I have been able to try out the Nubia Z60 Ultra, a high-end mobile phone that draws attention from its peculiar design, with several specifications that make it one of the best in terms of quality/price in this segment.
Nubia is one of the most important Chinese mobile phone manufacturers in the world, with models that are usually in the high-end range, as well as others aimed more at the mobile video game market.
The Nubia Z60 Ultra is a very original, elegant and, moreover, resistant mobile phone
If there is one thing that Nubia can boast about, it is offering its users mobile phones with finishes that make them attractive, but without being tacky. With the Z60 Ultra, this is even more noticeable: if you look closely, the camera takes centre stage on the whole phone.
It comes in different colours, although all of them share this feature. And I think that, in this case, the bulging cameras are totally justified, as I will explain in the section on the photography that this mobile phone allows.
Be that as it may, it is not a suitable mobile for people looking for a compact mobile on the one hand, and a terminal that does not weigh too much on the other; in this respect, specifically, the Z60 Ultra is one of the heaviest mobiles I have tried, with an obvious increase in the camera module.
In short, if you carry it in your pocket or hold it for a long time, the mobile makes itself felt. Although I think you’ll quickly forget this once you get used to it, because it has some really elegant finishes. Nubia’s attention to design is very noticeable here.
For its part, it allows access to WiFi 6, which is not the latest connection of the moment – but it is more than enough to play at maximum speed – to which it adds Bluetooth 5.4 and NFC for contactless payments.
In this respect, I didn’t notice any problems at all. What’s more, if you’re the type of person who plays games or accesses social networks on the street, it allows 5G data connection, so you won’t be lacking anything.
Its screen is used to almost maximum capacity and eliminates the notch
Nubia’s commitment to rectangular screens in the Z60 Ultra is more than evident, as almost all its phones copy this type of panel; of course, without neglecting the quality and fidelity of the colours, as well as adding a more than outstanding brightness.
Firstly, its AMOLED panel measures 6.8 inches, which matches perfectly with the dimensions of the phone, leaving only thin side bezels – the screen is used to its maximum potential – and rounded corners.
It is often said that curved panels give a mobile a more elegant look, although in this case the Z60 Ultra proves the opposite, to which it adds the great advantage of having a panel with an invisible notch, a great success in my opinion.
Leaving aside the high colour fidelity it presents, its brightness is amazing in situations of direct focal light, such as the sun when viewing the panel outdoors; moreover, I loved its nighttime dimming, which means it doesn’t end up being annoying.
Otherwise, the speaker is very normal, without presenting great distortion at maximum volume, very similar to what you can find in this type of design with a single speaker.
This Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a beast, although it could get too hot on certain occasions
The Nubia Z60 Ultra has Qualcomm’s latest high-end processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which can also be found in other top phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
In synthetic analyses, this mobile presents slightly superior results, although the temperature has risen a lot when doing it with 3D Mark or AnTuTu. I don’t know if it was a problem with the app, although I had to leave the mobile for at least half an hour because it was burning at a temperature of 59 degrees centigrade, which is more normal during charging.
An Android warning message even appeared telling me to put the phone down, something that had never happened to me before. Again, this was during the analysis, never during the use of applications or video games for long periods of time.
In this sense, you have a video game mode with which you can select the settings that best suit each title, so in this area you won’t have any problems.
In addition, you can take advantage of all the RAM on the phone virtually, giving you up to twice the capacity in this area, which is essential if you use many processes on the phone simultaneously.
In any case, I think Nubia could fix the temperature rises in future updates, as the heat could spoil an otherwise outstanding experience.
The Nubia Z60 Ultra has a sliding button that can be used for almost everything
So far, I haven’t mentioned one of the design aspects, although to talk about the software, this section must be highlighted. On its right side, the Nubia Z60 Ultra has a kind of switch that allows you to access the game mode or the camera, depending on how you have configured it.
I think that, in addition to making good use of its sides – it offers the consumer something that other mobiles don’t – Nubia knows how to integrate it wonderfully into the overall experience.
So, if you choose the camera access mode, the mobile allows you to configure it for various options, such as directly opening the video on the back or choosing the outdoor option.
However, these are not all the functions offered by this switch, as you can also choose to activate the torch, quickly change the sound mode or activate the voice recorder. To nitpick, I think Nubia could have added a few more tools, given its versatility.
A very remarkable camera that allows optical image stabilisation in all its lenses.
The photographic section as a whole may be the least able to compete with other high-end mobiles; however, it is more than enough for users looking to take easy photographs thanks to its preset modes.
Thus, you will find a very accessible camera interface, with a menu on the left in which you can select different styles, among which there are some very useful ones such as documentation – for ID photos – or Milky Way – which highlights the stars in the sky.
These modes are not a panacea, but they are capable of configuring automatic shots so that you don’t have to think about settings such as ISO or shutter speed. In short, this is the camera configuration of the Nubia Z60 Ultra:
- Main Sony IMX800 50-megapixel with f/1.59 aperture and optical image stabiliser (OIS).
Wide-angle 50-megapixel with f/1.8 aperture and OIS.
Telephoto 64-megapixel and OIS.
Front camera 12-megapixel.
In this sense, Nubia has incorporated 3 different sensors in its rear module, thus adding different focal lengths ranging from 18 millimetres to 85 millimetres, depending on the lens the mobile is using in each shot.
Finally, all its cameras have optical image stabilisation and autofocus, so you won’t have any problems in this respect, even when recording pets that won’t stop moving, as you can see below:
Battery life is one of the best features: you’ll have enough battery power for more than a day
The large 6,000 mAh battery that this Nubia Z60 Ultra adds is one of the longest-lasting batteries among high-end mobiles.
So, if you use it normally for applications such as social networks, instant messaging or video viewing, the mobile is capable of lasting more than a day and a half. And this is not usually seen in this segment.
If you decide to use your mobile to play games, however, the heat could take its toll and the battery life suffers considerably. In any case, it always outperforms its other major rivals.
In addition, it allows for a charge that I was not too keen on, although it comes with the adapter and cable.
In this sense, to reach half charge you will only have to wait about 25 minutes, while to reach 100% the time increases to approximately one hour. It’s not the best value, but you can have it ready quickly.
Verdict: is it worth buying a Nubia Z60 Ultra?
After using it as my personal mobile, I think the Nubia Z60 Ultra has become one of my favourites for several reasons.
Firstly, it comes at a really competitive price in the high-end segment, because this type of handset doesn’t usually go for less than 800 euros; the 256 gigabyte storage version doesn’t exceed this range.
Secondly, it is a very complete mobile in terms of design, connectivity, screen and performance, although you might find the camera a little less powerful than in this type of mobile.
Finally, I think the Nubia Z60 Ultra is one of this year’s favourite mobiles; if you’re not familiar with the brand, it might be a good bet to start with, as it won’t leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.
Nubia Z60 Ultra is one of this year’s favourite phones; if you’re not familiar with the brand, it might be a good bet to start trying it out, as it won’t leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Nubia Z60 Ultra is one of this year’s favourite phones; if you’re not familiar with the brand, it might be a good bet to start trying it out, as it won’t leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.
