passionate about their photography. Personally, I don’t use selfie camera that much – except when posing for reviews, but what I do appreciate is having this option. The screen colours are bright, crisp and picture are sharp and clear. Overall, if you don’t mind a bit of Chinese user experience, this phone is amazing for the price tag.

You can check out the full camera samples of the Nubia Z17 Mini from here.

So, what do you think about the Z17 Mini?

The post Nubia Z17 Mini Review – A Mid-Range Camera Champion  appeared first on Gizmochina.

ZTE’s elite brand Nubia officially launched the Nubia Z17 Mini last week in China but the smartphone went up for its first sale today after reservations have been closed. Reports coming out from the first flash sale is that the Z17 Mini was sold out in just a minute. The sales within the period was also a record figure with the total exceeding 100 million Yuan across all channels. The device went on sale simultaneously on Jingdong (JD.com), Tmall, Suning and on Nubia’s official website.

The Nubia Z17 Mini isn’t a flagship device but it packs a design and specs lineup that makes it look like a flagship device. The smartphone comes in four different colours which include champagne gold, black gold, red and elegant black. The design is complement by a slim metal build and the absence of a physical home button.However, there is an attractive red ring marking at the front where the virtual home button lies.

Read More: Comparison: ZTE Nubia Z17 Mini vs Huawei Honor 8

The Z17 Mini doesn’t disappoint in the specs angle either, packing a Snapdragon 653 processor which is backed by 6GB of RAM. There is also a Snapdragon 652-powered version with 4GB of RAM. Perhaps, the most stand-out feature on the Nubia Z17 Mini is the dual camera setup at the rear, as well as the large pixel selfie shooter. The main camera is a powerful 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor and the secondary sensor is a black and white camera which is a depth of field camera. The dual camera supports 0.1s mixed focus and also 4K ultra-high definition video recording. It can also capture in slow motion and has time lapse feature.

The post Nubia Z17 Mini: Sold Out In A Minute, Sales Exceed 100 Million Yuan appeared first on Gizmochina.

ZTE’s elite brand Nubia latest smartphone, the Z17 Mini which has just been launched today comes with a dual camera setup at the rear. The dual camera has been the major highlight on the phone right from when it appeared on TENAA to the teaser featuring Cristiano Ronaldo. Nubia had even teased some of the features of the dual cameras earlier on.

As if that was not enough, Nubia CEO Ni Fei also shared some sample images shot on the Nubia Z17 Mini rear cameras on Weibo. The quality of the photos is incontestably high with bokeh effects that give a blur effect to the adjoining environment but highlight the subject with clarity. The images don’t look like what was captured while in motion so, there is the possibility of a time-lapse feature being on the camera.

Related: ZTE Nubia M2 Official: Custom 13MP Dual Cameras from Sony, Two Other Models Launched As Well

The Nubia Z17 Mini sports a 5.2-inch TFT 1080p display. It is powered by a Snapdragon 653 on one model, backed by 6GB of RAM and there is another model with a Snapdragon 652  processor that is backed by 4GB of RAM. Both models come with 64GB storage apiece which is expandable up to 200GB. The phone sports a 13MP sensor at the rear camera but there is also a second sensor likely a depth of field sensor. The front camera is a 16MP selfie shooter which should do justice to our selfie needs. Keeping the lights on is a 2,930mAh battery. Meanwhile, check out more sample photos from under.

The post Nubia Z17 Mini Dual Camera Sample Photos: Topnotch Quality! appeared first on Gizmochina.

After a number of teases and leaks, Nubia has finally unveiled its new dual camera phone, the Z17 Mini. Nubia has gone all out with this new device and the specifications puts it at the top of the higher mid-range phones.

Nubia Z17 Mini Design

Nubia has settled for a full-metal design on the Z17 Mini. The front is however covered with glass from top to bottom. The dual rear cameras are positioned on the same line as the antenna and they feature Nubia’s signature red outline.

The front of the phone doesn’t sport the physical home button/fingerprint scanner seen on the Nubia M2. All you have is the red holo capacitive key staring at you. At the top, there is the earpiece which is flanked on the left by the front camera and at the top by the proximity sensor.

Nubia has released the Z17 Mini in four different colors. You can pick from either champagne gold, black gold, red or elegant black.

Nubia Z17 Mini Specs

The Z17 Mini sports a 5.2-inch display with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass for protection. The display offers a 85% color gamut and boasts a ppi of 424.

The memory configuration is quite impressive. You either get 6GB or 4GB of RAM but built-in storage remains 64GB on both versions. The difference in RAM is replicated in the processor too. The 6GB RAM variant is powered by Qualcomm’s MSM8976 Pro (Snapdragon 653) while the 4GB RAM variant gets the Snapdragon 652 processor. The Snapdragon 653 offers a 10% increase in performance just like the Snapdragon 821 does over the Snapdragon 820. So unless you need the extra memory and power boost, the 4GB RAM variant is cool.

Storage on both variants can be expanded via a MicroSD card (200GB max.), but you will have to sacrifice the second SIM slot to do that.

For connectivity, the NUbia Z17 Mini has dual band WiFi, NFC, GPS, and Bluetooth 4.1. There is DTS Audio Enhancement, a USB Type-C port, and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Nubia has settled for a non-removable 2950mAh battery to power the Z17 Mini and will be shipping it with Nubia UI 4.0 based on Android Marshmallow.

Nubia Z17 Mini Cameras

You must have noticed I didn’t mention anything about the camera in the specs, that’s because it deserves to be separated. The rear cameras on the phone are dual Sony IMX258 f/2.2 sensors. One of the sensors shoots in color while the other shoots in black and white. The lens are covered by sapphire glass and there is EIS and OIS so you can take and record steady shots and videos. The front camera is a 16MP sensor with an 80° wide-angle lens and a f/2.0 aperture.

Nubia has also upgraded its camera UI, NeoVision to version 6. The upgrade brings new features such as portrait mode, time lapse pictures, monochrome pictures, 3D pictures and even supports aperture adjustment.

Nubia Z17 Mini Price

The 4GB + 64GB Z17 Mini will sell for ¥1699 ($247) and will go on sale on the 13th of April on Nubia’s official website, Lynx, and Suning.

The 6GB + 64GB model is priced at ¥1999 ($290) and will also be available on the 13th of April at 10 am on the official site, offline stores, and on Jingdong.

The Nubia Z17 Mini is not Nubia’s first dual camera phone, the Nubia M2 gets that title. We can’t tell which one takes better pictures but we hope to provide a comparison in future.

The post Nubia Z17 Mini is Official: IMX 258 Dual Rear Cameras, 6GB RAM, NFC & 2950mAh Battery appeared first on Gizmochina.

A new Nubia smartphone said to be the Nubia Z17 Mini has appeared on TENAA where it has undergone certification.  The Nubia smartphone is listed with the model number NX569J and among the features that are visible, is a dual rear camera setup.

On the design aspect, the Nubia Z17 Mini or NX569J uses a fused antenna band design that runs at the top and bottom edges. The dual cameras and LED flash are situated at the upper left edge on the same plane with the antenna band. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device. Up front, the device isn’t bezel-less but there seems to be an absence of a physical home button under the display juts a round-shaped icon at the centre which would likely house a virtual button.

The specifications listed with the device doesn’t show prospect of it being a flagship device as it sports a 5.2-inch TFT display with 1080p resolution. It is powered by a 1.8GHz believed to be either the Snapdragon 653 or Snapdragon 625 processor and that is backed by 4GB of RAM. The Nubia NX569J is also listed with a 64GB storage.

On the camera end, the Nubia phone sports a 13MP rear camera but since it is a dual setup, this would likely be that of the main sensor. The front camera is a 16MP selfie shooter wich should do justice to our selfie needs. Keeping the lights on would be a 2,930mAh battery. All these points at the Nubia Z17 Mini being a mid-ranger.

Read More: ZTE Nubia M2 Official: Custom 13MP Dual Cameras from Sony, Two Other Models Launched As Well

We don’t know for sure when the device will be launched but appearing on TENAA indicates it would soon be unveiled.  But Nubia released a new poster today which points at a launch event slated for April 6. Perhaps, the Nubia Z17 Mini will be launched alongside the large battery-packing Nubia Z17 on that day.

(source)

The post Nubia Z17 Mini with 4GB RAM, Dual Rear Cameras Visits TENAA appeared first on Gizmochina.

Nubia teased a dual camera phone earlier today set to launch on the 21st of March. The phone will be the first dual camera phone from the manufacturer. Turns out the device is called the Nubia Z17 Mini!!!

The name was leaked on Weibo by “@Kunamato Science” and also includes the full specs of the device. First, let’s talk about the name. Nubia released the Z11 series last year, so we are pretty surprised at the jump to 17. Apart from that, the name also hints that we will probably get to see a Z17 and probably a Z11 Max too.

The Nubia Z17 Mini will be available in multiple color variants with different configurations. There will be a black gold and gold variant with a Snapdragon 652 processor and 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 653 SoC + 6GB RAM respectively. There will also be a blue variant with 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 653 processor. Storage on all variants will be 64GB (eMMC 5.0).

All versions will have dual 13MP Sony IMX258 cameras on the rear and a 16MP camera up front for selfies. The Nubia Z17 Mini will sport a 5.2-inch 1080p display. A 3000mAh battery will power the phone and it will have support for Quick Charge 3.0. There will also be a USB Type-C port and pricing for the Nubia Z17 Mini will be capped at ¥1899 ($275).

The leakster also says that the Nubia Z17 Mini won’t have its camera design stacked side by side on the left. But will instead be positioned in the middle of the phone and stacked on top of each other.

What do you think about the Nubia Z17 Mini? Impressive but confusing specs sums it up.

(Source)

The post Nubia Dual Camera Phone said to Be Nubia Z17 Mini appeared first on Gizmochina.