ZTE Nubia Z9 review: A disappearing act

Web browser: feature overload

The ZTE Nubia comes with the QQ Browser. You may not have heard of it, but it has tens of millions of users. It's one of the most loaded browsers in terms of features, having an ad blocker and page compression out of the box, with plug-ins to add even more stuff.

The browser is stuffed with features

Let's see what you get. One feature we like is swiping left/right to go back/forward. That means there's no gesture to switch between tabs though (tabs are supported, obviously, you just have to go through the button). Another interesting option is to scroll web pages with the volume rocker.

The design of the browser is quite Safari-like and there is indeed an option to make it tell servers it's an Apple browser. That will be used rarely, only on sites that show different pages for iOS devices. The browser supports skins so you can customize its look too.

Then there's compression, which is enabled by default. Tencent servers will compress pages before sending them to your phone (you can chose the image quality: Low, Medium, High), which speeds things along on slow connections. You can block images altogether too. Another trick for faster browsing is to preload the page the browser thinks you'll open.

Themes • page compression and ad blocking • plug-ins

There's also an ad blocker though it didn't have a 100% hit rate. Another privacy feature is Stealth mode, which looks like a type of Private browsing. When you first launch the browser it informs you that your privacy is a high priority.

Then we get to plug-ins. No, not Flash. One plug-in is enabled by default called "Compare Prices," we're not sure which sites it works on though (not Amazon.com, AliExpress.com or dx.com). The other two suggested widgets are "Game Zone" and "Thunder Widget" (not sure what this one is for). Those two you have to install manually.

Apps and more

As we saw already, the ZTE Nubia Z9 doesn't rely much on the Google-developed Android package. The phone does come with a full suite of apps and you can get more from the store - not the Play Store though.

As mentioned before, ZTE is working on a US version of the software, which will most likely come with the Google Play suite. The version of the software we tested is intended for China and will work great there. Not so elsewhere. Play apps will function much better in the west.

The app store on the Z9 is one of the apps that was not translated, not even a bit. Obviously, it's not as well stocked as Play, but it doesn't work as smoothly either - even updating apps shows the install dialog you may have seen while sideloading apps. This means updating 10 apps requires a lot of hitting "Install" then "Done."

The app store is not tightly integrated into the OS

The GameBox is a place to download games and compare scores with your friends, similar to Google's Play Games. The app also supports QQ and WeChat accounts.

An alternative to Google Play Games

You're not getting Google Maps either, instead there's Amap. The app doesn't work - it completely lacks mapping info for most of the world, you can't even see London or New York, let alone their streets. There's a full map of China, though the app loads map tiles slower than we're used to. There's the Baidu app, which is a bit better but still far from functional anywhere outside of China.

The Amap app has maps for China only

Let's look at something easier - the Calendar. That does work and it's a capable (if heavily iOS-inspired) app. No syncing with your Google calendar, not even if you add your account. It can sync with other online calendars and you get the usual views, including agenda.

"TimeManager," aka the Clock app, supports multiple alarms each with their own ringtone and repeat pattern. There's also a world clock, stopwatch and timer.

The clock app is fairly standard

A nice addition that most other custom skins lack is the Backup app. You can create local backups or store them in the cloud (only the Nubia cloud is supported). The app will store personal data (contacts, messages, etc.), system data, apps and even media.

There's also a Software update app that can either download a ROM automatically or use one you've downloaded manually. There are even handy shortcuts to boot into Fastboot mode or into the recovery.

Backup and update tools

Helpful media tools include the Remote control app, which handles TVs, projectors, AV receivers and air conditioners. The list of supported devices is huge. And if that's not enough, you can teach the app new control codes using the device's original remote.

The Screen projection app handles DLNA duties if you don't want to bother with MHL.

The IR remote app • DLNA app

The Bluetooth companion app requires an additional dongle, which will let you take calls, read messages and listen to music wirelessly. You'll also get a reminder if you walk out of range of your phone.

The Bluetooth companion app

The Smart tag app lets you automate certain actions with NFC tags. There are three actions predefined, but you can add more that do basically anything. You can, say, disable the phone for 8 hours and setup an alarm or dial a certain number once you scan the tag.

Smart tag does NFC-based task automation

A file manager lets you explore the internal memory and it has build in support for ZIP and APK files. You can connect USB OTG storage and browse that too, or sync files with your Nubia cloud account (no other cloud services are supported).

The file manager is quite capable

There are additional tools available out of the box - from the NotePad, through the SoundRecorder to the simple flashlight.