Monsters from Asia: The aluminum ZTE Nubia Z9 with its 'border-less' design, 4GB RAM, and 16MP OIS camera
Depending on the execution, FIT may very well turn out to be yet another gimmick, so we're glad to see that Nubia went full out with the Z9 just in case. That is, we're looking at some pretty insane hardware, including a 5.2-inch, 2.5D screen with a resolution of 1080 x 1920, an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with an Adreno 420 GPU and support for two SIM slots, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, and a 2,900 mAh battery. As with all Nubia handsets, the camera experience was of great importance to the team behind the Z9, so you're getting a 16-megapixel, 1/2.6" Sony IMX234 (found in the LG G4) with f/2.0 aperture, optical stabilization, and 4K UHD video capture, along with an 8-megapixel Sony IMX179 sensor up front (f/2.4, 80° field of view). There's also a dedicated AKM AK4961 Hi-Fi chip for higher quality sound.
Without a doubt, Android specsmongers will be quick to cry foul at the sight of 'just' a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, though we've got to admit that we're relieved to see Nubia back away from Quad HD panels in favor of better battery life. Others will wonder about the amount of RAM and storage options listed above — those simply belong to two different models, an 'Elite' one (4GB RAM, 64GB storage, comes in gold), and a less bonkers 'Classic' one (3GB/32GB, comes in black).
So how much will Nubia be charging locals for a Z9 unit? ¥3499 for the Classic model, and ¥3999 for the Elite flavor. Those translate to $564 and $645, respectively, so definitely pricier than competing options, such as the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, which is priced at ¥2999 ($484). Of course, do keep in mind that these prices are for Chinese customers who have managed to reserve a copy. The rest of the world will have to pay extra through resellers.
Story timeline
This story is part of:
Monsters from Asia (49 updates)-
9 August Monsters from Asia: the $225 (Lenovo) ZUK Z2 Rio Edition is the cheapest Snapdragon 820 phone -
29 June Monsters from Asia: the newly announced Sharp Aquos mini is a compact powerhouse -
17 June Monsters from Asia: the Meitu V4s is an edge in a round world -
18 May Monsters from Asia: the Aquos Zeta SH-04H is Sharp's summer pitch -
11 March Monsters from Asia: The Bluboo Picasso is an obscure, but very well-done, ultra-budget 5-incher
26 Comments
seret6
Posts: 279; Member since: Aug 14, 2013
No 1440p
No thanks, 1080p sucks
posted on May 06, 2015, 12:12 PM 1
neela_akaash
Posts: 1239; Member since: Aug 05, 2014
Actually 1440p sucks more juice from battery, or may he has microscopic eyes. That's why he needs more n more resolution.....
posted on May 06, 2015, 1:24 PM 0
nodes
Posts: 1106; Member since: Mar 06, 2014
and this will still have better on-screen performance than Galaxy S6.
lol.
posted on May 06, 2015, 9:37 AM 5
rantao333
Posts: 342; Member since: May 21, 2013
but but..on antutu my galaxy s6 is higher. who care about on screen.
posted on May 06, 2015, 10:02 AM 2
zunaidahmed
Posts: 1182; Member since: Dec 24, 2011
yeah, we don't care about the actual performance, We just want to see higher points in benchmark!!!!!
posted on May 06, 2015, 12:55 PM 1
neela_akaash
Posts: 1239; Member since: Aug 05, 2014
I replaced my s6 for that pathetic battery life. Never got more than 3.5 hrs of on-screen time...
Back to my still great looking and snappy Xperia Z2...
posted on May 06, 2015, 1:25 PM 1
nebula
Posts: 1009; Member since: Feb 20, 2015
Where can one be acquired?
posted on May 06, 2015, 9:42 AM 0
DarkRadeonFX
Posts: 37; Member since: Mar 29, 2014
Need this with windows 10......
posted on May 06, 2015, 9:49 AM 3
Nokia1100user
Posts: 19; Member since: Aug 14, 2013
Where can I trade in my Nokia 1100 for this?
posted on May 06, 2015, 11:13 AM 0
Scarambay unregistered
The phone is a looker, high end specs and all, but ZTE should realize it isn't a well established brand to demand such steep prices.
posted on May 06, 2015, 2:46 PM 3
WallStreet
Posts: 256; Member since: Sep 21, 2014
Isn't it a bit too narrow and too tall?
posted on May 06, 2015, 5:47 PM 0
ChunkDiesel072014
Posts: 39; Member since: Feb 26, 2015
What if the picture of the phone represents how technology takes our souls and leaves is with no soul or colorless.
