ZTE-owned Nubia is eying big on the Indian market and that too by releasing camera-centric smartphones. Since December 2016, the Chinese company is releasing at least two smartphones in every month, ranging from entry-level segment to mid-range segment. The recent announcement from Nubia in Indian market is the Nubia Z17 mini- a watered down version of the flagship Nubia Z17.
The Nubia Z17 mini is yet another camera-centric smartphone from Nubia, and it has two cameras at the back. Until now, the budget smartphone category is led by the Motorola Moto G5 Plus, especially in the camera department. The Z17 mini costs Rs. 19,999, while the premium variant of the G5 Plus sets you back with Rs. 16,999 price tag.
Well, does the Nubia Z17 mini have the specifications on paper to take on the Moto G5 Plus and became the best smartphone under Rs 20,000. Let's find out.
Design and Display
The Nubia Z17 mini and Moto G5 Plus both sports unimetal body design. The G5 Plus feels compact in hands with a 5.2-inch display, but it is slightly on the thicker side at 7.7mm than the Z17 mini's 7.45mm thickness. Having said that, both the phones weigh 155 grams.
As mentioned earlier, the G5 Plus comes with a smaller 5.2-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The Z17 mini boasts a bigger 5.5-inch display with the same 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution. Incidentally, they both have a pixel density of 424 PPI. The displays are layered by a 2.5D curved glass and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass technology.
Hardware
Things get rather interesting in the hardware aspect. The G5 Plus uses the power-efficient Snapdragon 625 chip, clubbed with 3GB/4GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB of internal storage. An Adreno 506 GPU accompanies the chipset.
On the flip side, the Z17 Mini uses a powerful octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 chip, paired with just 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Also, both the phones have a fingerprint scanner.
Both the phones belong to a different league. The Snapdragon 652 is powerful, yet battery efficient, whereas the Snapdragon 625 delivers insane battery life. So, if your choice is a good battery smartphone, then get the Moto G5 Plus.
Camera
The Moto G5's prowess is its camera because it uses the same sensor which can be found on Samsung Galaxy S7 series. The rear camera has a 12MP dual pixel sensor with f/1.7 aperture, autofocus, and dual-LED flash support. The larger aperture results in images with great light.
The Nubia Z17 mini rocks dual 13MP sensors at the back. The standard 13MP sensor is a Sony IMX258 sensor with f/2.2 aperture and dual LED flash. The other 13MP sensor captures monochrome shots, same as the Huawei P9. Furthermore, the Z17 mini has an advantage in the form of Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), which avoids shakes in the footage.
The Z17 mini wins in the selfie camera department as well because it houses a 16MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture and beautification mode. The G5 Plus has a mere 5MP front-facing shooter. That said, the camera department belongs to the Nubia Z17 mini on paper, but the real life scenarios may differ.
Software and Connectivity
The Moto G5 Plus's great strength is the presence of near stock Android and that too it comes laden with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The Z17 mini comes with Nubia 4.0 UI based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. The software section belongs to Moto G5 Plus.
Both the phones have support for Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, VoLTE, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC. The Z17 mini has a USB Type-C port, while the G5 Plus uses a micro USB port.
Battery
The G5 Plus comes with a 3000mAh battery with Motorola's Turbo Charge technology. With the help of Snapdragon 625 SoC, the G5 Plus delivers one-day of battery life with a single charge. The Nubia Z17 mini has a 2950mAh battery with support for fast charging technology as well.
Conclusion
The Nubia Z17 mini comes with a hefty price of Rs. 19,999, while the Moto G5 Plus costs Rs. 14,999 for the 3GB RAM variant and Rs. 16,999 for the 4GB RAM variant.
The Nubia Z17 mini seems to be slightly overpriced, but one doesn't forget the fact that it has dual cameras at the back. Also, the G5 Plus delivers more battery life than the Z17 mini. If you're looking for a dedicated monochrome sensor in a smartphone and a decent design, the Z17 mini should fit your build.
