Nubian M2 review: Not only dual cameras, other highlights are also great

IT168 Review Regarding the Nubia brand, I believe that what impresses you most is the rich camera functions and good imaging quality of Nubia mobile phones. In 2016, when the dual-camera concept was the most popular, Nubia, as the pioneer of professional photography, did not follow the trend and release products using dual lenses. Such a move undoubtedly made many users, including the author, speculate whether Nubia Holding back his ultimate move. Recently, Nubia officially released its first dual-lens product, the Nubia M2, at its spring new product launch conference.

At Nubia’s spring conference on March 21, Nubia general manager Ni Fei explained to us the reasons why Nubia, which focuses on taking pictures, did not follow the trend: Although dual cameras were launched in 2016 The second half of the year is quite popular. But the actual photography experience still cannot meet Nubia’s actual requirements for mobile photography. Therefore, we did not see any new products equipped with dual cameras in 2016. Until the new product Nubia M2 was released this time, we finally saw dual cameras added to the new product. This also means that the optimization of the dual cameras has met Nubia’s requirements, so the camera performance of this new product is quite worth looking forward to. .

▲Nubian M2 configuration information

Judging from the parameter list, the Nubia M2 released this time is not an enthusiast-level product. Nubia M2 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 eight-core processor with balanced performance. While ensuring a certain performance, the Snapdragon 625 has excellent power consumption control capabilities. In addition, the storage combination of 4GB+64GB/128GB also meets the current needs of users. Of course, the 13-megapixel rear dual camera and 16-megapixel front camera are very powerful in terms of parameters. In addition, Nubia M2 also has a larger battery and stronger fast charging. From this, it seems that this product is quite sincere.

Nubia M2 appearance: exquisite full metal, front fingerprint recognition

At the press conference, Mr. Ni said that Nubia M2 is an orthodox sequel born out of the Prague series . Therefore, in terms of appearance design, we can see some design elements inherited from Bragg, such as 2.5D glass, rounded shape, slim thickness, etc. However, the editor feels that compared to Prague’s literary and fresh design concept, the overall appearance of the Nubia M2, as an orthodox sequel, is relatively mediocre.

▲Nubian M2

The Nubia M2 has a body size of 154.5mm × 75.9mm × 7.0mm and a weight of only 168g. This parameter is higher than that of the same 5.5-inch screen. The product is quite excellent. In addition, the 2.5D curved glass covering the front not only maintains the rounded style of the fuselage, but also gives it a higher appearance.

▲Nubian M2

Nubian M2 adopts metal one-piece molding process, fine sandblasting process, and the arc formed after repeated polishing can fit the palm of your hand. , the actual feel is quite excellent. In addition, although the Z series' bezel-less design is not used as a selling point, the Nubia M2's control of black borders has also reached a very high level.

▲Nubian M2

The biggest difference in design style between Nubia M2 and other Nubia phones is that it is the first Nubia to be equipped with a front-facing fingerprint recognition module Asian mobile phone. And Nubia’s iconic little red circle has also been retained. It should be noted that the Nubia M2 still uses Nubia’s traditional button design, and the middle HOME button only has the function of returning to the homepage.

▲Nubian M2

In terms of camera, Nubia M2 is its first product with dual lenses. The two cameras are placed parallel to the left side of the fuselage and wrapped in red metal. The ring seems to tell us that this is a Nubia. In terms of parameters, it uses dual 13-megapixel main cameras from Sony, one of which is responsible for recording color, and the other is responsible for recording black and white, which is the "black color" dual-camera solution we often mention.

▲Nubian M2

The Type-C data interface is selected at the bottom of the fuselage, which can realize front and back blind insertion, which is convenient and efficient, and Nubia has also added It adopts the new NeoCharge low-voltage fast charging technology and has a maximum charging power of 26W. Compared with the current common high-voltage fast charging technology, low-voltage fast charging can effectively reduce heating during the charging process and is undoubtedly safer.

More product details:

Overall, the appearance of Nubia M2 is a little less individual than the predecessor Prague series products. Of course, the sleek appearance inherited from Prague And the excellent body thickness and 2.5D curved glass give it a good appearance. The fine metal sandblasting and smooth border transition also make it very comfortable to hold.

Nubia M2 photography: How is the performance of the first dual camera?

After half a year of research, Nubia finally launched a product equipped with dual cameras. This also makes the author full of expectations for the camera of Nubia M2. It is equipped with two 13-megapixel main cameras. Each CMOS is from Sony, using a black and color dual-camera solution. It supports a hybrid focusing system composed of PDAF + contrast focusing, and the fastest focusing speed reaches 0.1s.

In addition, due to the use of two cameras with the same pixel size, the black color scheme has greater advantages than the depth of field scheme in all aspects. Is the performance of the Nubia M2 worth our wait? The answer is revealed below.

▲Nubian M2

A brief introduction to the two mainstream dual-camera solutions currently on the market: a dual-camera solution in which one of them handles color and the other handles black and white. , referred to as black and color dual camera, basically uses two cameras with the same pixels to form a lens group. The dual-camera solution consists of a large-pixel main lens to record images and a small-pixel secondary camera to record depth of field information, which is referred to as depth-of-field dual camera. Because of this, there is also a debate about "true and false dual cameras" between them, and it has become the focus of heated discussions among netizens. Nubia M2 uses the more popular black and color dual cameras.

▲Nubian Camera Interface

Nubian M2 uses the customized Nubia Neo Vision6.5 shooting system. The shooting interface is as friendly as ever, and many commonly used functions are listed directly. On the viewfinder interface, users can use it. In addition, by clicking the settings button in the upper left corner, we can also modify the basic settings of the camera.

▲ Richer camera settings

Since Nubia M2 is Nubia’s first product equipped with dual cameras, Nubia has really improved its camera capabilities. With great efforts, new functions such as black and white camera, stereo camera and zoom camera bring a lot of fun, and dual-camera functions such as taking pictures first and then focusing and adjusting the aperture are also perfectly integrated into Neo Vision6. among.

Sample analysis: (pictures are only compressed)

▲Nubian M2 daytime sample

▲Nubian M2 daytime sample

▲Nubian M2 daytime proofs

Under sufficient light conditions, Nubia M2 has quite good color reproduction capabilities. The overall brightness of the picture is very close to what is visible to the naked eye, and in terms of details, it can It can be seen that Nubia M2’s detail restoration ability is also quite good. Objects are still relatively clear after 200% magnification.

▲Nubian M2 night proofs

▲Nubian M2 night proofs

▲Nubian M2 night proofs

And At night and in relatively dark environments, thanks to the dual black and color cameras, the Nubia M2 can also maintain quite good imaging quality, both in terms of the overall picture quality and its anti-halation ability. After zooming in, you can see that although it is night, the detail restoration of the Nubia M2 is quite good. From this aspect, it can also be seen that Nubia has worked hard to optimize the dual-camera experience.

Dual-shot blur:

▲Double-shot blur (before blur)

▲Double-shot blur (after blur)

As the main function of dual-camera mobile phones, background blur has always been the first experience of whether dual-camera mobile phones are good or not. The Nubia M2 still needs to make more efforts in this regard. Judging from the proofs, the "virtual line" between the person and the background is still relatively obvious, which requires Nubia to further optimize the algorithm.

Stereo camera:

▲Stereo camera

In addition to professional functions, Nubia has also added a stereo camera function, which has an experience similar to VR, but different from VR, can capture three-dimensional images by moving a mobile phone. After experience, this function can record up to 360-degree horizontal (vertical) image data, which is very interesting.

More proofs:

▲Selfie proofs

▲Macro camera

Although this is the first Nubia phone equipped with dual Photography products, but photography is Nubia’s advantage project and even its brand gene. How to take good photos has long been Nubia’s top priority. Coupled with Nubia's years of accumulation in camera functions and algorithms, the actual performance of Nubia M2 this time is quite good. In addition to the background blur that still needs to be improved, it is still quite competitive in daily and night photography. of. In addition, the new interesting functions of Nubia NeoVision 6.5 camera system such as stereo camera and zoom camera also make taking pictures more interesting.

Nubia M2 system: customized nubia UI4.0

Nubia M2 is equipped with Nubia UI4.0 based on deep optimization (based on Android 6.0). From the interface design point of view, Nubia has redrawn a new set of ICONs specifically for the Nubia M2. More colors and shadow effects are added to the traditional flat design to make the ICON more vibrant. Many "game playing methods" in Nubia UI4.0 have been optimized and inherited, such as red envelope assistant, super screenshot, one-handed mode, smart split screen and other practical functions.

▲Brand-new UI design

For this new set of ICONs, the author believes that this is a more mature performance of Nubia in UI design, adding pseudo-images to the consistent flat style. Materialized elements make the entire UI come alive. From the UI design of Nubia M2, we can see Nubia’s maturity in design. It can be said that this UI has found a good balance between flatness and skeuomorphism.

Edge gestures:

▲Edge gestures

As one of Nubia’s signature features, edge gestures have received praise from many Nubia users as soon as they were launched. welcome. Compared with other interaction methods, this control method effectively uses the edge of the screen to quickly operate your phone through different edge gestures. It can be said that this function can effectively improve the user's efficiency and allow users to operate faster and more accurately. Switching the corresponding applications makes the phone more relevant to daily work and life.

Super screenshot:

▲Nubian M2 super screenshot

As one of the key features in Nubia UI4.0, the author said that Nubia Ya's super screenshot function is very practical and can be called a function that you can't go back to once you use it. It has three functions: long screenshot, free screenshot and screen recording. Compared with the same functions of other brands, Nubia's super screenshot function can be used by anyone who knows the basics of screenshots, and the experience of the three functions is quite perfect, especially The screen recording function, in addition to quickly recording the required pages or documents on the screen, can also record the sounds of the surrounding environment so that you do not miss any details.

Red envelope assistant:

▲Red envelope assistant

In Nubia UI4.0, the red envelope assistant has become one of the standard functions. Compared with its type Red Envelope Assistant, the optimization work of Nubia M2’s Red Envelope Assistant is indeed worthy of praise. During the author’s week of use, the “second reminder” can be realized regardless of network status or WIFI status, which is something that many third-party red envelope assistants cannot do. And regardless of whether the screen is off or unlocked, as long as there is a red envelope, the Red Envelope Assistant will light up the screen and pop up a red envelope reminder box with a prompt sound. You only need to click to grab it.

App clones:

▲App clones support more APPs

In Nubia M2, the app clone function has been updated. Compared with the previous one, it only supported QQ. , WeChat and a few other chat applications. The application clone function of Nubia M2 has also been upgraded. Currently, it officially supports more APPs, especially in terms of game support. For games with large and small sizes like the editor, Players save the trouble of bringing an extra mobile phone, and dual-player games are no longer a dream.

Screen-off payment:

▲Nubian M2 screen-based payment

The screen-based payment function has also been officially launched with the release of Nubia M2. If you need to enter a specific fingerprint, you can directly enter the QR code scanning interface of the corresponding APP. In actual experience, both the corresponding speed and accuracy are quite good. But one thing to note is that currently the Nubia M2 can only save 5 fingerprints. As more apps support this function in the future, 5 fingerprints will definitely not be enough.

Generally speaking, Nubia UI4.0 equipped with Nubia M2 has been more optimized and updated than the previous version. The new ICON makes the UI interface style more dynamic and excellent. The integration of functions also allows Nubia M2 to basically meet all usage scenarios. In the mobile phone market where customized UI is rampant, Nubia UI has many special functions to meet the actual needs of users. Nubia has still made great efforts in this aspect of UI.

Nubian M2 performance: Snapdragon 625 performance meets daily needs

Nubian M2 is equipped with Snapdragon 625 processor from Qualcomm. As the first 6 series, it uses 14nm FinFET process The product adopts the A53 architecture and has eight parallel cores with a main frequency of 2.0Ghz. And Snapdragon 625 has a built-in X9 LTE ??baseband, which supports 300Mbps download speed and 150MBps upload speed. It is the first chip in the 6 series to support 4G+ full Netcom. In terms of network, it has greater advantages than products of the same level.

▲Snapdragon 625 processor

As for the GPU, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor is equipped with the Qualcomm Adreno 506 GPU and has the latest UBWC (Universal Bandwidth Compression) technology, which can Reduce unnecessary power consumption during GPU operations to achieve higher energy consumption ratio. Simply put, Snapdragon 625 can be used in many mid-to-high-end mobile phones, and its excellent network support and power consumption control are definitely plus points.

General performance test:

▲AnTuTu running score

▲Geekbench running score

From the actual AnTuTu running score It seems that Nubia M2 has demonstrated the actual performance of Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, and its score of 62481 points is at the upper-middle level of current mobile phone performance. In the Geekbench running score, although the single-core score of Snapdragon 625 is only 836 points, the multi-core running score has reached a high score of 4111 points. Thanks to the excellent 14nm process and the frequency of up to 2.0Ghz, in the multi-core In terms of performance, Snapdragon 625 is basically consistent with high-end chips.

▲PCmark

In the PCmark Work Performance 2.0 test, the Snapdragon 625 scored 4817 points, compared to the Snapdragon 615 which only scored over 3000 points/MediaTek Halio P10 which only scored around 3500 points. The performance advantage is quite obvious.

And we can also see from the curve that when simulating daily tasks, the temperature of the Snapdragon 625 remains in a fairly stable state, which also reflects the excellent heat dissipation capabilities of the Nubia M2.

Game performance test:

▲3Dmark theory test

In the 3Dmark game theory test, the performance of Nubia M2 was also in line with expectations, with a score of 465. Currently, mobile phone GPU performance is in the mid-range ranks. Of course, theoretical scores don't mean anything. Now let’s take a look at the actual test of the game.

▲Game actual test (Honor of Kings)

▲Game actual test (Dragon Nest)

In the actual game experience, the performance of Nubia M2 is consistent with It is expected that in Honor of Kings, whether it is replenishing troops or team battles, the performance is very smooth, and the frame rate record shows that the frame rate has remained at 30fps throughout the game. In the online game Dragon Nest, the performance of the Nubia M2 is also remarkable. Ordinary battle scenes basically do not stutter. Only in areas with many players in the main city will I feel the stutter. In other words, Nubia M2 is enough to play most online games, and even some large games can be played without any problem.

After the entire experience, the performance of Nubia M2 is in line with expectations, and most online games can be played easily. The processor performance is more than adequate at present. And the biggest advantage of the Snapdragon 625 powered by the 14nm process is its excellent energy consumption control and heat control. Regarding this, the author can feel this firsthand after nearly two hours of gaming experience. The back cover of the fuselage only gets slightly warm after playing for a long time.

Nubia M2 charging and battery life: 26W low-voltage fast charging

▲Nubian NeoCharge fast charging

Nubian M2 adopts the new NeoCharge fast charging Charging technology supports charging power up to 5V5.2A (maximum 26W). Compared with traditional high-voltage fast charging technology, NeoCharge uses low-voltage direct charging technology, and the theoretical charging speed is 5 times that of ordinary chargers. And avoid the heating problem of the fuselage caused by the need to reduce pressure in high-pressure solutions. In addition, Nubia M2 is equipped with a 3630mAh high-density and large-capacity battery in a 7mm body. With Neo Power2.5, it is said that it can be used for two days on a single charge. Let’s take a look at how it actually performs as advertised.

Charging test:

▲Nubian M2 fast charging test

Through the test, the advantages brought by low-voltage fast charging are fully experienced, and the author adopted The maximum power of the Qualcomm QC3.0 device is 24W, and when the power is only 2W higher, the Nubia NeoCharge can fully charge the 3630mAh battery in 76 minutes. In contrast, the charging power of devices using Qualcomm QC3.0 plummets due to the heat generated by the body.

Battery life test:

▲Nubian M2 battery life test

Judging from the test results, the performance of Nubia M2 is remarkable, with a standby time of 8 It consumes only 4% of the power per hour, which is a good performance; during the 30-minute video playback, the author adjusted the brightness to the highest level and connected to WIFI, and the actual power consumption was 11%, which means that Nubia can continue to watch online for about 5 hours. Video; after 30 minutes of video shooting and 30 photos, the Nubia M2 consumed 11% and 5% of the power respectively. Simply put, it can shoot videos continuously for 5 hours. Judging from the test data, the battery life of the Nubia M2 is still guaranteed, and it can last for about one and a half to two days under moderate use.

Nubia M2 Review: Summary and Analysis of Advantages and Disadvantages

Speaking of which, as an orthodox sequel to the Prague series, the design concept of Nubia M2 is inspired by the fresh and artistic style of its predecessors. Fan turned to a popular style, and only a trace of the past Prague can be seen in the UI design, which also made many friends who love Prague design sigh silently. Of course, judging from the quality of Nubia M2, Nubia M2 has a fairly balanced performance both in appearance and interior.

▲Nubian M2 review summary

Highlights of Nubia M2:

13-megapixel dual cameras

To be honest, Nubia Biya's dual-camera products launched during this period basically have no hot spots to take advantage of. However, judging from the tests, the dual cameras equipped on the Nubia M2 have quite good quality, and its various camera functions are also ahead of many competitors. It can be said that the launch of M2 has firmly established Nubia as a mobile photography expert.

26W low-voltage fast charging technology (NeoCharge)

Nubian M2 is equipped with a low-voltage fast charging technology called "NeoCharge" for the first time. Compared with other 9V and 12V high-voltage fast charging Solution, the charging power of 5V5.2A (maximum 26W) ensures fast charging power, and the low voltage brings lower heat dissipation requirements, which also allows Nubia M2 to charge while playing without getting hot. advantages.

A more deeply optimized Snapdragon 625

The last Nubia mobile phone I reviewed was the Nubia miniS, which also used Snapdragon 625. At that time, Snapdragon 625 had just been launched. , there will still be some problems during use, but on the Nubia M2, these small problems have all disappeared. It can be said that after debugging a generation of machines, Nubia M2 has demonstrated the absolute performance of Snapdragon 625. And relying on the 14nm process brings extremely high energy consumption ratio, which also gives Nubia M2 a strong battery life.

Disadvantages of Nubia M2:

The background blur of the dual camera still needs to be improved

Speaking of which, the dual camera of Nubia M2 is already equivalent in terms of functions. Perfect, but after actual experience, the author found that the Nubia M2 needs to be improved in terms of background blur (portrait mode). The blur line between the subject and the background is still relatively obvious, which is reminiscent of the first-generation dual-camera Terrible experience, hope it can be improved!

▲Nubian M2

Generally speaking, as Nubia’s first dual-camera product, Nubia M2 continues Nubia’s consistent advantages in taking pictures. , adding more interesting features to the dual-camera depth-optimized Neo Vision6, while giving it better imaging performance. It can be said that the long wait is quite worth it. In addition, although the more popular appearance design style lacks some personality, the round design concept and minimalist design style are not out of date. Moreover, the fine metal material brings a more refined feel, and the slim machine The thickness of the body also adds a lot to it. Of course, the addition of low-voltage fast charging, front-facing fingerprint scanner and other functions make its performance more balanced.