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ZTE Blade V9 Smartphone Review

Are we wandering in the dark? ZTE promises buyers of the Blade V9 better photos in bad lighting. We were not quite convinced by the low-light feature. In this review, we want to clarify whether or not the Blade V9's night shots are still better than those of other smartphones.

ZTE has successfully established its Blade series smartphones as low-priced mid-range devices. Whether it is the Blade V6, Blade V7 or V8, the Chinese manufacturer has always managed to meet the expectation of a low price and comparatively good hardware. Unfortunately, multiple generations of ZTE devices were plagued by issues like bad speakers, bad Wi-Fi and poor camera performance in low-light situations. The ZTE Blade V9 is supposed to improve on all of this. On that account, our current ZTE smartphone is even being advertised for its camera, which is supposed to produce comparatively good pictures in poor lighting conditions.

The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 promises good system performance and the Adreno 506 graphics unit powers multimedia content. In order to make the comparison with other smartphones of this class as meaningful as possible we compare the Blade V9 to phones with a similar price/performance ratio. Therefore, we included the 2017 Samsung Galaxy J7, Lenovo's P2 smartphone and the Huawei P Smart. We will also look at the predecessor ZTE Blade V8 in this comparison.

ZTE Blade V9 (Blade Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 8 x 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.70 inch 2:1, 2160 x 1080 pixel 424 PPI, Capacitive, IPS, FHD+, Incell, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 24 GB free
Connections
Audio Connections: 3.5mm, Card Reader: microSD, up to 256 GB (SIM 2 slot), 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Compass, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Gyroscope, Hall effect sensor, MicroUSB
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM: 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS: 850/900/2100, LTE: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.5 x 151.4 x 70.6 ( = 0.3 x 5.96 x 2.78 in)
Battery
3200 mAh Lithium-Ion, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 25 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 15 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 500 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 600 h
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix Dual lens camera 16MP (Auto) +5MP (Fixed-focus) , f/1.8, 1.12 µm
Secondary Camera: 13 MPix Fixed-focus
Additional features
Speakers: Speaker on the back, Keyboard: Virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, Stereo headset, USB cable, SIM needle, protective shell, 24 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
153 g ( = 5.4 oz / 0.34 pounds), Power Supply: 45 g ( = 1.59 oz / 0.1 pounds)
Price
269 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Let he who is without glass throw the first smartphone

The Blade V9 is available in black and in gold. Both models have rounded off edges and a glass back. The latter makes the ZTE smartphone more slippery. Firmly gripping the edges is imperative to hold the device safely. Additionally, the glass surface is very prone to fingerprints. Our test device is gold-colored and looks very high-quality. The buttons on the left side are held securely and have a nice pressure point. ZTE did not design the battery to be manually replaceable by the customer. If you want to use the dual SIM feature of the phone, you will lose the option of expanding the storage through a MicroSD card. The designated slot only has room for either a second SIM or a MicroSD card.

Size comparison

153 mm / 6.02 inch 76 mm / 2.99 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 177 g0.3902 lbs152.5 mm / 6 inch 74.8 mm / 2.94 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 181 g0.399 lbs151.4 mm / 5.96 inch 70.6 mm / 2.78 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 153 g0.3373 lbs150.1 mm / 5.91 inch 72.05 mm / 2.84 inch 7.45 mm / 0.2933 inch 143 g0.3153 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features - ZTE offers high-end light

ZTE fits the Blade V9 with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 450 SoC. It facilitates longer battery life through better energy-efficiency and brings some features to lower-priced smartphones that are otherwise restricted to more expensive devices. Thus, now mid-range devices profit from advanced camera algorithms and can access biometric sensors like, for example, Iris scanners if installed. The integrated graphics unit Adreno 506 is responsible for displaying the screen's content. The Blade V9's MicroUSB port only uses the USB 2.0 standard to transfer data and is also used for charging. The internal storage of the device is limited to 32 GB, but it is expandable with an up to 256 GB MicroSD card. In that case, users lose the dual SIM feature though, since there is only one slot for both cards. Plus, it is not possible to transfer app data to the SD card or to format it as internal storage.

Left side: MicroSD and SIM-card slot
Left side: MicroSD and SIM-card slot
Upper edge: 3.5 mm audio jack
Upper edge: 3.5 mm audio jack
Right: power button, volume control
Right: power button, volume control
Lower edge: USB Type-C charging connection
Lower edge: USB Type-C charging connection

Software - Blade V9 with up-to-date Android Oreo

Android Oreo version 8.1.0 is already preinstalled ex-factory on the Blade V9. The user interface of it remains untouched allowing Android users to feel right at home. The ZTE Cares app is also preconfigured on the ZTE mobile phone. It enables customer support and device diagnostics, e.g. to carry out a warranty case. Multiple users for the ZTE smartphone can be set up in the settings menu.

Communication and GPS - Blade V9 only locates via Internet

The Blade V9 allows you to make calls around the globe using different GSM, UMTS and LTE mobile communications networks. Even the LTE band 20 is supported, which is not always a given with smartphones from China. The dual SIM feature of the Android smartphone allows users to be connected to multiple networks at once. There is also the possibility to make calls through Voice HD LTE or Voice over LTE, if it is supported by your carrier.

Our Iperf test measuring Wi-Fi speed kept getting interrupted. Therefore we were not able to determine the Wi-Fi data throughput. The Blade V9's Wi-Fi does well in day-to-day use, though. Browsing and downloading from the app store didn't seem too slow to us, but they were not especially fast, either.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
Mali-T830 MP1, 7870 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
280 MBit/s
Lenovo P2
Adreno 506, 625, 32 GB eMMC Flash
216 MBit/s
ZTE Blade V8
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
53.2 MBit/s
Huawei P smart
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 659, 32 GB eMMC Flash
50.3 MBit/s
ZTE Blade V9
Adreno 506, SD 450, 32 GB eMMC Flash
MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
Mali-T830 MP1, 7870 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
251 MBit/s
Lenovo P2
Adreno 506, 625, 32 GB eMMC Flash
88.8 MBit/s
ZTE Blade V8
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
54.5 MBit/s
Huawei P smart
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 659, 32 GB eMMC Flash
51.7 MBit/s
ZTE Blade V9
Adreno 506, SD 450, 32 GB eMMC Flash
MBit/s

In the practical test, the GPS of the Blade V9 stays close to our device for comparison, the Garmin Edge 500. The reported length of the test track is identical and the recorded average speed is similarly accurate. The detailed view shows that the ZTE's curve progression recording is slightly imprecise. The exact position is often four to five meters next to the actual position, which is reasonably accurate, but could still be the difference between two sides of a street.

GPS test - indoors without Internet
GPS test - indoors without Internet
GPS test - outdoors without Internet
GPS test - outdoors without Internet
GPS test - indoors with Internet
GPS test - indoors with Internet
GPS test - outdoors with Internet
GPS test - outdoors with Internet
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
ZTE Blade V9
ZTE Blade V9
ZTE Blade V9
ZTE Blade V9
ZTE Blade V9
ZTE Blade V9

Telephony and Call Quality

ZTE relies on the standard Android phone app that comes with its standard features. Participants can be heard very authentically and with great sound reproduction through the internal speaker. On the other end of the line, the microphone makes sure you're understood well, too.

The speakers of the Blade V9 or the included stereo headset can be used for hands-free communication. The speakers lack depth and participants sound slightly tinny. The headset sounds much better. It is also well-suited for music, since it is able to play back sounds and music on a very broad sound spectrum.

Cameras - ZTEs Super-Night mode is only suitable for still life

Picture taken with the front camera
Picture taken with the front camera

ZTE advertises the Blade V9 as a smartphone with a camera that can take good pictures even in poor lighting conditions. The camera aperture size of f/1.8 already allows us to infer that, at least on paper, a very light-sensitive sensor is available. The main camera allows for pictures with a maximum resolution of 16 MP and is supported by a 5 MP sensor for depth information.

Hobby photographers are met with a wide variety of features such as touch auto focus, automatic white balance, variable brightness and adjustable exposure time. The Super-Night photo mode is designed for night shots. It automatically optimizes light sensitivity for poorly lit environments. With it, our low-light test picture came out much better than on comparable smartphones, although a steady hand is still required. If there is too much movement while taking pictures, the photos become blurry despite Super-Night mode being active.

Photos in daylight are sharp and detailed. A closer look shows subtleties that quickly fade into blurriness outside of the focus area. This effect is reminiscent of the bokeh mode, which uses blurriness around the center to achieve an artistic effect. The actual bokeh mode can be selected in the settings. The Blade V9's camera is also able to capture color gradients and differences in texture in close-up shots with a strong difference in light intensity. The worse the lighting conditions, the worse the image noise in a close-up view becomes. The 13 MP front camera is available for selfie fans. With its fixed-focus lens, it takes pictures that appear somewhat faint and don't have clearly defined contours or color gradients.

Bokeh mode
Bokeh mode
Photo modes
Photo modes
Available filters
Available filters
Super-Night mode
Super-Night mode

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images
Color checker: The bottom half of every field shows the original color.
Color checker: The bottom half of every field shows the original color.

The camera of the Blade V9 generally captures colors as too dark. Red and green shades are depicted the most accurately. This is does not stand out in the final picture since the color accuracy is shifted evenly.

The ZTE smartphone represents our test chart clearly and with a lot of detail. We noticed a little bit of blurriness towards the edges that is more prominent to the left and to the right than at the top and on the bottom. Intricacies get lost mainly if the lighting conditions are insufficient.

Accessories and Warranty - The ZTE V9 comes with a lot of accessories

The scope of delivery of the Blade V9 includes a USB charging adapter with a USB Type-A to MicroUSB cable, a wired stereo headset and a compatible silicone shell. There are no further accessories available from ZTE for the Blade V9. All of ZTE's mobile phones come with 24 months warranty.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling - Fingerprint looking for sensor

The virtual keyboard of the Blade V9 can be used to type longer messages. The vibration feedback feels good and conveys a good typing experience, whereby the small buttons are reliable. The keyboard is not too small in portrait mode and in landscape mode all the keys are easy to reach even with smaller hands.

The fingerprint scanner is on the back of the ZTE V9. It often took two or three tries to hit it in a way where it recognizes the fingerprint. This unnecessarily delays the unlocking of the V9, which is why we resorted to the PIN code more than once instead of trying to find the right place to touch.

Display - The ZTE shines with saturated colors

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

ZTE equips the Blade V9 with a 5.7-inch display with an 18:9 or 2:1 ratio. It displays screen content with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels. The IPS panel performs slightly worse than the display of its predecessor Blade V8. The ZTE mainly lacks in average brightness and has a bad contrast ratio, making it subpar compared to its competition.

If the brightness is reduced below 14%, the display flickers with a frequency of 3472 Hz which suggests the use of PWM for brightness adjustment. This frequency is relatively high, meaning even sensitive eyes shouldn't feel strained when looking at the display for a long time.

434
cd/m²
446
cd/m²
411
cd/m²
449
cd/m²
459
cd/m²
423
cd/m²
441
cd/m²
457
cd/m²
416
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 459 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 437.3 cd/m² Minimum: 7.14 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 459 cd/m²
Contrast: 740:1 (Black: 0.62 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.17
ZTE Blade V9
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70
ZTE Blade V8
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
Super AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.50
Huawei P smart
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.65
Lenovo P2
AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.50
Screen
6%
25%
13%
21%
Brightness middle
459
482
5%
454
-1%
573
25%
479
4%
Brightness
437
448
3%
463
6%
568
30%
477
9%
Brightness Distribution
90
79
-12%
86
-4%
89
-1%
91
1%
Black Level *
0.62
0.64
-3%
0.63
-2%
Contrast
740
753
2%
910
23%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.5
4
11%
2
56%
4.2
7%
2.4
47%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.3
6.5
11%
5.3
27%
6.4
12%
5.6
23%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.9
3.4
31%
1.7
65%
4.6
6%
2.8
43%
Gamma
2.17 101%
2.13 103%
2.1 105%
2.24 98%
2.28 96%
CCT
7261 90%
6774 96%
6394 102%
7157 91%
6702 97%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 3472 Hz ≤ 14 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 3472 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 14 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 3472 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The display of the V9 shines with saturated colors and with deeply dark screen areas, despite the heightened black value. High-resolution photos are depicted sharply, and it's easy to distinguish color gradients and differentiated areas. Quickly-changing sequences of pictures or video-recordings are depicted clearly and fluidly. We were not able to observe disruptive ghosting or distorted colors in our test.

CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Mixed colors
CalMAN - Mixed colors
CalMAN - Color accuracy
CalMAN - Color accuracy
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11 ms rise
↘ 17 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
54 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25 ms rise
↘ 29 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The Blade V9's screen content is clearly visible outdoors. There are no disruptive reflections on the display when the sky is cloudy. As soon as it gets brighter, though, the brightness becomes insufficient to outshine the sunlight. The screen has very stable viewing angles while there are no reflections on the display. We can even discern the smartphone's screen content from extreme angles.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Blade V9 brings high-end to the low-price segment

The Blade V9 is equipped with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 450. It is a mid-range SoC, which, among other things, has better energy efficiency and makes formerly exclusive features for high-end phones available for cheaper smartphones. Next to improved battery life, it enables advanced video and image-editing as well as biometric features. The Adreno 506 graphics unit is responsible for multimedia content, supporting all modern APIs like Vulkan, OpenGL ES 3.1 + AE (3.2), OpenCL 2.0 and Direct3D 12.

The Snapdragon 450 performs almost as well as the Snapdragon 625 in our benchmark tests and is thus able to claim one of the higher places in our comparison. The Adreno 506 GPU performs even better still.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
60077 Points
ZTE Blade V8
45868 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
47339 Points -21%
Huawei P smart
66353 Points +10%
Lenovo P2
63522 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (54731 - 60077, n=10)
57703 Points -4%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
4967 Points
ZTE Blade V8
4978 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
4920 Points -1%
Huawei P smart
5817 Points +17%
Lenovo P2
4810 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (4836 - 6062, n=14)
5364 Points +8%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +204%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
4401 Points
ZTE Blade V8
3815 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
3722 Points -15%
Huawei P smart
4874 Points +11%
Lenovo P2
4810 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (4171 - 4759, n=14)
4502 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +147%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
1169 Points
ZTE Blade V8
928 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
353 Points -70%
Huawei P smart
1480 Points +27%
Lenovo P2
1226 Points +5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (389 - 1337, n=14)
1083 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +388%
System (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
2772 Points
ZTE Blade V8
1562 Points -44%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
2368 Points -15%
Huawei P smart
3223 Points +16%
Lenovo P2
1960 Points -29%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (2560 - 2898, n=14)
2736 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +247%
Memory (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
962 Points
ZTE Blade V8
812 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
1265 Points +31%
Huawei P smart
1889 Points +96%
Lenovo P2
1451 Points +51%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (770 - 1522, n=14)
1058 Points +10%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +548%
Graphics (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
956 Points
ZTE Blade V8
787 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
533 Points -44%
Huawei P smart
857 Points -10%
Lenovo P2
1016 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (943 - 984, n=14)
962 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +1354%
Web (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
731 Points
ZTE Blade V8
744 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
10 Points -99%
Huawei P smart
919 Points +26%
Lenovo P2
783 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (10 - 981, n=14)
671 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +103%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
769 Points
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
736 Points -4%
Huawei P smart
946 Points +23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (741 - 787, n=13)
761 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +558%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
3907 Points
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
3777 Points -3%
Huawei P smart
3732 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (3272 - 4022, n=13)
3862 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +247%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
3157 Points
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
2371 Points -25%
Huawei P smart
3117 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (2777 - 3374, n=10)
3146 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +235%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
12764 Points
ZTE Blade V8
9932 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
8318 Points -35%
Huawei P smart
11912 Points -7%
Lenovo P2
13808 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (12562 - 13203, n=12)
12801 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
12482 Points
ZTE Blade V8
10271 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
7456 Points -40%
Huawei P smart
11262 Points -10%
Lenovo P2
13398 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (12281 - 12736, n=12)
12470 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
13862 Points
ZTE Blade V8
8905 Points -36%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
12955 Points -7%
Huawei P smart
14930 Points +8%
Lenovo P2
15462 Points +12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (13596 - 15273, n=12)
14216 Points +3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
807 Points
ZTE Blade V8
613 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
340 Points -58%
Huawei P smart
284 Points -65%
Lenovo P2
831 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (800 - 829, n=14)
812 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +333%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
697 Points
ZTE Blade V8
542 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
278 Points -60%
Huawei P smart
229 Points -67%
Lenovo P2
726 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (690 - 716, n=14)
701 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +452%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
1813 Points
ZTE Blade V8
1127 Points -38%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
1535 Points -15%
Huawei P smart
1787 Points -1%
Lenovo P2
1682 Points -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (1504 - 1901, n=14)
1785 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +65%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
444 Points
ZTE Blade V8
318 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
247 Points -44%
Huawei P smart
316 Points -29%
Lenovo P2
459 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (438 - 449, n=14)
443 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +500%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
365 Points
ZTE Blade V8
263 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
199 Points -45%
Huawei P smart
256 Points -30%
Lenovo P2
380 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (349 - 382, n=14)
365 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +627%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
1841 Points
ZTE Blade V8
1214 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
1522 Points -17%
Huawei P smart
1827 Points -1%
Lenovo P2
1673 Points -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (1521 - 1860, n=14)
1790 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +69%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
9.7 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
12 fps
Huawei P smart
18 fps
Lenovo P2
23 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (20 - 34, n=13)
28.1 fps
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
11 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
12 fps
Huawei P smart
19 fps
Lenovo P2
23 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (21 - 23, n=13)
21.8 fps
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
4.5 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
5.1 fps
Huawei P smart
8.3 fps
Lenovo P2
10 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (8.7 - 18, n=13)
13.9 fps
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
4.6 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
5.1 fps
Huawei P smart
8.7 fps
Lenovo P2
10 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (9.2 - 9.4, n=13)
9.3 fps
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
4.9 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
3.2 fps
Huawei P smart
5.2 fps
Lenovo P2
6.7 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (5.7 - 13, n=13)
9.98 fps
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
2.4 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
3.3 fps
Huawei P smart
5.3 fps
Lenovo P2
6.2 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (6 - 6.9, n=13)
6.15 fps
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
2.7 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
1.9 fps
Huawei P smart
2.9 fps
Lenovo P2
3.7 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (3.3 - 7, n=13)
5.4 fps
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
fps
ZTE Blade V8
2.1 fps
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
1.9 fps
Huawei P smart
3.2 fps
Lenovo P2
3.4 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (3.3 - 3.6, n=13)
3.44 fps
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps
Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
5.41 fps
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (5.38 - 5.41, n=2)
5.4 fps 0%
Basemark X 1.1
Medium Quality (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V8
16486 Points
High Quality (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V8
8015 Points
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
ZTE Blade V9
129 Points
ZTE Blade V8
110 Points -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (129 - 129, n=2)
129 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (177 - 6114, n=61, last 2 years)
2145 Points +1563%

Legend

 
ZTE Blade V9 Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
ZTE Blade V8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 Samsung Exynos 7870 Octa, ARM Mali-T830 MP1, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P smart HiSilicon Kirin 659, ARM Mali-T830 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo P2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 32 GB eMMC Flash

Version 1.2.18 of the Ume browser is preinstalled on the Blade V9. Our test device only managed to reach mediocre results in the browser benchmarks with it. The results don't get better with the also preinstalled Chrome 65 either. In day-to-day use websites load quickly and we were not able to notice any limitations.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +786%
Lenovo P2 (Chrome 56)
28.88 Points +31%
Huawei P smart (Chrome 64)
26.63 Points +21%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 (Samsung Browser 5.4)
25.97 Points +18%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (22 - 22.7, n=13)
22.4 Points +2%
ZTE Blade V9 (Ume Browser 1.2.18)
22.01 Points
ZTE Blade V8 (Chrome 57.0.2987.132)
17.52 Points -20%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +745%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 (Samsung Browser 5.4)
4560 Points +15%
Huawei P smart (Chrome 64)
4497 Points +13%
Lenovo P2 (Chrome 56)
4435 Points +12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (3470 - 4115, n=14)
3981 Points 0%
ZTE Blade V9 (Ume Browser 1.2.18)
3969 Points
ZTE Blade V8 (Chrome 57.0.2987.132)
2826 Points -29%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
ZTE Blade V8 (Chrome 57.0.2987.132)
12297 ms * -4%
ZTE Blade V9 (Ume Browser 1.2.18)
11863 ms *
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (11012 - 11863, n=14)
11506 ms * +3%
Huawei P smart (Chrome 64)
9698 ms * +18%
Lenovo P2 (Chrome 56)
8463 ms * +29%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 (Samsung Browser 5.4)
6821 ms * +43%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +86%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (90 - 103, n=7)
97 Points +8%
Huawei P smart (Chrome 64)
92 Points +2%
ZTE Blade V9 (Ume Browser 1.2.18)
90 Points
Lenovo P2
84 Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 (Samsung Browser 5.4)
75 Points -17%
ZTE Blade V8 (Chrome 57.0.2987.132)
53 Points -41%

* ... smaller is better

The SD card reader of the Blade V9 achieved comparatively good results with our reference memory card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, being slightly above average for this device class. Unfortunately, the internal eMMC flash storage does not manage to replicate these results and turns out to be the slowest compared to its competitors. These results barely have an impact on day-to-day use. Files open and apps start quickly.

ZTE Blade V9ZTE Blade V8Samsung Galaxy J7 2017Huawei P smartLenovo P2Average 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
10%
-19%
35%
40%
12%
997%
Sequential Read 256KB
265.4
278.1
5%
198.5
-25%
269.4
2%
270.1
2%
242 ?(25.8 - 452, n=247)
-9%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
453%
Sequential Write 256KB
119.4
77.7
-35%
53
-56%
121.1
1%
76.7
-36%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
-16%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
802%
Random Read 4KB
29.81
39.89
34%
25.86
-13%
66.1
122%
38.2
28%
43.2 ?(3.59 - 117.2, n=247)
45%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
708%
Random Write 4KB
12.47
12.69
2%
10.54
-15%
21.3
71%
44.4
256%
22.4 ?(0.75 - 91, n=247)
80%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
2025%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
83.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
96.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
15%
76.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-9%
82.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
79.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-5%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
-14%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
87.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
40%
63.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
72.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
17%
59.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-4%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
-15%

Games - Entertainment to go with the V9

The graphics performance of the Adreno 506 graphics unit matches that of a Snapdragon 625, enabling the Blade V9's Snapdragon 450 to achieve similar 3D performance. It runs more demanding games like Asphalt 8: Airborne well, even at maxed-out settings. Loading times are moderate. The ZTE V9 performs significantly better, especially when compared to the predecessor Blade V8.

Asphalt 8: Airborne
Asphalt 8: Airborne
Temple Run 2
Temple Run 2
Asphalt 8: Airborne
 SettingsValue
 high28 fps
 very low30 fps
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps
Temple Run 2
 SettingsValue
 default60 fps

Emissions - ZTE keeps cool

Temperature

The Blade V9 always kept cool in our test. The surface temperature does not exceed 40 °C even under load. Our test device does produce some heat, though, "heating" up to a constant 25 °C at a 21 °C ambient temperature.

Max. Load
 31.4 °C
89 F
31.4 °C
89 F
29.9 °C
86 F
 
 31 °C
88 F
31.2 °C
88 F
32 °C
90 F
 
 30.5 °C
87 F
30.6 °C
87 F
32 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 32 °C = 90 F
Average: 31.1 °C = 88 F
29.3 °C
85 F
30 °C
86 F
31.8 °C
89 F
28.7 °C
84 F
30 °C
86 F
31.8 °C
89 F
28.6 °C
83 F
29.5 °C
85 F
30.8 °C
87 F
Maximum: 31.8 °C = 89 F
Average: 30.1 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  23.5 °C = 74 F | Room Temperature 21.3 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.1 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 32 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.6 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Thermal image front
Thermal image front
Thermal image rear
Thermal image rear

Speakers

Pink noise speaker test
Pink noise speaker test

The speakers of our ZTE smartphone are a less-than-ideal solution. The sound characteristics are limited to mid tones; high and low tones fall off drastically. Thus, music and speech sound very unbalanced. The quality of the Blade V9's speakers is on par with the class average in its price segment. The device is equipped with a 3.5 mm jack for headsets or headphones. It has a very soft feedback when plugging in a cable and doesn't click into place. The connection is still firm and does not come loose accidentally.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.623.52524.921.73124.621.94026.422.65030.831.46323.622.98020.218.610019.920.612517.622.316019.135.620019.136.625017.443.931516.951.240016.854.350015.156.863016.557.980015.66310001566125015.565.3160015.368.2200015.769250015.573.8315015.573.4400015.473.4500015.873.863001672.1800015.872.41000016.171.61250016.168.11600017.354.5SPL27.982.9N151.3median 16median 65.3Delta0.712.639.638.233.633.131.232.130.832.130.734.3343530.939.428.736.426.247.92651.925.354.82557.223.359.622.362.521.164.820.167.719.568.120.166.219.669.318.8731874.817.877.317.67617.675.517.773.517.873.81871.417.765.417.853.517.848.531.285.31.661.7median 19.5median 66.22.38.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseZTE Blade V9Apple iPhone X
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
ZTE Blade V9 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 58% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPhone X audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 39% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Cordless through the night with ZTE

Power consumption

We measured a relatively high power consumption from our test device during idle. Most of its peers are slightly more economical, which does not apply to measurements under load though. Here, the previously conceived picture reverses and our Blade V9 outperforms the competition. Although all in all, the ZTE smartphone's power consumption is still above average.

The delivery includes a 10-watt charging adapter that is able to charge the phone's battery under load. A full charge takes close to two hours.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.24 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.71 / 1.73 / 1.78 Watt
Load midlight 2.74 / 4.36 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
ZTE Blade V9
3200 mAh
ZTE Blade V8
2730 mAh
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
3600 mAh
Huawei P smart
3000 mAh
Lenovo P2
5100 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-15%
37%
-21%
30%
-30%
-39%
Idle Minimum *
0.71
0.98
-38%
0.39
45%
0.62
13%
0.54
24%
0.794 ?(0.51 - 1.26, n=14)
-12%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-25%
Idle Average *
1.73
1.76
-2%
1.06
39%
1.76
-2%
1.01
42%
2.27 ?(0.96 - 4.45, n=14)
-31%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
16%
Idle Maximum *
1.78
1.79
-1%
1.08
39%
1.87
-5%
1.03
42%
2.48 ?(0.99 - 4.51, n=14)
-39%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
8%
Load Average *
2.74
2.89
-5%
1.82
34%
4.47
-63%
1.78
35%
3.95 ?(1.85 - 7.1, n=14)
-44%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-103%
Load Maximum *
4.36
5.62
-29%
3.21
26%
6.39
-47%
3.98
9%
5.38 ?(3.04 - 8.8, n=14)
-23%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-90%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

In our practical Wi-Fi test, the ZTE Blade V9 can be used for more than 13 hours of browsing at an adjusted brightness. Thus, the V9 surpasses its predecessor Blade V8 by one-and-a-half hours. Compared to the device class average, the battery life is good but not great. This is very reasonable for a cell phone that currently costs about 270 Euros (~$332).

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Ume Browser 1.2.18)
13h 10min
ZTE Blade V9
3200 mAh
ZTE Blade V8
2730 mAh
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017
3600 mAh
Huawei P smart
3000 mAh
Lenovo P2
5100 mAh
Battery Runtime
-11%
14%
-28%
24%
WiFi v1.3
790
700
-11%
904
14%
565
-28%
978
24%
Reader / Idle
964
1950
985
2841
H.264
545
1096
615
1199
Load
297
525
202
528

Pros

+ 13 MP front camera
+ solid battery life
+ good headset
+ silicone shell and headset included
+ low price

Cons

- front and back very prone to fingerprints
- disappointing Super-Night camera mode
- smooth glass surfaces prevent a firm grip on the phone

Verdict - Affordable phone by ZTE

ZTE Blade V9 review. Test device provided by ZTE.
ZTE Blade V9 review. Test device provided by ZTE.

Users looking for a phone without contract or those who simply want a low-priced smartphone with a premium design would be well advised to take a look at the Blade V9 by ZTE. The V9 has ample performance for most applications and runs games well, too. The display has vibrant colors and its high resolution creates a sharp picture. Speaking of which, the main camera takes sharp pictures as well, although one should not expect too much from the Super-Night mode. While it does improve photos in poor lighting conditions, movement or an unsteady hand heavily impact the result.

Buyers of the Blade V9 receive a smartphone with a great design and solid system performance for a low price. The included accessories round out the package well.

At 270 Euros (~$332), ZTE offers a good alternative to the many other manufacturers of cheap smartphones. Since ultimately, the performance values of the competition don't differ much from those of the Blade V9, the design and camera are, according to our impression, the deciding factors for a purchase. The included accessories are a big plus in our book. The silicone shell is a crucial accessory that is immediately available. The included stereo headset delivers excellent sound and is ideal for listening to music.

ZTE Blade V9 - 04/03/2018 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
83%
Keyboard
70 / 75 → 93%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
36 / 60 → 60%
Weight
92%
Battery
96%
Display
85%
Games Performance
30 / 63 → 48%
Application Performance
46 / 70 → 66%
Temperature
94%
Noise
100%
Audio
59 / 91 → 65%
Camera
69%
Average
73%
83%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Mike Wobker, 2018-04- 6 (Update: 2019-03-20)