The famous UMI, which recently took a new name, released the second generation of the flagship Umi Z series. Quite interesting and popular smartphones have undergone some external changes to suit the design of the latest iPhone, acquired spectacular colors and older processor models.
But the most important thing is that they still offer flagship equipment for adequate money. It's time to take a closer look.
Specifications
| Name | Umi Z2/Z2 Pro |
| CPU | Mediatek Helio P23 |
| 3D accelerator | Mali G71 MP2 |
| operating system | Android 8.1 |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Inner memory | 64 GB |
| Expansion slots | TF cards, support flash cards up to 256 GB |
| Screen | 6.2-inch, Sharp IGZO/AMOLED, 2246 x 1080 px, 2.5D |
| Sensor type | Capacitive, multi-touch |
| Net | LTE/WCDMA/GSM |
| Number of SIM cards | 2 SIM cards |
| Wireless connection | WIFI (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Sensors | fingerprint scanner, gyroscope, light sensor, accelerometer, electronic compass |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS |
| Camera | Front camera 16 MP + 8 MP, ƒ/2.0, rear camera 16 MP + 8 MP, autofocus, dual flash |
| Radio | Yes, with headset inserted |
| Sound | Awinic AW8738, built-in speakers, built-in microphone |
| Ports | USB Type-C |
| Battery capacity | 4050 mAh |
| Dimensions | 153×74.4×8.3 mm |
| Weight | 165 grams |
Equipment
The UMIDIGI Z2 Pro comes with a case, a protective film already applied to the display, a USB-C cable, a 3.5 mm adapter, a fast charging unit, a wireless charger and documentation.
Appearance
The smartphone is available in three versions: carbon and gradient for $299.99, and ceramic for $359.99. The top version of the UMIDIGI Z2 Pro reviewed is made of ceramic, so the smartphone is scratch-resistant, and the twilight color gradient adds to its attractiveness.
The smartphone is simultaneously similar to all current flagships, but especially to the iPhone X and Huawei P20 Pro. The similarity of the front panel with an Apple device is a normal phenomenon for everyone today, but there is a clear bias under Huawei P20 Pro looks quite strange, because the “twilight” color is not even a name here changed.
The front panel is almost entirely occupied by a screen with a cutout, in the upper part of which a dual front camera, a proximity sensor and an event indicator are hidden.
The back panel is smooth, even slippery. There is a dual camera with flash on it, and a fingerprint scanner is located under the lenses.
The sides of the case are smoothed, as are the corners. Thus, the manufacturer has achieved a fairly high level of convenience: despite its dimensions, the device easily fits into any hand, even a child’s.
Management - classic. On one side there is a volume rocker and a power button, on the other there is a combined double slot for 2 sim or 1 sim + microSD.
At the bottom end between 2 grilles (behind one is a microphone, behind the other is an external speaker) there is a USB-C connector. The headphone port, out of habit, ended up on the top edge.
Display
Almost 90% of the front panel of UMIDIGI Z2 Pro is occupied by a 6.2-inch screen with a cutout at the top. Thanks to the thin bezels around the display, the smartphone feels like a 5.5-inch device in your hand.
The screen chosen is an AMOLED matrix manufactured by Sharp with all that it implies. The picture is superb and the contrast is infinite - blacks are truly black as the LEDs to display them are turned off.
High brightness allows you to use the new product even under the brightest sunlight. Glare is minimal - the screen is protected not only by tempered Gorilla Glass, but also by an anti-reflective coating with an oleophobic effect. It's a pity that the back cover didn't receive this, and zealously collects prints.
Hardware capabilities
UMIDIGI Z2 Pro is equipped with the latest MediaTek Helio P60 chip with eight cores and a dedicated AI unit. Compared to its predecessor, Helio P20 has become 60% more productive and 12% more energy efficient.
Since the smartphone uses a top-end MediaTek processor, and not another Quallcomm monster, its place in the battle of “parrots” is approximately in the middle. However, the performance is enough even for PUBG at maximum.
It is worth noting that the P60, unlike flagship Snapdragons, is not subject to throttling and overheating, so it allows you to play without interruptions.
The smartphone is also equipped with 6 GB of LPDDR4 RAM (frequency 1,800 MHz). Enough for a couple of years even with active work in several “heavy” applications.
The device received 128 GB of memory storage even in the basic configuration, there are no options. But there is a slot for a microSD memory card.
operating system
The device comes with a clean version of Android 8.1 Oreo without any unnecessary apps or pop-up notifications. No apps, no services. Everything is clean and hassle-free: nothing runs in the background without the user's knowledge, no wasted battery power and no performance degradation.
Further support is promised by the manufacturer for 2 years.
Cameras
On the back there is a dual photo module with a resolution of 16+8 megapixels, an f/1.7 aperture and a pixel size of 1.12 microns.
Interestingly, the gadget has similar camera modules installed on the front side.
UMIDIGI Z2 Pro supports real-time HDR display, so the user can see exactly what they are shooting. However, even without it, cameras can easily cope even with shooting in poor lighting conditions.
Portraits come out well, but, like other “Chinese” cameras, the automation sometimes blurs the background too much.
Sound
Although the UMIDIGI Z2 Pro does not claim to be a “music smartphone” and does not boast the names of cool DACs in its specifications, its sound is very good.
The external speaker is loud and clear – both for ringtone and speakerphone. The same can be said about spoken language, although at certain moments it can color the speaker's voice in metallic tones.
The sound in the headphones is excellent thanks to the Wolfson 8821 DAC integrated into the processor. This cheap but very reliable unit perfectly digests even Losseless files. The sound track is good, so the Z2 can be safely recommended for listening to music.
Battery
The capacity of the battery built into the UMIDIGI Z2 Pro is an impressive 4050 mAh, and it supports fast charging - via cable with a power of 18 W and wireless (Qi standard) with power 15 W.
It will take 70 minutes to charge your smartphone wired, 100 minutes wirelessly. The platform is included in the package and is suitable for any other smartphones.
Thanks to the energy-efficient processor and clean OS, the smartphone can work for 2 days in mixed mode. Synthetic scripts give the following results:
- Watching video from memory – 12 hours,
- Watching videos over WiFi – 10 hours,
- Internet surfing 4G – 9 hours,
- 3D games – 5 hours.
These are very good numbers for a modern flagship.
conclusions
Despite its pure Chinese origin without the participation of famous developers, UMIDIGI Z2 Pro has become a very interesting option for those who are planning to change their smartphone in the near future.
It has a powerful but energy-efficient filling, an excellent performance reserve for the future and a catchy appearance that combines all the popular trends of the year. In addition, the Z2 Pro stands out from many competitors by supporting all the necessary wireless interfaces, including charging.
This rich model has only one drawback – the price. The ceramic version reviewed here costs $359.99. There are plenty of competitors in this price range - from Xiaomi Mi 8 to Huawei P10/P20. However, they are almost $60-$100 more expensive.
Another thing is the junior version with a glass back cover. For $299.99, the only option other than the UMIDIGI Z2 Pro is the Xiaomi Mi Note 3, but it has been discontinued. Therefore, you know that you should hurry up and purchase the gadget at the current price valid at the start of sales.
