UMi share their inspiration behind the UMi Z

This year has probably been the best year in UMi's short history; in 2016 they dedicated their hearts developing towards global markets and created products that made users satisfied all over the world.

Starting with the UMi Touch, their first user-defined smartphone, which was built with the help and suggestions of their loyal customers. After that they followed up with the UMi Super, Max, Plus and Plus E, which represents their top-end product this year.

UMi share their inspiration behind the UMi Z

[su_quote cite="UMi"]It has been a colorful journey, thanks to all of your support, we made stronger models one after one. Now we can close the year of 2016 with our latest model that represents our growth and future direction into 2017, which is going to be another exciting journey![/su_quote]

This model is the UMi Z, which will be UMi's latest high-end smartphone of 2016 and will surely come with some impressive specifications.

[su_quote cite="UMi"] bear in mind that this model is thoughtfully designed with a very simple but precise objective: Deliver the most comprehensive and satisfying User Experience the best we can. [/su_quote]

With this in mind, let's see how they decided what hardware to use on the UMi Z

Processor

The UMi Z will come with the top-of-the-line MediaTek processor, i.e. the Helio X27 clocked at 2.6Ghz. Which as we have talked on this site before, is momentarily only available to LeEco for the Chinese market and UMi for the global market. This partnership exists because of the successful deal they previously had on the Helio P20 running n the UMi Plus E.

The Helio X27 is not just very powerful but also uses the Tri-Cluster CPU architecture which allows the CPU to activate the most powerful cores only when necessary, while using the more energy-saving ones for simpler tasks.

Battery

UMi decided to go with a 3780mAh high quality battery made by Sony. Which could leave some people asking: why not 4000mAh? UMi's answer is simple:

[su_quote cite="UMi"]this slightly smaller unit allowed us to better optimize internal space and dimensions, and reduce body weight. Moreover, since the X27 has the tri-cluster technology for optimizing power consumption, overall battery duration is even bigger than many 4000mAh phones in the market! Thanks to quick charging PE+, you will be on your feet again within a matter of coffee break. [/su_quote]

Design

As mentioned earlier, the smaller battery allowed them to make a lighter device and reduce its dimensions. But that's not all, according to UMi:

[su_quote cite="UMi"]we had more room for internal components, for a better assembly, which brings to better thermal management.[/su_quote]

This is also the first time of a full metal body on an UMi smartphone, which will sure give the device a more premium feel in hands and make it more solid. They redefined it with 3D nano cutting technology to follow the natural curve of the hand.

Cameras

For it to be a real flagship you can't skimp on the selfie camera, that is why UMi went with a 13.0MP camera with a Samsung S5K3L8 sensor both on the front and on the back of the phone. According to UMi, with this high quality sensor you'll be able to take great selfies with the help of soft light.

The rear camera also has PDAF laser autofocus and image stabilization, focusing will be fast with the latest MediaTek ISP technology. The 4 LED dual tone flash should allow to get natural colors in different light conditions.

[su_quote cite="UMi"]We don’t want to sacrifice those features by choosing a 16mpx or 21mpx sensor, because the megapixels are not as important as a well implemented sensor![/su_quote]

Audio

The UMi Z includes the premium NXP® TFA9890 speaker driver IC, which enables a 9.5V boost voltage from an integrated DC/DC converter. Increasing the voltage headroom in the audio driver IC prevents amplifier clipping and keeps sound quality high at maximum volume.

[su_quote cite="UMi"]The most powerful driver yet for micro speakers, the TFA9890 makes a clear improvement to the sound output and quality of mobiles, so you obviously find it on Z![/su_quote]

Display

The UMi Z sports a LTPS IGZO FHD 441 PPI 5.5-inch display manufactured by SHARP, with a high color-saturation 95% NTSC gamut unit with 17% better overall color saturation for a richer viewing experience.

The display is protected by Dragontrail glass, an innovative glass that best suits new generation mobile devices since it has qualities that are superior to common glass and plastic in all areas of strength, scratch resistance, and texture.

Software

UMi says they already have the possibility of releasing the phone with Android 7 Nougat out of the box, but they think this newer version is still not as stable and mature as Android 6, so they prefer to release the phone with the most stable version (Marshmallow) and update it to Nougat in upcoming months.

That was the story of the UMi Z, showing us which hardware and software they picked and why. The presale of the smartphone will begin on December 26th with a listing price of $279.99.