ZTE is looking for a place in photography with its new Nubia Focus 2 and Focus 2 Ultra.

We're in the midst of presentation season, and today it's ZTE's turn, which intends to shake up the already hectic mobile photography scene a bit more. Its weapons? Two new mid-range handsets from the Nubia Focus family, the Chinese giant's sub-brand focused precisely on photography capabilities.

They are called Nubia Focus 2 and Nubia Focus 2 Ultra, they have just arrived in Spain and they do so with the promise of bringing quality photography to the general public , integrating advanced Artificial Intelligence functions that optimize each capture and facilitate the user experience.

The new Nubia Focus 2 Ultra, the flagship of this new series, draws attention at first glance thanks to its distinctive rotating ring-shaped lens, a unique innovation on the market that gives the device a truly elegant look. But this element is not merely aesthetic. On the contrary, it is designed to offer users intuitive touch control over crucial functions such as zoom or aperture, emulating the experience of a traditional camera and without the need to directly interact with the touchscreen. ZTE already anticipates future functionalities for this ring, which could also become a quick access to menus or a novel form of navigation.

Behind the eye-catching camera ring, the device hides a versatile triple rear camera system. The 50MP main sensor, with a generous 1/1.55" sensor size and a bright f/1.47 aperture, promises to capture detailed and colorful images even in the worst lighting conditions. It's accompanied by a dedicated Portrait mode camera, ideal for highlighting subjects with an attractive bokeh effect, and a Macro lens for exploring the world up close. The 32MP front camera ensures high-quality self-portraits.

The cameras' versatility is ensured by the inclusion of five fixed focal lengths (13, 24, 35, 50, and 72 mm), allowing users to experiment with different perspectives without the need for additional lenses. Artificial intelligence plays a crucial role here, with algorithms such as Super Night Mode to enhance nighttime photography or Sport Mode to capture action in sharp detail.

Despite the promising features and innovative approach, a deeper look into the device's true capabilities will have to wait for a more in-depth analysis. While on paper the Nubia Focus 2 Ultra's rotating ring seems like a good idea, it remains to be seen whether its use is truly useful and, above all, whether the overall photo quality truly lives up to the brand's promise.

In terms of design, the Nubia Focus 2 Ultra is characterized by its slim and ergonomic profile, with dimensions of 163.2 x 77.2 x 7.49 mm and a weight of just 200 grams, which facilitates a comfortable and secure grip. On the sides, we find details that, once again, are designed with photography enthusiasts in mind: a customizable button that allows direct access to the camera or other useful functions such as the flashlight or voice recorder, and a dedicated shutter button that speeds up the capture of photos and videos.

The visual experience is entrusted to a 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel, with a resolution of 1080 x 2392 pixels and a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in sunlight. Browsing and scrolling are guaranteed to be smooth thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate, while biometric security is discreetly integrated under the display via a fingerprint reader.

Under the hood, the Nubia Focus 2 Ultra runs Android 15, powered by an octa-core Unisoc T8100 5G processor that reaches speeds of up to 2.2GHz, resulting in solid performance for all tasks. Not well known in the Western market, Unisoc has been trying for years to make its way into China among the major chip manufacturers (Qualcomm, Apple, Kirin, Exynos, Mediatek), and its new processors are already garnering excellent reviews.

As for memory, the version coming to Spain has an 8GB RAM configuration, which can be virtually expanded up to 20GB for smoother multitasking, and a generous 512GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, providing plenty of space for photos, videos, and apps.

Along with the Ultra model, ZTE also introduced the Nubia Focus 2, a simpler (and cheaper) device aimed at those who don't need to take consistently excellent photos. This doesn't mean the device is left "barefoot" in terms of advanced capabilities. This model, in fact, shares the same Unisoc T8100 5G processor, ensuring agile performance. Its memory configuration is 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

In terms of photography, the Nubia Focus 2 features a 108MP main camera with an f/1.75 aperture that offers four fixed focal lengths (24, 35, 50, and 85mm) instead of five for greater creative versatility. It's complemented by a 2MP portrait camera and an ambient light sensor that optimizes capture. For selfies, it integrates a 16MP front camera. An interesting feature is the multi-camera function, which allows simultaneous recording with the front and main cameras, something that became popular a few years ago.

Its lower price also means that this device uses less premium construction materials, with extensive use of plastic instead of metal.

The visual experience of the Nubia Focus 2 is centered around a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a 720 x 1600 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a brightness of up to 1000 nits. Battery life is provided by a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. In terms of design, the Nubia Focus 2 maintains a sleek aesthetic with a slim 7.95mm profile, highlighting the camera module as its central element.

Both devices share a set of AI-powered tools that aim to enrich the user experience. Highlights include real-time translation during calls, which facilitates communication in more than 15 languages, as well as the ability to act as a personal assistant for face-to-face simultaneous translation, a truly useful tool for international meetings or travel.

In photo management and editing, the collaboration with Google translates into advanced features such as intelligent image search that recognizes people, objects, and scenes, as well as editing tools such as Magic Eraser, AI Photo Unblur for correcting blurry photos, and AI Portrait Light for improving lighting in portraits.

And now it's time for pricing, undoubtedly one of the most attractive points of ZTE's new series. The new generation of the Nubia Focus is now available in Spain through El Corte Inglés. The Nubia Focus 2 Ultra, in its 8GB+512GB configuration, has a retail price of €329 and is available in Forest Green (with a vegan leather texture) and Sunrise White (with a marble-like finish). The Nubia Focus 2, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, is priced at €229 in Aurora White and Obsidian Black.

In short, the bet is made. With this new Nubia Focus family, ZTE seeks to consolidate its presence in the competitive mid-range, offering devices with a strong focus on photography and artificial intelligence at attractive prices. It remains to be seen how they will be received by the Spanish public and whether they will manage to stand out in an increasingly demanding market.