Smartphone ZTE Nubia Z20 - advantages and disadvantages

A terrible stereotype that has never played into the hands of China is low-quality products. The honor of technology has been stained for more than one year, and it seemed that nothing would save the rapidly curving market. However, ZTE, an unknown company, responded to the call for help, having managed to dispel the myth in the minds of millions about the poor quality of its products in just three years, simultaneously breaking out into the top 10 in the field of telecommunications around the world!

The brand took the acceleration at the start, giving odds even to the brainchild of Steve Jobs. The creators have nothing to hide, which is confirmed by numerous videos from factories where smartphones either hit the wall or freeze. The price-performance ratio is so stunning that America, having first imposed sanctions on the Chinese brand, shamefully retreated two months later, realizing the scale of the losses.

The Nubia line of smartphones is rightfully considered not to be killed after sophisticated test drives. Oh, those Asians, some stereotypes still cannot be eradicated!

In early August, the flagship ZTE nubia Z20 was presented.In the commercial, the phone doesn't seem to eliminate the alien invasion, that's how good it is.

Why is a smartphone at a record price of 35 thousand rubles has already been called a revolution in mobile photography? And is it worth paying attention to?

Appearance

The company is determined to turn its nose to the 21st century with nothing less than screens of hot new products. Nubia Z20 is endowed with two displays at once, which is not a discovery on the market, but still a rarity. At first glance, the device is worthy of a price tag of at least $ 1000, taking into account the functionality. With its dimensions (6.4 inches), it does not look like an awkward brick, and the materials do not turn the phone into a portable dumbbell (this is with a weight of 186 grams). The model is presented in three colors: black, blue and red.

During unpacking, the Z20 will, without exaggeration, seem like a guest from the future. Instant reaction, high sensitivity of the frames to the fingerprint and the absence of any buttons. Following Xiaomi, the brand picked up the fashion for a molded case, killing in the bud the idea of ​​backlash and cheap creaking. The main part consists of tempered glass, on the sides there are inserts made of durable metal.

The main screen has no borders, which vaguely resembles the iPhone X. The rear one is smaller (5.1 inches) due to the built-in three-module camera. Its functions are quite primitive: viewing the weather, time, messages, and taking pictures.

The lack of a front camera on the back of the phone is compensated by an additional display.The developers, in pursuit of trends, offer to replace the usual two-megapixel selfies with widescreen art in 4k HD quality. No more wringing your hands to get a juicy photo, just flip the phone and smile at all 48 megapixels.

Not unreasonably, the question arises: how long will this phone live without a case? There are still people outside of social networks, but they are so few. Most will have to choose between narcissism and tenacious hands. Active use wears out the device for a year already and only one name will remain from the luxury shine on the tile.

Equipment

The product is carefully packed in a small matte box, in addition to the device itself, it comes with:

• Charger and adapter;
• Clip for sim card slot;
• USB cable (3.5 mm);
• Warranty card, instruction;

Characteristics

Screen

The Nubia Z20 displays are an indescribable kinesthetic and visual paradise. It is worth starting with the fact that tempered glass is equipped with a single-chip coating, although it is more often called "oleophobic". The essence of this procedure lies in the name: spraying seems to repel dirt and greasy fingerprints. Thanks to this, the glazed Z20 can be cleaned with a single movement of microfiber (or T-shirt) + additional protection from scratches.

The flagship is quite massive, and in small palms it strives to slip away. In this case, the manufacturers have added two symmetrical panels on the edges of the phone to read the fingerprint, which makes it easy to unlock the gadget in any position, and the eternal problem of depressed buttons disappears altogether.

The main feature that prevents Nubia from being placed in the budget device segment is the AMOLED matrix. This strange word means that the screen is dotted with thousands of LEDs, due to which the color reproduction, if not reliable, is as close as possible to the colors of the real world. The display is capable of displaying deep blacks from commercials for expensive TVs even in sunny weather.

Of course, the matrix has disadvantages, these are:

• PWM (pulse width modulation). Screen flickering at low brightness. This fact has a detrimental effect on vision, since high brightness puts pressure on the eyes, and low makes them strain due to frequent flickering;
• Blue. This is not so difficult to deal with, because new generation smartphones have a reading mode;

Both displays support HD quality at a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, showing an image that is not worse than powerful gaming laptops even at a strong tilt.

Operating system

The penultimate version of Android 9.0 is installed on the native firmware (not the latest because it was also released in 2019). The interface is not overloaded, the application icons are of a pleasant color, the processes are thoroughly stabilized so that even under extreme conditions (Sahara desert + 8 open applications) the picture moves smoothly and does not freeze.

Switching between screens is no problem. In addition, the rear panel works in Always-on Display mode, to some extent replacing the electronic clock.

Performance

The star of this release is the nimble Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor. How many flattering words were said only during the 3-day presentation. According to the developers, phones with the support of this equipment will create a new generation, and here's why:

• 5G. Next generation networks are breaking out into the vast world, allowing the Nubia Z20 to download gigabytes of memory in seconds. Another thing is that 4G hardly works in the post-Soviet space, and for real speed you will have to fly to Hong Kong;
• Neural networks. And if it is simpler, then the phone becomes a mini-robot due to the embedded artificial intelligence. He will not enslave the world, but he perfectly organizes work with applications and photos;
• The power of the graphics chip has been increased by 20%. For clarity, 3 hours of active gameplay at ultra settings will seem like an easy workout for this processor.

Test results:

Antutu ~437114. Giving such an indicator, the Z20 bypasses the new Xiaomi, Meizu and even Asus.

autonomy

The flagship is equipped with a powerful 4000 mA battery.

Isn't the capacity too small for such a brute? No, and there can be no doubt.

The production of batteries with this value is put on the conveyor and is widely used for devices in both the budget and luxury segments.

When working using the Internet, social networks and the messenger, the energy is enough for one full day. But games are a completely different matter. Here, even the sensational processor is unlikely to stabilize the situation. The company claims that heavy programs will land a smartphone in 10-15 hours, but in reality, 6 hours is enough for a knockout.

• Standby time 6-7 days;
• Working time in normal mode 2-3 days;
• Operating time with constant use 10-12 hours;
• Talk time 30 hours;

If the battery can not cope, then the company offers to use the fast charging function. That is, already at the assembly stage, a USB 3.0 port (super-speed) is installed in the phone and a powerful 5-watt power supply is applied. The extended cord is a nice addition.

Camera

Finally, the turn came to revolutionary photos. The presentation of the flagship began and ended with a discussion of the latest camera. How will the device perform at night and during the day in practice?

First, the camera consists of three modules. Why so many? Now let's explain.

• The main camera is 48 MP. Great for photography + inside a lot of modes (portrait, landscape, fireworks, Super night). It is worth paying attention to the latter, because the scattering flash will cover the next 4 meters without compromising quality. In addition to standard effects, the phone has a built-in editor with color correction, blur, brushes to hide flaws;
• The optional 16MP wide-angle sensor will turn your amateur video into a Hollywood movie with auto-brightness and a wide field of view. You won't get tired of repeating the headlines that the Nubia Z20 shoots videos in 8k quality. This is really a curiosity for 2019, as HD consumes a lot of memory (external memory up to 512 GB);
• The third sensor is an 8MP 3x optical zoom for macro photography. The overall picture is complemented by a dual LED flash;

Photo examples:

Where to buy a smartphone

At the moment, the smartphone can only be bought in Chinese online stores, the average price is 4,500 yuan (34,500 rubles).

Advantages and disadvantages of ZTE Nubia Z20

• Oleophobic coating;
• AMOLED matrix and good color reproduction;
• Powerful processor for games;
• Video and photo in 4-8k HD quality;
• Fast charging function;
• 5G (a dubious plus, but it is impossible to ignore the presence);

• Lack of a cover;
• Marky display;
• PWM effect;
• Fast decrease of a charge at high load;

As a result, Nubia Z20 is called the smartphone of the future not at all for advertising purposes. Manufacturers seriously worried about the technical component of the flagship, introducing the most advanced equipment (while the phone is considered budget). We can say with confidence that in terms of extravagance of appearance and characteristics, the Z20 will not have serious competitors until the end of the year, and neither will its owners!