Within minutes of setting it up, I realized something: this phone doesn’t want to choose between being a camera-first flagship or a gaming powerhouse. It’s trying to be both. And, to my surprise, it almost pulls it off.
Display: The Sky Full Screen Feels Almost Unreal
Let’s talk screen first, because it’s hard not to. Nubia calls it the Sky Full Screen, and honestly, that’s not marketing fluff. This 6.85-inch AMOLED panel stretches edge to edge, with no punch holes, no notches — just pure, unbroken pixels. The under-display camera is so well-hidden now that even under harsh sunlight I had to tilt the phone at odd angles to catch a glimpse of it.
The display runs at 144Hz, with a 1.5K resolution and some proprietary co-tuning with Qualcomm. In day-to-day use, that partnership shows. Scrolling feels fluid, animations are buttery, and colors are vivid without being oversaturated. It’s the kind of screen that makes you want to rewatch old movies, just to see what you’ve been missing.
What surprised me most wasn’t the specs, though — it was the comfort. Nubia claims SGS-certified low blue light protection, and after a few nights reading on Kindle or watching YouTube, I noticed less eye fatigue than usual. Maybe it’s psychological, but I think there’s something to it.
Design: More Art Than Object
The Black Edition has a very different personality compared to Nubia’s flashier variants. It’s stealthy — understated in the best way. The matte finish feels smooth but not slippery, and it diffuses light with a soft, almost velvet-like sheen. It’s elegant without being loud, and it hides fingerprints far better than any glossy flagship I’ve handled this year.
There’s a tactile quality to it that I love. It’s not slippery, it doesn’t collect fingerprints like crazy, and the red camera ring adds a sharp accent that feels distinctly Nubia. Even the frame carries a microscopic “star track” engraving — completely unnecessary, but utterly charming once you notice it.
At 228 grams, it’s a hefty phone, yes. You feel it in your pocket. But it’s well-balanced, and that weight gives it a reassuring solidity. It’s one of the few phones this year that feels premium in a non-generic way.
Camera: The 35mm Magic (and the Occasional Miss)
Here’s where things get really interesting. The Z80 Ultra doesn’t use the usual 23mm “main” lens that nearly every flagship adopts. Instead, it goes for a custom 35mm optical lens, and this small change makes a big difference.
If you’ve ever used a real camera, you know that 35mm is the sweet spot — it’s wide enough to tell a story, but tight enough to focus on your subject. And that’s exactly how this phone behaves. Portraits look more natural, with less of that exaggerated wide-angle distortion. Buildings keep their lines straight, faces stay flattering.
Photos come out crisp and detailed, with warm tones that remind me more of Fujifilm’s color science than anything else. Shadows are deep, sometimes too deep, but I’d rather have that than the washed-out HDR look so many phones chase these days.
The physical shutter button is a small but brilliant touch. Half-press to focus, full-press to capture — just like a real camera. I found myself using it constantly, especially during street photography walks. It turns quick, spontaneous moments into actual memories rather than missed opportunities.
That said, not everything is perfect. The ultra-wide 18mm lens, while sharp, sometimes introduces slight color mismatches compared to the main camera. And the 64MP periscope telephoto—impressive on paper—can occasionally oversharpen distant textures. It’s nothing deal-breaking, but it reminds you this is still a phone camera, not a mirrorless system.
Still, overall, the camera setup feels unique in a market where everything has started to blur together.
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Doesn’t Flinch
Because this isn’t just a Nubia phone. It borrows the gaming DNA of RedMagic, Nubia’s sister brand. The result? You get the same level of thermal management and game optimization that hardcore mobile gamers swear by.
In “Honor of Kings,” I played several matches at max settings. The phone stayed cool — around 36°C on the back, which is impressive considering the framerate never dropped below 120fps. “PUBG Mobile”? Smooth as silk, and the shoulder triggers made aiming feel almost unfairly precise.
Even after 30 minutes of play, there was no throttling, no hot spots. I suspect Nubia’s new multi-layer vapor cooling system deserves the credit.
Battery and Charging: Practical Power
The 7200mAh silicon-carbon battery might be the most underrated part of this phone. I didn’t believe the numbers at first. Yet after a full day of testing, I consistently ended each night with around 25–30% left — and that’s after camera use, browsing, and a few gaming sessions.
Charging is equally impressive. 90W wired, 80W wireless, and even reverse wireless charging if you need to top up earbuds or a smartwatch. From empty to 100%, wired charging takes roughly 35 minutes. That’s fast enough that I never worried about forgetting to charge it overnight.
Even in colder conditions (I tested it briefly outdoors in November weather), the battery held up remarkably well — no sudden drain, no weird voltage drops.
Audio and Multimedia: Immersive Enough to Forget
The stereo speakers caught me off guard. I expected good sound, not great sound. But the clarity here is exceptional, especially for a phone without a large resonance chamber. Movies and games have weight. There’s spatial detail. You can actually tell where sounds are coming from, which enhances immersion — particularly when gaming with the full-screen display.
No headphone jack, of course, but I’ve made my peace with that. Bluetooth audio is stable and supports the usual hi-res codecs.
Daily Use: Balanced, But Bold
Living with the Nubia Z80 Ultra for two weeks, I found myself appreciating its small details more than its specs. The haptics, for instance — crisp and tactile. The fingerprint reader — almost instant. Even the vibration when taking photos feels tuned, deliberate.
Still, there are moments when the phone feels too much. Too ambitious, maybe. It tries to be a gaming beast, a pro camera, and an art piece all at once. And while it succeeds in most areas, it occasionally feels like it’s juggling more than it should.
There’s also the software — clean, yes, but with occasional translation quirks and redundant menus. Nubia’s team has improved a lot since previous generations, but it’s not as polished as, say, Samsung’s One UI or Google’s Pixel OS.
Final Verdict: A Phone That Dares
So where does that leave the Nubia Z80 Ultra? I think it’s for people like me — people who appreciate hardware that feels alive, that dares to be different even if it stumbles occasionally.
It’s not the most practical flagship. But it’s one of the most memorable. Between its brilliant screen, versatile 35mm camera, rock-solid gaming performance, and battery endurance, it feels like a device built for creators and power users alike.
Would I recommend it? Yes — with a small asterisk. If you value character and performance over software perfection, this is a gem. But if you want seamless integration, long-term updates, and global support, maybe look elsewhere.
Still, I can’t deny it: this is one of the few phones I’ll keep CLOSE to me.
My top 5 key points
- True Full-Screen Experience – The 6.85-inch AMOLED “Sky Full Screen” offers a completely notch-free display with superb color accuracy, 144Hz refresh rate, and excellent eye comfort.
- Unique 35mm Main Camera – The custom 35mm lens produces more natural-looking portraits and storytelling shots, setting it apart from most flagships using 23mm lenses.
- Top-Tier Performance – Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, it delivers flagship-level speed and stable gaming performance without overheating.
- Massive Battery and Fast Charging – The 7200mAh battery with 90W wired and 80W wireless charging easily lasts a full day, even under heavy use.
- Elegant Black Design with Character – The matte black finish feels premium, hides fingerprints well, and combines subtle aesthetics with solid build quality and precise haptics.