nubia Z70 Ultra Review: Modern Elegance Comes to Smartphones

Smartphones are no longer just technological devices we use to communicate or connect to the Internet. They have become lifestyle choices and fashion statements, reflections of our own personalities. It’s no wonder that there’s a wide variety of smartphone cases that cover different styles, interests, and themes, but a phone that arrives with natural beauty is still a cut above the rest.

No matter how thin or light a protective case may be, it still adds something to the phone, something that could be unnecessary if the phone’s design itself is a sight to behold. The nubia Z70 Ultra promises to deliver a smartphone that looks sleek and sophisticated without cutting corners when it comes to performance, so we take it out for a spin to check for ourselves if it can deliver.

Designer: nubia

Aesthetics

There’s still an ongoing debate on whether curved or flat edges are more “modern” but there’s definitely something fresh about the recent wave of designs that espouse flatness. This kind of aesthetic better fits the minimalism trend that continues to pervade the design world, striving to convey elegance and beauty without embellishments. It espouses clean lines and surfaces, prioritizing essential forms and functions over extravagant features both visual and technical.

The nubia Z70 Ultra tries to embody this design direction, presenting a clean and premium aesthetic that will suit almost anyone’s taste. The flat sides, flat back, and flat display give it a modern and minimalist look devoid of extraneous details. Aside from the camera island, which we’ll get to later, there isn’t a visual element out of place. Even branding is kept to a bare minimum and only in one area.

The color options for the nubia Z70 Ultra also speak to this character of elegance. Gold and black are as premium as you can get without being flashy or dull. And then there’s the Starry Night edition, inspired by the iconic van Gogh painting of the same name. Although it does run in the opposite direction of minimalism, this artful design paints the Z70 Ultra as a canvas for creativity and inspiration.

Most of the time, a smartphone’s screen only comes to play only when actually using the device, but the nubia Z70 Ultra elevates it to the level of a centerpiece. The edge-to-edge display, thanks to the brand’s 7th-generation under-display camera (UDC), is just stunning, even when there’s nothing captivating being shown. It perfectly completes the formula of a clean and modern design, pushing bezels and cutouts out of the way.

The one area where nubia’s claim of a clean and elegant design sort of breaks down is with the cameras. It’s not unattractive, mind, but it’s going to be an acquired taste. Unlike conventional designs that tend to lump the cameras together, the nubia Z70 Ultra spread them apart. This makes the arrangement look more like a classic film camera, which is probably the intention, though it might also look messy to some people.

Ergonomics

With a thickness of 8.6mm and a weight of 228g, the nubia Z70 Ultra is by no means thin and light. Given the hardware it’s packing inside, especially the battery, that’s really no surprise. It does, however, have an impact on your comfort over long periods of time. That said, weight is evenly distributed and the full-width camera bump gives the index finger a natural resting spot. The flat sides also have chamfered edges so they don’t bite into your hand as much as you would think.

The scattered arrangement of the phone’s cameras is a bit deceptive. They’re still sitting on a large block that not only covers almost a third of the phone’s back. Despite that, the nubia Z70 Ultra will still wobble a wee bit when placed on a flat surface because the main camera juts out slightly from the rest of the camera island. Not exactly a deal breaker, especially since most smartphones today wobble that way, but still a bit disappointing given how large that rectangular bump is.

Performance

You’re probably familiar with sayings about how beauty can sometimes be skin-deep, but that’s thankfully not the case for premium smartphones. After all, they have to follow a standard set of components to remain competitive in the market. In that regard, the nubia Z70 Ultra doesn’t break from the mold, arriving as one of the earliest to use the shiny new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. There are different memory configurations available, though the special Starry Night edition only comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

This combination basically means that the nubia Z70 Ultra is definitely no slouch, able to handle anything you throw at it with aplomb. It’s not a gaming smartphone with ridiculous cooling systems, but it definitely gets by with a little warmth in your hands. More importantly, the smartphone is well-prepared to handle a variety of AI-related tasks, from real-time call translation to live captioning to making sure selfies are up to snuff.

As mentioned earlier, the nubia Z70 Ultra’s large 6.85-inch AMOLED screen is one of its biggest selling points, though not just because of how bright and fast it is with a 144Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits of peak brightness. It even has one of the highest rated 2592Hz PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) dimming advertised to be easier on the eyes. It’s real pull is its edge-to-edge design, made possible by nubia’s under-display camera technology.

You might have heard of, seen, or even used these invisible front-facing cameras, but they haven’t exactly been the popular design their proponents made them out to be years ago. One look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold’s pasty selfies shows why it’s a tricky thing to pull off. Fortunately, nubia never gave up on that technology and can now boast a 16MP front-facing camera that’s completely hidden from sight. And unless you really try to look for the lower resolution area above that camera hole, you won’t even notice it’s there.

Given how it features prominently on the back of the phone, the nubia Z70 Ultra’s cameras are definitely a major focus of the product, though not exactly its highlight. It does have a capable 50MP Sony IMX906 sensor, but its biggest feat is the 35mm variable aperture lens that can go from f/1.59 to f/4.0 in 9 steps. This biomimetic design tries to recreate the effect of our own eyes’ irises, adjusting how much light is taken in for more natural shots.

The other two cameras in the set are pretty impressive as well. There’s a 64MP periscope-style telephoto camera with a 70mm focal length, as well as a 50MP ultra-wide shooter with a 13mm equivalent lens. Given the high-quality hardware, it’s not surprising to see equally high-quality shots, filled with details even on an overcast day. Of course, there are also plenty of AI-powered features and enhancements, trying to make up for what small sensors and lenses are lacking.

Part of the nubia Z70 Ultra’s thickness and heft is due to the extra-large 6150 mAh battery inside, one of the biggest capacities in smartphone that’s a little below 7 inches. It supports fast 80W charging to compensate for the large battery size. Unfortunately, it seems that nubia still refuses to give its Ultra flagships wireless charging capabilities, which is a pretty puzzling choice in this day and age.

Sustainability

More elegant designs, premium materials, and powerful hardware often also incur greater material usage as well as waste. The use of virgin plastic, fresh metal, and new glass has a heavy impact on the environment, especially if you’re not taking steps to minimize energy and water consumption. Unfortunately, the nubia Z70 Ultra doesn’t stray from the norm, which leans more toward environment-unfriendly practices and materials.

Where it does shine, however, is its ability to stay with you a lot longer than most other premium flagships. In addition to an IP68 dust and water resistance rating that’s now standard on high-end phones, the nubia Z70 Ultra also boasts IP69 certification, which means it’s safeguarded against high-temperature, high-pressure water, typically sprayed at around 80°C (176°F) with a pressure of up to 100 bar. It’s not an earth-shattering perk, but it still helps protect the product from an untimely demise.

Value

There is clearly a rise in smartphone designs that try to appeal to consumers’ aesthetic tastes more than just technical needs. This industry, fortunately, doesn’t make you choose one or the other, especially on a tier where you’re paying a lot to get the best, both in terms of features as well as design. The nubia Z70 Ultra is definitely a part of that group, presenting a clean and modern design matched with impressive performance.

The catch, as always, is one of availability and reach. nubia is positioning the Z70 Ultra as a global smartphone, but there will be cases where getting your hands on one will still be difficult, like in the carrier-centric US. The sweet starting price of around $640 is quite tempting, though, so it definitely deserves consideration if you’re even in the market for a new phone this year.

Verdict

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there are always times when the majority seem to agree on a particular standard. Minimalism, for example, is still the ruling aesthetic, and its influence is reaching the smartphone industry as well. From pleasing curves to simple lines, smartphones are shifting away from being a smorgasbord of features to works of art.

The nubia Z70 Ultra perfectly embodies that movement with its clean, modern, and sleek design. It is minimalism at its finest, putting focus on the essentials while displaying sophistication and class through the creative use of colors, materials, and finishes. And it’s quite a powerful device as well, making it a well-balanced option for people looking for an everyday companion that can keep up with their needs while also reflecting their aesthetic tastes.

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