Nubia Z70 Ultra: The Flagship AI Smartphone with Stunning Design and Performance

For smartphones, the hot topic this year is undoubtedly the concept of "AI smartphones." Without exception, almost every smartphone launch since the first half of the year has emphasized the AI capabilities of their devices. From AI ordering to AI storytelling, various AI features have emerged. However, in my opinion, these smartphones' AI performance often seems "inconsistent." To put it more plainly, these AI functions are merely repackaged versions of existing smart voice features, presented in a new guise—a case of old wine in new bottles.

The true AI functionality in smartphones must be based on training with "artificial intelligence large models." If we look at existing AI smartphones, their developers seem reluctant to discuss the large models that their AI features are based on. Reliable large models require sufficient data and computing power for training, and there are very few companies in China that meet these two criteria—ZTE is one of them.

Recently, Nubia, a smartphone brand under ZTE, released its flagship phone, the Nubia Z70 Ultra, with the theme "Comprehensive Good Screen, Ultra AI." Its focus on photography and AI features, developed based on its self-researched Nebula large model, has become the highlight of the Nubia Z70 Ultra. In terms of appearance, the Nubia Z70 Ultra comes in three color options, and the one I received is the main color, "Starry Sky Collection Edition." The design is inspired by the market feedback for Nubia's classic "starry phone," which was known for its ability to photograph stars. In response to this praise, Nubia designed the "Starry Sky Collection Edition" color for this release. The overall design features a gravity center design with a unique Nubia visual red circle around the camera area. The 1.25mm ultra-narrow bezel creates a borderless visual effect. The Starry Sky Collection Edition uses a high-resolution micro-etching process and 3D brushstroke oil painting techniques for a brighter, more delicate touch with a refined Starry Sky Frosted finish.

On the display front, the Nubia Z70 Ultra features the next generation of true full-screen design with a cutting-edge hole-free layout, offering a high pixel density of 430 PPI and a 1.5K under-display camera full-screen resolution. The screen also boasts a high refresh rate and brightness, providing a clearer and more detailed display effect to meet users' photo needs. Notably, the Nubia Z70 Ultra continues Nubia's recent generations of "hole-free" designs, truly delivering on the promise of a "true full-screen."

Speaking of performance, the Nubia Z70 Ultra excels with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, enhanced LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 storage, ensuring smooth multitasking. Additionally, the phone features an AI gaming enhancement chip, delivering dual enhancements in AI super resolution and super frames. It uses 2K super resolution technology to produce detailed visuals and supports 120fps AI superframes, delivering an exceptional dynamic experience in over 200 mainstream games. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor in the Nubia Z70 Ultra offers impressive stability and cool performance, making it a new-generation energy-efficient champion, improving both smoothness and battery life in daily use. In gaming tests, the device ran the highest-quality "Genshin Impact" for 30 minutes at an average frame rate of around 60fps, with no visible lag or frame drops.

The brand-new Nebula AIOS operating system deeply integrates artificial intelligence into every detail. It automates tasks like smart ticket booking, stock monitoring, image search, and content publishing to social media platforms like Xiaohongshu. Even in screen-off mode, users can smoothly interact with Nebula Intelligence for one-touch photo capture and easy record-keeping. Thanks to Nebula AIOS, AI call translation and conference translation functions are also easily implemented. Whether it’s a phone call or a conference discussion, the phone can conduct real-time bilingual voice translation and display text translations, greatly enhancing cross-language communication and improving work efficiency. The system also supports the translation of multiple Chinese dialects and other languages, meeting diverse user needs. For instance, when watching foreign videos without subtitles, users can activate the AI subtitle translation feature, which translates and provides subtitles in real time.

If you think these are just convenience features at the application level, Nebula AIOS’s future mode offers an even more advanced experience. In this mode, the desktop eliminates traditional app icons and text, leaving only a voice entry point. Users can complete all tasks simply by interacting with the Nebula voice assistant. The Nebula AIOS operating system, with its powerful AI and voice assistant, truly liberates users' hands. For example, the Nubia Z70 Ultra can directly perform navigation with a simple voice command like "Navigate to here." Tasks like ticket booking, which usually take time, can be completed with a single voice command. The phone will automatically process the booking and confirm payment.

Furthermore, Nebula AIOS has powerful AI information collection and processing capabilities. For tasks like monitoring stock prices, it can easily handle the process. For example, users can say, "Help me monitor ZTE stock, notify me when it exceeds 30 yuan," and the phone will automatically track the stock and notify the user once it reaches the set price.

The Nubia Z70 Ultra features a unique camera layout, with the main camera positioned at the top and a noticeable bump, followed by the periscope and ultra-wide lenses below. Although the focal lengths still cover a wide range from 13mm to 85mm, the main camera innovatively supports a variable aperture design. In professional mode, users can manually switch between F1.59 and F4.0 across 9 aperture levels, witnessing the physical aperture blades opening and closing, a feature previously only seen in professional camera lenses. The 50MP camera comes with a 1/1.56-inch sensor, offering a 4-in-1 pixel binning of 2.0μm equivalent large pixels, ensuring clear and detailed shots even in low-light conditions. Through real-world testing, the Nubia Z70 Ultra’s imaging capabilities are confirmed. Even in long-zoom mode, there is minimal smearing.

In conclusion, perhaps due to the market’s evolution over the years, "internet celebrity" products driven by emotional hype can no longer avoid a return to rationality. "All noise will eventually return to silence," which not only reflects the current market reality but also serves as a reminder for players within the market to return to their true purpose. As Nubia President Ni Fei stated on his personal social media, "Refuse to make products that compromise on quality and creativity."