An AI professional camera disguised as a full-screen phone.

In 2017, Apple released the iPhone X, and its design of the front-facing camera module (Face ID) sparked discussions in the mobile phone industry about the "notch." At that time, the industry's approaches to handling the phone's forehead could be divided into three categories: Apple's notch, Samsung's narrow bezels, and the punch-hole design, which defeated the first two and became the mainstream solution today.

However, there is one company that has been consistently searching for a truly perfect full-screen solution, utilizing unparalleled technology to create a full-screen smartphone without a punch-hole. This insistence on a "hole-free" design has earned its latest phone the title of "Anti-Hole Elite."

So, how is this "Anti-Hole Elite" - the Nubia Z70 Ultra - to use?

Image Source: Lei Technology

As per usual, let's briefly introduce the specifications of the Z70 Ultra: As a flagship phone released in the second half of 2024, the Z70 Ultra adopts the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform, with a CPU featuring an all-big-core design and a maximum clock speed of 4.32GHz. In terms of memory, the Z70 Ultra uses flagship configurations of LPDDR5X+UFS 4.0, offering four different configurations: 12GB+256GB (CNY 4,599), 16GB+512GB (CNY 4,999), 16GB+1TB (CNY 5,599), and 24GB+1TB (CNY 6,299).

As one of the core selling points of the phone, the Z70 Ultra features a 6.85-inch 1.5K high-refresh AMOLED flexible straight screen with a resolution of 2688×1216. It naturally includes all the flagship screen standards such as 144Hz, 10-bit color depth, and a peak brightness of 2000 nits.

Actually, this isn't the first time I've used a phone with an under-display camera, but compared to the phones I've experienced or used long-term in the past, the "disguise" performance of the Z70 Ultra's under-display camera is significantly better:

Image Source: Lei Technology

On the Galaxy Fold 3, the resolution and brightness of the under-display camera area are significantly different from other areas, and you can even "count pixels" on a white background. However, the Z70 Ultra is clearly well-prepared. Whether it's under the high-power fill lights in a photography studio or under the bright sunlight at noon in Macau, the Z70 Ultra's under-display camera is hardly noticeable. It's the first under-display camera phone that I consider to be a "perfect score" in my mind.

But the problem is, as mentioned earlier, most consumers have already "defaulted" to the punch-hole screen as a normal design, reminiscent of the English saying "the elephant in the room" (an obvious problem or phenomenon that everyone deliberately avoids or chooses to ignore).

This also means that even if the Z70 Ultra solves the problem of camera punch-holes, for most consumers, whether the screen has punch-holes or not is actually not that important - punch-hole phones have been used for so many years that they are no longer surprising, not to mention that everyone has developed the "Dynamic Island" that seems to conceal more than it reveals. If there's only a complete screen, the Z70 Ultra is at best just a qualified flagship phone and cannot stand out in the highly competitive mobile phone market.

Fortunately, the highlights of the Z70 Ultra are not just about the under-display camera.

Every casual shot is a masterpiece

As the first domestic phone to boast of "shooting star trails," the Z70 Ultra has always been competitive in terms of imaging components and algorithms in the mobile phone market. On the Z70 Ultra, Nubia has prepared a luxurious camera system.

The Z70 Ultra's main camera is a 50MP 35mm OIS camera, equipped with a variable aperture (f/1.59-f/4.0), providing users with great creative freedom. The ultra-wide-angle camera is a 50MP 13mm camera with a fixed aperture of f/2.0, supporting macro cropping. The telephoto camera is a 64MP periscope camera with an equivalent focal length of 70mm and supports optical image stabilization. The under-display front camera is a 16MP wide-angle camera.

Of course, I also understand that "good parameters" do not necessarily mean "good photos." After all, the sample photos released by manufacturers are one thing, and whether we can take the same photos is another. However, for the Z70 Ultra, this excellent camera is not just "strong on paper."

Even when using the default full-auto mode, the three rear cameras of the Z70 Ultra have pretty good image quality. Thanks to the ultra-large aperture of f/1.59, the main camera of the Z70 Ultra has a very natural bokeh effect, with rich and optically characteristic natural bokeh effects in both the foreground and background, unlike some AI bokeh effects that look fake at a glance.

Image Source: Lei Technology

Image Source: Lei Technology

The resolution at the edges of the frame does not decrease significantly, which is likely related to the variable aperture design.

Image Source: Lei Technology

Image Source: Lei Technology

Although the Z70 Ultra's macro camera is cropped from the wide-angle camera, the image quality in the center area is stable enough, and the 50MP image size also allows for secondary cropping in post-production. The 64MP telephoto camera also performs stably, ensuring sharpness and color consistency as long as the scene lighting is not too dark. By the way, in the camera settings of the Z70 Ultra, we can turn off the "Auto Switch Camera in Low Light" function to avoid the phone automatically switching to the main camera crop when using the telephoto lens at night, forcing the use of the 64MP periscope camera.

Image Source: Lei Technology

In addition, the Z70 Ultra also stylishly provides a humanities mode with various pleasing color schemes.

Image Source: Lei Technology

Image Source: Lei Technology

Night photography has always been Nubia's strength. Even when shooting handheld, the Z70 Ultra can capture a very clean image and a smooth light trail, and even the starburst mode works normally.

Professional Mode on Par with Professional Cameras

In the initial plan, my testing of the Z70 Ultra's camera ended here. In one sentence, the Z70 Ultra has a very simple and easy-to-use camera. With the support of rich modes, even casual shots can yield decent photos.

But obviously, this casual shooting can only reflect the "high lower limit" of the Z70 Ultra's photos and cannot show where the "upper limit" of the Z70 Ultra's camera is. To truly let the Z70 Ultra "show its stuff," we need some more professional scenarios.

Image Source: Lei Technology

So, taking advantage of the weekend, I brought the Z70 Ultra to the scene of the Macau Grand Prix. This was actually the first time I watched a race without bringing a camera. So, can the Z70 Ultra's Professional Mode handle this truly professional challenge?

At the Chinese Grand Prix in the first half of the year, a certain phone brand demonstrated its powerful snapshot ability, capturing race cars traveling at 250 km/h "completely still" with AI support. But I don't like these photos because they don't convey a sense of speed. In contrast, racing photographers prefer the so-called "panning" technique. At the Guia Circuit in Macau, the Z70 Ultra also proved itself with its Professional Mode.

Image Source: Lei Technology

In Professional Mode, the Z70 Ultra not only allows manual setting of almost all camera parameters but also provides independent focus/exposure/white balance locking, enabling clear photos with "focus trapping" and excellent panning effects.

The variable aperture design of the main camera also allows for a sufficiently slow shutter speed without using an ND filter.

Image Source: Lei Technology

Image Source: Lei Technology

Even with the 140mm telephoto camera, the shooting effect of the Z70 Ultra is equally excellent. Unfortunately, the light intake at the telephoto end of the Z70 Ultra is too high. Even when the ISO is set to the lowest level, the shutter speed is still too short, and beautiful shots can only be taken when it gets a bit darker.

However, the camera of the Z70 Ultra is not without shortcomings. Taking my experience of shooting races as an example, if the Professional Mode is not used, the post-processing of the Z70 Ultra will cause quite severe shutter lag, which cannot be improved even if AI processing is turned off. The photos taken at this time are completely unusable and caused me to miss many crucial moments. Fortunately, there is no such problem in Professional Mode.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, the Z70 Ultra is still the phone with the most professional and satisfying camera performance among the phones I've used in 2024.

Perhaps the Most Radical AI Phone

Since AI is mentioned, I also want to talk about the AI performance of the Z70 Ultra. Nowadays, all mobile phone brands consider AI a top priority, and even Apple is starting to paint the big AI picture, trying to keep up with industry trends. But among the many AI phone brands, the Z70 Ultra is definitely the most "radical" one:

In the home screen settings, in addition to the usual tile, drawer, and pure modes, the Z70 Ultra also provides a "Future Mode." In this mode, the "home screen" of the Z70 Ultra is reduced to just one AI interaction button. Pressing it or activating it with voice can utilize AI to complete complex user instructions.

Image Source: Lei Technology

For example, suppose I need to go on a business trip to Shenzhen tomorrow. I only need to say to the phone, "Help me buy a high-speed rail ticket from Guangzhou to Shenzhen for tomorrow," and the Z70 Ultra will automatically open the 12306 app, find the schedule list, and ask me via voice if I have any specific time requirements. After confirming the requirements, it will hand over the final payment authority to the user, and manual confirmation of payment will complete the booking.

Besides booking tickets, the Z70 Ultra's Nebula AI Assistant can also monitor stock prices for me, post on Xiaohongshu, find photos, and perform voice/screen translation... Basically, it provides all the mainstream AI functions that should be available.

In fact, this "Future Mode" is also the core reason I consider the Z70 Ultra to be "radical" in the field of AI. Most phones support complex AI tasks, but considering those "unexpected" situations, most phones only dare to use AI interaction as the second interaction method, with the first interaction method still being manual operation of the phone by the user. However, the Future Mode of the Z70 Ultra shows us the possibility of using AI as the primary interaction method for phones.

Image Source: Lei Technology

It must be acknowledged that this "Future Mode" is not omnipotent. In some cases, we still need to swipe up to open the app drawer for manual operations. However, "Future Mode" still showcases Nubia's exploration and reflections on mobile phone interaction in the AI era. At least, just like the Philips phone I experienced before, Nubia Z70 Ultra is genuinely contemplating, "In the AI era, what kind of mobile phone do users need?"

This alone is enough to prove that Nubia is "not the same as" those brands that paint pie-in-the-sky scenarios with beta systems.

A "No-Hole" Phone with Personality

As per usual, here is a summary of the ROG 9 Pro experience based on the Lei Technology review template:

Advantages:

Excellent hole-less full screen;

Quite professional camera capabilities;

No ads out of the factory.

Disadvantages:

Significant shutter delay in non-professional mode;

Physical camera button may cause camera shake.

Initially, I didn't have high expectations for the Z70 Ultra, especially since my initial impression of this phone was only its "No-Hole Elite" design. However, as a representative of "the more you use it, the more surprises you find," the Z70 Ultra delivers a quite positive experience with its outstanding camera and AI capabilities. It's also one of the few phones this year that made me think, "I want to buy this."

Image Source: Lei Technology

In fact, aside from the camera shutter delay just mentioned, my only dissatisfaction with this Z70 Ultra is the color scheme of the one I have: the combination of a neutral silver frame and beige back cover feels a bit abrupt to me. Fortunately, the Z70 Ultra also comes with a black back cover. If the shutter delay in auto mode is resolved, the Z70 Ultra will likely become my most satisfactory phone of the year.

Image Source: Lei Technology

To be fair, the Z70 Ultra is not perfect, but its handling of the camera, system, and details (mute toggle, two-stage mechanical shutter, ads disabled by default upon initialization, IP68) is enough to impress me and make me accept its imperfections. Moreover, judging from the frequent system updates over the past week, Nubia is indeed actively addressing issues.

Image Source: Lei Technology

If you're dissatisfied with smartphones' "punched-out" screens or want to experience true "professional imaging," then the Nubia Z70 Ultra is likely the "ultimate answer" you've been waiting for.

Source: Lei Technology