nubia Z80 Ultra: Design, build quality and scope of delivery
The nubia Z80 Ultra is large, angular, and visually resembles a compact camera more than a modern smartphone. Measuring 164,5 x 77,2 x 8,6 mm and weighing 227 grams, it's quite substantial in the hand. The back, available in understated black, white, or the striking "Starry Night" edition (inspired by Van Gogh), is made of matte glass that effectively resists fingerprints.
The aluminum frame houses two special features: a physical slider switch that can be freely assigned (e.g., to mute mode or camera start) and a two-stage shutter release for the camera, similar to Sony's systems. The build quality is impeccable, and thanks to IP68/IP69 certification, the device is well protected against dust, water, and even high pressure.
Included in the box are a transparent hard case and a red USB-C cable. A power adapter is nowhere to be found. This is a trend that nubia is now following, even though the device advertises special charging speeds.
nubia Z80 Ultra: Display
The large 6,85-inch OLED panel with its 19.9:9 aspect ratio presents a completely uninterrupted display without a notch or camera cutout. Nubia has also invisibly integrated the 16 MP front camera beneath the display, just as they did with its predecessor. Combined with the extremely narrow 1,8 mm bezel, this looks incredibly clean, but it also has its drawbacks regarding the front camera's image quality. More on that in a moment.
With a resolution of 2688 x 1216 pixels (1,5K) and a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, the display is razor-sharp and extremely smooth. Unfortunately, Nubia hasn't used an LTPO panel, so the refresh rate isn't adaptive, but only switches in fixed steps between 60 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz, and 144 Hz.
The display brightness reaches its peak at around 2.000 nits. While this is less than the top models from Samsung or Xiaomi, it's perfectly adequate for outdoor readability. The device also supports HDR10, is Widevine L1 certified, and the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the glass unlocks the smartphone quickly and reliably.
nubia Z80 Ultra: Performance and Software
Performance
Under the hood, the brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) processor powers the device. Combined with up to 16 GB (or even 24 GB) of LPDDR5X RAM, the nubia Z80 Ultra flies through every application.
In benchmarks like AnTuTu, the smartphone nearly reaches the 3 million mark, leaving some of its competitors significantly behind. Gaming on the 144 Hz display is also a dream, and titles like Genshin Impact run buttery smooth even at the highest settings.
However, this brute force performance comes at a price. Under sustained load, as is common in mobile games, the device gets noticeably warm. The system then often throttles performance (thermal throttling) to 50 percent to prevent overheating. This is rather irrelevant for everyday use, but good to know for hardcore gamers.
A brilliant feature for gamers is the so-called "bypass charging." When the phone is plugged into the charger, power can be directed to the CPU without charging the battery. This significantly reduces heat generation during gaming and also protects the battery.
Software
The smartphone ships with Android 16 and the Nebula AIOS 2.0 user interface. The system runs smoothly and offers many gaming features (similar to RedMagic phones). However, the design sometimes appears a bit cluttered, and the German translation is occasionally awkward.
One drawback is the software support. Nubia only promises 3 years of updates. In a price range where Google and Samsung offer 7 years, that's weak. AI features like live translations are included, but don't yet seem as polished as those of the competition.
nubia Z80 Ultra: Connectivity and Audio
Connections
The Z80 Ultra is future-proof with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. The USB-C port also supports fast data transfers (USB 3.2). An IR blaster for controlling TVs is also included.
In mobile communications, 5G is supported on all relevant frequency bands. The SIM tray allows the use of two nano-SIMs; unfortunately, eSIM support is not available.
Audio
The stereo speakers deliver decent volume, but sound a bit thin in the bass range. They're sufficient for YouTube videos, but for listening to music, you're better off using Bluetooth headphones. High-resolution audio codecs like aptX HD and aptX Adaptive are supported.
nubia Z80 Ultra: Camera
Instead of relying on variable zoom levels or periscope lenses, as most other brands in the high-end segment do, the Z80 Ultra sticks to a trio of fixed focal lengths. While this makes photography more demanding and less flexible, it ensures consistent image characteristics and a visual effect closer to that of classic cameras than to many modern smartphone setups.
The main camera, like its predecessor, is based on the OmniVision OV50H, a 1/1.3-inch 50 MP sensor, combined with a 35 mm equivalent f/1.7 lens and optical image stabilization. The telephoto module also remains unchanged, using an OmniVision OV64B (1/2.0-inch, 64 MP) with a 70 mm focal length, which is displayed as an 85 mm crop by default in the camera app.
New is the ultra-wide-angle module, which nubia has reverted to the specifications of the Z60 Ultra. Instead of the 13mm focal length from the Z70 Ultra and Z70S Ultra, nubia has again used the 1/1.55-inch, 50MP OmniVision OV50E sensor with an 18mm focal length and f/1.8 aperture. While rather narrow for an ultra-wide-angle module, it offers significantly better light capture than many competitors.
main camera
Unlike conventional smartphone cameras with a 24mm focal length, the 35mm lens provides a narrower field of view, bringing the subject more sharply into focus with a natural bokeh. In good lighting conditions, the OV50H delivers clear, sharp, and detailed images with a clean dynamic range. Shadows and highlights are rendered well without an exaggerated HDR look.
Color reproduction appears mostly natural, although red tones tend to be oversaturated. Those who prefer a more neutral look should deactivate the image enhancers, which are active by default. Photos are saved at 12,6 MP, although there is also a 50 MP mode. However, this offers no real added value and essentially only uses more storage space per shot.
Even in low light, the main camera performs surprisingly well. Exposure and contrast are reliably achieved, dark areas are rendered without excessive noise, and colors remain stable. The combination of a large sensor, f/1.7 aperture, and OIS ensures that usable night shots can be taken even handheld.
Only in very dark scenes are shadows slightly softened, and occasionally, with very strong light sources, visible lens flares appear as veils or colored rings.
Telephoto lens
The telephoto camera natively operates at 70 mm, but the camera app displays it as 85 mm by default (approximately 3,3x zoom). Double-tapping the zoom button cycles through three fixed focal lengths on the Z80 Ultra: 85 mm, 140 mm, and 70 mm.
The 70mm mode delivers the best results. Sharpness and detail are significantly higher, colors appear more neutral than with the main camera, and the dynamic range is well-balanced. In low light, sharpness decreases but remains at an acceptable level.
The other two focal lengths are technically just crops of the 70mm lens and therefore show correspondingly softer details. Furthermore, the zoom can be digitally increased up to 50x, which, however, hardly produces usable images.
Ultra wide angle
The large 50 MP sensor captures a lot of light, resulting in sharpness, dynamic range, and color that are significantly better than what many manufacturers achieve with their 13 mm ultra-wide-angle cameras. The less extreme field of view also leads to less distortion and a more harmonious overall image. In low light, the camera delivers solid results, although sharpness noticeably decreases.
Front camera (under-display)
The 16 MP front camera built under the display ensures a clean look, but it remains a compromise. In good lighting conditions, it produces usable selfies with pleasant colors, but fine details appear soft. Backlighting and dark environments quickly push the camera to its limits.
The quality is sufficient for video calls, but the UDC solution cannot compete with classic punch-hole cameras.
Video
All three rear cameras can record in 4K at 120 frames per second, and the main camera can even record in 8K at 30 frames per second. This is quite rare, even in the high-end segment. Video quality is decent in daylight, with a high dynamic range.
There are some minor drawbacks with the stabilization. The electronic image stabilization (EIS) doesn't work perfectly in all modes, and if you activate the more aggressive "Anti-Shake Mode," the software locks the physical lens change during recording.
nubia Z80 Ultra: Battery and runtime
It features a massive 7.200 mAh silicon-carbon battery (yes, even in the EU model!). In our tests, it boasted runtimes that other flagship phones can only dream of. Two days of normal to intensive use are perfectly realistic. Even up to three days are possible for more frugal users.
Wired charging is available at up to 80 watts (or 90 watts in China), which fully charges the massive battery in just under 50 minutes. The only requirement is a PD power adapter with sufficient output. With the Z80 Ultra, nubia has finally introduced wireless charging, which also supports up to 80 watts.
