ZTE Nubia Z9

Attractive glass-and-metal build. Edge-to-edge display. Fast performance. Sharp camera. Dual SIM slots. Edge gestures. Dolby audio enhancements.

Thick and heavy. Runs an older version of Android with heavy UI customization. Middling battery life. Distracting prismatic effect along display edge.

Software and Conclusions The Nubia Z9 runs a heavily customized Android 5.0.2 Lollipop out of the box. It has an iOS-style setup where all the apps are placed directly on the home screen, rather than in an app drawer. Stock Android fans are likely to...

Solid build ; Great camera image quality in Auto mode

Unrealiable software ; Underwhelming battery life ; Heavy and bulky handset

So the Nubia Z9 is an interesting handset, which involves powerful hardware under the hood. But would we suggest one spends $600 on it? In its current state – most certainly not.

The hardware and construction of the ZTE Nubia Z9 are impressive. It's priced like a flagship smartphone but the performance is admirable and it could be a viable competitor for Apple and Samsung.

Price and conclusion The Nubia Z9 is available in other markets, but we have to wait until Q3 2015 to see it launch in the USA. Prices start at $564 for the Nubia Z9 Classic edition. The price tag is then raised to $645 and $725 for the Elite and...