Nubia Z80 Ultra Review: Ultimate Full-Screen Flagship with 7200mAh Battery

As Nubia’s final flagship release of 2024, the Z80 Ultra has been a hot topic since its first leak. With its port-free full-screen design, triple-main camera system, and massive battery, it has become the focus of the premium flagship market. True to Nubia’s philosophy of “Be Yourself, Not Follow Others,” this device doesn’t chase the folding-screen trend or engage in blind hardware stacking. Instead, it focuses on solving users’ real pain points, achieving breakthroughs in four key areas — display, photography, performance, and battery life.

From real-world experience, the Z80 Ultra isn’t just a spec monster — it’s a truly well-rounded flagship that excels in everyday use, professional creativity, and extreme scenarios alike. Let’s break down its highlights and see how it performs in detail.

Sky Full Screen: A Visual Revolution from Concept to Reality

In today’s era of saturated full-screen designs — from punch holes to notches and waterfall displays — user fatigue is inevitable. Nubia’s 6.8-inch Sky Full Screen offers the ultimate answer with a completely hole-less design. The screen achieves an astounding 95% screen-to-body ratio, made possible by BOE’s 7th-generation under-display camera technology, which debuts on a Nubia flagship for the first time.

Compared to previous generations, the new pixel arrangement raises the pixel density over the camera area to 420 PPI, seamlessly matching the rest of the display’s 1.5K (3200×1440) resolution. This eliminates the visual “camera zone” problem of older under-display technologies. Whether browsing photos, watching 4K videos, or playing full-screen games, you won’t notice the front camera at all — the display looks like pure glass, delivering unmatched immersion.

Beyond its seamless form, the Z80 Ultra’s display is top-tier in quality. Using BOE X10 luminous materials, it achieves 1600-nit peak brightness, staying readable even under harsh sunlight. With HDR10+ certification and 10-bit color depth, it reproduces fine tonal transitions and cinematic color accuracy. Its 144Hz refresh rate and 3000Hz touch sampling rate make it a dream screen for gamers — with no lag, no ghosting, and instant touch response. Synaptics’ custom touch chip even supports wet-hand and glove touch, making it easy to use outdoors or in winter.

Eye protection has also been significantly improved. With 2592Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, the display stays flicker-free at low brightness. SGS low-blue-light certification and AI adaptive brightness help reduce eye strain during extended reading or streaming sessions. Compared to the Samsung S24 Ultra’s punch-hole or iPhone 15 Pro’s Dynamic Island, Nubia’s pure, hole-less solution offers a uniquely immersive visual experience.

Triple Main Cameras: A Humanistic Photography Powerhouse

Nubia has long been known for its photography heritage — from early “Mobile Photography Master” models to today’s humanistic imaging flagships. The Z80 Ultra returns to a triple-main-camera system, abandoning filler lenses. Each camera delivers professional-grade quality, covering a full focal range from 18mm ultra-wide to 120mm periscope telephoto.

At its core is the 35mm main camera with a 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor, featuring a f/1.6 aperture and 7P glass lens. Compared to the previous generation, light intake is up 40%. The 35mm focal length closely matches the human eye’s perspective, delivering natural proportions and balanced compression — ideal for portraits and street photography alike. With Nubia’s Taishan Realistic Imaging Algorithm, images retain lifelike colors without over-sharpening or oversaturation. Street food looks mouth-watering yet true-to-life, and skin tones in portraits remain natural with fine detail, producing professional results straight out of the camera.

The 18mm ultra-wide lens impresses with a 1/1.55-inch sensor and f/1.8 aperture, combined with a distortion-correction algorithm that keeps edges crisp and straight. From sweeping landscapes to tight interiors, it captures every detail beautifully — even at night, thanks to enhanced light sensitivity that keeps noise low and detail rich.

The periscope telephoto lens supports 5× optical and 100× digital zoom with OIS stabilization, maintaining steady clarity even for distant subjects like birds, mountain peaks, or concert performers. Nubia has also optimized autofocus speed for moving subjects, ensuring accurate, continuous focus without lag.

Beyond hardware, software innovation takes the camera system to another level. The upgraded Starry Sky Pro mode recognizes up to 92 constellations among 8,000 stars, with new star-trail synthesis and constellation labeling features. Just fix the phone on a tripod, and in minutes you can capture stunning star-trail shots. In Night Mode, multi-frame synthesis expands dynamic range — bright areas like neon lights stay controlled, while shadows retain rich detail, producing DSLR-level night photos.

The addition of a dedicated shutter button is another thoughtful touch — half-press to focus, full-press to shoot — echoing real camera ergonomics for instant photo capture.

Compared with peers like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Leica partnership) or Huawei Mate 60 Pro+ (XMAGE imaging), the Z80 Ultra’s strength lies in its balanced, full-range setup — no filler lenses, a natural 35mm perspective, and its one-of-a-kind astrophotography mode make it especially appealing for creative users.

Performance and Battery: Gaming-Grade Power, Nuclear-Level Endurance

Under the hood, the Z80 Ultra is a performance beast. It’s powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Ultimate Edition, built on TSMC’s 3nm process — currently the most advanced Android chipset. With a 1+3+4 tri-cluster architecture and a 4.6GHz prime core, it delivers 20% higher CPU, 25% higher GPU, and 30% higher AI performance than Gen 3, while reducing power consumption by 5%. Paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, it forms the ultimate performance trio.

Benchmark results speak for themselves: 2.3 million on AnTuTu, 2200 single-core and 7800 multi-core on GeekBench 6, placing it ahead of most competitors. Real-world usage is silky smooth — switching between 10+ background apps, opening 100 high-res images in seconds, or exporting 5-minute 4K videos in just 15 seconds.

For gaming, Nubia has integrated the RedMagic Engine from its gaming phones, optimizing both performance release and heat control. Enabling Diablo Mode unleashes full CPU/GPU power alongside the ICE 13.0 Cooling System, featuring a VC liquid chamber, graphene layers, and vapor chamber covering 10,000mm². In Genshin Impact (max graphics), frame rate stays at 60fps, with temperatures below 41.3°C after 30 minutes — cooler than rival flagships. In Honor of Kings (120fps mode), it averages 119.8fps with zero frame drops; in PUBG Mobile HDR mode, it stays at 90fps with battery temps under 40°C.

The 7200mAh fourth-generation “South Sea” battery redefines endurance — one of the largest among flagships. Its 700Wh/L high-density cells deliver 15% more capacity while being 5% smaller. In light use, the phone lasts up to 3 days; in moderate use, 1.5 days; even in heavy gaming and video use, it comfortably lasts a full day.

Charging remains blazing fast — 90W wired and 80W wireless charging, plus reverse wireless charging. Tests show 0–100% wired in 35 minutes, wireless in 45 minutes. Compared to iPhone 15 Pro Max (4441mAh) and Galaxy S24 Ultra (5000mAh), Nubia’s 7200mAh battery offers unmatched peace of mind.

Design and Details: Bold Yet Practical

The Z80 Ultra continues Nubia’s Star-Trail Design Language while adding modern refinements. The front is pure, with 1.8mm bezels framing the hole-less screen. The back uses a gradient glaze finish that shimmers like starlight. Available in Glaze White, Phantom Black, Starry Collector’s Edition, and Luo Tianyi Limited Edition, it caters to all styles — from minimalist to bold.

Despite the huge battery, the phone weighs only 235g and measures 8.9mm thick, thanks to optimized curvature and materials. The aerospace-grade aluminum frame feels smooth yet durable, while the curved glass edges blend naturally for a comfortable grip.

The customizable side key is a Nubia signature. You can map it to camera, gaming mode, flashlight, or voice recorder — for instance, double-click to launch the camera or press once to activate Diablo Mode. A new hardware security switch adds physical privacy protection by cutting power to the camera, microphone, and GPS modules — perfect for business users concerned about data security.

Running MyOS 15 (based on Android 14), the software is clean, ad-free, and optimized for smooth performance. The new AI Performance Scheduling Engine intelligently adjusts power and performance based on activity — boosting resources during gaming, conserving energy during office use, and enabling Eye-Comfort Mode at night. The new AI Privacy Protection system detects and blocks unauthorized app access to contacts, photos, and location, giving users full control.

Conclusion: The 4999 RMB Flagship Worth Owning

Starting at ¥4999 (12GB + 256GB), the Nubia Z80 Ultra once again offers Ultra-tier performance at standard-model pricing. Competing devices like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra (¥5999), Samsung S24 Ultra (¥7999), and iPhone 15 Pro Max (¥9999) cost significantly more while offering no clear advantage in display, camera, or battery life.

If you crave immersive visuals, the hole-less Sky Screen delivers. If you’re a photography enthusiast, its triple-main system with 35mm and astrophotography modes is a dream. If you’re a hardcore gamer, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and cooling engine ensure peak performance. And if you’re a business traveler, the 7200mAh battery and privacy switch make it a reliable companion.

While the 235g weight may feel slightly heavy for some users, and MyOS still trails HarmonyOS or iOS in ecosystem depth, these minor trade-offs pale in comparison to its strengths. Overall, the Nubia Z80 Ultra is a truly balanced, no-weakness flagship, proving that innovation and practicality can coexist — making it one of the most worthwhile flagships of 2024.