Nubia Z70 Ultra: The "Anti-Hole" Elite, Pushing the Boundaries of Full-Screen Flagship Phones

Nubia Z70 Ultra: The "Anti-Hole" Elite, Pushing the Boundaries of Full-Screen Flagship PhonesThe launch of the iPhone X in 2017 sparked widespread debate in the mobile phone industry regarding full-screen designs. "Notches," "narrow bezels," and ultimately, "punch-hole" displays became the dominant solutions

Nubia Z70 Ultra: The "Anti-Hole" Elite, Pushing the Boundaries of Full-Screen Flagship Phones

The launch of the iPhone X in 2017 sparked widespread debate in the mobile phone industry regarding full-screen designs. "Notches," "narrow bezels," and ultimately, "punch-hole" displays became the dominant solutions. However, one company persistently pursued a truly hole-less full-screen experience, culminating in the flagship phone dubbed the "anti-hole" elite the Nubia Z70 Ultra. This review delves deep into its performance.

I. Hardware Configuration: Flagship Performance and Stunning Display

As a flagship phone launched in the latter half of 2024, the Nubia Z70 Ultra boasts top-tier hardware. At its core is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform, featuring a full-core design with a maximum frequency of 4.32GHz, delivering robust performance that effortlessly handles demanding applications and games.

Memory options include 12GB+256GB (4599), 16GB+512GB (4999), 16GB+1TB (5599), and 24GB+1TB (6299), offering users ample choices. The combination of LPDDR5X high-speed memory and UFS 4.0 flash storage ensures blazing-fast speeds and efficient data read/write operations.

A key selling point is its stunning 6.85-inch 1.5K high-refresh-rate AMOLED flexible straight screen. The 26881216 resolution provides crisp detail; the 144Hz refresh rate ensures smooth visuals; the 10-bit color depth offers accurate and rich color reproduction; and the 2000-nit peak brightness guarantees clear visibility even in bright sunlight. The Nubia Z70 Ultra ticks all the boxes for a flagship-level display.

II. Under-Display Camera: A Perfect Score, the Perfect Embodiment of a Hole-less Full-Screen

Many users have become accustomed to punch-hole displays, even considering them the norm. However, the Nubia Z70 Ultra relentlessly pursues the ultimate hole-less full-screen experience. And its under-display camera performance is truly remarkable.

Compared to previous phones with under-display cameras, the Nubia Z70 Ultra significantly improves the "camouflage" effect. Under various lighting conditions, from high-powered studio lighting to direct sunlight in Macau at midday, the under-display camera is virtually undetectable. This represents a major breakthrough in under-display camera technology and, in this reviewer's opinion, is the first phone to truly achieve a "perfect score" in this area.

III. Imaging System: Every Shot is a Masterpiece, Professional Mode for Aspiring Photographers

Beyond its exceptional screen, the Nubia Z70 Ultra boasts a luxurious imaging system. As the first domestically produced phone to prominently feature "star trail" photography, Nubia's expertise and technological prowess in imaging are undeniable.

The Z70 Ultra's triple rear camera system comprises a 50MP 35mm OIS main camera, a 50MP 13mm ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 64MP periscope telephoto lens. The main camera features a variable aperture (f/1.59-f/4.0), offering significant creative freedom; the ultra-wide-angle lens supports macro photography; and the telephoto lens offers a 70mm equivalent focal length with optical image stabilization. Additionally, the phone features a 16MP under-display front-facing wide-angle lens.

Surprisingly, the Z70 Ultra's imaging system isn't just impressive on paper. Even in fully automatic mode, the image quality from all three rear cameras is exceptional. The f/1.59 ultra-large aperture produces a natural bokeh effect without significant resolution degradation at the edges. The 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens maintains consistent image quality in the central area and allows for secondary cropping; and the 64MP periscope telephoto lens delivers excellent sharpness and color reproduction in sufficient light. Users can also disable the "low-light automatic camera switch" function to ensure that, during nighttime telephoto shooting, there's no automatic switch to the main camera crop.

The Z70 Ultra also offers a humanistic mode with various appealing color schemes, further enhancing the artistic feel of photos. Night photography has always been a Nubia strong point, and the Z70 Ultra inherits this advantage, easily capturing clean, clear images even with handheld shooting, and even capturing stunning star trails.

The Z70 Ultra's professional mode showcases its even greater imaging capabilities. Manual control over virtually all camera parameters, independent focus/exposure/white balance locking, allows users to easily implement professional techniques such as "focus traps" and "focus tracking." The variable aperture design enables sufficiently slow shutter speeds without needing an ND filter, increasing shooting flexibility. Even at the telephoto end, the Z70 Ultra's shooting performance remains excellent.

However, the Z70 Ultra's camera isn't flawless. In non-professional mode, shutter lag is noticeable, and even disabling AI processing doesn't entirely eliminate it, potentially causing missed shots when capturing fast-moving objects.

Even so, the Z70 Ultra's camera system remains the most professional and satisfying I've experienced in 2024.

IV. AI Capabilities: The Most Aggressive AI Phone, Exploring Future Modes

AI is now a key area of competition among phone manufacturers. The Nubia Z70 Ultra's AI performance can be described as "aggressive." In "Future Mode," the main screen only displays an AI interaction button. Users can use voice commands or press the button to utilize AI to complete complex instructions.

For example, simply saying "Help me buy a high-speed rail ticket from Guangzhou to Shenzhen tomorrow" will cause the Z70 Ultra to automatically open the 12306 website, search for trains, ask the user if they have specific time requirements, and ultimately give them control over payment confirmation. Besides booking tickets, the Z70 Ultra's Nebula AI assistant can also perform tasks such as monitoring stock prices, posting to Xiaohongshu, finding photos, and voice/screen translation.

"Future Mode" reflects Nubia's exploration of AI-driven phone interaction. While not omnipotentrequiring manual operation in some situationsit demonstrates the potential of AI as a primary method of phone interaction. Compared to brands whose AI features remain largely conceptual, Nubia demonstrates deep thought about AI-driven phone interaction in the future.

V. Conclusion: A "Hole-less" Flagship Combining Personality and Power

The Nubia Z70 Ultra isn't perfect. The shutter lag in non-professional mode and the somewhat jarring color scheme (in certain versions) are drawbacks. However, its hole-less full-screen display, professional camera system, powerful AI features, and thoughtful details (silent switch, two-stage mechanical shutter, ad-free out-of-the-box experience, IP68 protection) left a strong impression.

If users are dissatisfied with punch-hole displays or seek professional imaging capabilities, the Nubia Z70 Ultra is a worthwhile consideration. Its consistently updated system also demonstrates Nubia's commitment to user experience.

Pros:

• Excellent hole-less full-screen design

• Professional camera capabilities, excelling in both automatic and professional modes

• Ad-free out-of-the-box experience, clean and smooth system

• Powerful AI features, Future Mode leading the way in new phone interactions

• Excellent attention to detail, such as the silent switch, two-stage mechanical shutter, and IP68 protection

Cons:

• Noticeable shutter lag in non-professional mode

• Some color schemes are somewhat jarring

• Higher light intake in professional mode telephoto, limiting low-light photography

In summary, the Nubia Z70 Ultra is a unique and powerful flagship phone. Its exploration of hole-less full-screen displays and AI interaction showcases the manufacturer's innovative spirit and vision for the future of mobile phones. While not flawless, its strengths outweigh its weaknesses, making it worthy of attention.