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Nubia Z60 Ultra review - Premium smartphone with a small price tag and unique camera

Bargain flagship phone? After a long time, Nubia is once again selling one of its flagship phones globally. And the device is pretty remarkable: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, UDC, IP certification, a unique triple camera setup and much more. You can already get one for less than €700 (US$600). A true hidden gem?
5G Android Smartphone Touchscreen
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)

After the Nubia Z50 Ultra failed to get an official worldwide release and was only available as an import device, there is finally a global version of the Z60 Ultra. The company, which is associated with ZTE, retains the striking design of the predecessor and again offers a camera system with relatively unique focal lengths.

Other than the really fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is also used in Nubia’s own gaming phone RedMagic 9 Pro, the Z60 Ultra aims to win over consumers with IP certification, lots of memory and storage, a large battery and especially an affordable starting price of just €679 (US$599). Read our review to find out whether the Nubia phone will become a flagship killer 2024.

Nubia Z60 Ultra
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 8 x 2.3 - 3.3 GHz, Cortex-X4 / A720 / A720 / A520 (Kryo)
Graphics adapter
Qualcomm Adreno 750
Memory
16 GB 
, LPDDR5x
Display
6.80 inch 20:9, 2480 x 1116 pixel 400 PPI, capacitive, 1200 Hz touch sampling rate, BOE Q9+, AMOLED, 2160 Hz PWM dimming, glossy: yes, HDR, 120 Hz
Storage
512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash, 512 GB 
, 490.56 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.1 Gen2, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), Audio Connections: USB-C, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: G-Sensor, eCompass, Gyroscope, Proximity, Sensor Hub, OTG
Networking
Wi-Fi 7 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 6E 6 GHz be = Wi-Fi 7), Bluetooth 5.4, 2G (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (Band 1, 2, 4, 5, 8), LTE (Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66), 5G-Sub6 (Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78), Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.78 x 163.98 x 76.35 ( = 0.35 x 6.46 x 3.01 in)
Battery
6000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 14
Camera
Primary Camera: 50 MPix (IMX800, 35 mm, f/1.59, OIS) 50 MPix (Wide, OV50e40, 18 mm, f/1.8, OIS) 64 MPix (2.4x opt. Zoom, OV64b40, 85 mm, OIS), Camera2 API Level: Level 3
Secondary Camera: 12 MPix (OV12d2q, f/2.0, FF)
Additional features
Speakers: Dual, Keyboard: On-screen, Screen protector, clear bumper, charger, USB Cable, SIM ejector tool, MyOS 14, 12 Months Warranty, GNSS: GPS (L1, L5), Glonass (L1), BeiDou (B1, B2a, B1C), Galileo (E1, E5a, E5b), QZSS (L1, L5), IP68; DRM Widevine L1; HDR: HLG, HDR10; Body-SAR: 1.482 W/kg, Head-SAR: 1.253 W/kg, fanless, waterproof
Weight
246 g ( = 8.68 oz / 0.54 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
899 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Comparison with possible competitors

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
86.8 %
02/2024
Nubia Z60 Ultra
SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750		246 g512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash6.80"2480x1116
91.1 %
12/2023
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU		221 g256 GB NVMe6.70"2796x1290
89 %
12/2023
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7		213 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.70"2992x1344
89.4 %
12/2023
Xiaomi 14 Pro
SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750		223 g256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash6.73"3200x1440

Chassis - Nubia Z60 Ultra with a distinctive design

The Nubia Z60 Ultra has a fairly boxy design with a very prominent camera setup on the back. The device is relatively heavy at 246 g (0.54 lb), but sits well in the hand and also isn’t top-heavy. Thanks to its dark aluminium frame and matt back glass, fingerprints hardly stand a chance.

We really like the Z60 Ultra’s build quality. Nothing creaks, wiggles or has too much give. Gaps are small and even. The front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The phone is also dust-tight and waterproof according to IP68.

The Nubia Z60 Ultra is available in silver and black.

(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
(Photo: Daniel Schmidt)

Size comparison

❌
163.98 mm / 6.46 inch 76.35 mm / 3.01 inch 8.78 mm / 0.3457 inch 246 g0.542 lbs162.6 mm / 6.4 inch 76.5 mm / 3.01 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 213 g0.4696 lbs161.4 mm / 6.35 inch 75.3 mm / 2.96 inch 8.49 mm / 0.3343 inch 223 g0.4916 lbs159.9 mm / 6.3 inch 76.7 mm / 3.02 inch 8.25 mm / 0.3248 inch 221 g0.4872 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Specifications - USB 3.2 and IR blaster are on board

Nubia offers three versions of the phone for the global market:

RAM/Storage Colours Price
8/256 GB Black €679/US$599
12/256 GB Black or silver €749/US$649
16/512 GB Black or Silver €899/US$779

Even though Nubia has priced the base model very affordably, you’ll need to be prepared to fork out a hefty premium if you need for more storage, especially since it’s not possible to add a microSD card.

Whilst the company hasn’t provided detailed specs of the USB port, the high data transfer speeds in our copy test (888.84 MB/s) suggest that it’s a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, particularly given that it supports video output at Ultra HD over a cable. The interface also has USB-OTG capability; storage devices connected to the phone can be formatted in FAT32, exFAT or NTFS.

In any case, the Z60 Ultra comes with a well-rounded set of features: NFC, Bluetooth 5.4 and an IR blaster are all on board as well.

Top: IR blaster, microphone (photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Top: IR blaster, microphone
Left (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Left
Right: Volume rocker, power button, slider switch (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Right: Volume rocker, power button, slider switch
Bottom: Microphone, speaker, USB, microphone, SIM slot (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Bottom: Microphone, speaker, USB, microphone, SIM slot

Software - Currently on Android 14, but only a few updates

The Z60 Ultra is currently on Google Android 14 with the Nubia's MyOS 14 custom UI on top it. At the time of this review, the security patches were dated 1 December 2023 and thus still fairly up-to-date. Nubia hasn’t released further details regarding update intervals, but aims to provide up to three years of support. Nothing has been said about the number of major updates for the device. It is still up in the air whether there is going to be more than one.

Connectivity and GNSS - Z60 Ultra is capable of 6 GHz Wi-Fi

As far as cellular connectivity goes, the Nubia Z60 Ultra is compatible with all current standards (including 5G Sub-6) and a wide range of frequency bands. In our review, the phone demonstrated great reception in a metropolitan environment.

The Z60 Ultra supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard and can also operate in the 6 GHz band. It was able to achieve high and largely stable transfer speeds in conjunction with our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000.

Networking
Nubia Z60 Ultra
iperf3 receive AXE11000
969 (min: 488) MBit/s ∼56%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
915 (min: 477) MBit/s ∼51%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1680 (min: 920) MBit/s ∼97%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1761 (min: 909) MBit/s ∼100%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
iperf3 receive AXE11000
810 (min: 793) MBit/s ∼47%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
931 (min: 893) MBit/s ∼52%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1534 (min: 1415) MBit/s ∼89%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1345 (min: 1298) MBit/s ∼76%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
iperf3 receive AXE11000
897 (min: 870) MBit/s ∼52%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
892 (min: 333) MBit/s ∼50%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1468 (min: 1069) MBit/s ∼85%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1467 (min: 1304) MBit/s ∼83%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
iperf3 receive AXE11000
1717 (min: 1627) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
1783 (min: 911) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1728 (min: 1374) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1731 (min: 1657) MBit/s ∼98%
Average of class Smartphone
iperf3 receive AXE11000
651 (min: 34.8) MBit/s ∼38%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
687 (min: 40.5) MBit/s ∼39%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz
1536 (min: 229) MBit/s ∼89%
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz
1364 (min: 598) MBit/s ∼77%
095190285380475570665760855950104511401235133014251520161517101805Tooltip
Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1649 (920-1834)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3, ARM Mali-G715 MP7; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1469 (1069-1581)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1725 (909-1803)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3, ARM Mali-G715 MP7; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1467 (1304-1676)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø951 (488-978)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3, ARM Mali-G715 MP7; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø896 (870-916)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø915 (477-1010)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3, ARM Mali-G715 MP7; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø881 (333-944)
GPS test: outdoors
GPS test: outdoors
GPS test: in a building
GPS test: in a building

The Nubia phone has great positioning capability and can find its own location very quickly and accurately outdoors. In buildings, despite the signal begin considerably weaker, the phone can still identify its location with accuracy.

We went on a bike ride to compare the Nubia phone against a Garmin Venu 2 fitness smartwatch. The two devices produced fairly close results, though the Z60 Ultra was even more accurate in some sections. 

GNSS test ride: Around the lake
GNSS test ride: Around the lake
GNSS test ride: Turning point
GNSS test ride: Turning point
GNSS test ride: Summary
GNSS test ride: Summary

Call function and voice quality

Although the Z60 Ultra is a dual-SIM phone with space for two nano SIM cards, it doesn’t support eSIMs. It is compatible with VoLTE but not Wi-Fi calling.

Voices are readily intelligible when the device is held to the ear. However, background noise suppression only works moderately well. The speakerphone stands out with a pretty long microphone range, but the user’s voice is accompanied by an audible noise.

Cameras - Unique triple camera setup with decent imaging performance

Selfie taken with the Nubia Z60 Ultra
Selfie taken with the Nubia Z60 Ultra

The Nubia Z60 Ultra has an under-display front camera to give the screen a seamless design. This camera can only be seen under appropriate lighting conditions and upon close examination, but leaves something to be desired quality-wise. Photos taken with the camera appear somewhat dull and washed out, and it can only record videos at up to Full HD (30 fps).

Nubia has taken a different route with the main camera module’s focal distances, opting for rather unique lengths. For instance, the main shooter uses 35 mm (35 mm equivalent) instead of the typical 24 or 26 mm, which moves the subject closer to the lens. This actually doesn’t bother us at all; in fact, we really like it during our testing. Imaging performance is likewise decent, with quality suffering slightly only in difficult lighting conditions. You can see this in the picture of the bunny: the bright areas have a tendency to be blown out. In the lake scene, however, the Z60 Ultra managed to produce a highly dynamic photo rich in detail. 

The ultra-wide camera has a longer focal length as well (18 mm). This is good for quality but causes the field of view to be substantially smaller. This lens can also be used for macro photography.

The telephoto lens similarly delivers great results and has a 2.4x zoom (85 mm). When using digital zoom, you’ll notice that a 5x zoom moves you much closer to the subject and gives you an equivalent focal length of 170 mm, instead of the usual 120 mm. The camera is capable of reaching up to a 30x zoom (1,000 mm). All three lenses are also equipped with optical image stabilisation (OIS). There is a Pro mode with RAW support as well.

Videos can be recorded at 8K (30 fps). Frame rates can even go as high as 120 fps at Ultra HD or lower.

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-wide camera5x zoomLow-light
ColorChecker
3.6 ∆E
3.5 ∆E
6.8 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
3 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
3 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
3.1 ∆E
2.2 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
3.3 ∆E
3.4 ∆E
8.6 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
2.1 ∆E
1.6 ∆E
1.4 ∆E
3.4 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Nubia Z60 Ultra: 4.25 ∆E min: 1.4 - max: 8.57 ∆E
ColorChecker
21.8 ∆E
37.6 ∆E
29.7 ∆E
27.3 ∆E
31.5 ∆E
42.8 ∆E
36.8 ∆E
24.7 ∆E
25.8 ∆E
21.9 ∆E
43.1 ∆E
43.8 ∆E
20.8 ∆E
34.6 ∆E
20.7 ∆E
43.1 ∆E
28.4 ∆E
32.3 ∆E
43.6 ∆E
45.5 ∆E
41.1 ∆E
31.3 ∆E
21.6 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
ColorChecker Nubia Z60 Ultra: 31.77 ∆E min: 12.77 - max: 45.45 ∆E

Accessories and warranty - Comprehensive box contents

Box contents of the Nubia Z60 Ultra (Photo: Daniel Schmidt)
Box contents

In the EU, Nubia provides a 24-month warranty on the international version of the Z60 Ultra without any extension options. Please note the warranty period may vary by region.

Inside the box, you’ll find a modular 80-watt charger, a USB-C cable, a clear plastic protective case, a SIM ejector tool and a quick start guide. But Nubia doesn’t sell any optional accessories.

Input devices & operation - Z60 Ultra with slider switch

The capacitive touchscreen on the Nubia Z60 Ultra can detect up to ten points of contact at the same time and comes pre-installed with a screen protector. The surface is nice and smooth, and the entire display responds swiftly and precisely to inputs. 

A linear vibration motor provides crisp feedback and is pleasantly quiet to boot. Biometric security is handled by an optical fingerprint scanner in the display. It does its job reliably and unlocks the phone in no time. You can also use face recognition via the front camera as an supplementary or alternative authentication method.

By default, the slider on the right side can be used to immediately open the camera in Street mode. Nevertheless, its function can be modified in the settings (see screenshot).

Display - Seamless AMOLED at 120Hz

Subpixel structure
Subpixel structure

Measuring 6.8 inches diagonally, the AMOLED display on the Nubia Z60 Ultra uses a Full HD+ resolution and produces a sharp image. It has a high touch sampling rate of 960Hz and a refresh rate of 120Hz. But the screen isn’t an LTPO panel, meaning the system can only switch automatically between 60Hz and 120Hz. Alternatively, you have the option to lock the display at either of the refresh rates. 

Support for HDR standards is somewhat skimpy because all you get is HLG and HDR10 – that’s it. On the other hand, with the ambient light sensor enabled, the display has a pleasantly high peak brightness when showing a completely white image, reaching 1,003 cd/m² in the middle. That said, we weren’t able to hit the 1,500 cd/m² peak brightness claimed by Nubia, neither with APL 18 (1,190 cd/m²) nor during HDR playback (1,204 cd/m²). For manual brightness control, you have up to 577 cd/m² at your disposal.

On the oscilloscope, the OLED display flickered at a constant 60Hz and showed a very homogeneous amplitude waveform. Nubia mentioned a PWM dimming at up to 2,160Hz, which is something we can likewise confirm using our flicker meter. As a result, the display should be relatively easy on the eyes and not cause any complaints.

996
cd/m²		1013
cd/m²		1022
cd/m²
985
cd/m²		1003
cd/m²		1002
cd/m²
984
cd/m²		1003
cd/m²		998
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE Q9+ tested with X-Rite i1Pro 3
Maximum: 1022 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 1000.7 cd/m² Minimum: 3.22 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 1003 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.26
Nubia Z60 Ultra
AMOLED, 2480x1116, 6.80		Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
OLED, 2796x1290, 6.70		Google Pixel 8 Pro
OLED, 2992x1344, 6.70		Xiaomi 14 Pro
AMOLED, 3200x1440, 6.73
Screen
20%
28%
15%
Brightness middle
1003
1102
10%
1510
51%
1025
2%
Brightness
1001
1102
10%
1467
47%
1046
4%
Brightness Distribution
96
98
2%
92
-4%
95
-1%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.7
1.1
35%
1.1
35%
1.1
35%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.6
3.1
14%
3.8
-6%
2.9
19%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.1
1.6
48%
1.7
45%
2.2
29%
Gamma
2.26 97%
2.19 100%
2.23 99%
2.25 98%
CCT
6257 104%
6555 99%
6670 97%
6622 98%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 60 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 17903 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

minimum display brightness
min.
25% display brightness
25%
50% display brightness
50%
75% display brightness
75%
maximum display brightness
100%

The colour analysis performed with Calman verified the Nubia Z60 Ultra’s great results. The default settings actually produced the best values and also uses the larger DCI-P3 gamut.

Greyscale (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)
Greyscale (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)
Colour (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)
Colour (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)
Colour space (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)
Colour space (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)
Saturation (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)
Saturation (Colour mode: Standard, Colour temperature: normal, target gamut: DCI-P3)

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
1.38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 0.692 ms rise
↘ 0.684 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. » 4 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
1.17 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 0.579 ms rise
↘ 0.594 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 2 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

The Z60 Ultra leaves a great impression outdoors, with the screen remaining decently readable in most lighting situations. The only thing is that reflections on the display’s surface can lightly affect readability when the screen is viewed at a slight angle.

The viewing angle is superb as such. And there aren't any colour shifts even if the screen is viewed from a very sharp angle, but the brightness does roll off a little.

Nubia Z60 Ultra outdoors
Outdoors
Viewing angle of the Nubia Z60 Ultra
Viewing angle

Performance - Plenty of power thanks to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

The Nubia Z60 Ultra is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and can be kitted out with 8, 12 or 16 GB of memory, depending on the configuration you choose. The phone runs as fast as you might expect and can even slightly outperform its actively cooled cousin, the RedMagic 9 Pro, in many aspects.

The UFS 4.0 storage likewise operates at a very high level and enables the Z60 Ultra to have smooth system performance. The smartphone is snappy during web browsing, but it doesn’t get along well with Google Chrome in benchmarks. Consequently, we ran the benchmarks using Microsoft Edge.

Geekbench 5.5 | Geekbench 6.2 | Antutu v9 | PCMark for Android | CrossMark | BaseMark OS II | UL Procyon AI Inference for Android | AImark
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
1702 Points
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
1687 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (1575 - 1702, n=10)
1672 Points -2%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
1274 Points -25%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 2138, n=220, last 2 years)
911 Points -46%
Multi-Core
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
6543 Points
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
6439 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (5393 - 6543, n=10)
6103 Points -7%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
3624 Points -45%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 6681, n=220, last 2 years)
2988 Points -54%
Geekbench 6.2
Single-Core
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU, 8192
2930 Points +29%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
2278 Points 0%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
2268 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (2127 - 2329, n=12)
2238 Points -1%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
1769 Points -22%
Average of class Smartphone
  (193 - 2930, n=105, last 2 years)
1390 Points -39%
Multi-Core
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU, 8192
7244 Points +3%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
7004 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (6432 - 7501, n=12)
6991 Points 0%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
6875 Points -2%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
4538 Points -35%
Average of class Smartphone
  (845 - 7408, n=105, last 2 years)
3840 Points -45%
Antutu v9 - Total Score
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (1521387 - 1650926, n=4)
1591473 Points
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
896410 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (102602 - 1650926, n=153, last 2 years)
738503 Points
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
Points
PCMark for Android - Work 3.0
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (15343 - 21628, n=11)
18565 Points +1%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
18445 Points
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
15876 Points -14%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
11824 Points -36%
Average of class Smartphone
  (4761 - 21385, n=215, last 2 years)
11771 Points -36%
CrossMark - Overall
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU, 8192
1408 Points +6%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
1331 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (1043 - 1474, n=8)
1227 Points -8%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
1167 Points -12%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
935 Points -30%
Average of class Smartphone
  (200 - 1474, n=165, last 2 years)
837 Points -37%
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
10966 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (8165 - 10966, n=9)
10135 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=166, last 2 years)
5759 Points -47%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
Points -100%
System
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
15863 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (8611 - 15935, n=9)
14075 Points -11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=166, last 2 years)
9672 Points -39%
Memory
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
12306 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (8937 - 12716, n=9)
11005 Points -11%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12716, n=166, last 2 years)
6267 Points -49%
Graphics
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
34538 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (29938 - 38586, n=9)
34206 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=166, last 2 years)
14220 Points -59%
Web
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
2145 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (1661 - 2145, n=9)
2009 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=166, last 2 years)
1495 Points -30%
UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
27018 Points +55%
Average of class Smartphone
  (207 - 84787, n=150, last 2 years)
21814 Points +25%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
17407 Points
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
16988 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (13873 - 18370, n=10)
16833 Points -3%
AImark - Score v3.x
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  (1381 - 245629, n=9)
108185 Points +6566%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU, 8192
29087 Points +1692%
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 245629, n=105, last 2 years)
17833 Points +999%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 16384
1623 Points
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 12288
1109 Points -32%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 12288
Points -100%

Graphics processing is handled by an integrated Adreno 750, which is able to run at peak form in the Nubia Z60 Ultra. Particularly in GFXBench’s 4K test, the phone is able to pull ahead slightly further and thus offers the best attributes for gaming.

3DMark: Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | Wild Life Extreme | Wild Life Unlimited Score | Wild Life Score | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
5175 Points
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
3879 Points -25%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
2410 Points -53%
3DMark / Wild Life Extreme
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
5211 Points
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
3765 Points -28%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
2422 Points -54%
3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
19641 Points
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
15260 Points -22%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
8922 Points -55%
3DMark / Wild Life Score
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
8582 Points
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
5044 Points
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
13743 Points
3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
9935 Points
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
120 fps +100%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps +100%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps 0%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
60 fps
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
546 fps
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
543 fps -1%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
444 fps -19%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
348 fps -36%
GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
120 fps +100%
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps +100%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps 0%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
60 fps
GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
363 fps
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
362 fps 0%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
262 fps -28%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
174 fps -52%
GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
120 fps +100%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
115 fps +92%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps 0%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
60 fps
GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
279 fps
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
269 fps -4%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
180 fps -35%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
112 fps -60%
GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
88 fps +47%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
71 fps +18%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
60 fps 0%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
60 fps
GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
162 fps
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
159 fps -2%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
110 fps -32%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
75 fps -54%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
76 fps +27%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
63 fps +5%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
60 fps
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
55 fps -8%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
94 fps
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
85 fps -10%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
61 fps -35%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
37 fps -61%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
109 fps +82%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
91 fps +52%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
60 fps
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
59 fps -2%
GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
229 fps
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
209 fps -9%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
117 fps -49%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
98 fps -57%
GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
42 fps
Xiaomi 14 Pro
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
39 fps -7%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
25 fps -40%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
16 fps -62%
Jetstream 2 | WebXPRT 4 | Octane V2 | Mozilla Kraken 1.1
Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17)
254.048 Points +29%
Nubia Z60 Ultra (Edge 120)
197.49 Points
Nubia Z60 Ultra (Chrome 121)
69.161 Points -65%
Xiaomi 14 Pro (Chrome 120)
162.564 Points -18%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (69.2 - 241, n=13)
158.3 Points -20%
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=173, last 2 years)
106.1 Points -46%
Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117)
105.175 Points -47%
WebXPRT 4 - Overall
Xiaomi 14 Pro (Chrome 120)
181 Points +12%
Nubia Z60 Ultra (Edge 120)
161 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (112 - 196, n=10)
158.8 Points -1%
Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117)
103 Points -36%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 202, n=160, last 2 years)
100.2 Points -38%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17)
86270 Points +26%
Nubia Z60 Ultra (Edge 120)
68315 Points
Xiaomi 14 Pro (Chrome 120)
54365 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (25953 - 70135, n=11)
54354 Points -20%
Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117)
49506 Points -28%
Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 89112, n=214, last 2 years)
33357 Points -51%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=173, last 2 years)
1595 ms * -147%
Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117)
840.2 ms * -30%
Xiaomi 14 Pro (Chrome 120)
801.6 ms * -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (624 - 1154, n=11)
800 ms * -24%
Nubia Z60 Ultra (Edge 120)
646.8 ms *
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17)
388.3 ms * +40%

* ... smaller is better

Nubia Z60 UltraGoogle Pixel 8 ProHonor Magic5 ProXiaomi 14Average 512 GB UFS 4.0 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-71%
-35%
-15%
-14%
-60%
Sequential Read 256KB
3926.73
1501.13
-62%
3344.12
-15%
3385.74
-14%
3712 ?(2451 - 4512, n=19)
-5%
1508 ?(226 - 4512, n=218, last 2 years)
-62%
Sequential Write 256KB
3518.47
257.28
-93%
2651.87
-25%
2906.65
-17%
3042 ?(1524 - 3678, n=19)
-14%
1118 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=218, last 2 years)
-68%
Random Read 4KB
477.73
156.16
-67%
267.91
-44%
420.99
-12%
416 ?(268 - 480, n=19)
-13%
247 ?(22.2 - 543, n=218, last 2 years)
-48%
Random Write 4KB
701.13
258.92
-63%
298.31
-57%
594.78
-15%
530 ?(174.3 - 709, n=19)
-24%
272 ?(13 - 709, n=218, last 2 years)
-61%

Emissions - Dual speakers in the Nubia Z60 Ultra

Temperature

Skin temperatures on the Nubia Z60 Ultra can rise to a high level under load. This happened despite the fact that we were already forced to reduce the settings to pure CPU load in Burnout Benchmark, as otherwise the app would crash.

The device also experienced significant performance losses in 3Dmark stress tests, but still remained faster than an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Max. Load
 40.6 °C
105 F		45 °C
113 F		41.3 °C
106 F		 
 46.6 °C
116 F		47 °C
117 F		43.8 °C
111 F		 
 47 °C
117 F		45 °C
113 F		43.7 °C
111 F		 
Maximum: 47 °C = 117 F
Average: 44.4 °C = 112 F
38.5 °C
101 F		45 °C
113 F		41.8 °C
107 F
42.3 °C
108 F		45 °C
113 F		46.3 °C
115 F
41.8 °C
107 F		46.5 °C
116 F		46.4 °C
116 F
Maximum: 46.5 °C = 116 F
Average: 43.7 °C = 111 F
Power Supply (max.)  27.8 °C = 82 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated) & Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 44.4 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.5 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.7 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

3DMark Wild Life stress test

3DMark
Wild Life Stress Test Stability
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
78.9 % +17%
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
78.8 % +17%
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
67.3 %
Wild Life Extreme Stress Test
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
76.3 %
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
76 % 0%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
65.4 % -14%
Solar Bay Stress Test Stability
Nubia Z60 Ultra
Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash
83.8 %
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe
66.1 % -21%
0102030405060708090100110Tooltip
Nubia Z60 Ultra Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash; Wild Life Extreme Stress Test; 1.1.4.1: Ø26.6 (23.9-31.3)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Extreme Stress Test: Ø17.1 (16.4-25)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Extreme Stress Test; 1.1.4.1: Ø12.4 (11-14.5)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash; Wild Life Stress Test Stability: Ø84.6 (75.1-111.7)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Stress Test Stability: Ø52.8 (47.3-60)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Stress Test Stability: Ø45.7 (40.7-51.6)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe; Wild Life Unlimited Stress Test Stability: Ø62.8 (55.9-93.3)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Mali-G715 MP7, Tensor G3, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash; Wild Life Unlimited Stress Test Stability: Ø47.9 (43.4-53.7)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash; Solar Bay Unlimited Stress Test Stability; 1.0.6.5: Ø27.9 (25.8-29.4)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe; Solar Bay Unlimited Stress Test Stability: Ø15.4 (14.1-17.8)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash; Solar Bay Stress Test Stability; 1.0.6.5: Ø26.5 (24.4-29.1)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe; Solar Bay Stress Test Stability: Ø15.5 (14.1-21.3)

Speakers

Though the two speakers on the Z60 Ultra can get very loud, they have a really narrow sound stage and start distorting at high volume levels. The quality on offer is certainly good enough for occasional audio playback, but using external playback devices is recommended if you want to consume media more intensively.

Wired headphones can be connected to the USB-C port. For wireless devices, there is Bluetooth available with support for a wide range of codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX TWS+, LDAC, LC3 and Opus.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.633.62525.933.63123.436.24027.340.75036.242.86325.442.48016.639.510016.938.712514.740.916013.147.720015.151.925014.354.631511.657.740010625009.168.863011.168.98009.170.8100011.874.612501575.4160011.375.820001279.8250012.381.1315012.784.3400012.687.4500013.180.6630013.476.6800013.574.61000013.570.31250013.663.61600013.658.6SPL24.792.5N0.685.5median 13.1median 70.8Delta1.310.838.440.931.222.725.125.929.926.632.133.523.128.323.631.422.437.416.848.716.559.313.459.814.158.612.956.21358.311.763.211.668.312.972.313.374.813.174.612.47512.678.312.577.312.480.112.780.613.181.813.578.513.670.313.46813.671.813.4612589.40.677.3median 13.1median 71.81.29.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseNubia Z60 UltraGoogle Pixel 8 Pro
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Nubia Z60 Ultra audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 24% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 44% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Google Pixel 8 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.2% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 2% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 20% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery life - 6,000 mAh for great stamina

Power consumption

The power consumption of the Nubia Z60 Ultra is at a low level. The comparatively high values under load were only observed at the beginning of the Burnout Benchmark running at our test settings. Power usage decreased significantly afterwards, with the phone eventually settling down at roughly 15 watts.

The 6,000 mAh battery can be charged at up to 80 watts over a wired connection, but wireless charging isn't supported.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.07 / 0.26 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.69 / 1.52 / 1.6 Watt
Load midlight 14.73 / 20.82 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Nubia Z60 Ultra
6000 mAh		Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
4422 mAh		Google Pixel 8 Pro
5050 mAh		Xiaomi 14 Pro
4880 mAh		Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
 		Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
20%
23%
26%
21%
19%
Idle Minimum *
0.69
0.5
28%
0.63
9%
0.89
-29%
0.818 ?(0.51 - 1, n=9)
-19%
0.897 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=162, last 2 years)
-30%
Idle Average *
1.52
1.97
-30%
1.47
3%
1.05
31%
1.196 ?(0.89 - 1.52, n=9)
21%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=162, last 2 years)
4%
Idle Maximum *
1.6
1.99
-24%
1.55
3%
1.11
31%
1.279 ?(0.91 - 1.6, n=9)
20%
1.629 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=162, last 2 years)
-2%
Load Average *
14.73
3.36
77%
8.45
43%
9.03
39%
9.25 ?(3.34 - 14.7, n=9)
37%
5.55 ?(2.3 - 16.5, n=162, last 2 years)
62%
Load Maximum *
20.82
10.43
50%
8.63
59%
9.06
56%
10.9 ?(3.53 - 20.8, n=9)
48%
8.31 ?(3.53 - 20.8, n=162, last 2 years)
60%

* ... smaller is better

Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)

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Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; Geekbench 5.5 Power Consumption 150cd: Ø7.37 (0.957-17.6)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3; Geekbench 5.5 Power Consumption 150cd: Ø5.62 (0.838-8.49)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.948 (0.88-1.177)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.749 (0.708-1.133)

Power consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)

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Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø15.2 (13.6-16.4)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3; 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø6.6 (5.39-7.54)
Nubia Z60 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.948 (0.88-1.177)
Google Pixel 8 Pro Google Tensor G3; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.749 (0.708-1.133)

Battery life

In terms of battery life, it’s all about going big. The battery is already pretty substantial with a capacity of 6,000 mAh. Even so, the phone still managed to wow us in our Wi-Fi test by delivering a disproportionately long battery life of more than 21 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 120)
21h 15min
Battery Runtime - WiFi v1.3
Nubia Z60 Ultra
6000 mAh
1275 min
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
4422 mAh
1163 min
Google Pixel 8 Pro
5050 mAh
760 min
Xiaomi 14 Pro
4880 mAh
897 min

Pros

+ snappy SoC
+ bright, seamless 120Hz AMOLED screen
+ long battery life
+ fast Wi-Fi
+ IP68 certification

Cons

- no eSIM support
- mediocre speakers
- can get very warm
- no wireless charging
- short update support

Verdict - Outstanding, but not the best

Nubia Z60 Ultra review. The review unit is kindly provided by Nubia.
Nubia Z60 Ultra review. The review unit is kindly provided by Nubia.

With the Z60 Ultra, Nubia is offering a very exciting phone that stands out with a number of high-end features and thus represents an attractive overall package with a low entry price. Apart from the snappy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the seamless AMOLED display is worth mentioning too. The device also features very long battery life, support for fast data transfer standards, and IP68 certification.

The Nubia Z60 Ultra is a fantastic option, but storage upgrades come at steep prices.

That said, the phone doesn’t quite have what it takes to be a flagship killer. On the technical side, Nubia Z60 Ultra isn’t able to fully reach the advertised peak brightness and can also get very warm under load. Though the under-display front camera allows for a notch- and hole-free design, its image quality isn't anything to call home about. Users will likewise have to do without wireless charging and eSIM support.

Update support is also fairly short. It’s not just the Pixel 8 that can do better, most high-end phones released last year still offer longer support periods than the Z60 Ultra. The Motorola Edge 40 Pro is an alternative with a similar entry price.

Price and availability

The Nubia Z60 Ultra can be purchased directly from Nubia. Cases for the phone are available from online retailers, such as Amazon.

Nubia Z60 Ultra - 02/13/2024 v7
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
86%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
57 / 70 → 81%
Weight
87%
Battery
93%
Display
92%
Games Performance
75 / 64 → 100%
Application Performance
97 / 86 → 100%
Temperature
54%
Noise
100%
Audio
78 / 90 → 86%
Camera
76%
Average
81%
87%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Transparency

The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of 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.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Nubia Z60 Ultra review - Premium smartphone with a small price tag and unique camera
Daniel Schmidt, 2024-02-14 (Update: 2024-02-14)