14 DAY TRIAL // Chinese handset maker ZTE announced last week plans to introduce its new Nubia series of smartphones in India, but the company did not mention which devices would be launched in the country.
We reported a few days ago that ZTE might introduce its cheaper Nubia Z9 mini rather than the more expensive models that have been announced in China a while ago.
Today, ZTE met our expectations and launched the Nubia Z9 mini in India. The smartphone is now available for purchase exclusively through Amazon India for Rs 17,000 outright, which is about $265 or €240.
The device will ship with Android 5.0.2 Lollipop operating system right out of the box, along with Nubia UI 2.8 on top. The Nubia Z9 mini is a high-end smartphone though it's been priced pretty decent, which will probably make it very popular in India.
Hardware-wise, ZTE's smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, which is complemented by an Adreno 405 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM.
The handset packs 16GB of internal memory, but users can further expand storage up to 128GB via microSD card slot.
Unibody design doesn't allow for removable battery
When it comes to connectivity, ZTE Nubia Z9 mini is an all-rounder. The device offers dual-SIM support, which is very important in India, as well as FM Radio, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and GPS with AGPS.
On the back, the Nubia Z9 mini boasts a 16-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording, while in the front there's a secondary, no less impressive 8-megapixel camera for video calls and selfies.
ZTE Nubia Z9 mini sports a decent 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and 441ppi (pixel per inch).
Last but not least, since the smartphone features unibody design, it comes with a non-removable 2,900 mAh battery, which is rated for up to 750 hours in standby or up to 43 hours in talk time.
