Nubia Z11

Not many heard of the Chinese smartphone brand Nubia, but after the company’s latest flagship release at IFA Berlin, many will, even more so now that Nubia announced that Z11 will be available internationally starting with September. The 5.5-inch device attracts attention firstly through its bezel-less design which gives an 81 percent screen-to-body ratio, which besides creating a beautiful seamless effect, makes the 1080 display easier to manage in one hand. And, even though unexpected, the display is of the Full HD variety. It is not the first smartphone of the kind, but it’s a feature that appeals to many. This was doable through RC 2.0 technology, which bends light through the 2.5D Arc Edge Corning Gorilla Glass to make the display seem wider and conceal the side bezels. Z11’s metal frame is made of light and durable 6,000 series Aluminum Alloy, but between the screen’s glass and metal frame there is a buffering layer that protects the phone against accidental drop damage. Overall, the smartphone sports a very posh look, especially with its black gold version (Z11 will be available in three versions, including the more common gray and silver models). But the difference is packed inside its 7.5mm (0.3 inch) slim body—a Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 image processor, 4GB or 6GB of RAM (the difference will be mirrored in the price), 64GB of internal storage expandable to up to 200GB through a microSD slot, a solid non-removable Li-ion Polymer 3000mAh battery, an 8MP front camera and fingerprint scanner on the back. The fingerprint scanner doubles as shortcut key for taking regular and scrollable screenshots, as well as for recording the screen. Performance wise, the device runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Nubia’s custom skin on top (NewPower 2.0), optimized to increase power...