Archos Diamond Omega review

Introduction

Not exactly a household name, at least not outside of a few core European markets, Archos has been around for a few years on the smartphone scene with mixed success. A partnership with Nubia (a ZTE-owned smartphone maker) has recently allowed them to bolster their portfolio with Archos-branded Nubia phones. Nubia has been known for their premium products, forward-thinking designs, and innovative engineering so who knows, maybe that’s exactly what the French company needed to make a better name for itself on the European market.

Either way, this is how the Archos Diamond Omega came to be and it is no secret that the handset is a re-branded ZTE Nubia Z17s. We've been paying close attention to recent Nubia releases, especially in the flagship tier, so it made sense to have a look at the Archos Diamond Omega/Nubia Z17s in detail as soon as we were given the opportunity.

We'll probably continue using the Archos and Nubia model names interchangeably throughout the review since it really is the exact same phone, both hardware and software-wise. And like the very name suggests, the Z17s is very similar to the Nubia Z17, which we recently reviewed.

Archos Diamond Omega/Nubia Z17s key features:

• Body: Corning Gorilla Glass front, curved glass back, metal frame
• Screen: 5.73" LTPS IPS LCD, 1080x2040px resolution (17:9)
• Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 chipset: octa-core 4x2.45GHz Kryo & 4x1.9GHz Kryo; Adreno 540 GPU
• Memory: 6GB/8GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of inbuilt storage
• OS: Android 7.1; Nubia UI 5.0
• Rear camera: Dual: 12 MP (f/1.8, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF) + 23MP (f/2.0); PDAF; dual-LED, dual-tone flash
• Front camera: Dual 5MP, f/2.2
• Battery: 3,100mAh; Quick Charge 3.0
• Connectivity: LTE Cat.9 (450 Mbps/50 Mbps), dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, USB Type-C port; NFC;
• Misc: Fingerprint sensor on the rear; DTS-HD audio

Main shortcomings

• No memory expansion slot
• No 3.5mm audio jack
• No stereo speakers

It seems the Nubia design team is yet another one to embrace the ultra-wide trend. With so many tall displays we've seen these past few months, it's hardly the novelty anymore that helps a phone stand out. You know what we mean even if you somehow missed this. However, we do have to note that in a bid for originality, or driven by different, undisclosed reasons, Archos / Nubia don't conform to the widespread 18:9 standard. Instead, the phone's screen has a 17:9 aspect and 1080 x 2040px resolution.

Archos Diamond Omega in official photos

There is no obvious reason for this display size: the Archos Diamond Omega has no home button on its amply sized chin. There is a pair of selfie cams above the display this time around but we can't see how the extra lens called for the odd aspect ratio. We just have to assume that Nubia wanted a slightly different take on the new trend, not a bad thing in a sea of increasingly similar devices.

If nothing else, it definitely caught our attention. Follow along as we find out what makes the Archos Diamond Omega tick and just how different it is from the Nubia Z17.