ZTE Nubia V80 Max

At Rs. 37,999, the ZTE Nubia V80 Max offers 8GB RAM and 256GB storage at a time when many phones near this price still ship with 4GB and 64GB or 128GB. It focuses on durability, battery and storage rather than speed or screen quality.

Main strengths

• TÜV Rheinland certified drop resistance up to 1.8 metres, plus IP64 dust and water protection
• 6000 mAh battery with 22.5W charging, 10W reverse charging and bypass charging
• 8GB RAM, 256GB storage and a microSD slot alongside two SIMs
• Android 16 out of the box, with Circle to Search and Nubia AI tools
• A full box: 22.5W charger, cable, case and screen protector

Main compromises

• A basic Unisoc T7250 chip for gaming
• 6.9-inch HD+ screen that looks soft and cannot stream HD video on OTT apps
• No video stabilisation and weak night photos
• No official software update policy
• 4G only, no 5G
• A large, heavy phone that is hard to use one-handed

Against the Samsung Galaxy A07 (Rs. 35,599): the A07 has the faster Helio G99 and Samsung's promise of up to six major Android upgrades, but it has a smaller 5000 mAh battery, a 90Hz screen and no charger in the box.

Verdict: good value for buyers who want a tough phone with plenty of storage and battery, such as delivery riders, drivers or families with children. If you care more about gaming, long software support or resale, the Galaxy A07 is the safer pick.

Official specs: 6.9-inch IPS LCD, 720 x 1640 pixels (about 260 ppi), 120Hz refresh rate, rated at 780 nits peak.

Real-world use: the 120Hz panel makes scrolling and menus smooth, and the large size is good for social media, YouTube and reading. Peak brightness is higher than many HD+ budget screens. Indoors and in shade it is easy to read, but reports differ on direct sunlight: it can still be hard to read in strong sun.

Video: the phone supports only Widevine L3, so apps like Netflix and other OTT platforms will not play HD content. YouTube works normally.

Limitations:

• HD+ resolution stretched across 6.9 inches looks soft compared with Full HD screens
• A waterdrop notch at the top and a chin at the bottom
• The large screen makes the phone very tall, close to 7 inches, which is awkward one-handed

A gel-type screen protector comes in the box rather than being pre-applied, so fitting it neatly takes some care.

The Nubia V80 Max uses the Unisoc T7250 (12 nm), an octa-core chip with two Cortex-A75 cores at 1.8 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores, the Mali-G57 GPU and 8GB RAM. Nubia also offers up to 12GB of extended (virtual) RAM.

Everyday use: apps, settings and social media run smoothly, with no hangs or lag in normal use. The 8GB RAM keeps more apps in memory than the 4GB phones common at this price.

Gaming: casual games such as cricket and Subway Surfers run well. For PUBG Mobile, reports differ: some find it offers the Ultra frame-rate option on Smooth and Balanced graphics (better than the Helio G85), while others see frame rates of around 40fps. Treat it as a phone for light to moderate gaming.

Storage: the 256GB storage is eMMC, which is slower than UFS storage on stronger phones, so large app installs and file copies take longer. Adding a microSD card does not noticeably slow things down further.

Limitation: the chip has little headroom. For heavy gaming or long-term performance, phones with stronger chips such as the Helio G99 in the Samsung Galaxy A07 are quicker.

Official specs: 50 MP f/1.8 main camera with PDAF, a 2 MP secondary camera and a 0.08 MP auxiliary lens, plus a 16 MP selfie camera. Both cameras record up to 1080p at 30fps.

Daylight photos: results are decent for the price, with good colour and detail. Processing adds sharpening, and consistency varies from shot to shot. A 3x zoom option keeps quality loss low for portraits and framing.

Low light: night mode is available on the rear camera only, and night shots are weak, with noticeably less detail.

Selfies: the 16 MP front camera handles good light well. The front camera app has HDR but no night mode or AI scene mode.

Modes: portrait, 50 MP mode, AI camera, time-lapse, Pro, panorama, dual capture and mono colour are available.

Video: video records at up to 1080p 30fps with no stabilisation, so walking shots look shaky.

Verdict: a basic camera that covers everyday photos and social media posts, but not one to buy the phone for.

The ZTE Nubia V80 Max has a 6000 mAh battery, larger than the 5000 mAh cells common at this price.

Battery life: no reliable lab endurance test is available yet, so we cannot give confirmed screen-on figures. The large capacity is one of the phone's main selling points, but real-world results still need to be confirmed.

Charging:

• 22.5W fast charging, with a 22.5W ZTE charger and a USB-A to USB-C cable in the box
• It also charges with other USB-C chargers
• No wireless charging

Extra charging features:

• 10W reverse wired charging, so the phone can top up earbuds or another phone like a power bank
• Bypass charging, which powers the phone directly while plugged in, reducing battery strain during long gaming or navigation sessions

Compromise: the big battery adds weight, and the phone feels heavy in the hand.

The Nubia V80 Max runs MyOS on Android 16 out of the box, newer than the Android 15 on many rivals at this price.

Interface: MyOS feels close to stock Android. The phone uses the Google Dialer, which supports call recording; the other person hears an announcement that the call is being recorded.

AI features:

• Google Circle to Search
• Nubia AI tools, including magic eraser, AI memory, AI wallpapers, call assistant, AI call summaries, AI filters and AI notepad
• AI anti-scam call protection

Nubia Link Free: lets you talk to nearby Nubia or ZTE phones like a walkie-talkie, even without a SIM or internet, with a claimed range of around 1 km.

Bloatware: some preinstalled apps and games, such as MC Red and Puzzle Pad, come installed. They can all be uninstalled.

Updates: Nubia has announced no software update policy for the V80 Max, so do not count on Android upgrades. The Samsung Galaxy A07 promises up to six.

Regional notes: the phone is manufactured in Pakistan and comes with an Urdu quick start guide and a warranty card. It supports dual SIM 4G, not 5G.