The new nubia Z50S Pro is the second phone with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2, after the launch of the related Red Magic 8S Pro. This is focused more on the camera than on games, but there are also many similarities between the two.
Starting with the camera, the 35mm lens is something you can only find on nubias and Axons and real cameras. On board there is also an 80mm periscope (8MP) and an ultra wide 50MP (125°). The design evokes classic cameras with a mix of metal and leather (well, faux leather).
The display is basically the same size as the Red Magic at 6.78 inches and is a high quality AMOLED panel – it’s sharper (452ppi vs 400ppi) and has 100% DCI-P3 coverage. This makes it a reliable camera viewfinder, so you can tweak manual controls and apply 3D LUTs and be sure the photo you get matches what you saw on screen.
It’s a 120Hz display with 1,000Hz touch sampling, so you can definitely play games on it. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset certainly has the oomph to handle AAA titles, though it’s only passively cooled here, so it may need a break during longer gaming sessions. There’s no crazy 24GB RAM option, but you can get 1TB of storage if you want.
ZTE nubia Z50S Pro at a glance
The 5,100mAh battery supports 80W wired charging, like the 8S Pro (which has a larger 6,000mAh battery). Going back to the display and cameras for a second, the 16MP selfie cam sits in a hole rather than under the display.
All three colors of the nubia Z50S Pro look great
The nubia Z50S Pro starts at CNY 3,700 for a 12/256GB model. It’s cheaper than even the base Red Magic 8S Pro, which costs CNY 4,000 for the 8/128GB unit and CNY 4,800 for a matching 12/256GB phone.
The Axon 50 Ultra, which ditched its predecessor’s 35mm camera in favor of a 24mm lens (ahead of a 64MP 1/1.73″ sensor). There’s also a 50MP ultra wide (116°) and a 50MP periscope (3x). This phone uses the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip but mostly matches the nubia in terms of its 5,000mAh capacity battery and charging speed of 80W. The Axon will be launched next month.
ZTE nubia Red Magic 8S Pro • ZTE Axon 50 Ultra
Other big, powerful phones with notable cameras include the OnePlus 11. A 12/256GB unit costs CNY 4,000 in China and while this one doesn’t have the 8 Gen 2 SD plus version, it does have the Hasselblad name attached to its 50+32+48MP cameras, which include a 2x zoom camera and a 115° ultra-wide-angle one. The 6.7″ 120Hz AMOLED display has a QHD+ LTPO panel.
There’s also the Oppo Reno10 Pro+, a 16/256GB example that can be had for CNY 3,900. This uses the even older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and has a 6.74-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with 1,240 x 2,772px resolution. The 50 MP main camera is on the same level with a 1/1.56″ sensor and OIS, as is the 64 MP camera with 3x periscope. However, the 8 MP ultra wide angle with a 112° lens is a bit disappointing.
OnePlus 11 • Oppo Reno10 Pro+
Sure, there are Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Oppo Find X6/X6 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro and 13 Ultra, but those cost much more than nubia. Note that we’re using Chinese prices as a basis for comparison as we don’t yet know if and when the Z50S Pro might be available globally.
Well what do you think, assuming the nubia Z50S Pro is available near you, would you buy one? Or would you rather have its gaming-obsessed cousin, the Red Magic 8S Pro?
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