The Nubia Z60 Ultra offers excellent performance, a long-lasting battery, and a well-balanced camera setup at a competitive price. Despite these strengths, it falls short in the non-gaming phone market due to a lack of refinement and polish.
Pros:
- Remarkable battery life
- High-performance capabilities
- Well-rounded camera system for the price
Cons:
- Bulky and unattractive design
- Poor-quality selfie camera
- Unappealing user interface
NUBIA Z60 ULTRA Overview
The Nubia brand might not be well-known in the West, but it’s gaining traction with its affordable Red Magic gaming phones.
The Nubia Z60 Ultra differs from its gaming-focused siblings, aiming to be a mainstream flagship. It boasts impressive performance, a large battery, and a comprehensive camera system, all for under $600/£700. Yet, it faces stiff competition in the mainstream smartphone market.
Despite its bold appearance, the Z60 Ultra’s size and weight might deter some users, and its design feels somewhat clumsy.
The phone’s 6.8-inch AMOLED screen offers minimal bezels and no notch, but the selfie camera’s placement affects its quality, which is a downside for regular smartphone users.
However, the main and periscope cameras deliver good results for the price range.
Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, the Z60 Ultra handles demanding tasks effortlessly, with efficient cooling ensuring consistent performance.
Its standout feature is the massive 6,000mAh battery, providing two-day usage, although the lack of wireless charging is disappointing.
The myOS user interface, while functional, lacks the refinement of competitors and offers fewer updates.
Overall, the Z60 Ultra offers flagship features at a lower price but falls short of delivering a fully cohesive experience. With improvements, future iterations could fare better.
Nubia Z60 Ultra: Price And Availability
| RAM / Storage | US Price | UK Price | AU Price (Approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8GB / 256GB | $599 | £679 | AU$910 |
| 12GB / 256GB | $649 | £749 | AU$990 |
| 16GB / 512GB | $779 | £899 | AU$1,180 |
The Nubia Z60 Ultra started shipping on December 29, 2023, with prices starting from $599 / £679 / €679 for the 8GB RAM / 256GB storage model.
Three models are available globally, with variations in RAM and storage capacity.
In certain markets like the UK, only the top two models are currently accessible via the Nubia website.
For US buyers, the baseline 8GB RAM variant is also available at a lower price.
Comparatively, finding a phone with similar flagship-level specifications at a similar price point is challenging.
The OnePlus 12R shares some similarities but lacks a telephoto camera and features older chip technology.
Google’s Pixel 8, priced from $699 / £699 / AU$1,199, offers different features, such as wireless charging, but doesn’t match the Z60 Ultra’s display size or camera capabilities.
Nubia Z60 Ultra Specs
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Front Camera | 12MP 5th-gen under-display |
| Weight | 246g |
| RAM | 8GB / 12GB / 16GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Ultra-wide Camera | 50MP 18mm f/1.8 sensor with OIS |
| Battery | 6,000mAh |
| Display | 6.8-inch Full HD+ (1116 x 2480) up to 120Hz BOE Q9+ AMOLED |
| Telephoto Camera | 64MP 85mm f/3.3 sensor with OIS |
| Operating System | Android 14 |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0) |
| Charging | 80W wired |
| Primary Camera | 50MP 35mm f/1.59 Sony IMX800 sensor with OIS |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 8.8mm |
| Colors | Silver, Black |
Nubia Z60 Ultra Design
The Nubia Z60 Ultra presents a bold design, characterized by its chunky build and industrial aesthetic.
Weighing 246g, it’s notably heavy, resembling the Galaxy Z Fold 5 more than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
With its flat edges and 8.8mm thickness, it shares similarities with Nubia’s Red Magic gaming phones, though its suitability for a mainstream flagship is questionable.
The phone features a mappable shortcut slider, repurposed from the Red Magic 9 Pro, offering context-sensitive functionality.
While the design might be divisive, especially the camera module’s appearance, Nubia has ensured functionality with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
However, the camera module’s design, with its raised square slab and mishmash of elements, may not appeal to everyone.
The front design is more understated, with minimal bezels and a slightly thicker chin, reminiscent of the Red Magic 9 Pro.
Despite its competitive pricing, Nubia includes IP68-certified protection, which is a notable inclusion in this price range.
Nubia Z60 Ultra Display
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | 6.8-inch AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2480 x 1116 |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Front Camera | Under-display selfie camera |
| Brightness | Peak brightness of 1,500nits |
| PWM Dimming | 2160Hz |
| Color Output | BOE’s Q9+ luminescent material |
Nubia maintains consistency by bringing over the 6.8-inch AMOLED display from the Red Magic 9 Pro.
With a resolution of 2480 x 1116 and a refresh rate of 120Hz, it provides a vibrant viewing experience.
Despite a peak brightness of 1,500nits, lower than some flagship models, it still offers ample brightness for daily use.
The absence of a front camera notch contributes to an unobstructed viewing experience, thanks to the under-display selfie camera.
Utilizing BOE’s Q9+ luminescent material enhances color output, providing natural colors and flexibility for tone adjustments.
Nubia Z60 Ultra Camera
| Camera Specs | Details |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50MP ‘35mm’ with OIS (optical image stabilization) |
| Periscope Telephoto | 64MP ‘85mm’ |
| Ultra-wide | 50MP ‘18mm’ |
| Selfie Camera | Awful 12MP under-display |
One of the remarkable aspects of the Nubia Z60 Ultra, considering its competitive price, is its comprehensive triple camera setup.
Each camera, named after classic photography terminology like 35mm, 85mm, and 18mm, features optical image stabilization (OIS).
The main sensor, a 50MP Sony IMX800, produces detailed images with vibrant colors in various lighting conditions.
Daytime shots exhibit excellent detail and dynamic range, while indoor photos remain sharp with natural bokeh, aided by a wide f/1.6 aperture.
Night shots are generally crisp, although some may suffer from blurriness or lack of focus.
Overall, the camera system offers decent performance, especially considering the price point.
Nubia Z60 Ultra Performance
| Performance Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Chipset | Top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB (varies by market) |
| Gaming Performance | Strong and sustained |
Unlike some phones in its price range, the Nubia Z60 Ultra doesn’t compromise on power.
It boasts the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM (in the UK).
This setup competes with flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra but at a significantly lower price point.
Benchmark scores, including Geekbench 6 and GPU benchmarks, reflect its top-level gaming performance.
Even without the Red Magic 9 Pro’s physical fan, the Z60 Ultra maintains strong performance during intensive tasks.
In a 20-minute stress test, simulating high-end gameplay, the Z60 Ultra performed exceptionally well, with a score matching the Asus ROG Phone 8 gaming phone for consistency.
This means you can expect sustained performance without significant throttling, even during extended gaming sessions or intensive tasks.
Nubia Z60 Ultra Software
| Software Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Custom UI | MyOS 14 atop Android 14 |
| Bloatware | Not excessive |
| Software Updates | Up to three years |
Nubia incorporates its latest custom UI, MyOS 14, based on Android 14, resembling Oppo’s ColorOS or Xiaomi’s MIUI.
While it diverges from stock Android in the notification pane and settings menus, it shares similarities with Red Magic OS 9.0, albeit with fewer preinstalled apps.
Although the default browser-app hybrid may not be appealing, essential apps like Google Keep are included.
The Game Space UI enhances the gaming experience, and the physical slider can activate it, similar to Red Magic phones.
However, Nubia only promises up to three years of software updates, which is below industry standards.
Nubia Z60 Ultra Battery
| Battery Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Capacity | Huge 6,000mAh |
| Duration | Genuine two-day potential |
| Charging | 80W wired charger included |
| Wireless Charging | None |
The Nubia Z60 Ultra impresses with its massive 6,000mAh battery, providing genuine two-day potential.
Although slightly smaller than the Red Magic 9 Pro’s battery, it still offers impressive stamina, lasting through a full day with over 60% charge remaining.
For power users, the Z60 Ultra ensures a day of intensive usage without worrying about running out of battery.
The inclusion of a rapid 80W wired charger in the box is commendable, offering fast charging times of around 45 minutes for a full charge.
However, wireless charging is notably absent, which may be a downside for some users accustomed to this feature.