Compact cameras with a retro look sit high on the list of best-selling cameras – but a new smartphone by Nubia is looking to capitalize on the retro camera craze. The Nubia Z70S Ultra is new flagship smartphone from the China-based brand, but beyond its 50MP camera specs, the smartphone has a retro kit option that gives the device the look and feel of a retro digital camera.
The previous Nubia Z70 Ultra has camera hardware that Reviewer Basil Kronfli called “a primary camera that’s technically one of the most impressive I’ve ever used.” The new Nubia Z70S Ultra builds on that model with a larger 1/1.3-inch, 50MP sensor for the main camera. Like the smartphone without the S in the name, the new model uses a 35mm equivalent lens on the main camera rather than the more popular 23mm equivalent.
That change helps increase the pixel size, which should help the camera boost low-light image quality. Unlike the Z70 Ultra, however, the Z70S Ultra doesn’t have a variable aperture but sits at a fixed f/1.7 on the main camera. Like the earlier model, the main camera is accompanied by a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor with a 70mm equivalent telephoto lens, along with a 50MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.0 13mm equivalent lens. The telephoto lens is also compatible with 15cm macro shots.
The camera upgrade is accompanied by a physical mechanical shutter button with dual-stage control. The Nubia Z70S Ultra also uses phase detection autofocus from Omnivision. AI is integrated for capturing fast moving subjects, the company says, along with modes like AI Sunset and AI Milkyway. The company says the smartphone also offers a “classic film tone” color option.
While that larger sensor is a key upgrade, the Retro kit will likely further the smartphone’s appeal among mobile photographers. Sold separately from the camera, the retro kit is a classic phone case that gives the smartphone a grip, a larger red shutter release button, and the ability to mount optical filters using the filter adapter rings. Images of the Retro Kit add-on also indicate a hot shoe slot and what appears to be two additional physical controls.
The smartphone’s list of hardware also includes an under-display mounted selfie camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a 6600mAh battery, and a 6.85-inch AMOLED screen with a 144 Hz refresh rate.
Nubia says the new smartphone will be shipping worldwide, with prices starting at $779 / £659. The company has not yet announced a price for the Retro camera kit, which is sold separately from the smartphone. The smartphone is available for pre-order, with open sale beginning May 28.
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