LTE powered ZTE Nubia 5S mini launched in the US for $280


Nubia wing of Chinese maker ZTE has expanded its range of offerings in the US with the launch of the ZTE Nubia 5S mini powered with LTE.

The device has been priced at a decent $280 and looks like a decent option for those that are looking for a mid-range LTE phone. Unlike it’s Snapdragon 600 powered Chinese cousin, the ZTE nubia 5S LTE for the US comes only with a Snapdragon 400 SoC, clocked 1.4GHz through the four cores. To go with that, there’s 2GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board expandable storage.

“Selling the nubia 5S mini LTE unlocked, direct to consumers shows ZTE has faith in its products and is capable of delivering LTE devices and consumer-focused innovation in the U.S. Offering an unlocked Android phone via Amazon addresses consumer demand for alternative devices that deliver more personal value than mainstream brands and don’t tie them to one mobile eco-system,” said Lixin Cheng, Chairman/CEO, ZTE USA.

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Specifications

  • 4.7-inch 1280 x 720p display
  • 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16GB on-board ROM
  • 13 mega-pixel rear camera
  • 5 mega-pixel front facing camera
  • 2000mAh battery
  • 4G LTE

The smartphone is already on pre-oder for $280 via e-commerce giant Amazon and will ship 27th August onwards.

With more and more Chinese brands occupying the US space and other markets, do you think it’s the end of the single-brand monopoly?

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11 Comments

  1. MISTO
    August 20, 2014

    Hi Yash, what’s your point of view regarding the Nubia Z7 Mini? It has a 2300 mAh battery which might not be enough for a long term use (built-in) considering its specs. Thanks in advance!

    • August 21, 2014

      Hi, the Nubia Z7 mini has quite a decent specs set and if you can’t get hold of the Mi 4 (or want to save some bucks really) the Z7 mini looks like a great option. If its available locally (i.e., after sales), I don’t see why you can’t live with the non-removable 2300mAh battery. A lot also depends on software implementation and optimization, so perhaps check a few user reviews before deciding. 😀

      • MISTO
        August 21, 2014

        Hi Yash, thank you for your answer. I agree the MI4 seems to be a really great phone but the black version isn’t available yet. The huge advantage with Xiaomi is the regular software updates for their recent devices. Regarding the battery of the Z7 Mini, I am a bit scared about its capacity to boost the phone after a few months use. One friend told me about the Redmi 1S WCDMA version which is a good quality device for its price. Maybe I should get a Redmi 1S because I am a bit lost with all the announcements going around. Thanks again!

  2. Guest
    August 20, 2014

    Hi Yash, what’s your point of view regarding the Nubia Z7 Mini? It has a 2300 mAh battery which might not be enough for a long term use (built-in) considering its specs. Thanks in advance!

    • Yash Garg
      August 21, 2014

      Hi, the Nubia Z7 mini has quite a decent specs set and if you can’t get hold of the Mi 4 (or want to save some bucks really) the Z7 mini looks like a great option. If its available locally (i.e., after sales), I don’t see why you can’t live with the non-removable 2300mAh battery. A lot also depends on software implementation and optimization, so perhaps check a few user reviews before deciding. 😀

    • Guest
      August 21, 2014

      Hi Yash, thank you for your answer. I agree the MI4 seems to be a really great phone but the black version isn’t available yet. The huge advantage with Xiaomi is the regular software updates for their recent devices. Regarding the battery of the Z7 Mini, I am a bit scared about its capacity to boost the phone after a few months use. One friend told me about the Redmi 1S WCDMA version which is a good quality device for its price. Maybe I should get a Redmi 1S because I am a bit lost with all the announcements going around. Thanks again!

    • Guest
      August 21, 2014

      Hi Yash, thank you for your answer. I agree the MI4 seems to be a really great phone but the black version isn’t available yet. The huge advantage with Xiaomi is the regular software updates for their recent devices. Regarding the battery of the Z7 Mini, I am a bit scared about its capacity to boost the phone after a few months use. One friend told me about the Redmi 1S WCDMA version which is a good quality device for its price. Maybe I should get a Redmi 1S because I am a bit lost with all the announcements going around. Thanks again!

    • Yash Garg
      August 21, 2014

      My pleasure 🙂 You could also consider the Mi 2S which is another great phone. Here’s a Redmi 1S review that we did some time back, hope it helps: http://www.gizchina.com/2014/06/05/review-fortnight-xiaomi-redmi-1s-quite-rounder/
      Cheers!

  3. Sharlamov
    August 23, 2014

    Hi Yash, do you happen to know the situation about Nubia z7 max device. I think that it ids awesome device and I have actually preodered it on Ali express however it is still not in stock. I wonder what is the issue to manufacture the enough amount of devices to satisfy the market needs.

  4. Guest
    August 23, 2014

    Hi Yash, do you happen to know the situation about Nubia z7 max device. I think that it ids awesome device and I have actually preodered it on Ali express however it is still not in stock. I wonder what is the issue to manufacture the enough amount of devices to satisfy the market needs.