Smartphone zte nubia z11. Nubia Z11 review - a gorgeous frameless flagship! Appearance and ease of use
Nubia Z11 is the latest flagship released by the Chinese company ZTE. This device is the ideological successor to the Nubia Z11 Mini, from which, in addition to its characteristics, it differs in its larger dimensions.
At the IFA 2016 exhibition, where the Nubia Z11 model was held, many words were said about its design. Indeed, Nubia Z11 looks great - a thin metal body and frameless screen do their job, but will the Z11 be able to compete with the flagships of other manufacturers in other parameters? Our review will help you understand this.
Content:Price and technical specifications
The announced price of Nubia Z11 is $399.99 for the standard version and $489.99 for the premium version, the differences of which are the body color (black and gold) and the amount of RAM increased to 6 GB. You can buy it now on Aliexpress https://goo.gl/GFRQLV 
Let's look at the main characteristics of the standard Z11:
- operating system – Android 6.0.1 with Nubia UI 4 interface;
- processor – Snapdragon 820 (4 ARMv8 cores, 2x2.15 and 2x1.6 GHz);
- display – IPS 5.5”, Full HD, 403 ppi;
- RAM – 4 GB;
- memory – 64 GB + memory cards up to 200 GB;
- main camera – 16 MP with autofocus and LED flash, aperture 2.0;
- front camera – 8 MP, aperture 2.4;
- battery – 3000 mAh.
The case dimensions are 152*72*7.7 mm, Nubia Z11 is today the narrowest smartphone with a screen diagonal of 5.5”. The technical characteristics of the model are typical for flagships from Chinese manufacturers and do not raise any questions; such a device will be enough for 2-3 years of trouble-free operation.
Packaging and equipment
Nubia Z11 comes in a rectangular box made of matte black cardboard, on the front of which there is a manufacturer’s logo framed in a red ring. The packaging looks stylish, as befits a product in this price category. 
The equipment of the device is as follows:
- USB-C cable;
- charger (supports fast charging function);
- in-ear headphones;
- key for removing the memory card and SIM.
ZTE didn't cheap out on accessories; they all look good. You shouldn't expect audiophile quality from the included headphones, but they reproduce sound without noticeable distortion, with an emphasis on lower frequencies, which will be more than enough for undemanding users.
Appearance
Design is the strong point of the Nubia Z11; there is no shame in using the device as a fashion smartphone. The case is completely metal, with the exception of two plastic inserts on the back cover, but the difference between the surfaces is practically not tactilely felt. 
The smartphone is completely symmetrical, it has rounded walls, which, together with its small width, makes it as convenient as possible in terms of ergonomics. The device fits in the hand like a glove, and it will be comfortable to use even for people with small palms. 
The main visual advantage of the Z11 is the absence of side frames around the display. ZTE engineers decided to follow a fashion trend, the quality of which cannot be reproached for their implementation - the smartphone is assembled perfectly, it does not play, does not creak, and does not feel flimsy.
In addition to the screen, on the front of the case there is a touch-sensitive menu button, surrounded by a red circle characteristic of all ZTE smartphones, and two buttons on either side of it. The functionality of the side buttons can be customized to your liking.
On the left side there are two hybrid connectors for Nano-SIM and MicroSD; the device supports up to 200 GB. On the right side there are mechanical buttons for turning off and adjusting the sound, on top there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, on the bottom there is a USB connector and two symmetrical perforations for the speaker.
Screen
Nubia Z11 boasts a 5.5-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution and 403 ppi pixel density. These are not record figures, but the screen does not cause any complaints - wide viewing angles, a rich picture and good visibility even in bright sunlight due to the high maximum brightness. 
To achieve the “wow” effect that occurs when you first get acquainted with a smartphone, ZTE engineers have noticeably increased the saturation of the color display and shifted the color balance towards cool shades, which ensures a colorful and clear picture. However, lovers of accurate color reproduction may not like this, since the colors on the screen tend to fade into blue. This drawback can be eliminated by simply adjusting the color balance and setting the required saturation profile, which can be done with the standard Nubia Z11 firmware.
The smartphone display is covered with Gorilla Glass 3D protective glass and has an oleophobic coating, due to which fingerprints practically do not remain on the glass. It is made using OGS technology - without an air layer, so the display does not glare in the sun. Overall, the Nubia Z11's screen compares well with competitors in its price category.
Performance
ZTE Z11 is based on the Qualcomm 820 platform - this is one of the top processors with 4 cores, superior in performance to similar solutions from MediaTek and Samsung, and the smartphone also has 4 GB of RAM. In synthetic tests, Nubia Z11 shows itself confidently; in the Benchmark it took 4th place among all smartphones on the market.
The performance of this device will be sufficient for even the most demanding users; the Z11 can easily cope with the most resource-intensive games and demonstrate maximum FPS in them; there is no talk of delays or stutters in the interface or browser. ZTE Z11 plays movies in BDRip 1080p format out of the box. 
Battery
The smartphone is equipped with a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. As tests show, the operating time in maximum load mode is 6 hours, while with standard use of the smartphone it will last for 16-17 hours - this is quite a decent indicator.
The Z11 doesn't offer wireless charging, but it does have Quick Charge 3.0, which allows you to charge your phone from scratch in 60-70 minutes.
Cameras, photo and video quality
ZTE used a 16 MP IMX298 sensor from Sony as the main camera of its flagship, with aperture 2.0 and optical image stabilization. The front lens of the camera is made of sapphire glass, resistant to scratches and mechanical damage, which also serves as an infrared filter, which in theory should provide more natural color reproduction.
In practice, things are not bad with the quality of images, but the Z11 cannot be considered a market leader with this parameter. While making this review, we were convinced that during daylight hours it is difficult to find fault with the camera - the pictures are pleasant to view both on the smartphone screen and on larger monitors: sharpness, detail and color reproduction are at a decent level. However, when shooting in poor lighting, the situation changes for the worse, mainly due to the excessively rough operation of the noise reduction.
Nubia Z11 can record video in 4K resolution (up to 30 FPS) and Full HD (up to 60 FPS). When shooting video, optical stabilization is very helpful, allowing you to minimize the shaking of the smartphone when shooting handheld and get a clear, detailed picture.
Sound quality
Nubia Z11 has every chance to appeal to lovers of high-quality sound, since the device is equipped with an AKM AK4376 audio chip, which is used in most Hi-Fi audio players. When using a smartphone with good headphones, the sound quality is simply amazing; we note the clarity and balance of the scene with standard equalizer settings - there are no dips in either the high or low frequency range. 
A visual review confirmed user reviews about the absence of stereo speakers in the Z11; there is only one in the device, the second perforation on the bottom is made for beauty. The external speaker of the smartphone does not indulge the imagination, but it is quite enough for undemanding music listening. The sound from the speaker is loud, without strong distortion and with a good level of bass.
Video review of ZTE Nubia Z11
Review results
The price of Nubia Z11 is 500 euros, which is not that much for a modern flagship. The advantages of this model can be considered excellent design, display, sound quality and performance; the controversial issue is the camera’s performance in poor lighting.
Among the main competitors of the Z11, we’ll highlight the Chinese and Le Eco LeMax 2. The technical characteristics of the devices are approximately similar, but the Nubia price is lower, and its competitors cannot boast of a frameless screen. We hope this review will help you make the right purchasing decision. Good luck with your choice!
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- Z11 - flagship with Snapdragon 820 processor
- Z11 Mini is a mid-range device powered by Snapdragon 617
- Z11 Max is a mid-range device with Snapdragon 652
- Z11 Max is a mid-range device based on MediaTek Helio P10
The 6-inch tablet comes in two versions and will cost from $290 in China. With the Z11 Max, Nubia is going to compete with tablet phones from Huawei and Lenovo. While ZTE has touted its flagship Axon 7, the Nubia brand is less well known. Let's see if the Z11 Max can leave a favorable impression.
Specifications ZTE Nubia Z11 Max
- screen: 6-inch Full HD AMOLED with Gorilla Glass 3 2.5D
- CPU: MediaTek Helio P10 8-core MTK6755M 1.8 GHz
- memory: 3/64 GB, micro SD up to 128 GB
- cameras: 13 MP rear with dual LED flash, f/2.0, 8 MP front with 80 degree lenses, f/2.4
- battery: 4000 mAh
- operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop with Nubia UI 4.0.0 shell
- two SIM card slots (hybrid nano-sim slot)
- networks: 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, 3G: WCDMA 900/2100 MHz, 4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2100/2600 TDD-LTE 1900/2300/2500/2600
- Bluetooth 4.3
- dimensions: 159.2 x 82.3 x 7.4 mm, weight: 185 g
Nubia Z11 Max Package Contents
Nubia Z11 Max is positioned as a premium mid-range smartphone. The packaging uses a soft finish and the developers paid considerable attention to its design. The outside is all black with a gold border around the Nubia logo, and the inside of the box is gold. Keep it minimalistic, the matte finish and color combination gives it a premium feel.
There is nothing special inside the packaging itself. There is a smartphone, cable, charger, sticker and user manual. No headphones, extra connectors or protective materials.
Components and design
The Z11 Max has a high-quality design and minimal bezels around the edges of the screen, which makes the device even more attractive. The metal body has a high-end finish and gives the smartphone the feel of a high-end device. Despite the 6-inch screen, the smartphone fits in your pocket.
The review considered an option with a gold case, not too bright. There are also silver and gray options. The anodized metal is processed perfectly, there are no irregularities or dents. Rounded corners are reminiscent of the appearance of the iPhone smartphone.
The Z11 Max has rounded edges along the entire length of the body and is very comfortable to hold in your hands. Even despite its large size, it is comfortable to operate with one hand, although it is difficult to reach the far edge. The front uses Gorilla Glass 3 with a 2.5D curve, where there are three capacitive buttons on the bottom, an 8MP camera on the top, and a distance and ambient light sensor. The capacitive Home button can light up when notifications arrive or stay lit.
At the back there is a 13 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, a fingerprint scanner and Nubia inscription. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type C connector at the bottom. At the bottom there are speakers hidden by a grille. Overall the device looks great and the build quality is also excellent.
Screen
The device's screen doesn't disappoint either - the AMOLED panel offers rich colors from edge to edge. The resolution of the 6-inch screen is 1920 x 1080, pixel density 368 ppi. This is a high-end screen, but those who prefer more natural colors may be disappointed with the color reproduction, since it is somewhat oversaturated with AMOLED.
In everyday use, viewing angles are wide, as is visibility in open spaces. Even under the rays of the sun, the contents of the screen are clearly visible and the colors do not appear washed out, as on most LCD displays. Nubia has a number of additional settings to adjust color rendering and color temperature. The standard configuration is closer to the warm spectrum, but those who prefer bright white can use the calibration settings to select the desired level.
Audio and call quality
The Nubia's speaker is located at the bottom and can be covered by hand when the device is held in landscape mode. This is the only sound issue this device has. The volume and sound quality when talking on the phone are at a good level, the microphone also copes with its task.Using headphones, the user receives clear sound and louder volume than the recently released model. The Z11 Max has a Dolby Digital Plus setting that changes the output according to preset profiles such as music, movies, games or voice. You can also change options manually using the equalizer, volume and dialogue enhancer. This feature works well when watching videos and listening to music.
The Z11 Max has 64 GB of built-in flash memory and a slot for a microSD memory card, which, coupled with sound quality, makes it suitable for lovers of multimedia content on mobile devices.
Camera
The Standard Edition of the Nubia Z11 Max smartphone has a rear camera with a resolution of 13 megapixels and an aperture of f/2.0, a front camera of 8 megapixels and an aperture of f/2.4, and viewing angles of the lenses are equal to 80 degrees. Both cameras do a good job of capturing images in automatic mode and have good shutter speeds for a camera in their price range.Nubia has added quite a few software tricks to the camera app, including a slow-motion video mode. The photos you take look great on the AMOLED screen, but the picture looks different on other displays, which is a bit disappointing.
The quality of photos from the rear camera is most often not satisfactory; they are clear, bright and saturated. Low-light images are a mixed bag, depending on your luck, but the level of detail drops off. Sometimes there is a lot of noise in the photos, sometimes the quality is not bad for publishing on Instagram or other social networks.
The 8 MP front camera produces blurrier images. While it performs well in low light and retains most colors, it could use a little more clarity.
The video quality from the rear camera in day and night scenes is at a high level. Recorded audio is slightly muffled, which is normal for this price.
Video recording while driving doesn't disappoint and the shaking isn't as bad as you might expect. The video quality can ultimately be considered acceptable.
In general, the cameras can be called good, although the front one lacks clarity.
Software
This is the section where the Z11 Max starts to lose its appeal. The smartphone runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop from two years ago, although the device was introduced several months ago. It has the latest Android security updates, but that's about it. At the same time, the regular Z11 comes out in . Nubia doesn't promise to update the Z11 Max, so you can't count on a more modern Android.
Nubia has placed its own skin on top of the system called Nubia UI 4.0.0, which is reminiscent of MIUI from , only not half as good. Her style is inconsistent across different sections of the system, and she lacks a sense of completion. Developers have a lot to work on in the future when improving the shell if Nubia is going to conquer the international market.
Since the model under review was imported from China, the device did not support English (not to mention Russian). The system displayed quite a few error messages and interface tips in Chinese that were completely incomprehensible. Information about system updates was also displayed in Chinese.
In addition to the language, the downside is the pre-installed applications (bloatware) such as the browser and search application, which periodically sent notifications. In general, the shell and application interface from Nubia do not offer the same high level of sophistication as that of MIUI. When the device is sold in other countries, local applications will most likely be used.
Despite the problematic shell, if you wish, you can find another third-party firmware and switch to it. Otherwise, the system works stably and quickly, although external shortcomings do not allow us to be satisfied with its capabilities.
Performance Nubia Z11 Max
Nubia Z11 Max is sold in two versions:- MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core 1.8 GHz processor and 3 GB RAM (Standard Edition)
- 1.8 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor and 4 GB RAM
The device turned out to be responsive in any operating mode; there is no need to complain about the speed of movement through the interface. Applications used included Office, OneDrive, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Slack, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale and Facebook Messenger.
Gaming performance was tested using Asphalt 8: Airborne and Dead Trigger 2. High frame rates ensured smooth performance, although loading times could have been better. Applications and games did not crash or freeze, which is also facilitated by a sufficient amount of RAM.
In real use, performance did not disappoint either. When working with the dialer, contacts, messenger and calendar, there were no complaints about speed and responsiveness. If the beauty of the user interface does not matter to you, performance ensures a convenient experience.
Battery
The thin body of the Nubia Z11 Max is deceptive, as it fits a 4000 mAh battery into a 7.4 mm thick device and a relatively light weight. This value is enough for a full day of device operation between charges with moderate use and up to 20 hours with high load.Nubia has added a number of optimizations that save battery when the device is not in use, but the downside to this is often the lack of notifications. Even with such saving options disabled, the operating time is quite good.
The smartphone charges quite quickly, although the version with MediaTek does not mention support for fast charging technologies. Charging from 0 to 100% takes approximately 45 minutes. If you use the included charger, this will take about an hour and a half.
Conclusion
Nubia Z11 Max tries to be a premium device with good components, camera, battery and build quality. However, in terms of price-quality ratio, it is not as attractive a purchase as the Xiaomi Mi Max; in terms of software, it is also inferior. To be in demand in the international market, the manufacturer must work on the system and attract the attention of users with high-quality functionality. For starters, it would be a good idea to upgrade to at least the Marshmallow version.The Xiaomi Mi Max will be the main competitor to the Z11 Max and already offers the latest version of Android, a cohesive user interface and a lower price of around $245. What's better about the Z11 Max is the rear camera, AMOLED screen and design.
Those who want a large screen for watching videos and reading will prefer the 6-inch AMOLED, but the Mi Max also has many advantages. The Z11 Max Snapdragon 652 version looks better in comparison with the Mi Max, but is $100 more expensive than the MediaTek version.
If the price were lower or there were minimal options for customizing the interface, the device would be more attractive. With Honor Note 8 and Lenovo Phab 2 Pro coming out soon with greater functionality, we can expect the price of the Z11 Max to drop. In the meantime, the device feels like a waste of good components, unless you install different firmware yourself. There are not many of them in English, especially in Russian.
ZTE Nubia Z11 Max price and where to buy
You can buy ZTE Nubia Z11 Max at the best price. The price of a smartphone from this trusted seller is from $327 to $424, depending on the model. Both versions are available.In terms of sound quality, the smartphone is also “good”. The speaker is average in volume, plays cleanly and neutrally, even with a slight claim to surround sound. In music overloaded with details, the smartphone does not wheeze or whistle, but simply lowers the volume slightly so as not to “fall asleep.”
The sound calibration in the headphones of the premium ZTE is unique - we have the usual audio path for eight-core Snapdragon 615/616/617, only with “inflated” mids and, to a lesser extent, high frequencies.
Remember the first time you tried earbuds after the usual earbuds? At this moment, it seems to everyone that the vacuum headphones drone too much, so I urgently want to make the voice and melody in the songs more expressive. This has already been done in Nubia Z11 mini, which will please some of the owners, but others, on the contrary, will not like it. Because in large monitor headphones, the vocals annoyingly screaming into your ears make you feel uneasy, the clarity seems excessive, and the lows are lacking.
But there is a DTS sound manager in the smartphone settings for this. It’s quite primitive, with just a couple of knobs, so it doesn’t radically change the sound, but it’s quite possible to tweak a few things to suit your taste. The only strange thing is that the last two divisions of the volume scale do not work fully - the smartphone somewhere cuts off the rest of the low frequencies instead of just making the sound even louder. The same circus is present in Huawei Mate 8, for example. I would like to believe that this dirty trick is buried in the “brains” of the smartphone and it can be eliminated.
Iron
No surprises or revelations - inside the Nubia Z11 mini there is an “ordinary eight-core processor” from the aging Snapdragon 615/616/617 family. Fast enough so that the owner of the smartphone does not feel disadvantaged in terms of speed, but not powerful either - today eight-core chips based on the old process technology with Cortex-A53 cores are installed in cool budget and the most affordable mid-range smartphones.
A modern Chinese smartphone is not the rubbish that was sold here before. At the moment, these devices are more than competitive. Among them there are even quite good flagships, the price of which is significantly lower than devices with the same characteristics (or even worse), but from manufacturers that are market leaders.
ZTE smartphones, or more precisely their Nubia line, seem to level the situation. The prices for these gadgets are also more than impressive, but the characteristics are also high. Just look at the cost of a frameless display, which is quite difficult to achieve. But, in any case, a purchase for a few hundred dollars is clearly not as taxing on the wallet as the same purchase, but for a thousand dollars. In general, by doing this review, we will try to prove that not all “Chinese” are consumer goods. If you know where to look, you can find very good options for smartphones (and even flagships) at a relatively affordable price.
The parameters that the manufacturer has endowed with this smartphone are expectedly high. After all, we are dealing with a premium brand that is in demand in China and is confidently capturing the global market. For example, consider the ZTE Nubia Z11 (model NX531J).
- The gadget runs on Android 6.0.1 operating system with Nubia UI 4.0 shell;
- The processor is represented by the following solution: SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996), 4 Kryo cores (ARMv8): 2x2.15 GHz + 2x1.6 GHz;
- Additionally, performance is supported by the Adreno 530 GPU at 620 MHz;
- The display is designed using new technology that allows you to get rid of frames. The result was a screen on an IPS matrix with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 (403 ppi);
- Memory is represented not only by built-in parameters (4/6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory), but also by a slot for micro-SD with a capacity of up to 200 GB;
- According to good tradition, Wi-Fi11n/ac works with MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth 4.1 BLE, NFC;
- The cameras are not bad. The main one is presented in the form of a sixteen-megapixel representative of its type with autofocus and LED flash. As for the front camera, its parameters are expectedly more modest - only 8 megapixels;
- There are various sensors, including a fingerprint scanner;
- The battery is not very capacious, 3000 mAh, but it supports Quick Charge 3.0, that is, it can be charged quickly.
In general, the parameters are quite good for a device whose average cost in online stores is about 20 thousand rubles.
Scope of delivery and overview of components
Manufacturers release the smartphone in a stylish box. The packaging is made of black cardboard with red elements, which already looks expensive, even considering that we haven’t even opened the box yet to evaluate its contents. In general, the design is more than successful for a premium product.
The package itself consists of the following items:
- A smartphone whose characteristics you already know;
- Mains charger. Since the smartphone supports fast charging, the charger also allows you to charge quickly. Available output current 1.5–3 A at 5/9/12 V;
- USB Type-C connection cable;
- Modern in-ear stereo headset. It is hidden in a separate plastic package, so the chances of it being damaged are minimal;
- A metal key that helps remove cards;
- Warranty card.
As for paper documentation, the standard package does not include any papers. If you want to read the instructions, Russian users can find them on the Internet.
Appearance and design of the gadget
Nubia Z11 has a good design, because it is an image-type smartphone, that is, it should be not only functional, but also beautiful. That is why the developers paid so much attention to the design.
The device is made of metal and glass. The shape is streamlined, classic and comfortable in the hand. The back panel is made of metal, but there are also small plastic inserts. This is not scary, since many flagships use plastic, especially since only high-quality material is included in the package. Yes, and externally it is difficult to distinguish plastic from metal. This was the manufacturer’s idea, and it turned out to be very successful.
There are no removable parts, the case is completely monolithic, and to get the operator cards and memory card you need to use the key that comes in the kit. There are no creaks and no sagging either. This is quite expected for a high-end gadget. The thin body of such phones allows you to fit the gadget comfortably in your hand. It does not slip and allows you to work with one hand. But there is a fingerprint scanner on the back of the case, which allows only its owner to access the smartphone.
The gadget's screen is 5.5 inches; in addition, the manufacturers managed to get rid of frames, making the device as functional as possible. The front panel is covered with 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3. The usual sensors, front camera indicators, etc. are hidden under the glass.
There is a circle under the screen. This is a signature touch of all ZTE smartphones. It has a red light that flashes if the owner of the phone misses a call. When the gadget is charging, the backlight glows uniformly. And near the main key there are two touch keys, which are indicated by ordinary dots. In general, the design is good, albeit standard.
Positive sides
The positive aspects and interesting features of smartphones always attract the attention of buyers. Let's look at the strengths of this gadget:
- Fingerprint's scanner. Of course, this is not entirely new for a smartphone, but in the Nubia Z11 it is so well thought out that we simply could not ignore it. To begin with, this scanner is located on the back, and not on the Home button. It’s easy to get it, that’s the secret.
- The screen is large and has no bezels, which makes it look a little futuristic.
- The phone can be controlled using special gestures.
- A video review of the Nubia UI shell shows its positive aspects. It is functional, neat, comfortable. You can change the screen grid size and work in dual mode (dividing the screen into two parts).
- Fast charging allows you to charge your smartphone for more than two hours.
- Smartphone cameras are of average quality, but they have good sharpness, correct white balance, correct colors, etc.
In general, for its parameters, the smartphone is excellent. The quality is not bad, the price of twenty thousand rubles is relatively affordable for a flagship. In general, everything is great. And if you want to see it clearly, then watch the video review of the ZTE Nubia Z11 smartphone.
Ever since the Nubia Z9, I wanted to test the flagship frameless devices from this line, but I still couldn’t. For example, the previous generation of the original Z9 (not Mini or Max) was simply not officially sold, and in online stores it was obscenely expensive.
Characteristics
| Specifications | |
| Class | The flagship of the line |
| Form factor | Monoblock |
| Housing materials | Aluminum |
| operating system | Android 6.0 + Nubia UI |
| Net | 2G/3G/LTE (800/1800/2600), two SIM cards |
| Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 |
| CPU | Quad-core |
| Video accelerator | Adreno 530 |
| Inner memory | 64 GB |
| RAM | 4/6 GB |
| Memory card slot | Yes, occupies the second SIM card slot |
| WiFi | Yes, a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 4.1 LE, A2DP |
| NFC | Eat |
| Screen diagonal | 5.5 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Matrix type | IPS |
| Protective covering | Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Oleophobic coating | Eat |
| Main camera | 16 MP, f/2.0, OIS, 4k recording |
| Front-camera | 8 MP, f/2.4 |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, fingerprint scanner |
| Battery | Non-removable, 3000 mAh |
| Dimensions | 151.8 x 72.3 x 7.5 mm |
| Weight | 162 grams |
| Price | 450 $ |
Equipment
- Smartphone
- Charger
- PC cable (also part of the charger)
- Wired headset
- Clip
- microUSB-Type C adapter
The smartphone comes with a good wired earbud headset with a remote control and even an adapter for microUSB! This is very cool, since, for example, I only have a couple of Type C cables, and 10 microUSB cables.
Appearance, materials, control elements, assembly
I've loved the design of the Nubia line since the Z9: black or white panel with a few red elements. In this case, we are talking about the lower touch panel and the rim of the main camera.
Thanks to the frameless display, the smartphone looks very cool, you can look directly at it and enjoy it. It's amazing how a technical detail can enhance the look. I've been using the device for about a month, and every time I just want to twirl it in my hands and see how the screen plays in the light.
Most of the body is made of aluminum, it is slightly rough to the touch and very practical. Fingerprints and dirt on the back panel are almost invisible, in this regard the Z11 is much more practical than the Z9 Max or Z11 Mini. Let's move on to the control elements.
The area above the screen. Earpiece mesh, light and proximity sensors and front camera
Below the display is the touchpad. The central button also serves as an indicator light. In the settings you can swap the actions for the left and right buttons
On the left is the power button and volume rocker
On the right is a tray for a nanoSIM card and a microSD memory card
Bottom end. USB Type C port and external speaker. The speaker is not stereo, a microphone is hidden behind the left mesh
Top end. Second microphone, IR port and headphone minijack
Back panel. Main camera, flash, fingerprint scanner. The top and bottom inserts are made of plastic
The fingerprint scanner is super fast. The delay between placing your finger and unlocking is almost zero. The scanner can work with third-party applications, for example, Sberbank Online.
During a month of use, I did not notice any problems with the assembly, there is only one important issue with the display, but we will talk about it in the appropriate section.
Dimensions
A frameless display, in addition to its spectacular appearance, provides another tangible advantage: the smartphone becomes narrower, making it feel like you’re holding a device with a smaller diagonal in your hands. As you can see, other models with the same diagonal are 3 mm thicker.
And you know, this small difference is very noticeable; I often forgot that in front of me was a 5.5-inch phablet, and not a regular smartphone.
Comparison of Huawei Nova Plus and Meizu M3 Note
Screen
At first, when you use a device with a frameless display, you feel as if you are holding a model from the future; such an implementation looks beautiful and, at the same time, futuristic.
After some time, you begin to notice that thin rainbow lines are visible on the white background along the edges of the 2.5D glass. If you also notice them, do not be surprised, this is a diffraction phenomenon. It appears mainly on a white background and only from a certain viewing angle. Personally, after a week I stopped noticing them, and the stripes had almost no effect on the overall perception of the display.
I would like to note that the screen itself in Nubia Z11 is very high quality: it has a huge brightness range, maximum viewing angles, excellent behavior in the sun and high picture clarity. The display is made using OGS technology, so there is no air gap between it and the glass. And even though there is no 2k resolution here, otherwise we have a flagship-level matrix.
In the settings, you can change the screen color scheme, as well as color saturation.
Working with Faces
ZTE decided to play with 2.5D glass and add several features that take advantage of the curved edges of the screen. All of them are turned on and off in the settings for special gestures.
Desktop. To quickly return to the desktop, swipe left or right from the edge of the screen.
Switch between applications. Swiping up on the edge of the screen takes you to the previous app, swiping down takes you to the next one.
Close all applications. A quick swipe up and down closes all open programs.
Brightness adjustment. Simultaneously swiping up with two fingers increases the brightness, down - decreases it.
Back. Double tapping on the edge of the screen imitates the “Back” button.
Thank goodness that all of these options are disabled, because when some of them were enabled, actions were triggered due to accidental clicks on the edges of the screen. In the end, I find the most useful of these gestures to be adjusting the brightness.
operating system
The smartphone runs Android 6.0 and the proprietary Nubia UI 4.0 shell.
I like Nubia UI, it's neat and unpretentious, yet very functional.
In the settings you can easily change the screen grid size.
Dual-window mode is supported, it is called by swiping up from the central button. I must note that it was on this smartphone that I used this function with pleasure, since even the desktop is correctly optimized for half the screen.
Unfortunately, you can't take screenshots in this mode, so I'm attaching a photo
The smartphone can take long screenshots or cut out a separate area of the screen. The problem is that it prompts you to do this every time you take a screenshot, and to get a regular screenshot, you need to click on the “rectangle” and then save the image. By the way, screen recording (screencast) is also activated immediately.
The dialer has Russian letters, and when new SMS messages appear, you can immediately mark them as read.
Nubia UI can make a copy of the application so that you can communicate in the same WhatsApp or VKontakte from two accounts.
I was happy to use all the shell options (except for working with edges), in my opinion, it turned out beautiful and functional.
Performance
The flagship of the line - the flagship filling. Top chipset from Qualcomm, 4/6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal memory and support for memory cards, in general, everything is at the highest level. And this applies not only to the characteristics, but also to the actual speed of operation. Launcher, browser, third-party applications and games - it all works without slowdown.
Autonomous operation
In everyday use mode, the smartphone works for one day with very active interaction with it. You can safely count on four to five hours of active screen time, taking into account all background synchronizations enabled.
The device supports QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging; in theory, it can be charged to 83% in half an hour. Unfortunately, I did not have the appropriate chargers on hand, and the built-in adapter and my QC 2.0 charger charged the smartphone in 2 hours 10 minutes. At the same time, the charge was uniform, approximately 25% per half hour.
Camera
I heard a lot of good things about the camera in the Z11, so this time I asked Roman Belykh to comment on the quality of the pictures.
Under good lighting conditions, the main camera produces extremely successful photographs: the first thing worth noting is excellent sharpness both in the center of the frame and at the edges. White balance is generally accurate and colors are correct and not overdone.
The dynamic range is close to ideal, but it is still far from the iPhone 7 or Huawei P9. Portrait shooting and macro photos also pleased with good sharpness and nice background blur (bokeh).
