Nubia Z70S Ultra Smartphone Review: Lots of high-end features with an unusual retro camera look

The Nubia Z70S Ultra combines a retro classic design style for the cameras with modern technology. The workmanship is high-quality, but the artificial leather on the back looks rather plain. Practical controls such as a slide switch and a two-stage camera button underline the focus on photography. The Z70S Ultra is also protected against water and dust in accordance with IP68/IP69 standards.

The camera features are impressive. The large OmniVision sensor with optical image stabilization delivers good photos even in low light. The quality of the ultra-wide angle and zoom lenses is decent as well, and videos can be recorded at up to 8K resolution. The under-display front camera remains inconspicuous, but the image quality is only mediocre.

The software is based on Android 15 with three years of updates, although Nubia remains vague about its update policy. The Z70S Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, which ensures high performance.

The smartphone runs smoothly in everyday use, but performance decreases under continuous load due to high heat emissions that are also noticeable on the surface of the smartphone. Features such as wireless charging and eSIM support are not available.

The Nubia Z70S Ultra is a slightly improved refresh to the Z70 Ultra. The Z70S Ultra not only offers a new design but also a significantly larger battery. 

The sensor of the main camera is now bigger at 1/1.13″ compared to the 1/1.56″ one in the original Z70 Ultra, with improved image stabilization.

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

The Nubia Z70S Ultra sports a retro design that is reminiscent of classic cameras. The black model in particular, in combination with the optional camera kit, is strongly reminiscent of a certain German photography specialist. 

The workmanship of the smartphone is pleasing. The artificial leather look on the back feels a bit cheap but is pleasant to touch due to the surface texture.

The slide switch opens the camera by default with a choice of three settings — GameSpace, voice recorder, and table lamp, though the slider can also be used as a classic mute switch. There is a dedicated two-stage camera button on the opposite side.

The smartphone is both waterproof and dustproof in accordance with IP68 and IP69 standards.

      Nubia Z70S Ultra       Honor Magic7 Pro       Google Pixel 9 Pro XL       Samsung Galaxy S25+       DIN A6 {element.classList.add(‘hideEl’)});document.getElementById(‘showDeviceSizelabel_354344’).checked = false;document.querySelectorAll(‘#showDeviceSize_349403’).forEach(element => {element.classList.add(‘hideEl’)});document.getElementById(‘showDeviceSizelabel_349403’).checked = false;document.querySelectorAll(‘#showDeviceSize_347733’).forEach(element => {element.classList.add(‘hideEl’)});document.getElementById(‘showDeviceSizelabel_347733’).checked = false;document.querySelectorAll(‘#showDeviceSize_344752’).forEach(element => {element.classList.add(‘hideEl’)});document.getElementById(‘showDeviceSizelabel_344752’).checked = false;document.querySelectorAll(‘#showDeviceSize_a6’).forEach(element => {element.classList.add(‘hideEl’)});document.getElementById(‘showDeviceSizelabel_a6’).checked = false;return false;” title=”hide all”>❌

The Nubia Z70S Ultra offers modern Wi-Fi 7 with tri-band connectivity, meaning it can also use a 6 GHz WLAN. The transfer rates in combination with our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router are both fast and stable.

The Z70S Ultra also supports all current mobile communication standards, including 5G sub-6 with a wide range of frequencies. Dual nano-SIM is on board, but there is no eSIM option. The telephony features are good when held to the ear, but noise suppression reaches its limits early on in noisy environments.

For biometric security, an optical fingerprint sensor is integrated under the display, which has good recognition rates and quickly unlocks the Z70S Ultra. Additionally, or alternatively, facial recognition can be used via the front camera, although this is unreliable in dark environments. The linear vibration motor, on the other hand, impresses with its crisp feedback.

Nubia does not provide any information on the sustainability aspects of the Z70S Ultra. The smartphone comes in a thick, well-filled box with lots of plastic and is shrink-wrapped.

Updates for the Z70S Ultra will be available for three years. Nubia has not provided any information on whether this applies to the major OS updates as well.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Main CameraMain CameraUltra-wide5x ZoomLow light

* … smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

Screen flickering / PWM detected	60 Hz Amplitude: 14.85 % Secondary Frequency: 2173 Hz
The display backlight flickers at 60 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 60 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8363 (minimum: 5 – maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

Display Response Times

↔    Response Time Black to White
0.94 ms … rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 0.4735 ms rise
	↘ 0.4705 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 2 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.5 ms).
↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
1.12 ms … rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 0.4925 ms rise
	↘ 0.6305 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.1 ms).

With the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and 12 GB of RAM, the Nubia Z70S Ultra has one of the most powerful SoCs on board at the time of testing. The system’s performance gives no cause for criticism in everyday use, but the GPU and browser benchmarks show that the Z70S Ultra falls short of expectations.

This could be due to poor thermal management, as the smartphone gets extremely hot in the stress tests. We measure surface temperatures of just under 54 °C in places, even though the SoC throttles down considerably at times. At least no condensation forms behind the camera lens this time.

The speakers of the Nubia smartphone deliver decent output, but sound somewhat hollow at high volumes.

The 6,600 mAh battery promises long battery life. In the practical WLAN test with display brightness adjusted to 150 nits, the Z70S Ultra achieves a very good result. However, given the size of the battery, we feel it could have delivered even longer run times.

(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 51.6 °C / 125 F, compared to the average of 32.8 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 53.7 °C / 129 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 49.2 °C / 121 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.5 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.8342530.128.83126.724.34027.825.95035.932.26328.322.78028.823.710027.321.612517.230.616016.35020014.753.325012.852.831513.257.140012.657.350012.367.263012.271.880012.169100012.372.3125012.376.9160012.175.620001278.9250012.27931501375.8400013.175.3500013.170.4630013.565800013.4661000013.472.81250013.567.91600013.360.2SPL2586.9N0.665.5median 13.1median 67.9Delta1.77.938.437.830.633.919.23521.534.336.939.124.43319.739.715.840.914.144.615.255.612.455.29.560.19.762.310.563.49669.869.38.974.49.477.211.580.911.278.11281.611.780.71279.61282.112.580.312.977.313.371.413.567.713.568.413.664.123.990.90.584median 12median 71.41.59.6hearing rangehide median Pink Noise

Battery Runtime

While the Nubia Z70S Ultra is a powerful smartphone with an unusual retro look, good camera setup, and long battery life, compromises have to be made when it comes to updates and heat emissions.

Total Sustainability Score: 29.3%

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The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.

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Editor of the original article: Daniel Schmidt – Managing Editor Mobile – 658 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2013

As a child I was fascinated by my Commodore 16, and this sparked my enthusiasm for computers. Using my first modem, I surfed the BTX videotext system and later the World Wide Web. I have always been captivated by the latest technologies, and this is especially true for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. I’ve been part of the Notebookcheck team since 2013 and have also on occasion written for Notebookinfo.de, and I’m looking forward to testing new innovations for our readers. I like to spend my spare time indulging in photography and barbecues and being with my family.

Translator: Ninh Ngoc Duy – Editorial Assistant – 559018 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2008

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