ZTE Nubia Z7 cleverly clones the LG G3 and offers it for less money

By Malarie Gokey Published July 8, 2014

ZTE just released a new high-end smartphone called the Nubia Z7. Although it may not look familiar, the information on its spec sheet should ring a few bells. After all, most of the Nubia Z7’s specifications are exactly the same as LG’s brand-new G3 flagship.

Just like the G3, the Nubia Z7 features a 5.5-inch display with a Quad HD 21560 x 1440 pixel resolution. It’s also powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM. ZTE gave the Nubia Z7 a 13-megapixel camera, which has a f/2.0 aperture with optical image stabilization, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It has 32GB of storage built in The Z7 runs Android 4.4 KitKat with ZTE’s unique Nubia UI 2.0 skin over the top.

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To keep the super high-resolution display going strong, ZTE added a 3000mAh battery and a special feature called Display RAM, which is supposed to limit battery drain. LG has offered a similar feature since it launched the G2. In terms of connectivity, the Nubia Z7 comes with Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, dual SIM support, and FDD LTE.

Overall, the Nubia Z7 has almost all the same specs as the LG G3, but when it comes to appearance, it looks different. The Nubia Z7 has a slightly wider bezel around the display and is also a tad taller than the G3, which could make the device seem large in comparison. The metal edging along the sides makes it look more like an iPhone, but the flat, white back looks vaguely like the white version of the Google Nexus 5.

The only other main difference between ZTE’s Nubia Z7 and the LG G3 is the price tag. At CNY 3,450 or $550 unlocked with no contract, the Z7 is $100 cheaper than the G3. Of course, seeing as the G3 is offered in the United States where smartphone prices are subsidized when purchased with a two-year wireless contract, the overall price difference won’t matter in the States, assuming the Nubia Z7 leaves Asia at all.

ZTE has yet to say whether it will launch the Nubia Z7 in other parts of the world yet, but it is available in China and will probably reach a few other parts of Asia.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…

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