Built around a main camera with a classic 35mm lens, the nubia Z70S Ultra features a triple camera island built around two 50MP and one 64MP sensor… and up to 8K video recording.

The nubia brand from ZTE is not the most popular choice if you’re after a smartphone for photography, but the new nubia Z70S Ultra should be considered, as it clearly suggests that there are more choices, if you’re an Android user, than the usual Samsung, Xiaomi or Google Pixel models. The announced price for the ZTE nubia Z70S Ultra is $869.00, which is less than some models it competes with, especially in terms of the features offered.

With a retro-inspired design that is a nod to the golden age of photography, “thoughtfully blending form and function for a beautiful aesthetic”, according to ZTE, what makes the nubia Z70S Ultra truly stand out is its camera system. At the core is a custom-engineered 35mm lens designed to replicate the perspective of the human eye, a focal length that is a – welcome – departure from the 23mm usually present in the main camera of most smartphones.

Focus as close as 2.5cm

ZTE has another smartphone model, the nubia Z70 Ultra, that is the world’s first smartphone to feature a 35mm lens with an adjustable physical aperture, allowing photographers to fine-tune depth of field and adapt to different lighting conditions with precision. The variable aperture ranges from f/1.6 to f/4.0, offering, according to the company, “creative flexibility whether shooting in bright daylight or low-light environments” when using the nubia Z70 Ultra. The nubia Z70S Ultra, though, uses a more common approach, with a fixed aperture of f/1.7.

The main camera on the nubia Z70S Ultra, built around a 50MP sensor (1/1.3 inch with 1.2um pixel size) with OIS has, as mentioned, a 35mm lens with an aperture of f/1.7. The ultra-wide camera, based on a 50MP 1/2.88 inch sensor, has a 13mm lens (122°) f/2.0 able to do macro (as ZTE says) as close as 2.5cm. The third camera is built around a 64MP sensor (1/2.0″) paired with a 70mm periscope telephoto (with optical image stabilization) with an aperture of f/2.48.

The choice of 35mm focal length for the main camera, despite the differences between models, is something photographers should consider. The 35mm focal length was a classic for street photography and it has stood the test of time. The recently launched Fujifilm X- half has a single lens, a 32mm f/2.8 (35mm equivalent), and it appears to follow a logic that comes from the 1980s, when Fujifilm followed suggestions from users and equipped its GS654S Professional  medium-format camera with a 60mm (35mm equivalent in the 35mm format) instead of the 45mm used in a previous model – GS645W – which was equivalent to a +/- 26mm in the 35mm format, and “too wide” according to photographers.

Appealing Android smartphone

The reference to the Fujifilm X-half is important to make here, too, because the new camera appears to be Fujifilm’s solution to try and capture smartphone photographers… with a camera that has a 1-inch sensor that is already present in some smartphones, and is less versatile when it comes to lenses available… despite costing about the same as the nubia Z70S Ultra…

In fact, with its three cameras/lenses, the nubia Z70S Ultra appears to be an appealing solution if you’re after an Android smartphone able to cover a variety of photographic subjects. It may not offer the same number of software and safety updates as models from brands like Samsung or Xiaomi, but if you’re after a complete photography/videography solution at an affordable price it might be, at least on paper, a choice to consider.

A Retro Kit… with a red dot

Besides the 35mm main camera the nubia Z70S Ultra features a 50MP ultra-wide camera designed for expansive landscapes, a 13mm lens with a generous 122° field of view. One interesting feature of this lens is that it allows you to focus as close as 2.5cm from your subject, a clear invitation to shoot “macro photography” (or close-up if the use of the term “macro” makes you nervous…) that shows the main subject and its background. I for one would like to try this feature, as it really allows for an interesting approach to “macro”. With an aperture of f/2.0 and autofocus, the lens delivers, ZTE claims, “vivid, immersive images with clarity from edge to edge.”

The 64MP telephoto camera, with a 70mm focal length, optical image stabilization (OIS), and responsive autofocus, ensures, notes ZTE, that “distant subjects are rendered with precision”. The f/2.48 aperture and professional-grade 4P lens system work together to produce detailed, high-clarity shots, whether you’re capturing portraits from afar or isolating specific elements in a scene.

While the nubia Z70 Ultra opts for a sleek, modern aesthetic, the nubia Z70S Ultra leans into nostalgia with a retro-inspired design, leather elements, and classic camera vibes. A matching Retro Kit – that makes the smartphone look a lot like a Leica… – and refined accessories are also available separately to add to your creative lifestyle, with a price of $149.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

The display is a massive 6.85-inch AMOLED screen with ultra-thin bezels, under-display camera technology for a truly full-screen experience, and a 144Hz refresh rate for buttery-smooth visuals. The resolution of 2688×1216, peak brightness of 2000 nits, and full DCI-P3 color spectrum make every onscreen image come to life.

Running on Nebula AIOS 1.5 based on Android 15 and powered by the next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite platform with a max CPU speed of 4.32GHz, the nubia Z70S Ultra features 12GB of RAM and 256GB of blazing-fast UFS 4.0 storage. The massive 6600mAh battery delivers all-day power, and the 80W fast charging feature eliminates battery anxiety; just plug in and get back to doing what you love. Ideal for long photography sessions! The nubia Z70S Ultra is also built to last and connect fast. It’s IP68 and IP69 certified for water and dust resistance, supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, and includes dual stereo speakers and NFC. Every detail has been considered for creators, travelers, and everyday power users.