Nubia Z60S Pro Review: The Ultimate Outdoor Smartphone with Satellite Communication

Technological advancements continue to expand the boundaries of our lives, especially in mobile communication. Every innovation signifies a new way to connect the world. Nubia has unveiled its latest masterpiece—the Nubia Z60S Pro. In this review, we will delve into the various features of the Nubia Z60S Pro, from the convenience of its satellite communication to the outstanding performance of its imaging system, the comprehensive upgrades of its smart AI features, and its unique design considerations, providing a detailed analysis of how this phone becomes the ideal companion for outdoor enthusiasts in 2024.

Design and Display

The Nubia Z60S Pro continues the rugged style of its predecessor, featuring a straight screen and sharp-edged frame, delivering a sleek and structured visual experience. The Z60S Pro is equipped with a 1.5K super retina-level eye-protection straight screen. Its 6.78-inch AMOLED display boasts an ultra-high resolution of 2800x1260 and a pixel density of 452 PPI, providing an incredibly detailed display.

With full-screen blue diamond arrangement technology and cinema-grade vibrant color display, covering 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and 10-bit color depth, it offers 1.07 billion colors and an 8,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Whether watching videos or browsing photos, users can enjoy a rich and detailed visual feast. The screen's durability is also significantly enhanced, utilizing Dragontrail glass, which improves drop and scratch resistance by 100%. The 120Hz intelligent refresh rate and 1000Hz instant peak sampling rate ensure a smooth operation experience and fast response speed. Additionally, SGS low blue light eye protection certification and 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming technology, combined with AI intelligent adjustment functions, not only protect users' eyesight but also provide personalized brightness adjustments based on user habits, making the Nubia Z60S Pro both beautiful and practical.

Exterior and Build

On the side of the device, the Z series' typical layout includes volume buttons and a red power button. The top retains a customizable slide switch that can be set to toggle camera, game mode, and silent mode, even allowing for quick access to functions like game space, street photography, flashlight, and recorder in a locked state. The back panel of the device is made of glass, featuring a woven-like texture that is tactile to the touch.

Camera System

The rear camera module's design is inspired by cosmic rings, featuring Nubia's signature dual red circle waistline design, enhancing the visual appeal and highlighting the prominence of the 35mm high-definition main camera. The "Crown Mark" on the camera module, bearing Nubia's brand slogan "beyourself," encourages users' personal expression. The Z60S Pro is available in three colors: Black Turtle, Azure Blue, and Moonlight White.

The Nubia Z60S Pro has undergone a complete upgrade in its imaging configuration, delivering an outstanding photography experience. Its main camera features the Sony IMX906 flagship sensor, offering 50MP high resolution with an f/1.59 aperture, ensuring rich detail capture under various lighting conditions. Compared to the common 23mm focal length of main cameras, the Z60S Pro's 35mm focal length offers more prominent composition and cleaner images. With OIS optical image stabilization, users can easily capture clear and stable moments.

In low-light and complex lighting conditions, the high-end main camera's performance is evident, with minimal noise and rich details in dark areas. The wide-angle camera provides a 13mm equivalent focal length with a 125-degree ultra-wide field of view and supports 2.5cm macro photography, easily capturing expansive landscapes or intricate textures. The telephoto camera offers an 80mm equivalent focal length and also supports OIS, ensuring stability and clarity in long-distance shots.

Additionally, the Z60S Pro includes numerous filters, offering high playability. The professional AI imaging model enhances image detail during telephoto shooting, maintaining clarity even at high magnifications, significantly improving the quality and convenience of photography. Whether for daily recording or professional creation, the Nubia Z60S Pro's imaging configuration meets users' high standards.

Performance

The Nubia Z60S Pro excels in performance, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 storage—a powerful trio. In our gaming test with "Genshin Impact," the phone ran smoothly for 33 minutes in Sumeru City, maintaining an average frame rate of 59.8fps with minimal frame drops, showcasing near-linear performance.

The integrated gaming mode, adapted from Red Magic phones, enhances the gaming experience. With the second-generation Snapdragon 8 processor, the Nubia Z60S Pro's performance reaches gaming flagship levels.

Battery Life

The Nubia Z60S Pro boasts a 5100mAh large battery and 80W fast charging technology, complemented by AI "zero" power consumption 2.0, ensuring extended outdoor use. In the ZOL five-hour heavy usage test, the screen brightness was set to auto, and Wi-Fi was connected to simulate user experience.

After 5 hours of heavy use, the Z60S Pro retained 57% of its battery. This excellent result indicates low power consumption in various scenarios, ensuring a full day's use with moderate activity. Charging tests showed the phone reached 57% in 15 minutes and 90% in 30 minutes.

Satellite Communication

The Nubia Z60S Pro's standout feature is its bidirectional satellite communication. In areas without cellular network coverage, users can still make real-time voice calls and send text messages via the Tiantong satellite. This feature is a lifeline for outdoor adventurers, emergency responders, and users needing communication in remote areas. The Z60S Pro, equipped with an independent satellite chip and 15 ultra-high-precision antennas, excels in satellite connection speed, call success rate, and SMS delivery rate. The unique Lingxi antenna matrix and AI self-developed beam high-gain controllable technology surpass market competitors in satellite communication performance.

The physical slide key design allows users to quickly activate the satellite communication function, enhancing usability. The satellite-enhanced ballistic nylon phone case improves satellite signal by 100%, making connection easier.

AI Features

The Z60S Pro's Nebula AI large model takes smart assistants to a new level, covering multiple aspects of daily life. The smart assistant, based on this model, can engage in natural language conversations, answer knowledge queries, and provide creative writing services, enhancing convenience in living, learning, travel, and entertainment. The AI bidirectional call real-time translation function supports multilingual and Chinese translation, greatly facilitating international business communication and travel.

AI recorder and AI notebook applications boost work efficiency. AI editing functions like continuation, summarization, and to-do lists after converting recordings to text make handling meeting notes or lecture content more efficient. The AI writing feature in the notebook supports brainstorming and outlining, further improving writing and recording efficiency.

The Z60S Pro's AI features also shine in image and video processing. The AI magic imaging function allows for secondary editing and creation of pictures, including AI erasing, AI extension, and AI photography. The pre-recording video function ensures complete capture of important moments. Finally, the combination of astrophotography and AI constellations not only optimizes the photography experience but also adds educational value, allowing astronomy enthusiasts to easily explore the mysteries of the night sky.

Conclusion

In summary, the Nubia Z60S Pro, with its unique satellite communication function, outstanding camera system, powerful performance, and long-lasting battery life, successfully creates an ideal device for future outdoor activities. This phone provides unprecedented communication assurance for outdoor adventurers and travelers while its excellent imaging system captures the world's fine details and grandeur. The smart AI features make daily use more attentive and efficient. Whether pursuing the ultimate photography experience or wanting to stay connected in remote areas, the Nubia Z60S Pro is a reliable choice, redefining the possibilities of outdoor smartphones and leading us into a new era of satellite communication.