The Nubia Z17 Mini has been launched in India, it is another handset available in the market that comes with dual cameras on the back. This handset is priced at Rs. 19,999 is it worth the price, read this review and watch the video review to know.

Overall performance of Nubia Z17 Mini was pretty good, processing was smooth and hardware hardly heated up. It can play high end games. Z17 Mini comes with dual SIM slots – it is a hybrid slot and you can use Reliance Jio SIM on this handset with VoLTE support.

There is finger print sensor and all necessary sensors. Battery life is decent and as far as the camera performance is concerned it is above average. Portrait mode that makes use of dual cameras was not really that great, however there are many professional modes that users can use with ease.

Nubia Z17 Mini review dual cameras on back

Z17 Mini Specs and Review

Inside the box :  (Check unboxing the Z17 Mini Video) Handset, user manual, data cable, SIM ejector tool and travel charger 5V/1.5A
SAR Value : Not Known
Body : Metal body, excellent build and finishing though a little slippery. The one I got for review was matte black color with red and gold outlines that made the handset stand out
SIM Type : Nano + Nano/micro SD – both SIM slot support 4G with VoLTE, but you cannot use JIO SIM on both handsets
Weight and Dimensions : 154 Grams, 7.3mm thick
Screen  :  5.2 inches, 2.5D curved glass, Corning Gorilla Glass protection, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution – color reproduction, touch and viewing angles were very good
Connectivity :  4G, VoLTE (work on both SIM), WiFi (dual band), GPS, USB Type C and Bluetooth 4.2
Sensors : Accelerometer, Proximity, Light, Step, Gyro and Magnetic
LED Notification : Yes, home button doubles as LED notification (check image below), its unique circular light
OTG : Yes supported
RAM : 4GB (1.8 to 2GB free on first boot)
ROM : 64GB (about 52GB free on first boot)
OS : Nubia UI 4.0 based on Android Marshmallow / NeoVision 6.0

Nubia Z17 Mini 5.2 inch screen

Nubia Z17 Mini Performance

CPU :  Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 MSM8976 octa core @ 1.8GHz
GPU :  Adreno 510
Heating : Low / Normal
Max Battery Temperature : 38 degrees

The performance was smooth, lag free and heat up was pretty much under 40 degrees even with heavy applications.

Nubia Z17 Mini Benchmark

Quadrant : 39004
Antutu :
82766 / 20125
NenaMark2 : 60.4 fps
Multi Touch : 10 points
Disk Speed : 178 MB/s read  and 150 MB/s write

Nubia Z17 Mini Gaming Review

I tried Asphalt 8 in high visual quality mode and it worked great, smooth, no issues. This handset can play high end games.

Nubia Z17 Mini buttons

Nubia Z17 Mini Camera  Review

Rear Camera : 13MP RGB IMX258 + 13MP Monochrome IMX258, f/2.2, sapphire glass protection, NeoVision 6.0
Front Camera : 16MP Fixed wide angle, f/2.0
Video Recording : Max 4K resolution

The camera quality is above average. I was expecting really good output from the dual camera module. There is portrait mode that makes use of dual camera setup and shoots with bokeh effects, it looks good but on a close look you can see the edges of the subject in focus blurring with the background, it is not that sharp and that to some extent spoils the shot.

Overall over camera is above average, night shoots were good, even the selfie. If you use manual mode you can capture some really great excellent shots. This handset can shoot 4K videos.

Camera Rating : 4.1 out of 5

Nubia Z17 Mini rear and front camera samples

Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample hydrant Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample hydrant in portrait mode Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample tree portrait mode Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample branch Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample long shot Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample night shot Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample night shot HDR Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample slow shutter Nubia Z17 Mini camera sample front selfie

Download Original Image files (right click and save) (do not use it for commercial purpose, without permission of gogi.in).

Other features

Sound was very loud and clear, no issues with networks. Finger Print sensor is on the back and it is decently fast. Another unique features of Nubia smartphone is edge gesture, you can use the left / right screen edges to control, check video review.

Nubia Z17 Mini USB Type C ports

Nubia Z17 Mini Battery Review

Battery capacity : 2950mAh (non-removable)
Charging Time : Full Charge – 2 hour from 9% to 100%
Battery Life : 4 to 5 hours non-stop (moderate to heavy)
Daily usage battery life : Just over one day with mixed moderate usage.

Battery Test Results

Battery Temp at idle : 31 degrees
Running Benchmark app :
 15 minutes / 6% / 38 degrees
Asphalt 8 game play : 19 minutes / 8% / 38 degrees
4K video playback with full brightness (WiFi /4G on) :  33 minutes / 11% / 37 degrees

Verdict

The Nubia Z17 Mini is a good handset, good performance, above average camera and battery life is pretty decent. Dual camera portrait mode was not that happening. Now this handset is priced at Rs. 19,999 would have been great if it was priced at under Rs. 15K.

Rating : 4 out of 5

Nubia Z17 Mini is available for Rs. 19,999.

By Rajeev Rana

Founder and Chief Editor - gogi.in