Smartphones today are often designed for the general public, trying to strike as many birds with the same stone over and over again. From time to time, we do see a few designs that cater to specific audiences, though those often come built like tanks to withstand punishing environments. That’s why it’s quite refreshing to see something like the nubia Music arriving on the scene, though its successor seems to be a little disappointing in one minor way.
Designed to woo music lovers, the nubia Music 2 tries to offer an eye-catching appearance and an unusual set of features that claim to put audio above all else. That may have turned heads at MWC 2024 last year, but the nubia Music 2 might be revealing just how many corners the brand is willing to cut to keep a certain price point, even if it includes one of its two most unique features.
Designer: nubia (ZTE)
What will immediately grab your attention upon seeing the nubia Music 2 is the large circle on the phone’s back that almost looks like a tiny vinyl record. The association is mostly correct, since it’s actually a loudspeaker that completes what nubia bills as a 2.1-channel audio system, with the bottom-firing speaker and earpiece speaker making up the other two. nubia claims it’s capable of reaching up to 95dB volumes, making it perfect for sharing your tunes with a large crowd. That speaker also has some fancy LED strips that pulse to the beat of your music.
When you want a more intimate kind of music sharing, however, the nubia Music 2 will disappoint. Unlike its predecessor’s unique dual headphone jacks, this one comes with a lone 3.5mm port. nubia probably decided that this feature was more of a gimmick that very few audiophiles actually used, so it got left on the cutting room floor. In the grand scheme of things, however, its removal might have done little to actually affect the phone’s price tag.
nubia Music 1
nubia Music 1
Without the unusual 2.1-channel audio system and its funky turntable-inspired design, the nubia Music 2 is pretty much a disappointing entry-level Android phone. You can be forgiven for not being familiar with its Unisoc processor, as it scores significantly lower than MediaTek on the price and performance scale. There’s only 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the large 6.7-inch screen is going to look pixelated with an HD+ resolution, and despite appearances, there’s only one 50MP camera on its back.
All of this is at least packaged with a sub-$90 price tag, which largely explains the mediocre hardware. Ironically, the listening experience might not be all that given how the phone could choke on higher-quality audio files, which will make the potentially capable audio system pointless. nubia is clearly aiming for a niche market of music audiophiles, a group that actually tends to be more demanding and unforgiving when it comes to the equipment they use.
The post nubia Music 2 targets audiophiles, ditches distinctive music-sharing feature first appeared on Yanko Design.