Nubia M2 Play review: At Rs 8,999 it's a minor steal

It has all the smartphone features albeit on a level where patience is required

The world is essentially divided into two kinds of people: Those who can afford an iPhone and those who can't. Thankfully, the latter kind have a bevy of choices, mostly from the Chinese market. At Rs 8,999 Nubia M2 Play, another Chinese player trying to break into the Indian shores, offers best of the Android world provided you don't expect supreme performance. 

For a phone with 3000 mAh battery, it drains quite quickly even when static. The 13 MP rear camera is just about functional enough to say "i woz here". However, getting a 5.5-inch screen at this price makes it a minor steal. 

The home button is a clunky affair as is the norm with phones available at this price. 

Apps work just about fine and its octa-core processor withstands quite a few apps operating in unison. 

At this price range, the phone stacks up very well. However, I don't see serious gamers or those looking to become Instagram celebrities lapping this up. 

It's more like a dad phone or something for a first time user to get a hang of Android ecosystem before buying a more sophisticated phone. 

Screen-split feature is an irritant but you are getting 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory at a price that would have been unthinkable 12 months ago. Android 7.1 OS goes well with the specs on offer.

With an expandable memory of upto 128 GB, Nubia M2 Play stands out from rest of its peers. All in all, go for this phone if this is what your budget is. To think of it, iPhone doesn't have a back button.