If you ask me which is the most futuristic-looking phone today, I would say it is the just-revealed Nubia Z50 Ultra. How? Simply because it realized the “futuristic dream” of an uninterrupted edge-to-edge display.
While both Xiaomi and Nubia’s former parent company ZTE have had their hands in developing under-display cameras, Nubia appears to be the only phone maker that is continuing to refine them.
Its implementation on its gaming smartphone brand since RedMagic 7 is an indication of Nubia’s dedication to this tech. Anyhoo, the under-display camera on the Nubia Z50 Ultra is in the 4th generation, and according to some reviewers, it is a significant improvement over the last generation.
Though it is not the greatest. For a person who hardly takes selfies, I am leaning toward the super narrow bezel and interruption-free display. That coupled with the squared-off design and minimal camera bump makes for a futuristic-looking device.
Another highlight would be the main camera system featuring a 35 mm + 85 mm “golden focal length” with dual OIS, plus a 50 MP super wide-angle camera.
The 35 mm equivalent focal length is paired with a 64 MP 1/1.3” sensor and f1.6 lens and the 85 mm equivalent focal length is also paired with a 64 MP 1/2” sensor and an f3.3 periscope telephoto lens. The system allows for macro stills at as close as 2 cm.
The phone further touts Neovision UDC (under display camera) full-screen display, bolstered by UDC Pro+ independent display chip that allows for individual pixel switching to achieve the UDC.
Speaking of UDC, hidden away in the eyewatering display is a 16 MP f2.0 wide-angle selfie camera that supports up to 30 fps 1080p videoing. The main camera supports up to 8K 30 fps video recording, btw, plus support for 10-bit video, Gyro-EIS, and HDR10.
The display is 120 Hz 6.8-inch AMOLED with 2,480 by 1,116 pixels (which is a little under 1.5K). Meanwhile, clockwork is afforded by, you guessed it, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, backed by 8/12/16 GB of LPDDR5X memory and 256/512 GB or 1 TB UFS 4.0 storage. Basically, the fastest memories there are today.
Other notables include Wi-Fi 6, USB 3.1 with Type-C interface, support 4 positioning (Beidou, dual-band A-GPS, Galileo, GLONASS), dual SIM (nano), and a 5,000 mAh with 80 W fast charging.
The phone is offered in a choice of black, silver, and a limited Van Gogh-inspired Starry Sky edition. The Nubia Z50 Ultra smartphone is available to order in China with a starting price of 3,999 yuan (or about US$574).
Images: Nubia [CH].
