Ninetology U9Z1+ Review: Phablet To Smartphone

Before we call off the year of 2013, we would like to finish up our last review of 2013 and happily welcome 2014. And so, this is the Ninetology U9Z1+ review. The U9Z1+ is the successor of the U9Z1 that we have reviewed last few weeks in our YouTube channel.

The Z1+ can be said as Ninetology flagship device, but it is a mid-range phone according to its specs. Before that we want to thanks to Ninetology for sending us review unit for review purpose.

Here's the specifications of the Ninetology U9Z1+:
- 5" IPS display with 720 x 1280 HD resolution
- Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection
- 1.2 GHz quad-core processor with PowerVR SGX544 GPU
- Dual-SIM
- 16 GB internal storage with microSD card slot
- 1 GB of RAM
- 13 MP camera with f/2.2 aperture
- 5 MP front-facing camera
- Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
- 2,000 mAh Li-Ion removable battery

Design
The Ninetology U9Z1+ is build by plastic however it has metal frame, which is a plus on the design section.

•  The Z1+ has metal frame around the phone. At front of the phone, it has a 5" display. On top of display, it has light sensor, earpiece and front-facing shooter. While below the display, it has three capacitive buttons - menu, home and back buttons.
• At the back of the phone, it has 13 MP camera and speaker below the Ninetology logo.
• The power button is located at the right side of the phone.
• Below the phone is has microphone and microUSB port.
• The volume rocker is at the left side of the phone.
• On top of phone it has a 3.5 mm jack.

Display

The Ninetology U9Z1+ has 5" IPS display with 720 x 1280 HD resolution at 294 ppi pixel density. The phone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2, which is pretty resistance to scratch.

Ninetology U9Z1+ next to Galaxy S4.

• The Z1+ has bright display however the viewing angle is bad as the screen is pretty reflective.
• Overall the display is quite good but the colour lacks of contrast, however it is good in showing bright photos.

Software and Performance

The U9Z1+ is powered by 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, although Ninetology didn't mentioned what chip did they used, but as it has PowerVR SGX544 GPU, we believed it is using MediaTek processor. The Z1+ is running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with stock Android UI but with some modification. Overall everything running smooth but we do experience some lagging.

• The Z1+ runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and has a stock Android UI with modification.
• It has some smart gesture include flip to mute, smart answering, smart call and smart holster.
• You can also change the homescreen, enter and apps page switch transitions.
• The Z1+ scored 4,048 on Quadrant Standard and 13,519 on AnTuTu benchmark.

Camera

The Z1+ has a 13 MP camera at the back, which found on high-end devices now a day.

The camera features HDR mode, continuous shot and more which is pretty standard in any mid-range or high-end phone.

  

• The outdoor quality of the Z1+ is good, however the noise are present but it still keep able to keep the details.
• While for indoor quality, the Z1+ performs well but the colour is a little bit too bright, which is different to the original objects.
• We are quite disappointed to the low-light sample, although the photo has enough light but it lost details and the noise level are high.

Pricing

The Z1+ is priced at RM 1,299, although the pricing is a little bit high in its category, but it comes with a bundle of accessories in the box such as back cover, power bank and more.

Final Thought

The U9Z1+ is a nice mid-range phone, however at this price tag you might go for the Sony Xperia ZR with better performance and camera. Or maybe you might go for the Motorola Moto G that coming to Malaysia with cheaper price tag. If you want a dual-SIM phone with good performance, the Z1+ might be the one for you.

Pros:

- Comes with a bundle of accessories

- Acceptable camera

- Good battery life

Cons:

- High price tag

- Low-power processor

- Bad display viewing angle