Nubia Z60S Pro Review: The New Camera-Centric Powerhouse
The Nubia Z60S Pro is here, and it brings exciting updates, especially for camera enthusiasts. While it looks very similar to last year’s Z50S Pro, this model carries subtle but significant improvements. Let’s dive deep into what makes the Nubia Z60S Pro tick, examining its specs, performance, and standout features. Key Specifications of the Nubia Z60S Pro Design and Build: Big and Sturdy The Z60S Pro doesn’t stray far from its predecessor in terms of design. It’s a large, robust device weighing 220g, which might feel bulky compared to lighter flagships. Its 6.78-inch AMOLED display is big, bright, and vivid, reaching a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. That makes it perfect for outdoor use, even under direct sunlight. Key design highlights: It’s not the sleekest phone out there, but it gives a sense of durability and reliability, particularly with the included case. Display: Smooth and Bright The Z60S Pro features a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution (1260 x 2800 pixels) and a 120Hz variable refresh rate. Whether you’re gaming or simply scrolling, the smoothness of this display is hard to miss. It’s bright, colorful, and detailed, making content consumption an absolute joy. Performance under bright light:Even under the sunny skies of Lake Huron, the screen performed admirably with no visibility issues. Key display features: Performance: Powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 The Nubia Z60S Pro is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a flagship-grade processor. While this isn’t the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 found in the previous Z50S Pro, the difference is negligible for everyday users. GeekBench results for the Z60S Pro show minor improvements over the Z50S Pro, largely thanks to the software optimizations in Android 14. However, in AnTuTu tests, the older Z50S Pro slightly edges out the Z60S Pro due to its higher-clocked GPU. Key performance highlights: Despite the slight disadvantage in benchmark scores compared to last year’s model, real-world performance remains smooth, with no noticeable lag during multitasking or gaming. Camera System: Flagship-Level Photography The camera setup is where the Z60S Pro truly shines. It boasts a 50MP main sensor with a 1/1.56-inch sensor size for excellent low-light performance. Additionally, there’s a 50MP ultrawide camera and an 8MP telephoto lens for zoom shots. The camera’s versatility makes it ideal for everything from landscapes to macro photography. Camera specs: Key camera features: Overall, the camera performs exceptionally well, especially in low-light conditions. The macro mode is particularly impressive, capturing intricate details that many smartphones miss. Battery Life: Long-Lasting with 80W Fast Charging The Nubia Z60S Pro comes with a 5100mAh battery, which provides excellent endurance. Even with heavy use, including gaming and photo editing, the phone lasts a full day without needing a charge. When it does need a top-up, the 80W fast charging ensures that you’re back to 100% in under an hour. However, the lack of wireless charging might disappoint some users. Battery performance: AnTuTu is a much more compound benchmark, also adding GPU, memory and storage scores. Here, we can see that the Z50S Pro has a slight edge over its successor. This is expected, given the slightly higher-clocked GPU. Plus, our Z50S Pro unit has 1TB of storage instead of 256GB on our Z60S Pro review unit. AnTuTu 10 vivo X100 Ultra 2107877 Snapdragon 8 Gen 31TB, 16GB RAM1440 x 3200 px Galaxy S24 Ultra 1823822 Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SM8650-AC512GB, 12GB RAM1440 x 3120 px OnePlus 12 1821801 Snapdragon 8 Gen 3512GB, 16GB RAM1440 x 3168 px nubia Z50S Pro 1650939 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SM8550-AC1TB, 12GB RAM1260 x 2800 px Sony Xperia 1 VI 1612156 Snapdragon 8 Gen 3256GB. 12GB RAM1080 x 2340 px nubia Z60S Pro 1552065 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2256GB, 12GB RAM1260 x 2800 px iPhone 15 Pro Max 1487203 Apple A17 Pro256GB, 8GB RAM1290 x 2796 px Let’s kick off the tests with some CPU benchmarks and GeekBench. As mentioned, the Z60S Pro and Z50S Pro are on a level playing field in this department. Looking at the actual scores, the Z60S Pro has a slight edge, which is understandable since it is a newer device, running Android 14 instead of Android 13 at the time of testing and benefitting from various optimizations. Even so, the difference is within the margin of error, as it should be. GeekBench 6 iPhone 15 Pro Max 7237 Apple A17 Pro256GB, 8GB RAM Realme GT5 Pro 6644 Snapdragon 8 Gen 31TB, 16GB RAM vivo X100 Ultra 6586 Snapdragon 8 Gen 31TB, 16GB RAM Oppo Find X7 Ultra 6472 Snapdragon 8 Gen 3512GB, 16GB RAM Sony Xperia 1 VI 6119 Snapdragon 8 Gen 3256GB. 12GB RAM nubia Z60S Pro 5712 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2256GB, 12GB RAM nubia Z50S Pro 5569 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SM8550-AC1TB, 12GB RAM Software: Smooth, Customizable, but Bloatware Exists Running on Android 14 with Nubia’s MyOS 14 skin, the software experience is fluid, though not as close to stock Android as some users might like. The interface is clean, and the always-on display is a nice touch for quickly checking notifications. However, like many Android skins, it comes with a bit of bloatware, though most of it can be removed or disabled. Key software features: Connectivity and Extras: Packed with Features The Nubia Z60S Pro doesn’t skimp on connectivity. It includes 5G support, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. There’s a dual-SIM slot for those who need it, and the phone supports a wide range of satellite location services like GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou. Connectivity features: The only downside in terms of connectivity is that the phone doesn’t include wireless charging, a feature that’s becoming more common in its price range. Pricing and Availability The Nubia Z60S Pro is available directly through Nubia’s website and select online retailers like Amazon. Prices start at $499 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage model and go up to $770 for the 16GB RAM + 1TB storage variant. Pricing breakdown: Final Verdict: Is It Worth It? The Nubia Z60S Pro is a powerful and feature-packed phone that punches
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