Nubia Z17 Mini Limited Edition (6GB RAM) review: Appealing design and improved multitasking

The limited edition Nubia Z17 Mini comes with 6GB RAM and a snappier processor; however the most striking change is the new Blue color that simply looks stunning

By Rohit
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Nubia Z17 series has grown significantly in last one year. The company's mid-range handset- Z17 Mini which was launched in June 2017, impressed us with its appealing design and overall performance. However the smartphone's highlight feature is undoubtedly its Sony powered 13+13 MP dual-lens camera setup that impressed us with its everyday performance.

 

Rating:
3.5/5

Nubia Z17 Mini Limited Edition (6GB RAM) review

Z17 Mini is company's first dual-lens camera smartphone and you can read about its performance in detail in our comprehensive review.

And while the Black variant of Z17 Mini is still one of the best looking handset in sub Rs. 20k price-point, the company has also announced Z17 Mini Limited Edition that comes in striking Blue Color. The company calls it Aurora Blue Z17 Mini Limited Edition and it is available at Rs. 21,499 on Amazon.in. The hike in price is not just because of the new color variant, the smartphone also steps up the hardware game by offering 6GB RAM, i.e. a good 2GB bump in RAM and slightly snappier Snapdragon 653 chipset.

We tested the smartphone's processing and multitasking capabilities to evaluate what has changed in the overall performance. For camera performance, you can refer out detailed review of the original Z17 Mini as there's no change in the camera department.

New Blue color looks stunning

New Blue color looks stunning

I was quite impressed with the overall look and feel of the original Nubia Z17 Mini; however the limited edition variant is simply a head turner. We haven't seen any other smartphone in the market with the kind of Blue shade you get with Nubia Z17 Mini Limited edition. Another smartphone manufacturer that has tried to offer something new in terms of look and feel is Oppo.

The company has recently announced the Diwali edition of Oppo F3 in Red color that also looks quite appealing. However, the overall design and the new Aurora Blue color makes Nubia Z17 Mini limited edition a one-of-its kind handset in its respective price-point. This is due to the fact that all other handsets in the mid-range price segment sports Black, White or Shades of Gold and fail to offer something new.

Nubia's Signature Design elements
 

Nubia's Signature Design elements

The limited edition Nubia Z17 Mini also maintains the signature elements of company's design language. The circular home button lit with bright Red light sits at the bottom of the 5.2-inch full HD screen. The fingerprint scanner, hardware buttons and the side frame has Gold chamfered linings that add to the premium look.

With 97 percent aluminum used in construction, the smartphone feels quite premium and sturdy. The front of the smartphone sports a 1080p display which is protected by a 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass. The glass seamlessly blends with Gold colour chamfered frame supporting the display.

The dual-camera setup at the rear side has the distinguished Red colour ring. Besides, the matte finish Blue rear panel restricts fingerprints and smudges, which is usually a common issue with shiny or glossy metallic rear panels. Nubia Z17 Mini also feels quite compact and light weight with the dimensions- 5.78 x 2.85 x 0.30 inch and 155 grams weight. The buttons are also placed ergonomically so that you don't have to struggle in everyday use.

Overall, Nubia has further made the Z17 Mini more appealing for users. The Limited Edition Z17 Mini is even a better looking handset than the original variant.

 

Crisp 1080p screen with 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass

Crisp 1080p screen with 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass

There's no change in the display department and you get the same 5.2-inch 1080p screen on Nubia Z17 Mini limited edition. The display is crisp and fairly bright for comfortable viewing in outdoor environment. The colors look natural on the LTPS IPS LCD panel and the contrast levels are also good. The 5.2-inch screen size is quite appropriate for a mobile device, as it allows you to watch videos, play games and browse web pages comfortably without bulking up the overall design. The 424ppi pixel density makes text; videos and everything else look sharp and rich.

The display on Nubia Z17 Mini offers more than just the standard touch-n-type interaction. The innovative hardware + software implementation- Nubia FiT 2.0 that we have seen previously in Nubia Z11Mini S is also provided on the Z17 Mini to create a new interactive method. What this means is that Nubia allows you to perform a variety of interactive functions on the handset without actually making the screen curvier or adding additional sensors to it.

 

Multiple Touch Gestures supported

Multiple Touch Gestures supported

With simple touch gestures on the sides of the screen, you can trigger interactive responses such as adjusting screen brightness, switching between apps in the background, returning to your last used page and clearing apps running in the background. It might take a while to get a hang of the features but once you start using them, they seem to add a great value to the overall user experience and come quite handy in day-to-day tasks.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 CPU with ample 6GB of RAM

Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 CPU with ample 6GB of RAM

The original Nubia Z17 Mini has 4GB of RAM and the handset very well managed multitasking in our review duration. The limited edition Z17 Mini performed even better as the device gets a good 2GB bump in RAM department and also packs in a slightly faster processor unit. The 6GB RAM paired with Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 chipset is enough to offer a lag free everyday performance. You can make notes, watch videos, conduct a Facebook live, edit pictures in Snapseed and do a lot more without any performance issues.

The ample RAM and snappier CPU combo makes sure you multitask freely without any performance issues. The apps fire up quickly and screen navigation is also stutter free. The handset also did quite good in gaming and can be used to run casual as well as heavy games.

Nubia Z17 Mini comes with 64GB internal memory, which can be expanded by up to 200GB via microSD card.

Still hanging with Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Still hanging with Android 6.0 Marshmallow

In the days when you can experience Android 7.0 Nougat with budget smartphones, Nubia is still hanging with the dated Android Marshmallow. I was expecting the company to ship the limited edition Nubia Z17 Mini with Android Nougat but there's new development in the software department.

More than the new color, I would have preferred to see the handset running the new flavor from Google, but sadly it's still stuck with the old Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Nubia UI 4.0 on top.

The customized skin provides several useful tweaks to enhance the user experience. The Edge gestures are undoubtedly the most talked about feature. You also get long screenshot, multi-screen view where you can two apps at the same time, screen recording that captures everything you perform on the display and dual-mode that allows you to access two accounts on one phone.

Battery and Connectivity

Battery and Connectivity

Battery is another department where Nubia should have improved with the limited edition Z17 Mini, however once again there's no improvement noticed here. The smartphone has the same 2,950 mAh battery unit, which is supported by Nubia's NeoPower technology. You can refer the review of Nubia Z17 Mini for battery performance.

As far as connectivity is concerned, Nubia Z17 Mini supports dual Nano SIM cards and come equipped with Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, GPS and USB Type C.

Conclusion

Conclusion

Nubia Z17 Mini Limited edition only makes sense if you haven't bought the original Z17 Mini and look for something different and stylish. The new Blue color is undoubtedly appealing and eye catchy. The smartphone delivers good camera and multitasking performance and is a good everyday performer in almost every aspect. The absence of latest Android version is a big miss where company should have improved with the new edition. Sadly, Nubia ignored the fact and it can prove as a deal breaker for the new edition.

Moreover, the market now also offers some new handsets in the same price-point and additionally the price of some previous worthy smartphones have also come down. If you are ready to spend a sum of Rs. 22,000, then you can also consider Honor 9i, Honor 8, Vivo V7+ and Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro.

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