Nubia has just announced the global launch of its latest flagship camera phone, the Z80 Ultra, and it certainly knows how to stand out from the crowd.
It has a bold, angular design – and when combined with the optional Retro Photography kit, can be transformed into a compact camera with Leica rangefinder vibes and tactile physical controls. There are even external lens attachment options, as is very much the trend in 2025.
Following in the footsteps of previous Nubia flagships, the Z80 Ultra features a triple camera array on the rear with an 18mm-equivalent ultrawide, a 35mm main camera and an 85mm telephoto lens. It's a classic loadout, perfect for candid street photography snaps.
It's the 35mm camera that's the star of the show, still a rarity in the smartphone world, and it provides a much more natural field of view than the typical 23mm lens. It's a sizable 50MP 1/1.3-inch sensor with OIS, so it should perform well in low light conditions, too.
Sadly it loses the variable aperture that featured on the Z70 Ultra, instead opting for a fixed f/1.7 opening. How much of a difference this makes remains to be seen but, considering none of our favourite camera phones have variable apertures, it's probably no major loss.
The phone adopts under-display technology for its selfie camera, just like its predecessor. This choice is a little more divisive. On one hand you get a gorgeous, uninterrupted display with no notches or cutouts – but on the other, your selfies will be decidedly less impressive than much of the competition.
The decision makes a little more sense when you realize how much effort Nubia has put into the gaming performance of this phone.
Not only does it have the incredibly powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 at its core, but it also has a blazing-fast 144Hz refresh rate, an oversized vapor chamber cooling system and most of the same software enhancements that you'll find on Redmagic's dedicated gaming devices.
This makes the Z80 Ultra a fairly unique proposition. Usually if you buy a gaming phone, you can expect the cameras to be pretty terrible. And if you buy a camera-focused flagship, you won't expect the most robust set of gaming features. The Z80 Ultra positions itself right in the middle.
Elsewhere, the phone boasts a massive 7200 mAh battery, which should be enough to see you through almost 2 days on a charge. It also features 80W wired and 80W wireless fast charging – the fastest I've seen to date. So, despite having a massive battery, you won't be waiting an age for it to charge up, whether you plug it in or not.
The phone is IP68/69 rated, so it should handle the elements with ease, and it even has a physical dual-stage shutter button, just like Sony's Xperia lineup. We always like to see that.
One of the most exciting things about the Z80 Ultra, though, is how affordable it is. Compared to the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google, the Z80 Ultra is an absolute bargain, starting from just $649 / £579 (Australian availability TBC). It's available to order now on Nubia's website, and our full review is coming very soon.
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