Smartphone ZTE Nubia Z17S 8 (64GB and 128GB) - advantages and disadvantages

The production of smartphones does not stand still, several dozens of them are produced every year, whether they are inexpensive or mid-price phones. However, flagships do not roll off the assembly line every day.

Released last year, ZTE Nubia Z17S is called "almost a flagship." For modern design, powerful hardware and a reliable case. There are small errors, but they do not prevent smart from proudly occupying its niche in the ranking of high-quality devices.

The company, following the trends of popular models, has also added its own distinctive features to the gadget. It turned out to be a black monoblock covered with oleophobic glass with aluminum inserts, a red stroke around the main camera lens and a branded home button.

To the touch the device is pleasant, cold and tenacious. It sits well in the palm of your hand, not too thin, not very heavy and there is no chance of slipping, but it is difficult to control it with one hand.

The filling of the glass-metal monolith is very impressive. A powerful processor, a lot of RAM and a fast fingerprint scanner. Models are available with 6 GB + 64 GB and 8 GB + 128 GB.The difference between them is in power, capacity and, accordingly, in price.

Specifications

The phone has very strong parameters, it is characterized by an almost frameless screen, a strong single-chip system and an extraordinary appearance. A cool camera with a dual module and support for all modern technologies in 2018. The performance of the filling is just perfect for heavy games.

Equipment

First of all, the eye falls on a matte, pleasant to the touch box made of thick cardboard. Black and velvety with a bright red logo in the center. The kit in it is the most common:

• Documentation in several languages;
• Protective rubber cover;
• Charging Quick Charge 3;
• USB Type-C cable, cord length - 1 m;
• Headset;
• Adapter with USB to 3.5 mm.

What you should pay attention to is the lack of a standard 3.5 mm jack, listening to music in ordinary headphones only through the attached adapter.Supports fast charging mode and the standard - Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0.

The quality of component accessories is typical for flagships, everything is neatly folded and wrapped. Also worth noting is the tightly folded cord with thick insulation and a comfortable sectional profile.

Another disadvantage is the Chinese plug, you will have to look for a standard adapter in the store, since their “sea”, and the price is small. But this fact spoiled the reviews a little, we hope it will not affect the popularity of the models.

Design

The appearance of the devices is so impressive that the question of which smart company is better in design disappears by itself. A beautiful screen covered with oleophobic 2.5 D glass, which occupies almost the entire front panel, a selfie camera with a flash and a speaker are beautifully located above. Below it are three touch buttons. Illuminated red home button to match the edging around the rear camera module. The combination of black and red is stylish and extraordinary. The sides and back panel are metal.

The sides are decorated with standard details: the volume and power buttons on the right, the dualSIM slot on the left. On the top side there is a microphone and an antenna, on the bottom there is a speaker, USB and the main microphone.

The dual rear camera module is decorated with a red rim, located in the upper and right corner of the rear face of the candy bar. Below is a fingerprint scanner and a metal logo underneath. Small letters below indicate the model and manufacturer.

The carriages and all connectors are embedded very high quality, running your fingers along the sidewalls, nothing bristles, everything is smooth. But unlike many flagships, the device is not water resistant. Therefore, you should not drown the phone in a puddle and use it while in heavy rain.

Screen

The display looks beautiful and unusual, thanks to the removed side chamfers. The edges are not curved, but due to the 2.5 D glass, the illusion of a curved screen is created. On closer inspection, narrow iridescent stripes are visible along the edges. In principle, they are not conspicuous and should not interfere.

IPS matrix, diagonal - 5.5 inches, resolution 1920 × 1080 pixels. The pixel density per inch is 403 ppi. Colors are rich and vibrant, viewing angles are good. White and black do not change shades when changing the viewing angle.

The brightness adjustment range is not the widest, but if you can conveniently adjust the color temperature regulation, you can change the brightness for comfortable viewing in the sun. The blue saturation mode is ideal for nighttime viewing to rest your eyes.

Iron functionality

Far from budget smartphones Nubia Z17S are equipped with truly not frail iron. Let's focus on the eight-core Snapdragon 835 processor. It is divided into two pairs of four cores. The first four with a frequency of 2.35 GHz, the second - 1.9 GHz. The parallel operation of the cores copes better with heavy tasks.

RAM is not small compared to some expensive phones. Manufacturers offer gadgets to choose from, with 6 or 8 GB of RAM. Built-in memory is also a choice - 64 or 128 GB.

For active and heavy games, the gadget is just perfect. Testing it on a high load, I got very high fps and maximum graphics - 45-60 frames per second. Surprisingly, in an hour of playing at maximum resolution, it warmed up by 36 degrees.

Let's just say to gamers and lovers of complex graphic applications: it will perfectly satisfy their selection criteria.

Software and interface

The Android 7.1.1 Nougat system is installed, the update to 8.0 did not come.The Nubia UI 5.0 shell is installed on top, which has its own pleasant design, which I liked more than the standard Google one. I was disappointed by the terrible translation into Russian, periodic glitches and program failures. For a device at such a considerable price, this is not serious. Hopefully the update will fix this bug.

On the positive side, it is worth noting the ease of management and the various functions available. Due to the fact that the manufacturers refused to support google, the play market, gmail and google storage applications will not work.

Quick unlock via fingerprint. In addition to it, the sensor protects access to hidden information. Gestures - edge allow you to quickly adjust the brightness of the image.

The function of duplicating individual applications, especially mail and social networks, is attractive. Helps to separate personal life from work. But it is automatically activated only if there are two SIM cards.

Camera

In addition to high performance, Nubia Z17S has decent PV modules. Pictures, in general terms, are juicy, realistic and with good detail.

With the introduction of modern trends for dual lenses, as it should be for a flagship, the rear camera has a dual photomodule. The first lens has a resolution of 23 Mpx and an aperture of 2.0, the second one has the same aperture, but the resolution is 16 Mpx, and the viewing angle is wider. We can say that the 23-megapixel lens is tuned for good portrait shots, macro shots and sunset shots, while the 16-megapixel wide-angle lens is sharpened for group photos.

It is worth noting a powerful LED flash, phase detection autofocus, double zoom and bokeh effect. In the settings, all functions are easy to understand, even a beginner can figure it out. Pleased with the presence of the Pro Mode with 16 presets.I will note two cool chips: Star Trail, with it you can shoot the movement of stars and 3D modeling of an object that is created when shooting it from all sides.

A small minus of the camera is the lack of stabilization. For a clear image, you need to hold the smartphone confidently, in the case of a trembling hand, the photo may be a little blurry.

Pictures in daylight are of high quality, and even in cloudy weather, but at night, photos come out noisy, as focus and sharpness drops. How the main camera takes pictures can be seen below:

Example of a daytime photo:

How to photograph at night:

16 Mpx front camera with aperture 1.8, makes amazing selfies. It seems that this model was created specifically for selfie photos. The viewing angle is wide. It is a pity that the module is not double, like the Samsung A8, but it shoots no worse.

The only thing I really didn't like was the stuffed watermarks on the pictures at the default setting.

As for video, the ability to record in 4K and at 30 frames per second really hit the spot. On the rollers, there is excellent detail and color reproduction, in the evening the quality is not strong, but it drops. The lack of stabilization indicates a violation of the clarity of the picture, with any movement.

autonomy

Non-removable battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. The device in the average mode will work for a day without recharging, if you load it with games, autonomy will last no more than 12-18 hours. For 1 hour on the Internet and watching a video, the charge fell by 8%, and games - by 12%.

A fully discharged battery will charge to 100% in 1 hour and 20 minutes, 25% in 10 minutes, 65% in 40 minutes, and 85% in 1 hour. This model is the only ZTE that supports the Quick Charge 4 mode, which allows you to reduce recharging time by 10%.

Sound

When new products are released with improved qualities, it's great. Manufacturers decided to improve the speaker in the Z17S model. We have a loud speaker with clear and detailed sound. The transition of the upper and lower boundaries is clearly audible, without wheezing and background. This allows you to watch movies and video clips without headphones.

But in headphones, the sound quality is better and balanced. Although many were worried about the lack of a dedicated audio chip. But there is no standard 3.5 mm jack, a minijack is included, which you will have to carry with you. The alternative to wireless headphones is nice. After all, in any case, listening to music and charging the phone at the same time will not work.

Price

In the summer, the company announced the release of ZTE Nubia Z17S, a model with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM came out with a cost of $450, 6 and 128 GB - $550. For almost a flagship, the price, you see, is too high.

At the moment in Russia, the average price for 6 + 64 GB is 33,700 rubles, for 8 + 128 GB - 40,000 rubles. How much does 6 + 128 GB cost, they don’t say yet, models with this configuration have not yet gone on sale.

It is difficult to answer the question of where it is profitable to buy such a device, we trust official online stores more. Prices may be slightly higher, but the purchase operation is safer. Therefore, the advice is to purchase gadgets from trusted online suppliers.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before choosing a smartphone, it is necessary to take into account its strengths and weaknesses, the main qualities will be listed below:

• Productive processor;
• Durable and reinforced monoblock;
• Stylish and at the same time original appearance;
• Professional shots with good aperture;
• Quick response fingerprint sensor;
• Clear sound and loud enough;
• Large amount of RAM.

• Lack of 3.5 mm jack and standard plug;
• Blocked google-software package;
• Lack of camera stabilization.

Before wrapping up the review, let's take a quick look at the specifications and features of the phone. The block looks luxurious and expensive. The frameless screen adds charm to the gadget. The case is not easily soiled and pleasant to the touch, the device does not slip in the hands. All connectors and the carriage are embedded closely, no crevices or notches were found. All this indicates a high build quality.

The package is also not lame. A box of thick cardboard, a tightly twisted cord, a monoblock, an adapter and a minijack. I was upset by the lack of a standard connector, the adapter is certainly a good thing, but you have to carry it with you and be afraid to lose it. The charging adapter is also upset, a standard Chinese plug and an adapter must be purchased separately.

Performance is the strong point of the Nubia Z17S. It is ideal for gamers and lovers of resource programs. And the power of iron will last for a long time. In this regard, there is not even any doubt which model is better to buy.

Cameras, in general, are also nothing. Good aperture and light sensitivity. The LED flash allows you to take good pictures even at night. 4K video recording capability. But the lack of stabilization spoils the quality, alas.

The software leaves much to be desired, the shell is raw and with glitches, the Russified version is generally “curve”. There is no way to install gmail, play market and other useful applications from google. Hopefully the updates will fix these bugs. The fingerprint sensor works great, no complaints. Unfortunately, the phone is not water resistant. There is no moisture protection. Therefore, it is not desirable for him to get wet in the rain.

ZTE has always had its own nuances and unpleasant cons, although not big ones. In the future, I hope they will fix this.Still, for such an amount, I don’t really want to get an under-flagship, albeit a high-quality one. And, like the best manufacturers, they will listen to feedback.