nubia V80 Pro: camera-focused twin to the V80 Design

nubia has quietly expanded its budget and mid-range lineup with the new nubia V80 Pro, a close sibling to the recently introduced V80 Design.

While the name suggests a big leap, in reality this is a carefully tuned variant that keeps most of the hardware intact but adds a noticeable upgrade where many users care most: the main camera.

The V80 Pro first appeared on nubia’s Mexican listing, positioning the phone for markets where affordable 4G devices still dominate sales charts. On the front, it carries a large 6.75-inch display with a 900 x 1,940 resolution and a smooth 120 Hz refresh rate. This combination is clearly aimed at people who spend a lot of time scrolling through social feeds, watching short videos and streaming content, where the high refresh rate makes the interface feel fluid even if the resolution itself is not pushing flagship levels.

Under the hood, the phone is powered by the Unisoc T7280 chipset, paired with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. The storage is expandable, which has become a rare bonus in the smartphone world and will be appreciated by users who like to keep local photos, videos, music and offline downloads without constantly worrying about space. The chipset itself is a 4G-only solution, but for many buyers in emerging markets, fast LTE coverage is still more than enough for everyday tasks, and skipping 5G helps nubia keep the overall price more aggressive.

Visually and ergonomically, the V80 Pro sticks closely to the formula set by the V80 Design and its close cousin, the ZTE Blade V80 Design. The handset measures 166 x 79 x 7.7 mm and weighs 195 g, making it a fairly large device but not unmanageable for one-handed use if you are used to big phones. A side-mounted fingerprint scanner takes care of quick and reliable unlocking, and the inclusion of a classic 3.5 mm headphone jack is a pleasant surprise in 2025, especially for users who still rely on wired headphones, external microphones or car AUX connections.

The area where the ‘Pro’ badge actually earns its place is the camera system. On the back, nubia equips the phone with a 108 MP primary camera that serves as the main selling point of this model. It is accompanied by two secondary modules that are mostly decorative in practical terms: a simple 2 MP sensor and an additional “AI camera” that mainly supports software-driven tricks such as scene detection and portrait effects rather than dramatically altering image quality. On the front, a 16 MP selfie camera sits in a notch, ready for video calls, selfies and social media stories. Compared to the V80 Design and the ZTE Blade V80 Design, this higher-resolution main sensor is the standout hardware change and should, at least in good light, produce sharper and more detailed photos.

Powering everything is a 5,000 mAh battery, a capacity that has effectively become the baseline for all-day Android phones in this segment. Combined with the relatively efficient Unisoc platform and a 4G-only modem, users can realistically expect a full day of mixed use and, for lighter users, even stretch into a second day between charges. The software side is handled by Android 16 with nubia’s own interface layered on top, promising modern system features, updated security and the usual suite of Google services right out of the box.

According to the Mexican listing, the nubia V80 Pro is scheduled to go on sale in December, although the exact date and, crucially, the price are still unknown. Given how similar it is to the V80 Design and ZTE Blade V80 Design, nubia seems to be following a simple strategy: offer the same core package in slightly different flavors for different channels and regions, with the V80 Pro standing out primarily thanks to its 108 MP main camera. For buyers who do not care about 5G but want a big 120 Hz screen, long battery life, expandable storage and a high-resolution main sensor at what will likely be a competitive price, the V80 Pro could become a very appealing option once it starts arriving in more markets beyond Mexico.