Mar 21

NUU Mobile X4 Screen
NUU Mobile X4 Smartphone

A 5” pure Android Lollipop smartphone experience for less than $170 seems unlikely right? Save hundreds with this GSM enabled and unlocked 4G LTE dual SIM smartphone with an HD screen. That is exactly what NUU Mobile has designed with their new X4.

Overview


NUU Mobile X4 Smartphone Unboxing

What you will notice about NUU Mobile’s X4 Android 4G LTE dual SIM unlocked phone right away is its design change over all other NUU Mobile devices. It has a premium feeling metal alloy band that protects the device. This single design addition makes it feel much more luxurious than it costs.

NUU Mobile X4 Dual SIM Unlocked
NUU Mobile X4 Dual SIM Unlocked

Pop in nearly any SIM and enjoy 4G LTE data from your favorite cellular provider. It comes unlocked at an excellent value at $169.99. Easily switch between the SIMs via a pre-installed Android app and avoid high roaming charges.

Disclosure: I received the X4 smartphone at no cost for review from NUU Mobile. I have not compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Photos are courtesy of NUU Mobile unless otherwise noted.

NUU Mobile X4 Metal Frame
NUU Mobile X4 Metal Frame

NUU Mobile’s unlocked dual SIM smartphone beats what is currently on the market with the X4, for specs and value. The form factor of the X4 is reminds me of a smaller Galaxy Note 5 smartphone as it has curved back edges. Its micro USB port is located on the top, headphone jack on the top right, volume rocker on the left and the power button on the right side.

Screen brightness is good and meets other premium smartphones many times its price. I enjoyed streaming several of my favorite TV shows via network TV apps. They loaded quickly over a 4G LTE GSM connection and even faster over my WiFi connection to the X4.

A pure Android Lollipop 5.1 experience is pre-installed and all features worked well enough with its MediaTek 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of ROM. Most low range phones come with half of the available ROM storage space. The X4 beats other mid-range competitors with a faster MediaTek processor. 16 GB of ROM should provide enough storage for another system upgrade.

NUU Mobile Smartphone Front Back
NUU Mobile Smartphone Front & Back

A NUU Mobile Android firmware update app is integrated into the settings panel to help notify users when new software is available for download. This cell phone has already received a firmware update during my review term and the company promises to stay on top of them. Firmware updates are what is missing from many of the budget smartphone makers. This is another good reason to buy a NUU Mobile phone.

Testing its 4G LTE dual SIM card functionality was easy. The settings for each SIM are pre-programmed for multiple US carriers. Carrier access point names or APNs can be entered manually when using a SIM from outside of the US. There are screen icons showing connection and signal strength for each SIM. Each SIM card slot offers a 4G LTE connection.

Calls were clear in multiple test environments. Carriers are mostly responsible for call quality. Your experience with calls and data speeds will depend on the cell site you are connected to at any given time. The X4 can operate on LTE band 12, which T-Mobile uses for its expanded wireless network.

NUU Mobile X4 Camera
NUU Mobile X4 Camera

Selfies with the X4 look better than what most other phones can produce with its 5MP forward facing camera. Even today, smartphones from budget smartphone makers do not add a front camera. The rear camera has a low light sensor and is capable of producing 13MP photos. The rear camera was able to focus quickly. It has an HDR and panoramic photo modes.

NUU Mobile X4 Air Gestures
NUU Mobile X4 Air Gestures

One would expect that features on a mid-ranged smartphone would end there. Several of the most fun technologies on the X4 is its SmartWake and Air Gestures. The phone can be unlocked directly into the Chrome web browser by drawing an ‘e’ on the screen while it is locked. If I am in the standard gallery app, swiping the hand over the top sensor scrolls through photos. The swiping gesture also works in the FM Radio app.

NUU Mobile X4 Smartphone Side
NUU Mobile X4 Smartphone Side

A dual 4G LTE cellular connection, 294 pixels-per-inch 1280 X 720 HD resolution screen, 1GB of RAM and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi with a micro SD slot capable of supporting 32 GB, shows that NUU Mobile knows what consumers want in a mid-range Android smartphone. The value for what you get with the X4 is high. Finally, this is an Android smartphone that you can get with a large 5” screen and all of the specs for less than $170 at an off contract price.

Final Thoughts

At the price of $169.99, the NUU Mobile X4 is a wonderful purchase for someone who needs dual SIM card slots, multiple 4G LTE connections and a large clear screen. Two SIM card slots helps to take the second phone out of your pocket and still keep work and personal separate. Going international with this smartphone is easy.

Included in the package are a USB wall charger, a Micro USB cable, a wired headset, a quick start guide and a 2250 mAh removable battery. The screen is crisp and the photos it takes are sharp from its 13MP low light sensor. The pixels-per-inch were more than what I could have hoped for and having a HD display saves on battery life over phones with quad HD displays. I like that they kept up with firmware releases that fixed security threats to Android. NUU Mobile has designed a finely crafted metal alloy band around the X4 that makes it feel rich while keeping its cost down.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pros:

  • 5” HD Screen
  • Dual 4G LTE SIM Slots
  • Removable 2,250 mAh Battery
  • microSD Expansion Slot Up To 32 GB
  • Unlocked For Any GSM Carrier
  • 13MP Camera With Low Light Sensor
  • Metal Alloy Band
  • Air Gestures & SmartWake

Cons:

  • No NFC for sharing or contactless purchasing
  • No Wireless Charging

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