Introduction

Give us a dedicated camera system any day of the week and you’re sure to entertain us. Few brands make image setups as unconventional as nubia, and with the latest Z70 Ultra we have another focal length combination that no one else can match. Along with more up-to-date hardware, the new 35mm camera is housed in a stunning body, making it a very attractive proposition overall. But how beautiful is the reality?

The Nubia Z70 Ultra is another iteration of parent company ZTE’s goal of making the best 35mm camera phone. This time, they added a variable aperture to the main camera lens, updated the telephoto lens to allow for close focusing, and gave it an ultrawide camera with extra wide coverage. However, few good things can be achieved without compromise, and we have to look at what engineers have to sacrifice.

nubia Z70 Ultra (left) next to the Z60 Ultra

No sacrifices have been made in terms of chipset, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite is inside the Z70 Ultra, and nubia is also joining the industry’s move towards silicon-carbon batteries. The stylish IP69 rating is also reflected in its blocky body, which is made particularly eye-catching in this optional Starry Night colorway. Also hard to miss (or hard to spot?) is the lack of a hole for the selfie camera on the screen: improving the under-screen solution is one of the company’s ongoing research.

Short specifications of ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra:

• Body: 164.3×77.1×8.6mm, 228g; Windshield, aluminum frame, back glass; IP68/IP69 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes).
• Featuring: 6.85″ AMOLED, 1B color, 144 Hz, HDR10, 2000 nits (peak), resolution 1216×2688 pixels, aspect ratio 19.89:9, 431ppi.
• Chipsets: Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm): Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M); Adreno 830.
• Memory: RAM 256GB 12GB, RAM 512GB 16GB, RAM 1TB 16GB, RAM 1TB 24GB; UFS4.0.
• Operating system/software: Android 15, NebulaAI operating system.
• Rear camera: Width (main): 50 MP, f/1.6-4.0, 35mm (standard), 1/1.56″, 1.0μm, PDAF, OIS; Very wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.0, 13mm, 122˚, 1/2.88″, AF; Telephoto: 64 MP, f/2.5, 70 mm, 1/2.0″, 0.7 µm, PDAF (15 cm – ∞), OIS, 2.7x optical zoom (compared to 26 mm camera).
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), under screen.
• Video Capture: Rear camera: 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10-bit video; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Drum: 6150mAh; 80W cable, PD3.0, QC4.
• Connectivity: 5G; dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, aptX adaptive; NFC; Infrared port.
• Assortment: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

Nubia Z70 Ultra unboxing

Our review unit didn’t arrive in the standard packaging you’d expect in your home after ordering the Z70 Ultra. That said, we have a complete range of accessories that should come with your phone.

Nothing special, but not completely lackluster either. You’ll get an 80W Power Delivery compatible charger, along with a nice USB-C cable with a 9A rating. A frosted plastic casing that’s nicer than most is also included, although you might not be too happy about covering the back of the portable device, especially if you get the Starry Night version. More on this on the next page.