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Nubia's new Red Magic phone packs a 165Hz screen and up to 18GB of RAM
Nubia is back with the Snapdragon 888-based Red Magic 6 series gaming phone, which boasts a faster internal fan, along with two world firsts in the mobile market: a 165Hz display and up to 18GB of RAM.
Richard Lai03.05.2021
Nubia’s $529 dual-screen phone is now available in the US
While we've seen Android phone manufacturers, particularly ones like Oppo and OnePlus, experiment with pop-up cameras to create phones without any display cutouts, China's Nubia is approaching the challenge in an unusual way. Instead of a pop-up selfie camera, the company's latest phone, the Z20, does away with any unsightly notches by adding a secondary 5.1-inch display that's on the back of the device. In this way, when you want to take a selfie, you can use the Z20's primary camera to snap a shot.
Igor Bonifacic10.14.2019
This gaming phone has a built-in cooling fan and can record 8K video
We've already seen the likes of ASUS and Black Shark offering external cooling fans for their gaming smartphones, but the folks over at Nubia reckon it's about time to stuff a fan inside a phone (I mean, what else would you expect from a company that brought back the wearable phone?). Today, the Chinese brand unveiled the Red Magic 3 which not only packs a "liquid cooling" copper heat pipe, but also an internal cooling fan. This small fan is said to run quietly but can spin up to 14,000 rpm, and it has an IP55 rating plus its own isolated chamber, so you won't have to worry about liquids and dust getting in. It's apparently good for over 30,000 hours of continuous use, though Nubia didn't specify the speed used for the test. Regardless, combining this fan with the heat pipe, the phone's heat transfer performance is apparently five times better than conventional passive cooling methods, thus ensuring a smooth gaming experience for a longer period.
Richard Lai04.28.2019
Nubia's Alpha 'smartphone' is the wildest wearable yet
Flexible displays are everywhere at MWC this year. But almost every company is using them in the same way -- to build phones that seamlessly switch between a clamshell and small tablet. Nubia, meanwhile, is doing something completely different with the technology. It's building a wearable 'smartphone' with a narrow screen that wraps around your wrist.
Nick Summers02.25.2019
Nubia's latest gaming phone comes with up to 10GB of RAM
Mobile gaming has come a long way from Candy Crush, with more graphically intense games and esports coming to smartphones in recent years. Chinese manufacturer Nubia is looking to service the gamer-on-the-go with its Red Magic Mars smartphone, a device packed with a powerful Snapdragon 845 processor and up to 10GB of RAM.
AJ Dellinger11.28.2018
Nubia X avoids a notch by adding a rear display for selfies
While local competitors like Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and Honor have been trying various sliding mechanisms to achieve all-screen, notch-free smartphone designs, Nubia decided to take the easy approach: Getting rid of the front cameras and forcing you to use the rear cameras for selfies. This is why the freshly-announced Nubia X is a dual-screen flagship smartphone, with its 6.26-inch FHD+ LCD covering almost the entire front side, and the back featuring a smaller 5.1-inch 1,520 x 720 OLED panel to go with the dual cameras. A bit like Yota's implementation, except it's OLED instead of E Ink on the back; plus no front cameras, of course.
Richard Lai10.31.2018
This audacious curved-screen wearable has a gaudy camera
Just as Google is making Wear OS feel less like a smartphone system squeezed onto a watch, ZTE spinoff Nubia wants to slap a full phone on your wrist. At IFA 2018, the company unveiled a prototype device called the Nubia-A, which it's touting as a "wearable smartphone". That, to me, means smartwatch, but given the way companies like Apple, Google and Qualcomm seem to be moving away from wrist-worn smartphone wannabes, my definition might be inaccurate soon. Feast your eyes on this fascinating oddity, though you might want to avoid looking directly at the monstrous onboard camera.
Cherlynn Low09.01.2018
Cristiano Ronaldo's latest tech endorsement is a ZTE phone
Sources say CR7 fell over when he saw the Nubia Z11. Absolutely no one was shocked. That's what happens when you have a reputation for being the best diver on the pitch.
Edgar Alvarez09.03.2016
Nubia's 'bezel-less' Z11 smartphone launches worldwide
You probably still don't know a lot about the Nubia smartphone brand if you live outside of China, but the company is bent on changing that: it's launching its latest flagship, the Z11, worldwide. The phone touts a "bezel-less" design with a 81 percent screen-to-body ratio, which both gives it a seamless effect and makes its 5.5-inch, 1080p display easier to manage in your hand. Nubia is definitely playing up the looks -- it's offering a posh black gold version (above) on top of more pedestrian gray and silver variants.
Jon Fingas08.31.2016
Nubia brings flagship photography to a cheap phone
It was 10 months ago when we talked about how China's Nubia was bringing its camera-centric Z9 smartphone to the US market, but if you check now, the store link on its official English website is no longer available. Instead, Nubia will be focusing on the Latin American, European and Indian markets, starting with its brand new Z11 Mini mid-ranger. This is a 5-inch 1080p device in a rounded glass-metal-glass sandwich that's only 8mm thick, and its 16-megapixel f/2.0 main camera is powered by Sony's IMX298, which is the same sensor inside other flagships like the Huawei Mate 8, Xiaomi Mi 5, Oppo R9 Plus and Vivo Xplay5. You also get 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 64GB of internal storage, microSD expansion and a fingerprint reader on the back. Given its 1,499 yuan price point (about $230), you'll forgive Nubia for using the octa-core Snapdragon 617 chipset instead of an 820 here.
Richard Lai04.19.2016
Nubia's bezel-free Z9 smartphone is coming to the US
If I had a nickel for every "ugh, too much bezel!" comment, I'd have... well, a few bucks anyway. That's why it's good news that Nubia's borderless 5.2-inch Z9 smartphone is coming to the US next quarter at a rather tempting price. We already previewed the Z9 when it came to China last month, so here are the Cliff notes. First off, it's a bezel-hater's dream, at least on the sides -- there's nothing there but a slim metal frame, which also doubles as a touch surface. By gripping it in various ways, you can unlock the home screen, adjust the brightness and even flip it to single-hand mode, among other tasks.
Steve Dent06.05.2015
Nubia's near bezel-less phone also has a grip-sensitive frame
Oppo may have already shown off its near bezel-less prototype phone back in March, but local rival Nubia has actually released a handset featuring the same optical trickery on the edges (and let's not forget that Sharp did it first). Dubbed the Z9, this dual-Nano SIM flagship device packs a 5.2-inch 1080p Sharp-made display, a Snapdragon 810 chipset and either 32GB of storage with 3GB RAM (black "Classic Edition") or 64GB of storage with 4GB RAM (gold-colored "Elite Edition"). But never mind these boring figures, because the real treat here is the "Frame interactive Technology" or "FiT" in short, which enables grip and gesture-based control on the aluminum mid-frame. It seems rather handy, if you'll pardon the pun.
Richard Lai05.07.2015
Year of the Goat: 11 Chinese smartphone brands to watch
2014 had been a wonderful year for the ever-competitive Chinese smartphone market. We saw the birth of new brands, the record of world's thinnest phone broken three times, and a couple of companies entering India with great reception (although not without some struggle). So with MWC following right after Chinese New Year, what better way to celebrate both than to look at the top Chinese smartphone brands? Granted, not all of these companies will be on the show floor next week (not Xiaomi or Oppo, for instance), but there's no stopping us from saying "ni hao" to them, anyway.
Richard Lai02.27.2015
ZTE's camera-heavy mini flagship makes rare leap to the US
Chinese phone makers are smacking Samsung and others around right now, but it's still hard to find high-end, non-carrier-branded devices stateside. That said, ZTE -- which has quietly become the world's number five smartphone brand -- has just launched its Nubia 5S mini LTE in the US unlocked for $280. You may be more tempted by a Nexus 5 if specs are your thing, as the Nubia 5s mini is "merely" equipped with a quad-core Snapdragon 400, 2GB RAM, 16GB expandable memory and a 4.7-inch, 720p screen. But ZTE's wooing a younger crowd by touting the ample 5-megapixel front/13-megapixel rear cameras with f/2.2 iris and manual controls, along with the photo effects, LTE (for GSM carriers) and pocketable size. It also vows to repair any damage you inflict for any reason up to 18 months after purchase for $80 -- a boon to any of us who've broken a screen. It's now up on pre-order at Amazon, with shipping set to start on August 27th.
Steve Dent08.20.2014
ZTE's Nubia 5s and 5s mini show off premium, yet playful design (hands-on)
Aside from the Grand S II, ZTE also took the opportunity at CES to show off a couple of other handsets that have so far only made an appearance in China. Both the Nubia 5s and the 5s mini are essentially follow-ups to the Nubia 5 we saw a few months ago, with slightly different designs and specs. The 5s has a very similar look to the 5, with a 5-inch 1080p display and a slim chassis that marries a plastic back with aluminum sides. Measuring 137 x 68.8 x 7.6mm and weighing in at 126 grams, the 5s has a surprisingly premium feel thanks to the cool, sharp edges on the front and curves on the back. Unlike the 5, the 5s has a dedicated camera button. Another nice upgrade is that the 5s comes packed with a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 SoC, which is certainly an improvement over the S4 Pro on the 5. We didn't notice any discernible lag while navigating the phone and it feels quite zippy overall, though admittedly we only tried it out for a few minutes. Other specs include a 5-megapixel front camera, a 13-megapixel rear one with optical image stabilization, a 2,300mAh battery, 4K video capture, 2GB of RAM, DLNA, Bluetooth and NFC support. As far as software goes, the Nubia 5s runs a custom ZTE version of Android 4.2. We're especially intrigued by the camera software, which allows you to fine-tune the exposure, focus and even white balance by dragging certain shape icons across the screen. And of course, there are built-in camera filters a la Instagram as well.
Nicole Lee01.07.2014
China's Nubia offers Android phone with Snapdragon 800 and 16GB storage for $330
It was only just over a month ago when ZTE's premium brand Nubia made its debut launch in the US, and today the company's already launching follow-up models in China. Starting with the Z5S, this is essentially the Z5 (or simply the 5 in the US) packed with some new goodies: a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 SoC, a 5-megapixel front camera, a dedicated camera button, 4K video capture, a multi-purpose infrared remote feature and rare support for all three 3G networks in China (China Mobile's TD-SCDMA, China Telecom's CDMA2000 and China Unicom's WCDMA). The rest of the phone is pretty much the same as before: 5-inch 1080p (443ppi) LCD, 2.67mm bezel, 7.6mm thickness, 2GB RAM, 2,300mAh battery, and a 13-megapixel main camera with f/2.2 aperture plus digital image stabilization.
Richard Lai11.19.2013
ZTE Nubia 5 hands-on (video)
In the US, unlocked devices like the Nexus 4 and the suite of Google Play editions are starting to become popular, as a growing number of consumers eschew the tradition of buying phones under subsidy in exchange for a two-year contract. As we mentioned two weeks ago, ZTE is putting a lot more effort into wooing this crowd by announcing two unlocked and unsubsidized phones: the $400 Grand S, which we played with at CES 2013 in January, and the $450 Nubia 5. Both handsets began shipping from outlets like Amazon yesterday, so one of these darlings can be all yours. We had a few minutes to play with the 5-inch Nubia 5 last night and came away with some good first impressions. Though it's not meant to be a high-end device, ZTE did a good job of giving it more of a premium look as well as a comfortable fit and finish. Its back cover consists of matte-backed plastic (although it sadly still attracts greasy fingerprints quite easily), while the top half of the sides are constructed with aluminum. It's also not going to set any records for being the thinnest device, but 7.6mm is actually ideal for our particular tastes -- it's still much more slim than most smartphones, and it's plenty easy to handle one-handed if you prefer. The 1080p display looks fantastic on the Nubia 5, and it provides good viewing angles (indoors, at least, but we don't know about how it looks in direct sunlight). It runs Android 4.1.2 and is surprisingly zippy, especially given the older 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro inside. We have a gallery and video of the Nubia 5 with its huge Houston Rockets logo (this is only a limited edition, and the other version is what we'll see as final hardware), as well as its logoless counterpart, which will be the model that ships to the consumers.
Brad Molen10.17.2013
ZTE Grand S and Nubia 5 coming to US as unlocked devices October 16th
Thus far, ZTE's biggest reach in the US market has been tied to carriers, and the vast majority of its phones are sold as prepaid, white-label devices on the cheap. We rarely see any of the manufacturer's higher-end products on this side of the Pacific, however, and ZTE is ready to change that in time for the holidays with a pair of mid-range Android handsets that will be offered unlocked and without the influence of mobile operators. Both phones are going to be up for pre-order on October 5th through multiple online channels (the press release tells us "Amazon and other channels," so check your preferred retailer), and both of them will ship October 16th. First up is the Grand S, which made its global debut at CES last January (yes, ten months ago). It'll go on sale for $400 and will feature a 5-inch 1080p display, 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro with 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera, 1,780mAh battery and 16GB total internal storage space. It will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (ZTE wouldn't give specifics on if or when we can expect to see an upgrade) and will offer a frame that's 6.9mm thin. Last but not least is the Nubia 5, which can be yours for $450. This one is a bit interesting, as ZTE tells us that this model is different from the Nubia Z5, although most of the specs (and its overall look) are the same. It runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and features a 5-inch 1080p display, 16GB of internal storage (as opposed to the Z5's 32GB), 2,300mAh battery, 13MP rear camera, a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and 2GB of RAM. The duo have HSPA+ radios (LTE isn't included) that are compatible with both AT&T and T-Mobile, in case you have any allegiance with either.
Brad Molen10.03.2013
Nubia Z5 mini official, touts full-size hardware at a tiny price
ZTE's sub-label Nubia may want a refresher on the definition of "mini," because we're not seeing many sacrifices in its just-shipped Z5 mini. At 4.7 inches, the Android phone is nearly as large as the 5-inch Z5 flagship; it also shares the bigger Z5's quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2GB of RAM, 2,300mAh battery, 13MP f/2.2 rear camera and 5MP front camera. The mini is likewise a first-class citizen in its home country with 3G support for China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. Prospective owners are only really giving up screen resolution (down to 720p) and storage (down to 16GB), and they're getting a choice of pastel-colored, replaceable backs in return. As such, that makes the Z5 mini a potential bargain at its ¥1,888 ($308) price -- buyers are getting most of the Z5 experience for considerably less cash.
Jon Fingas07.16.2013
Nubia Z5 unveiled in China with quad-core chip, 5-inch 1080p display and 7.6mm thickness
Much like many Chinese smartphone brands these days, ZTE sub-brand Nubia had prematurely given away the main selling points of its Z5 ahead of its Beijing launch today, but there were still some surprises. As you probably already know, here's yet another five-inch 1080p Android phone featuring Qualcomm's 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064, 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage, along with a 13-megapixel F2.2 main camera (with five-element optics by Konica Minolta, plus separate touch focus and touch exposure in the app) and a two-megapixel front-facing camera. For multimedia consumption, the Z5 supports WiFi Display and MHL output should you wish to beam content to a larger screen; whereas on the audio side you are spoiled with either Yamaha or Dolby Digital Plus. But wait, there's more! %Gallery-174115% %Gallery-174118%
Richard Lai12.26.2012