Sony Xperia 1 VI and ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra tie on the OH Rank at a score of 72. Sony Xperia 1 VI wins on Main Camera and SD Memory; ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra wins on Performance and Battery. ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra is 3.2mm wider than Sony Xperia 1 VI. ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra is the more recent release, from Oct 2025.
EDITORIAL: Sony & Samsung make 90% of all phones camera sensors but Sony has struggled to produce a top performing camera phone. Sony phones have always featured exceptional hardware and introduced many new features (like IP68 protection) but software side was always neglected. The company changed itâs direction with Xperia 1 VI by consolidating all photo/video apps into a very good one. Xperia 1 VI has a new form factor that matches itâs flagship competition â gone is the long and narrow design (21:9) and we have a wider phone (harder to use one-hand at 16:9). The screen went from 4K to a 1020p LTPO. But many great things are there: exceptional 2-day battery life, SDmemory slot (up to a 1TB), a headphone/microphone jack, camera button and a Tool-less SIM tray. The screen is the only notch-free one in the flagship phone world! Sony is pitching itâs top phones as âcreator toolsâ so it would give Sony an better market position if their phones could be used as creatorâs computer replacement . Maybe down the road?â¦
EDITORIAL: Just 6 months after it's predecessor, Z80 Ultra brings better hardware and software making this a very good value camera-phone option. With lots of physical controls, new version of OS and more tweaking of the solid (it not imperfect) camera setup. The beautiful 144Hz notch-less screen has minimal bezels and ultrasonic fingerprint sensor but no LTPO or HDR10+ tech yet. Just like it's predecessor, Z80 Ultra is a great gaming phone too.
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.