Hands on with the nubia N1 Lite

While the flagship launches at MWC are understandably the stars of the show, the lesser known OEMs take advantage of the general fanfare surrounding the event to showcase their offerings as well. nubia just took the wraps off their latest entry-level smartphone, which, like a lot of other affordable smartphone out there, is a “Lite” iteration of one of their more premium devices. We go hands on and give you a quick look at the nubia N1 Lite!

Despite what this smartphone is called, the nubia N1 Lite doesn’t really share a whole lot with its higher-end namesake, apart from the size of the display. In terms of design, while the latter features a full metal unibody construction, the N1 Lite comes with a primarily plastic build, with a soft touch finish on the back that allows for a lot of grip.

The camera has been moved from the top left corner to a more central location, with the fingerprint scanner right below it, for a more symmetrical design. Even the signature capacitive red circle home button up front is longer to be found, with nubia favoring on-screen navigation keys with the N1 Lite.

In terms of specifications, the device comes with a 5.5-inch display with a 720p resolution, a quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of on-board storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery. On the camera side of things, the N1 Lite features an 8 MP rear shooter with a f/2.0 aperture, and a 5 MP front-facing camera, with both cameras able to take advantage of a LED flash.

Unfortunately, the nubia N1 Lite will launch with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, and given its low-end nature, the chances of an update to Nougat is somewhat slim. A new phone being released with Marshmallow is certainly disappointing to see, regardless of how budget-friendly it might turn out to be.

Speaking of budget-friendly, the pricing and of the nubia N1 Lite is still unknown, but considering its specifications and features, it will definitely have to be on the really inexpensive side to able to compete in this space. The N1 Lite is slated for release in March in various European and Asian markets, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

So, there you have it for this quick look at the nubia N1 Lite! This entry-level smartphone may be an appealing starter device for some, or for those who are budget conscious. Stay tuned with Android Authority as we continue to bring you more great coverage from MWC 2017!