Nubia M2 Lite: Affordable selfie smartphone for millenials (Tech Review)

Aiming to tap the millenials who wish to own camera-specific smartphones, manufactureres are now coming up with devices in sub-Rs 15,000 price band that house top-end camera specifications.

One such Chinese company is Nubia that offers premium camera technology to consumers globally.

After making waves into the Indian smartphone market with camera-centric phones like Z11 and Z17, the company is back with M2 Lite, a mid-range device that claims to redefine the photography experience.

Priced at Rs 13,999, M2 Lite differentiates itself by offering users "NeoVision 6.0" -- a DSLR-like photography system -- taking popular camera-driven handsets like Vivo V5, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and Lenovo K6 Note head on.

Here is what works for the device.

Speaking of aesthetics, like the flagship Z11, Nubia M2 Lite also comes in black and gold finish which is a refreshing change in design that we have been witnessing from other Chinese players.

With 7.5 mm in thickness and weighing 164 grams, the device is slightly heavier than Vivo V5 (that weighs 154 grams). The 5.5-inch HD display is bright and comes to life with slightest touch.

The MT6750 64-bit quadcore processor with 4GB RAM ran smoothly during moderate usage.

For gamers, the device will produce some hiccups while running heavy-graphics games. For basic editing, scrolling through Instagram or watching videos on YouTube, the device delivered a balanced performance.

When it comes to the camera app, Nubia M2 Lite has some interesting features. The special effect filters, specially 'Mucha' and 'Sketch,' worked really well, giving an artistic view of the subject being captured.

The 16MP selfie camera (better than Lenovo K6 Note and Redmi Note 4) produced bright pictures in all conditions with no blur.

Shots taken in low-lit environments had appreciable amount of details without much noise to be seen. Being a sub-Rs 15,000 device, the images captured were impressive. The smartphone sports a 13MP rear camera.

On the software front, it runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow based on Nubia user interface (UI) 4.0.

The company has packed some tricks into the UI to make edges more interactive.

For example, swiping repeatedly from the edges clears background apps and frees up space. Swiping on both edges adjusts brightness. We also liked the fun animations on the screen while performing edge gestures.

What does not work?

The 3,000mAh battery falls short of expectations as compared to Lenovo K6 Note that ran for a day and a half with 4,000mAh battery.

There is no app drawer and like Apple iOS, all apps are located on home screen which true Android fans may not like.

Conclusion: The phone stands out for strong camera and design. Shutterbugs who need a stylish yet affordable phone can consider this device.

(Anuj Sharma can be contacted at anuj.s@ians.in)

--IANS

anuj/na/hs