It’s been a while since we last tested a “glass sandwich phone”, which is code for phones that use a metal frame and a glass back, plus a glass facade. So basically, the metal frame is sandwiched between the two. This approach is taken by the Nubia Z11 Mini, which we unboxed below. Priced at $200 on Amazon, this model feels like a OnePlus X rival.
It can also be seen as a sort of rival, or alternative to the ASUS ZenFone 3 and Huawei Nova. The box and packaging remind me of the OnePlus models, especially the way the accessories are arranged. Inside the box we find the USB Type C cable, charger, metal key and manual. Available in black, white or gold, this handset measures 8 mm in thickness, weighs 138 grams and has a 2.5D glass panel upfront.
Its design also takes me back to the iPhone 4 a bit. Inside we find a Snapdragon 617 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, as well as a microSD card slot. The battery is a 2800 mAh unit, which sounds quite OK for a 5 incher. On the camera front, there’s a 16 megapixel shooter at the back with LED flash and PDAF, while upfront there’s an 8 MP sensor.
We also find a fingerprint scanner here. The phone comes with Android Lollipop, with Nubia UI on top, looking pretty hot. Nubia Z11 Mini is certainly a looker and promises pretty good power for a midranger. We’ll be back to prove or disprove that once the review is done. In the meantime you can get the handset here.
