Another comparison review. This time, it’s the battle between the premium Ninetology U9 Z1+ vs Lenovo K900, the current high-end smartphone by Lenovo.
Ninetology has come out with many new devices to add on to their arsenal. This time around, the new ones are codenamed “U9” for all their new models. Ranging from entry level such as the Q1 and the P1, to the mid range ones like the X1 and Z1. In this review, I’ve tested their current best…the U9 Z1+.
The Z1+ feels premium, thanks to the “Aluminium Mid-Housing Bezel” which allows rough handling and thus making the phone more sturdy.
The phone does feel solid. I really like the size which is not too big and not too small. The Corning Gorilla Glass gives the extra protection on the surface.
Now, moving on to the comparison review. Here is the brief specification and some images for the Ninetology U9 Z1+.
Ninetology U9 Z1+
- Platform
Chipset: MediaTek MT6589 Cortex-A7
CPU: Quad-core 1.2GHz
GPU: PowerVR SGX544 - Operating System
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean - Memory
Internal: 16GB ROM with 1GB RAM
External: MicroSD Up to 32GB - Display
Size: 5.0 inch
Resolution: 720 x 1280 HD
Corning Gorilla Glass 2, Capacitive multi touch point, IPS Touch Screen. - Camera
Rear Camera: 13 MP
Front Camera: 5 MP - Camera Features
F2.2 Aperture, Autofocus, HDR, Continuous shot(up to 99 shots), Smile & Face detection, Anti-Shake, Quick Panorama. Front: Self timer, BEAUTY mode - Connectivity
Dual SIM support on GSM/HSDPA network.
The big sized box comes standard for every single one of Ninetology’s U9 series phones.
We can find all the usual things inside the box such as the USB charger, manuals and obviously the phone itself. But in this case, the Z1+ also comes with 2 extra special goodies, a World Travel Adapter made by Skross and a 4,200 mAh power bank. I don’t have the power bank when I got the review unit as it was being used elsewhere. And I will get to the Skross travel charger later on.
As usual, Ninetology phones uses dual SIM for full convenience. As for the battery, 2,000 mAh last me about a full day use. Just nice to cover 10 hours of standby and usage.
The camera on the Z1+ is quite good. Also comes with the LED flash but the brightness is just so-so. And here we can see the aluminium mid-housing bezel clearly in this one.
Moving on to the contender. Lenovo K900.
Lenovo K900
- Platform
Chipset: Intel Atom Z2580
CPU: Dual-core 2.0 GHz
GPU: PowerVR SGX544 - Operating System
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean - Memory
Internal: 16/32GB ROM with 2GB RAM
External: None - Display
Size: 5.5 inches
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi)
Corning Gorilla Glass 2, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen - Camera
Rear Camera: 13 MP
Front Camera: 2 MP - Camera Features
autofocus, dual-LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection - Connectivity
Dual SIM support on GSM/HSDPA network.
I really like the box that houses the K900. By one look, we can tell that it is a premium phone. And the K900 is powered by Intel Atom processor, which is a totally different chipset than all those I’ve reviewed recently. The 2GB of RAM helps a lot too. Using this phone is a breeze. But if you stay online too long, it tends to heat up a little bit at the rear top area, where the antenna is. This is probably due to the (almost) solid aluminium casing.
Standard stuffs inside the box…USB charger, earphone, extra ear buds and manuals.
The heated area that I mentioned earlier is located near the camera at the back of the phone. The heat is quite noticeable after long use. But it’s not really hot that you can cook an egg on it.
Took me a while to look for this. At first I didn’t notice the pin inside the box. And I was wondering how do I open the SIM slot. Good thing I double checked the box again and found the pin neatly in its place under the inner box cover.
The K900 really works well even under stress. I loaded as much apps as I can in the phone and it still performs well and is very stable. Quick and responsive, that’s how I would describe it.
