ZTE nubia Z20 review

14 Oct 2019


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Nubia themselves states in the specs of this phone that the back display is 720*1520 resolution and not a 1080p display as the review says! I've seen some Youtube reviews where some people say the displays have the same resolution but seems to me that this is misinformation since I would assume Nubia does actually provide the right spec on their website!

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    • Anonymous
    • 39x
    • 14 Oct 2019

    Nicolas F, 14 Oct 2019Curved screen - no buy.Glad it's not just me that doesn't like curved screens 😊

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      • Anonymous
      • 39x
      • 14 Oct 2019

      Why don't phone reviewers put the actual measurements of the bezels, and top/bottom chin.?

      Would take all of 5 minutes, and much more useful then just saying the bezels are not that thin etc (compared to what.?)
      which is about as much use as a chocolate teapot.!

        Kangal, 14 Oct 2019This is an odd phone, and not in the good sense. I don't th... moreI'd say i don't agree with your perspective on what is practical & what is "stylist".

        You say LCDs are practical, many would disagree with that. (Modern day OLEDs have a much higher sunlight legibility than LCD screens. They also save battery whenever you browse black themed webpages, apps, etc. They're also required for proper AOD mode).
        You say a solo camara is practical, many would disagree with that. (irregardless of how good that camera is, it can't show multiple perspectives)
        You say No IP certification is practical, many would disagree with that. (A phone can have an IP rating and a removable battery at the same time).
        You say 50w fast-charging is practical, while many would argue that it's harmful for the battery in the long term.
        You say wireless charging is not-practical, while it arguably takes convenience to the next step, as wireless charging pads are found at most public outing places these days such as restaurants, clubs, etc.
        You say Pure Android is practical, but most people end up installing a boat-load of external apps to do what Skinned Android does by itself. (One UI, EMUI, OxygenOS, etc)

        So yeah, people can't choose between two options, when those two options are not factual to begin with. What you consider practical might be unpractical to another, and vice versa.

          Kangal, 14 Oct 2019This is an odd phone, and not in the good sense. I don't th... moreI'd rather have a mix of the two.

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            • Anonymous
            • NL{
            • 14 Oct 2019

            Kangal, 14 Oct 2019This is an odd phone, and not in the good sense. I don't th... moreWireless charging is as practical as they come though

              Nicolas F, 14 Oct 2019Maybe prcie should not be taken in a smartphone's rating at... moreCompletely disagree. Price is a major factor for any kind of device, and thus should directly affect the scoring/review of the product in discussion.

              For e.g. this phone having a price tag of $520 justifies it's 4.2/5 rating, but if it costed $750 instead, then it's score should be below 4/5 because it would be a inferior recommendation at that price point.

              Also devices from different price segments should be judged differently. It would be unfair to bash a budget phone for missing out on flagship grade features (e.g. IP certification, wireless charging, etc).

                Kaloyan, 14 Oct 2019Yes, there was a mistake in the calculation and you, our re... moreMaybe prcie should not be taken in a smartphone's rating at all - because it is not an integral feature of a smartphone and it can change and vary significantly (e.g., software can change too, but seldom - that much).

                  Anonymous, 14 Oct 2019Huh? You guys raised the rating for this phone but chose to... moreYes, there was a mistake in the calculation and you, our readers, were quick to notice it (let's say we put 0 instead of 10 in one of the fields). Thanks for that!

                  As for the Mi 9 Lite, the cals are correct - and conclusion is based on the official prices listed on the mi.com around the world. Obviously in some markets it costs less. I doubt the rating will be modified and we never said it is a bad phone. We said it is a great smartphone and if priced right - you should consider it.

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                    • Adul Al Salami Kebab
                    • nrX
                    • 14 Oct 2019

                    Why is no alternatives with dual-display mentioned?! SHAMEFUL DISPLAY!

                      Why Mi 9T pro is not mentioned in the alternatives? It deserves a mention.

                        This is an odd phone, and not in the good sense. I don't think the R&D division thought hard enough when deciding on the direction of the concept. All in all, I believe there should be two major phone designs; The Practical and The Stylist.

                        GSMArena readers comment on which type of phone you personally would prefer!

                        The Practical:
                        A 16:9 LCD screen (no burn-in, better daytime viewing)
                        No Facial Recognition, Rear fingerprint sensor (simple)
                        Selfie camera in a Slim Bezel (sturdy)
                        Front-firing stereo loudspeakers (loud)
                        Symmetrical buttons, Headphone Jack (easy to use)
                        Flat screen, Chamfered sides, Metal backplate (durable)
                        IrDA Blaster, and LED notification light (remote control capability)
                        microSD, and Dual SIM support (options)
                        Big sensor, Solo Camera for front and back (affordable)
                        Large Removable Battery, No IP rating (easy to service)
                        50W Super-Fast Charging, no Wireless Charging (practical)
                        AndroidOne software, unlockable bootloader (extended updates)

                        The Stylist:
                        A 21:9 OLED screen (best nighttime viewing)
                        Subpar Facial Recognition, Underscreen fingerprint scanner (convenience)
                        Selfie camera is a Rear Flip motorised (good portraits)
                        Downward-firing mono speaker, with vibrating display earpiece (futuristic)
                        Asymmetrical design, No jack, Dongles and Earbuds sold separately (better profits)
                        Curved screen, Rounded sides, Glass backplate (sleek)
                        No IrDA blaster, Notifications achieved though AoD (modern)
                        No microSD, and Single SIM support (simpler)
                        Small sensor Cameras, Dual front and Quad rear (advertiser friendly)
                        Average-sized Sealed Battery, IP67 rating (water resistant)
                        18W Fast Charging, and 5W wireless charging (trickle charging)
                        SkinnedOS software, locked bootloader (more features)

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                          • Anonymous
                          • Lc}
                          • 14 Oct 2019

                          Whackcar, 14 Oct 2019Yes you can, but it wouldn't be a great experience because ... moreyellowish tint secondary screen is the default but you can edit color in options for setting a clear white secondary screen

                            I'm surprised there isn't a single mention of autoHDR, or any sort of HDR at all here. (They didn't even list it in pros or cons.)

                            I'd opine that GSMA guys should not review phones having pre-production software. It doesn't represent what people would 'actually' be getting. Or what the said phone is actually capable of.

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                              • Anonymous
                              • U}}
                              • 14 Oct 2019

                              Huh? You guys raised the rating for this phone but chose to keep Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite's rating?

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                                • Anonymous
                                • TXd
                                • 14 Oct 2019

                                And the most useless and hard to repair phone goes to: ? _Ignore the foldable phones, those are even more useless.

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                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 3Rs
                                  • 14 Oct 2019

                                  I would buy even just because it looks different from all other phones.

                                    DavidRegalJnr, 14 Oct 2019Am definitely getting this phone...but will like to know if... moreYes you can, but it wouldn't be a great experience because the smaller display has yellowish color tint.

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                                      • Starsplash
                                      • StU
                                      • 14 Oct 2019

                                      I agree that one persons review of the Nubia z20 doesn't put me off from buying it. Its all about personal opinion. I would just like to comment that I own the international version of Nubia x and that smartphone alone is very impressive from last year. My personal opinion I recommend to those who are looking for something different and unique in its own right. Give Nubia a try and you won't be disappointed...

                                        Am definitely getting this phone...but will like to know if games could be played on the secondary display?

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