an elite tier gaming phone in a sleek disguise

If you’re looking for a bit of oomph over the Nubia Z60 Ultra Leading Version, then its amped-up cousin, the Nubia Z60S Pro is the upgrade you’re likely looking for. Outfitted with a gorgeous display, significant battery life, and some other nifty tricks, Nubia’s latest entry into the flagship market is a strong competitor. But is it worth the notable $569 price tag?

It’s a lot of money for anyone to shell out on a brand-new mobile phone, but what you’ll find is that Nubia isn’t just competing with the big dogs like Google Pixel or Samsung, but it’s taking the rug out from underneath them too. With that said, does the Nubia Z60S Pro have what it takes to find a place among the best Android phones of 2024? Join us as we break it down below.

Price and availability

The Nubia Z60S Pro is available in three different configurations, each of them offering various storage increases as you ascend further up the price bracket. If you’re wondering what your options are, we’ve included them below:

Not sure what color you’d like? The Nubia Z60S Pro is available in Black, Aqua, or White colorways. It’s a limited choice for now, but all of them look exceptionally stylish. For this review, Nubia sent us the Black variant of the Nubia Z60S Pro. 

Specs

Features and software

Just like the Nubia Z60 Ultra Leading Version, the Nubia Z60S Pro comes with the manufacturer’s own MyOS 14.0 pre-installed. This particular Android skin evokes the same kind of simplicity you’d find in Apple’s latest iOS update, and that’s where it shines the best. Approachability is the name of the game here, as MyOS 14.0 is all about tailoring your experience right down to the granular details. That means customization is a breeze to tinker with, whether I’m resizing and re-ordering apps or integrating different widgets into my home screen setup. Speaking of apps, we were happy to find that, just like the Z60 Ultra Leading Version, the Z60S Pro doesn’t bog itself in useless bloatware. 

Not a fan of the swiping animation that takes you between each page of your layout? You can change that. Navigating through the phone’s menus and activating apps is a joyful experience, and it gets even more specific when you factor in the Z60S Pro’s exclusive physical sliding key. This operates in the same way that the iPhone 15’s action button does, and you can use it to remap numerous actions. Personally, I’m a fan of using it to enable silent mode, as it comes in handy when I’m in the cinema. And let’s face it, I’m there a lot. However, this button will be by default set to activate the Z60S Pro’s camera.

I did struggle with the Z60S Pro’s fingerprint recognition often, though. This is an issue we ran into with the Z60 Ultra Leading Version, and sadly, it’s just as awkward here. I ended up remapping my designated finger multiple times to get around the initial issue, after several awkward attempts of putting my fingers into strange angles to trigger a screen unlock. In the grand scheme of things, it’s an otherwise small blemish on a sturdy user experience.

Design

This is where Nubia really begins to flex its prowess in the flagship arena. The Nubia Z60S Pro is a stunning handset. Albeit considerably more cumbersome than any other mobile phone you may have used before. Available in Black, Aqua, and White colorways, I’ve been spending time with the Black Z60S Pro, and it’s considerably sleek. This is where that $569 price tag is reinforced, with an effectively minimalist design that evokes style without screaming it to the high heavens. Where it might stump you, as it did myself during everyday escapades with it, is the shape of the chassis itself.

The Nubia Z60S Pro might offer rounded edges, but this is ultimately a very rectangular device. It’s more akin to something like the iPhone 15 Pro Max in terms of scale and overcomes the latter’s 6.68-inch screen with a bump up to 6.78 inches. It might not seem like a lot, but size can matter. While the bigger form factor does take some getting used to if your current handset is something smaller like the iPhone 15 or the Samsung Galaxy S24, I did come to appreciate the extra real estate while streaming video content or playing games. 

Display

Out of all the features that the Nubia Z60S Pro boasts, the phone’s display may just take the crown for the highlight. Equipped with an AMOLED Longxi glass display, the Z60S Pro’s resolution offers a pleasingly crisp 2000×1260 high resolution for all your endeavors. This display is bright too, with a notable peak brightness of 1,500 nits. Each facet of this impressive screen is put to the test.

During my evening YouTube catch-up sessions, everything I threw at the Z60S Pro looked superb, with great clarity, accurate colors, and balanced contrast. You can change these aspects to your liking in the phone’s settings menu, but the Z60S Pro’s default settings do the trick just fine. For me, the 120Hz refresh rate is a feature that should be standard on any flagship phone these days. It’s great to see Nubia implemented here, giving me delightfully smooth visuals while using apps or during extended gaming sessions while playing visually intense titles like Call of Duty Mobile. Luckily, the Nubia Z60S Pro’s battery can keep up with the performance demand. 

Camera

It isn’t a surprise that the Nubia Z60S Pro’s camera is fantastic, to be honest. Nubia has been crushing it in this department for a while now, and just like the Z60 Ultra Leading Version, the Z60S Pro delivers on the promise of its tech’d out lenses. Adorned with a triple-lens configuration, Nubia refers to it as the Cosmic Ring design.

You’ll get to switch a 50MP ultra-wide lens (with macro capabilities), a 35mm prime camera lens, and the 80mm telephoto lens for those snaps at a distance. If you’re privy to a selfie, then the 16MP front-facing camera gets the job done.

The 50 MP ultra-wide lens is nothing less than solid, but I’m often eager to experiment with other focal lengths on the wide-angle scale, and the Z60S Pro’s 13mm output satisfies that itch. While I’m hardly on the level of Emmanuel Lubezki or Roger Deakins when it comes to my photography skills, we have to commend the Z60S Pro’s sharpness, whether it capturing my guitar or a cheeky Neo Funko Pop! figure.

Even without perfect lighting or the grace of golden hour to fall back on, you’ll struggle to take a ‘bad’ photo on this. For those of you accustomed to using DSLRs, there is a Pro option that allows you to try manually altering the focus, white balance, and more. Echoing the versatility of MyOS 14.0 on the home screen, the phone’s camera is full of various options, giving you a vast arsenal of methods to capture that perfect moment.

However, I will note that photos get a Nubia watermark by default, so don’t forget to turn that off in the settings menu. While taking videos, I’ll always be happy to utilize 4K 120fps where possible, but if you want to try something wild, the Nubia Z60S Pro boasts 8K 30fps recording functionality. 

Performance

Relying on the strength of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, the Z60S Pro isn’t messing around when it comes to performance. Using social media apps like X barely drinks any of the phone’s juice, and communication apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger aren’t eager to zap any of it either. More intensive demands, like recording constant video clips for extended periods of time, can dig into your power, but it isn’t anything unusual.

While Nubia might have dressed it up as a suitable competitor to the likes of the best Samsung phones and best Google Pixel phones out there, I reckon that the Z60S Pro will find a home as a fierce addition to the best gaming phones roster. Demanding FPS games like Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, and Arena Breakout run without a hitch.

Visually chaotic moments like Zombies mode in COD Mobile don’t give the Nubia Z60S Pro anything to worry about, handling each wave of increased on-screen mayhem with no indication of breaking a sweat. It really goes the extra mile as a gaming device, and with more triple-A titles heading to handheld devices in recent months, I’m confident that the Z60S Pro is ready for the challenge.

I linked my controller to the phone too, fully settling into the experience. As it can easily handle some of the more demanding free mobile games out there, you’ll never need to worry about playing games that require barely any horsepower, like Marvel Snap. The Nubia Z60S Pro naturally gets a little warm during prolonged gaming sessions, but it’s never anything to cause concern. And that extends to the phone’s battery, too. 

Battery

I’m constantly astounded by the Nubia Z60S Pro’s battery. When I first booted up the phone, it sat around 54% charge and claimed it could last for 48 hours. And it meant it. With some casual usage and a few bursts of gaming, I left the Z60S Pro’s battery to drain over the next two days. Even when it got down to the wire, the phone’s 5,100 mAh stood on business. It’s a slight downgrade in comparison to the Z60 Ultra Leading Version’s 6,000 mAh battery, but it doesn’t mean it’ll let you down. It has been putting my trusty iPhone 15 Pro to shame in some respects, often outlasting it during my day-to-day usage.

Accompanied by 80W fast charge handiness, I was able to grab myself a full charge in just under an hour using the plug and USB-C provided in the phone’s box. It doesn’t match the pace of something like the OnePlus 12, but it’s still a considerable feat to juice up your handset this quickly. 

Should you buy the Nubia Z60S Pro?

If you’re looking for the simplicity of an iPhone handset but without the $1000 price attached to it, then you’ll find what you’re looking for by taking a trip into the land of Android with the Nubia Z60S Pro.

While it offers the usual gauntlet of flagship smartphone features with its versatile camera and excellent performance, Nubia’s competitive edge is found within the gorgeous AMOLED display and surprising competence on the gaming front. Its form factor may be a stumbling block for many to overcome initially, but when the features are this impressive at this price point, it’s an aspect we’re willing to overcome. 

Alternatives

If you’re not quite sure whether the Nubia Z60S Pro is for you, here are some alternatives to consider:

Nubia Z60 Ultra Leading Version

The Z60S Pro is complimented by the Z60 Ultra Leading Version, which comes equipped with a few cheeky improvements over the Z60S Pro when it comes to the battery and performance, but you’ll be trading colorway variety for just Black or Silver. For more on this one, check out our Nubia Z60 Ultra Leading Version review.

OnePlus 12R

The OnePlus 12 will stretch your wallet a little further, but it’s another sturdy pick, we think. It’s more comfortable chassis is appealing for those of you opting for the form factor as a decision maker. However, it just about matches the Nubia Z60S Pro when it comes to the specs. For the full lowdown, see our OnePlus 12R review.