Nubia Z40S Pro: Smartphone with strong cameras at a fair price presented

Nubia is not quite one of the big players in Europe yet with its smartphones like the gaming model Redmagic 7 Pro or the Redmagic 7 (our review). However, that could change soon. With the Nubia Z40S Pro, they have now introduced a new camera flagship smartphone in China that wants to score with an excellent price-performance ratio.

Nubia Z40S Pro in detail

On the social network weibo, the manufacturer has unveiled the new Nubia Z40S Pro smartphone in China, which will be offered in three versions. Technically, the manufacturer relies on a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that comes along with a Full HD Plus resolution, gets a whole 144 hertz fast and reaches a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.

The new flagship SoC from Qualcomm, namely the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, is already at work under the hood. Depending on the model, it is supported by 8 GB or 12 GB of working memory as well as 128 GB or 256 GB of system memory.

One feature that the Z40S Pro has inherited from the current Sony Xperia 1 IV is a dedicated camera shutter button, which appears to have been placed centrally on the right side of the flat frame.

On the same side, there is also a kind of alert slider with a grooved surface, as we know it from smartphones from the manufacturer OnePlus, as it seems. However, this can only be guessed from the pictures so far, since there is no official product website on the manufacturer’s homepage yet.

Differences in batteries

However, the three variants of the Nubia Z40S Pro differ not only in terms of RAM and ROM placement or design, but also in terms of the installed battery. Two of the models come with a capacity of 5,000 mAh and can be charged quickly with 80 watts.

The third variant has a lower battery capacity of 4,600 mAh for a surcharge, but can be charged from 0 to 100 percent in just 19 minutes thanks to the 120-watt fast charging function.

The smartphone is offered in Magic Green (green) and Night Sea (black) colors. It is joined by a “Spirit Cage” Special Edition, which is based on the Redmagic gaming smartphones with its elaborately designed back made of red details. Furthermore, the special edition offers unique ringtones and wallpapers.

What cameras does the Nubia Z40S Pro offer?

The Nubia Z40S Pro is equipped with a 64-megapixel main camera on the back, which uses the Sony IMX787 sensor in 1/1.7-inch format. It relies on a rather untypical focal length of 35 mm for smartphones, which is considered the most common focal length ever in the DSLM segment, especially in street photography. With an aperture of f/1.6, the lens is also extremely fast.

In addition, there is an ultra-wide-angle camera with a resolution of 50 megapixels. It has a focal length of 14 mm, a field of view of 116 degrees and a macro mode. This offers a close-up limit of just 2 centimeters.

The third in the bunch is an 8MP periscope telephoto camera with 125mm focal length, which is also optically stabilized (OIS). According to the images, you can also quickly switch between the most popular focal lengths (14 mm, 24 mm, 35 mm, 50 mm and 125 mm) via the camera app using a wheel.

Another special feature: the Z40S Pro’s rather large rear camera module features an LED ring that is home to a full six LEDs. In combination with the flicker sensor, the image quality is supposed to be improved under artificial lighting conditions. At the same time, the camera is supposed to excel especially in natural skin tones.

However, there are no details about the front camera, which is located in a centrally placed punch hole. The pictures that various users shared on weibo, however, at least indicate a strong quality of the rear cameras.

Whether it can take on current camera flagships like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra complete with 1-inch sensor or the Vivo X80 Pro remains to be seen in extensive testing.

Prices and Availability

The Nubia Z40S Pro will initially launch exclusively in China, where it is scheduled to go on sale on July 26. The price starts with an MSRP of 3,399 yuan, which is the equivalent of around 492 euros, for the base model with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of system storage. This can also be equipped with up to 12 GB RAM and a maximum of 512 GB system memory on request.

The top model with 120 watts of charging speed starts at 4,299 yuan (622 euros) with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of ROM and can optionally also be equipped with 18 GB of RAM and 1 TB of system memory. However, it is then at 6,699 yuan (969 euros).

The Spirit Cage edition, on the other hand, is only available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB system memory. This one has an MSRP of 4,699 yuan (around 680 euros) in China. It is currently unclear when and if the models will also come to Germany. However, a release here is not unlikely.