Hello, today we’ll look at the mid-price smartphone ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S. I purchased this device at an affordable price during sales, and took advantage of the cashback service. In general, the price was pleasant, just a little over $200. The advantages of the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S include an excellent screen, an incredibly cool build, thick metal, beveled glass, tactile sensations and a camera. But during my use, I found not only pros, but also cons, which I want to talk about in this article.
Tactilely, the Z11 Mini S is a very pleasant smartphone in a metal case. If we made a rating of the most tactilely pleasant smartphones, then the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S would be exactly between the Iphone7 and Meizu Pro 6. I have the black version with gold spacers, it resembles “boyish tuning in the style of adidas”, such a clear dark color with a gold logo . There are also other colors: white, gray, gold, in general, one is better than the other. The smartphone does not collect scratches, both on the glass and on the back, and fingerprints are easily erased. The bezels around the screen are quite thin.
Screen Nubia Z11 Mini S
Nubia Z11 Mini S is equipped with a 5.2-inch IPS screen with Full HD resolution, covered with Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass using 2.5D technology. The brightness is 450 candelas per square meter and in bright sunlight everything is visible. In the dark, the screen also does not burn out your eyes. The matrix is very similar to the Xiaomi Mi5 screen, the same rich colors.
I would especially like to note the thick layer of oleophobic coating; your finger glides across the glass as if crazy. Viewing angles are excellent, there is a slight inversion of black at extreme angles, but this is not critical. I would like the screen brightness to be higher, but otherwise the display is flawless. The touch supports ten touches simultaneously. In the screen settings there is a color corrector with which you can set both cold and warm shades with the selected intensity.
Equipment and appearance
The Z11 Mini S comes in a small white cardboard box with red sides. The device and accessories are located in individual niches, everything looks beautiful and neat.
The smartphone comes with:
- USB Type-C cable;
- charging adapter (2 amp);
- decorative stickers with the Nubia logo;
- Silicone Case;
- a paperclip for removing the SIM tray.
One can complain about the lack of a complete headset, but lately the Chinese have not included headphones even in flagships, not to mention mid-priced devices. The standard silicone bumper fits the smartphone well; people who use cases to protect their smartphones from damage will definitely like it, as it is made of fairly thick silicone.
The Z11 Mini S has an all-metal body. When you hold it in your hands, you feel like you're dealing with a premium smartphone, not a $230 device. A plus of the Z11 is not only its beautiful design, but also its excellent build quality: mechanical keys, perforations of ports and holes for speakers, transitions of the side edges into the screen - all this is done impeccably.
On the bottom edge of the smartphone there is a USB-C port, a conversational microphone and an external speaker. At the top is a 3.5 mm input for headphones and a microphone for noise reduction. I'm glad that the engineers left a full-fledged headphone jack, and did not echo the absurd decisions of many other manufacturers.
The volume control and screen lock buttons are on the right side, while the left side houses a hybrid tray for a memory card and a SIM card. Use two SIM cards or a SIM card and a flash drive - it's up to you.
The camera module protrudes somewhat above the back cover of the smartphone, but since the back of the case is slightly rounded at the ends, you don’t have to worry about damage. There is also a fingerprint scanner on the back, which, by the way, works quickly and reliably, and 2 plastic inserts for the antennas - on top and bottom.
The entire front side of the case is covered with protective Gorilla Glass, made using 2.5D technology. The touch buttons are located under the screen, all of them are backlit: the side ones are in the form of red dots, the central one is a circle, in the ZTE corporate style. The Home button backlight ring also serves as an LED event indicator; in the settings you can independently change its brightness.
Technical specifications
The RAM in the smartphone is 4 Gb LPDDR3 type with a clock frequency of 933 Mh. Permanent memory can be 64 or 128 Gb eMMC type. This version is junior, with 64 GB of internal storage. For me, this is more than enough, especially since you can insert a flash drive up to 256 Gb instead of a second SIM card.
There are no complaints about the memory; it is enough for all my needs. In this case, the smartphone turns off all background processes by default, as is done on all Chinese smartphones. Therefore, you need to tinker with the settings a little, disable sleep mode and add all the necessary applications to startup. After this, notifications come from all applications.
The processor in the Nubia Z11 Mini S is Qualcomm Snapdragon 625. This is an 8-core processor built on a 14 nm process technology. All Cortex-A53 cores operate at clock speeds up to 2 Gh.
Adreno 506 with a clock frequency of 650 Mh is used as a video amplifier.
Synthetic tests
In Antutu, such a bunch gains more than 62 thousand parrots. GeekBench scores 815 and 2991 in single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.
When testing for throttling in Epic Citadel, at the beginning on ultra settings 46.8 fps, at the end 37.7 fps. The loss was 9.1 fps, which is about 20%. At low settings at the beginning 58.6 fps, at the end 58.1 fps. The loss is at the level of statistical error. Based on the test results, we can say that resource-intensive tasks are difficult for this processor. There is throttling, it is a little higher than normal, but it is quite possible to live with it.
Everything is fine with heating, the hottest point on the cores is 75 degrees, it lasted for a few seconds. On the battery, the maximum temperature that was achieved was 44.2 degrees. In the hands of the Nubia Z11 Mini S it feels warm; nothing can warm up the smartphone to an unbearable temperature.
Autonomy Nubia Z11 Mini S
Nubia Z11 Mini S is equipped with a non-removable 3000 mAh lithium-ion battery. The battery stress test showed an unexpected 4 hours 10 minutes. These are all included communication modules, Epic Citadel on ultra graphics settings, maximum graphics level and one active SIM card in 3G, downloading and installing heavy games from Google Play.
The battery discharge statistics are smooth, without dips or breaks, which indicates the good quality of the battery. It is worth saying that the result of the autonomy test was unexpected; usually smartphones with a 3000 mAh battery last a maximum of 3 hours. ZTE Nubia lasts an amazingly long time on a single charge.
We can safely say that the battery charge will last all day with average daily use. The only thing that drains the battery well is the LTE connection; if it is constantly active, then the smartphone needs to be charged in the afternoon, which is the norm for modern smartphones.
If you don’t have some kind of monster on your hands with a 6000 mAh battery and two fingers thick, then don’t expect beyond autonomy from your smartphone.
In this case, I have no complaints about Nubia; I don’t need to live near an outlet. Fast charging is not supported; from 0 to 100% it takes about 2 hours to charge. The stock charger produces 5V 2A.
Gaming Performance
Gaming performance isn't super cool, but the vast majority of games can be played at or near maximum graphics settings. Heavy games online can significantly drain fps. If you are a mobile mega gamer who needs 120,000 fps wherever possible, then this smartphone is not for you.
You can play everything on the Nubia Z11 Mini S; the video accelerator is similar in performance to the flagships from last year. In general, Nubia can be called a gaming device for its class.
Performance
The Z11 Mini S is built on the eight-core Snapdragon 625 - this is the latest mid-range processor from Qualcomm, made using a 14 mm technical process, which works in conjunction with the Adreno 505 video accelerator. The device scores 62 thousand parrots in the benchmark, and in Gikbench - 4050 (multi-core) and 832 (single-core) points.
The smartphone does not belong to the category of gaming devices, but it is enough for any everyday tasks - the interface flies, surfing in the browser occurs without freezes or reloading tabs, even in demanding 3D games the FPS does not drop below 30. We also note the minimal heating of the phone, which does not exceeds 40 degrees after half an hour of play, so there is no throttling as such.
Reviews of the Nubia Z11 Mini S cameras
Personally, I haven’t played games for a long time; the camera and battery life of a smartphone are much more important to me. And if everything is fine with the battery, then there are some questions about the camera.
The main camera here is 23 MP from Sony IMX318 with aperture 2.0. It consists of 6 lenses and is covered with a protective sapphire crystal.
Front camera 13 MP Sony IMX 258 with 2.2 aperture, shooting angle 80 degrees.
Photos during the day come out detailed, with good color rendition, but in the evening everything is not so rosy. The budget of the smartphone takes its toll, pictures in the dark are filled with noise, and even at slight twilight the photos taken are rather mediocre.
But other than that, the camera isn't too bad. It has a good dynamic range; if you photograph buildings against the sun, the details of the buildings are not lost; you can see not only the dark outline, but also the details of the building itself. At the same time, the sky does not lose much information; there are no heavily illuminated areas.
The optics produce a pretty decent macro, and portraits are also good. The only thing I didn't like was the color rendition. Otherwise, the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S is a very good camera phone in the price range up to $250. Nubia can compete only with Xiaomi Mi5, the pictures of which will be more interesting due to better color rendition, wider dynamic range and, of course, optical stabilization. But Mi5 was once a flagship, and Nubia Z11 Mini S was initially positioned as a mid-ranger.
But the Nubia camera makes up for all its shortcomings with its software capabilities. They are the same here as on the flagship Z11. You can make clones, take panoramas, apply filters and much more directly from the camera application.
The video comes out mediocre, and without optical stabilization it’s also jerky. Due to incorrect encoding, artifacts often appear, even during daylight hours. In general, the smartphone is quite mediocre in terms of video.
The front camera can be described as ordinary. There is nothing supernatural about it. And this despite all the 13 megapixels with F2.2 aperture and the presence of autofocus. The pictures still come out ordinary, but the sound is recorded well and the voice comes out clear.
Photo and video
The main camera of the phone uses a Sony IMX318 sensor. It has 23 megapixels according to manufacturers and 22.6 in reality, as well as sapphire glass, which ensures security.
This camera is also different in that it has 6 lenses. It can shoot at 5488x4112 resolution.
The video has the same high characteristics. The quality with which ZTE works is 1080p, and the frame rate is 30 per second.
The main camera uses an f/2.0 aperture. Among other things, the camera has the following features:
- autofocus;
- DNG support;
- face and smile recognition;
- HDR;
- night photography;
- macro photography;
- NeoVision 6.
There is also focus by tapping the screen and the ability to control using certain gestures. In addition, you can control shooting using voice commands.
All this is, of course, very convenient, but the settings here are very meager. Even if the user does not consider himself a professional in the art of photography, he will not have enough of the capabilities that the manufacturer provides.
For ordinary users, the camera is more than pleasant and of high quality. The most important thing is that the pictures come out quite good, even in the dark.
In Figure 5 you can see several sample photographs taken with this device.
Rice. 5. Photos taken with the device at night
During the day it also shoots very well . All shades are visible perfectly, the sun does not blind. Even in a snowstorm and winter cold, this gadget can take very colorful photos.
In Figure 6 you can see several such samples.
Rice. 6. Photos taken with the camera during the day
After all, Sony experts know very well how to make high-quality sensors for cameras, and ZTE employees are great for deciding to borrow their development.
The front camera in this device is better than the main one in many modern smartphones. It features an f/2.0 aperture, 13 megapixels, 80-degree lenses and a Sony IMX258 sensor. In this case there are 5 lenses, which is also very good. Selfies turn out great! In general, ZTE's cameras are doing just fine.
Some might argue that many Samsung smartphones take much better pictures, but if you make a comparison, the difference will not be so obvious.
In any case, this model shoots many times better than the vast majority of modern devices, and this is not some kind of secret.
Sound
In general, it’s hard to say anything bad about a smartphone based on its sound. Despite the name Z11, although it is Mini, although it is S, the smartphone does not have a separate audio chip. Its external speakers don't stand out for their clarity, detail, or extreme volume. The sound in the smartphone is decent, good, clear. But don't expect the same quality as the Z11 or AXON 7.
The sound in the headphones is completely normal, like in hundreds of other smartphones. The same can be said about the external speaker.
Speaker, sound quality
The sound from the main speaker of the Z11 Mini S is average, it definitely lacks low frequencies for pleasant listening to music, but the device does not hurt the ear with a metallic sound tint. In general, it’s suitable for calls, alarms and watching video content, since the speaker has a good volume reserve.
The device does not have a dedicated audio chip, so you shouldn’t expect outstanding sound quality from it in headphones either. However, the Kvalkom audio circuit copes well with its tasks, and the capabilities of the Z11 Mini S as a pocket player will be sufficient for most users, especially when paired with good headphones.
Wireless communication modules
In ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S, one FDD LTE radio module is supported in Band 1, 3 and 7. For those who need band 20, please note that Nubia Z11 Mini S does not support it.
There are no complaints about the conversational microphone and speaker, the interlocutor hears me well and I can hear him too. Satellite navigation is carried out by all available systems.
Wireless systems include WiFi bgn AC 2.4 or 5 GHz, bluetooth 4.1 low energy, NFC for wireless payment and data transfer, as well as FM radio.
USB Type-C of the USB 2.0 standard supports OTG, so you can freely connect mice, flash drives and keyboards to your smartphone.
Shell and software in Nubia Z11 Mini S
The ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S software inherits all the positive and negative aspects of its older relative, the flagship Nubia Z11. The smartphone is initially equipped with Android 6.0.1 with Russian language support. Although the quality of the translation is far from ideal.
You can also install international firmware with all Google services, but it does not have NFC support. Some system applications have also been redesigned, for example, there is no neo save application, there is no wallpaper change and there is no support for changing themes.
But on the other hand, there are no untranslated menu items in the international firmware; it is completely in Russian. However, the fonts still protrude beyond the borders of the icons in some places, letters are cut off in some places, and this is the most annoying thing that can be seen in international firmware.
Everything else works stably, there are many features and benefits. The most amazing thing is the split screen, you can run one application on top and another on the bottom.
You can switch applications with three fingers, record the screen with built-in software and much more. It’s impossible to quickly talk about all the software features of the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S.
If you do not take into account the crooked fonts, then the shell leaves an extremely pleasant impression. There is a lot of functionality and unique features that are not found in other smartphones.
Pros and cons of Nubia Z11 Mini S
The advantages include:
- Appearance and materials of the case;
- Display;
- Large amounts of memory;
- Hardware and benchmark performance;
- Trotting and heating indicators;
- Energy consumption;
- Gaming performance;
- Photo quality;
- Availability of hardware chips;
- Wide software capabilities of the firmware.
The disadvantages of the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S smartphone include the following
- Mismatched fonts;
- Mediocre photo quality in low light.
Overall, the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S is a very good device, fast, relatively inexpensive, and compact. But you don’t need to demand something incredible from a Chinese smartphone for 250 bucks.
Still, this smartphone has compromises, for example, when it first comes to you, in most cases it needs to be flashed with normal firmware. If you are not able to cope with this, then you probably should not use this smartphone. In fact, the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S is a typical representative of the mid-price segment.
What is its advantage over its competitors? Maybe pay attention to Redmi 4 Prime, which has the same hardware, but is a third cheaper? Why not take, for example, Xiaomi Mi5 or the notorious Redmi Note 3 PRO for this price?
But there are no special advantages; everyone takes for themselves what they consider necessary and what they like best. The Nubia Z11 Mini S is just a nice little device with its pros and cons, and it's definitely worth the money. It's just a good smartphone.
Display Features
The device uses an IPS LCD screen with Full HD resolution and a diagonal of 5.2 inches. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (2.5D).
It is noteworthy that the pixel density here is 424 ppi. In most modern smartphones this figure is much lower.
This screen also recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches, which, by the way, has been confirmed in independent testing. Of course, it does not behave very well in the sun, like any IPS display.
But in the shadows the picture is clear and bright.
By the way, there are a huge number of settings here, so any user can set the screen parameters that suit him best.
The screen responds to touch very well. It is noteworthy that there is no air gap between the screen and the body. This may be why the kit includes a protective glass - the display is very easy to break. And replacing the screen is not easy and expensive. The screen-to-body ratio is 70.7% , which is also quite good.
