Nubia Z11, analysis and opinion

Nubia is a manufacturer born relatively recently and that is becoming a reference thanks to its line of products that distills quality from each of its pores. The latest example? The Universal Z11.

I have been using this phone for a month and I can guarantee that, together with the ZTE Axon 7 It is one of the best balanced high ranges in terms of value for money. Without further ado, I leave you with him video analysis of the Nubia Z11. 

An attractive design that will catch all eyes

El design of the Nubia Z11 is one of its greatest attractions. And the phone has some details that generate the well-known Wow! Seeing it for the first time.

On the one hand we have that front part with a frameless construction that gives the Nubia Z11 a spectacular appearance. To this we add the fact that the phone is different from the design pattern marked by fire in the vast majority of terminals, with those rectangular metal cases, achieving a unique and very attractive appearance.

But how did Nubia manage to create this design without frames on the front? Obviously there is a trick, it is obvious that there is a metal side frame, but the manufacturer has used a reflection technique and the curved Gorilla Glass achieves a very well achieved optical effect.

Regarding the size, despite having a 5.5-inch diagonal on its screen, the Z11 is a fairly restrained terminal in terms of dimensions; their 151.8 x 72 x 7.5 mm make the phone very handy. The weight, 162 grams, reminds us that this is a really premium phone thanks to its unibody chassis made of aluminum and with a sandblasted finish.

When you pick it up, the feeling in your hand is very positive since the phone is very well balanced, in addition to having a pleasant touch and where we will notice the quality of the noble materials used in the construction of the Nubia Z11.

As I was saying, the front part is dominated by ato screen without side frames. As expected, there is a top and bottom frame. In the latter is where we will see the capacitive keypad that gives a different touch to the new Nubian flagship.

Last I want to highlight the incredible packaging of the Nubia Z11, attention to detail and that has a very clear intention: to amaze the user when opening the package for the first time. Challenge achieved.

Technical characteristics of the Nubia Z11

Nubia has not been cut when it comes to choosing the Z11 hardware. As you may have seen in the video analysis of the Nubia Z11, it is clear that the terminal has a series of components that make this phone a high-end.

And we are talking about a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 along with an Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM that allow you to move any game or application without problems, no matter how much graphic load they require. It is true that today you no longer need such powerful hardware to enjoy the most cutting-edge applications available in the Google application store, but the Z11 simply flies.

And remembering that it costs less than 500 eurosIt is clear that this terminal is one of the best in terms of value for money. The phone moves smoothly and at no time have I noticed any lag or stoppage that detracts from the user experience. Of course, its custom interface based on Android 6.0 weighs down the experience. Not because it is a heavy customization, nothing is further from the truth, the problem is that the interface of Nubia is so far from Android that it seems a totally different phone.

In this case, we find a desktop-based system that offers us a large number of options to customize the phone to your liking, being able to choose between various configurations until you find the one you like the most. That may more or less like that, but as a staunch supporter of Android Pure, I didn't quite like these customizations. Even though We will always have Nova launcher ...

And we cannot forget its powerful fingerprint reader located on the back of the Nubia Z11 and offering spectacular performance. Personally I like this position for the biometric sensor so in this aspect I have nothing to criticize.

To say that in general lines the Nubia Z11 more than meets what is expected of a high-end terminal, good hardware and quality finishes, although the experience is slightly weighed down by its personalized interface. Be careful, I repeat that it does not hinder the proper functioning of the device and at no time have I noticed any lag or stoppage during this month, but there is too little Android p in the Nubian custom layer. Of course, about tastes, colors.

A surprising screen, but with a trick

At the beginning of the article I commented that the screen is one of the most distinctive elements of the Nubia Z11. Not because it is a technical marvel, but because of the lack of side frames.

Before going into this detail, I want to tell you about the screen itself, made up of a 5.5 inch IPS panel that reaches a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 pixels per inch.  

We are talking about a good screen, but one that is a step below its competitors, since the vast majority of brands bet on 2K screens to illuminate their flagships. The difference between a 1080p and a 2K panel is not excessive in daily use, you will mainly notice it when reading text, but for virtual reality, a technology that grows by leaps and bounds every day, a 1080p screen is too short.

Anyway, we all know how 1080p panels with IPS technology wear them out. On the one hand we have a improvement in autonomy, in addition to offering more natural and less saturated colors than AMOLED screens, but here it is more a matter of taste.

As to glossYou can stay calm because you can use the phone without problems in any environment, no matter how much sun there is, in addition to having a fairly fast self-regulation. Finally say that the viewing angles are more than correct, inviting you to enjoy multimedia content in company.

Now comes the million dollar question: How did the Nubian design team come up with a frameless display? Obviously there is a trick here, although I have to say that the ingenuity of the Nubian boys has surprised me.

And it is that the Chinese manufacturer has developed its panel without side frames thanks to a thicker front glass and curved at the edges. The images of the IPS panel are projected onto this panel, reflecting the content of the screen. on the curved edges, giving that false feel.

The negative point of this system is that the edges slightly distort the colors and contents due to the effect of the reflection of the screen, a lesser evil if we take into account that in a few days you get used to it and this problem no longer bothers so much.

The positive part comes with the Nubian interface. Yes, I have criticized it a moment ago, but in this section they have been completely right by incorporating a series of gestures that we will perform on the sides of the phone to activate certain actions like closing all open applications or adjusting the brightness level. Once you get the hang of it, the truth is that it is a very useful tool.

Battery

The Nubia Z11 features a 3.000 mAh battery, more than enough to support all the weight of the hardware of this device that also has the Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging system from Qualcomm. Of course, the autonomy does not stand out compared to its competitors and you will have to charge the phone almost with total security every night.

Say that in this regard, and especially if we see the hardware that mounts the Nubia Z11, I couldn't expect superior autonomy. Be careful, although you give it a very intensive use, the most likely thing is that the phone will last until night, but forget to charge it every two days. Of course, a charger compatible with Qualcomm's fast charging technology comes standard in the box, so we will have the phone fully charged in just over an hour.

Camera

Finally we come to the camera section. In the case of the Z11 we will not find differentiating elements such as a double sensor, but a camera that meets perfectly offering really good captures as you will see later.

On paper we are faced with a 16 megapixel sensor with f / 2.0 aperture, optical stabilizer and phase detection along with a dual-tone LED flash and the possibility of recording videos in UHD quality. On the front we will find another sensor 8 megapixels with f / 2.4 aperture and the ability to record in FullHD. 

El camera software It is very simple and intuitive, in addition to having the pro mode, an almost essential element today and that will allow us to adjust different parameters such as ISO or white balance.

La Nubia Z11 camera takes really good shots offering vivid and sharp colors, as long as we are in well-lit environments.

Indoors it continues to behave really well, although night photography is not its strong suit, appearing the dreaded noise as with the vast majority of terminals. Finally I leave you a series of photographs taken in automatic mode with the Nubia Z11 camera so that you get an idea of ​​its potential.

Photos captured with the Nubia Z11 camera

Final conclusions

Nubia has managed to distinguish itself from the competition by offering a different terminal: the Nubia Z11 attracts hundreds of eyes with its attractive design, It has hardware that praises it at the top of the industry and demonstrates a unique and carefree style. Are there buts? Of course, its interface will not be liked by everyone and that effect that you will sometimes see on the sides of the screen can be annoying until you get used to it, but if we take into account finishes, hardware and usability we have a really balanced terminal.

Nubia has a long way to go to become a serious competitor to big brands like Huawei or Samsung, but If it follows the path that is being set, I don't think it will take time to go from being a secondary brand to one of the most sought after options on the market.

Editor's opinion

Nubia Z11 Image Gallery