NUU Mobile N4L Smartphone Review
Four-inch smartphones seem to be all of the rage again. Now, NUU Mobile has designed their N4L with a 5” HD screen, in a smartphone with a pure Android Lollipop 5.1 experience, for less than $100. Save hundreds with this GSM enabled unlocked 4G LTE dual SIM smartphone.
Overview
Buying an unlocked world capable phone used to mean high prices and single SIM card slots. NUU Mobile’s N4L Android 4G LTE dual SIM unlocked phone fills that need and more with fast connection speeds and firmware updates for security. Pop in nearly any SIM and enjoy 4G LTE data from your favorite GSM provider. It comes unlocked at an excellent value at $99.99. Easily switch between the SIMs via an Android app and avoid high roaming charges in other countries.
NUU Mobile N4L Smartphone Unboxing
Disclosure: I received the N4L 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 N4l Dual Unlocked 4G LTE
NUU Mobile’s unlocked dual SIM smartphone beats what is currently in the budget smartphone market with the N4L for specs and value. The form factor of the N4L reminds me of the Microsoft Lumia 635 but that is where the similarity ends. Its micro USB port is located on the top left, headphone jack on the top right, volume rocker on the right top and the power button on the middle right.
NUU Mobile N4L Dual SIM Cards
Screen brightness is good and meets other budget smartphones many times its price. I enjoyed streaming several of my favorite shows over network TV apps with the N4L smartphone. They loaded without lag over a 4G LTE GSM and WiFi connections.
NUU Mobile N4l Quad Core 1GB RAM
A pure Android Lollipop 5.1 experience is pre-installed and all features worked surprisingly well for a budget phone because of its MediaTek 1.0GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of ROM. Most cost effective phones come with 4GB to 8GB of ROM, so I am happy to see NUU Mobile went with 8GB. 8GB of ROM is ok when there is a micro SD slot that can add up to 32GB more storage.
NUU Mobile N4l Wake Up Screen Gesture
A NUU Mobile Android firmware update app is located in settings to help notify users of when new software becomes available. The company promises to stay on top of them. Firmware updates are what is missing from many of the budget smartphone makers. This is a top reason to buy a NUU Mobile phone.
NUU Mobile N4l Top Left Micro USB Charging Port
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 N4L can operate on LTE band 12, which T-Mobile uses for its expanded wireless network.
NUU Mobile N4l Back Camera
Selfies with the N4L look ok with its 2MP forward facing auto focus enabled camera. Even today, smartphones from budget phone manufacturers do not add a front camera. The rear camera has a low light sensor and is capable of producing 8MP photos. The rear camera was able to focus relatively quickly for a budget phone. It has an HDR photo mode and in the regular photo mode, object tracking is enabled via holding on the screen to hold on the subject.
NUU Mobile N4l Screen
A dual unlocked 4G LTE cellular connection, the high 294 pixels-per-inch 1280 X 720 HD resolution screen, 1GB of RAM and 8.02.11 b/g/n WiFi shows that NUU Mobile knows what consumers need in a budget Android smartphone. The value for what you get with the N4L will surely beat what Apple is releasing with their rumored smaller iPhone SE. Finally, this is an Android smartphone that you can get with a large 5” screen and all of the specs for less than $99.99 at an off contract price.
Final Thoughts
At the price of $99.99, the NUU Mobile N4L is perfectly priced for those that need a travel smartphone with dual SIM card slots, multiple 4G LTE connections and a large clear screen. The screen on this phone beats out my budget Microsoft Lumia 635 that was originally priced about the same. Two SIM card slots helps to take the second phone out of your pocket and still keep work and personal separate. Move about the world sans roaming fees with this smartphone.
NUU Mobile N4l Smartphone Front and Back
This smartphone package includes a USB wall charger, a Micro USB cable, a wired headset, a quick start guide and a removable battery. The screen is nice and the photos it takes are good from its 8MP camera with low light sensor. Its 294 pixels-per-inch struck a nice balance of resolution and size. Having a 720p HD display will save on battery life over phones with higher quality displays. Hopefully they will keep up with firmware releases to fix future Android security threats. NUU Mobile has designed a friendly budget Android Lollipop 5.1 phone sans bloatware that should fit those with tight budgets.
Rating: 4/5
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
- 8MP Camera With Low Light Sensor
Cons:
- No NFC For Sharing or Contactless Purchasing
- No Wireless Charging