While other phone makers are busy name-dropping legendary camera brands, nubia’s quietly perfecting its own homegrown imaging system—no celebrity collabs, just pure in-house ambition. The Nubia Z80 Ultra is the latest flagship rig to rock the latest pride and joy, the Neovision Taishan AI Imaging 5.0.
Featuring the 5th-generation 35 mm custom optical lens, Neo Master 4.0 imaging, and a 50 MP, 1/1.3-inch Light and Shadow Master 990 sensor with DCG HDR, OIS, and a bright f/1.7 aperture, this one’s built for people who don’t just take photos—they hunt them… on the streets. Like, who needs Ricoh GR to be involved, right?
This “35 mm Humanistic Eye,” as it is called, was made for street photography. It makes subjects stand out beautifully while simplifying framing and composition. There’s even a physical shutter button—remember those? One press fires off a shot instantly, while a long press jumps straight into Humanistic Street Photography mode without unlocking the phone.
The adaptive shutter algorithm and AI motion detection ensure your moving subjects stay sharp without ghosting. And because someone at Nubia clearly has taste, there are classic, street, and AI filters with customizable tones so you can craft your own aesthetic without downloading another overhyped camera app.
The Z80 Ultra also flexes an 18 mm ultra-wide 50 MP main camera (1/1.55-inch, f/1.8, 7P element lens) and a 64 MP periscope telephoto/macro shooter with OIS and a 15 cm macro distance. It supports 4K 120 fps recording, blending portrait, night, and street photography into one seamless experience. There’s even an AI assistant that serves up tips and pro-style coaching based on master photographers’ works. Basically, your new camera wingman lives inside your phone.
Under the hood, the Z80 Ultra runs the 3 nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. And yes, this imaging monster can game like a champ, too. It borrows Redmagic’s CUBE gaming engine, powered by AI Super FPS Stabilization 4.0 for silky-smooth 2K 144 Hz gaming without guzzling the battery. The 6.85-inch AMOLED screen pushes 2,688 × 1,216 pixels, 144 Hz refresh rate, 2,000 nits brightness, and 2,592 Hz PWM dimming.
The 7,200 mAh Southsea battery handles 90 W wired and 80 W wireless charging, with reverse wireless for topping off your friend’s phone like a boss. There’s a multi-function button for flashlight, gaming mode, or camera, IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance, Snapdragon Sound and DTS:X audio, and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that unlocks in 0.04 seconds even with wet fingers.
And because no flagship is complete without some flair, there’s a Luo Tianyi edition inspired by the Chinese virtual singer from the Vocaloid universe. This super red, eye-catching Luo Tianyi-themed device comes with all the works, including custom UI, phone case, packaging, and more.
The nubia Z80 Ultra has launched in China with a starting price of 4,999 yuan [CH] (about US$690).
Images: ZTE [CH].
