The ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading Edition introduces a powerhouse of a smartphone to the South African market. Starting from ZAR 12,000, it targets mobile gamers, photography enthusiasts, and power users who want absolute flagship performance without the ZAR 25,000+ price tag of mainstream premium brands.
Known for its striking, boxy design, completely notch-less display (thanks to an under-screen selfie camera), and unique 35mm primary lens, this device packs a serious punch. However, because ZTE’s premium nubia sub-brand operates in a specialized niche locally, you need to know exactly how to track one down.
Unlike budget or refurbished options at this price tier, the nubia Z60 Ultra Leading Edition is a brand-new, cutting-edge flagship. Your ZAR 12,000 investment secures:
Top-Tier Performance: The “Leading Edition” means it features an overclocked, elite Snapdragon processor, making it one of the fastest Android phones available for intensive multitasking and high-frame-rate mobile gaming.
True Full-Screen Experience: There is no punch-hole or notch cutting into your movies or games; the front-facing camera is hidden seamlessly beneath the display panel.
Massive Battery Capacity: It features an exceptionally large battery (usually around 6,000mAh), which easily outlasts standard flagships, making it a dream device for managing long days away from a charger or surviving extended load-shedding blocks.
While the device can be found within the broader South African retail ecosystem, its availability is heavily concentrated in online tech channels rather than physical high-street storefronts.
Takealot & Hi Online: These platforms are your primary gateway. Takealot is a massive hub for specialized local tech importers who bring in global editions of niche flagships. Shopping here gives you the best chance of finding active stock with transparent pricing.
Cellucity & 4U: While these cellular specialists primarily focus on traditional consumer brands (Apple, Samsung, Honor), they occasionally range enthusiast devices like the nubia series through their online storefronts or flagship mall branches.
Makro, HiFi Corp, and Game: You are highly unlikely to see a nubia Z60 Ultra under the glass display counters at a local mall branch. However, Makro and HiFi Corp operate extended online marketplaces where independent tech suppliers list high-end hardware, making their websites well worth a look.
Foschini & Mr Price: These groups cater strictly to lifestyle, fashion, and volume-driven entry-level smartphones. They do not carry enthusiast gaming or specialist camera flagships.
MTN & Chatz: Local mobile network operators rarely include niche sub-brands like nubia in their postpaid contract portfolios or standard cash upgrade menus.
PEP & Ackermans: These chains service the ultra-affordable prepaid market (predominantly devices under ZAR 2,500). A premium ZAR 12,000 powerhouse will not be found on their shelves.
Because this phone caters to a highly specific user base, keep these practical factors in mind before purchasing:
Accessories and Protection: The phone has a very distinct, sharp-edged camera module and an uninterrupted glass front. Finding heavy-duty protective cases or custom tempered glass screen protectors at a generic mall kiosk will be nearly impossible. It is highly recommended to order your protective gear online at the exact same time you buy the phone.
Warranty & After-Sales Repair: Because it isn’t a high-volume mainstream phone locally, standard walk-in repair shops will not have spare displays, back glass panels, or specialized components on hand. Always ensure the third-party seller or importer you buy from via Takealot or similar platforms offers a solid 12-month dealer warranty and has a clear protocol for handling local repairs or part sourcing.
| Brand | ZTE |
| Model | ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading |
| Announced | 23 July, 2024 |
| Released | 12 August, 2024 |
| Status | Available |
| Price | ZAR 12,000 |
| Type Design Type called form factor refers to a mobile phone's size, shape, and style as well as the layout and position of major components of phone. There are three major form factors seen in mobile phones => bar phones, folding phones and sliding phones. | Bar |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 246 g (8.68 oz) |
| Protection | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Colors | Black, Silver |
| 2G Network | |
| 3G Network | |
| 4G Network | |
| 5G Network | |
| SIM SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is a small card that contains mobile network subscriber's account information. This allows the phone using the card to attach to a mobile network. The SIM card is most commonly associated with GSM and UMTS mobile networks. Moving a SIM card from one phone to another allows a subscriber to switch mobile phones without having to contact their mobile network carrier. SIM cards can also be used by a phone to store limited amounts of data, such as phone numbers and text messages. | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Display Type Display Technology => A number of display technologies and types used in mobile phones => TFT (Thin Film Transistor), IPS (In-Place Switching), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode), Super AMOLED (an even advanced version of AMOLED), Resistive Touchscreen (Resistive touchscreens contain two layer of conductive material with a very small gap between them which acts as a resistance), Capacitive Touchsceen (Capacitive touchscreen technology consists of a layer of glass coated with a transparent conductor) | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10, 1500 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~89.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) |
| Audio Playback | |
| Video Playback | |
| FM Radio | No |
| Ring Tones | |
| Loudspeaker |
| Main Camera Camera is able to capture photographs and usually videos, The most important characteristics of a camera are the resolution (measured in megapixels), lens focus type (fixed or automatic), higher megapixel cameras are known to capture higher quality photos, but not always a good measurement of the photos quality. |
50 MP, f/1.6, 35mm (standard), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.3, 85mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom (vs. 26mm cam) 50 MP, f/1.8, 18mm, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS |
| Camera Features | HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie Camera | 12 MP, under display |
| Camera Features | HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| Operating System OS => Every computer system run on a base software called Operating System (OS). Operating System controls all basic operations of the computer (such as smartphone, PDAs, tablet computers and other handheld devices). The Operating System allows the user to install and run third party applications (apps), apps are used to add new functionality to the device. | Android 14 |
| User Interface UI or user interface of a device is the look and feel of the on-screen menu system. How it works, its color scheme, how it responds to button presses, all of these things are part of the user interface. | MyOS 14.5 |
| Chipset Chipset is a group of integrated circuits designed to perform one or a more dedicated functions, often with real time computing constraints, Popular smartphones are equipped with more advanced embedded chipsets that can do many different tasks depending on their programming. | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) |
| CPU CPU (Central Processing Unit) mostly known as processors, CPU processes instructions in order to carry out certain functions that make your device operate properly. Processors are often described as the brain of computers, smartphones and tablets, Smartphones and tablets rely on processors to carry out their every task, Processors are an incredibly important factor in selecting any type of computing device, including your smartphone. | Octa-core (1x3.4 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520) |
| GPU GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is a single-chip processor designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display, This includes things such as lighting effects, object transformations, and 3D motion. | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) |
| RAM (Memory) RAM (Random Access Memory) is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes that allows information to be stored and accessed quickly from random locations. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computer systems, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices. | 8GB-16GB |
| Internal Storage Internal Storage is a data storage space (flash memory) mostly used in smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices where operating system, apps, music, photos, videos, files and other user data Is stored. | 256GB/512GB/1TB |
| Card Slot Memory Card Slot is a special slot for inserting a memory card. Memory cards allow you to expand the phone's built-in memory, A memory card (sometimes called a flash memory card or a storage card) is a small storage medium used to store data such as text, pictures, audio, and video, for use on small, portable or remote computing devices such as mobile phones, mp3 players, digital cameras. | No |
| Sensors Sensors are electronic components that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure and location, The output is generally a signal that is converted to use in computing systems, a location sensor, such as a GPS receiver is able to detect current location of your electronic device. | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, color spectrum |
| Bluetooth Bluetooth is a wireless communications technology for exchanging data between mobile phones, headsets, computers and other network devices over short distances without wires, Bluetooth technology was primarily designed to support simple wireless networking of personal consumer devices. | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless |
| Wi-fi Wi-Fi is a popular wireless networking technology using radio waves to provide high-speed network connections that allows devices to communicate without cords or cables, Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming the preferred mode of internet connectivity all over the world. | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Wi-fi Hotspot | |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| Positioning GPS The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based radio navigation system, GPS permits users to determine their position, velocity and the time 24 hours a day, in all weather, anywhere in the world, In order to locate your position, your device or GPS receiver must have a clear view of the sky. | GPS (L1+L2+L5), GLONASS (G1+G5), BDS (B1I+B1C+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| NFC NFC (Near field communication) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish peer-to-peer radio communications with each other by touching them together or bringing them into proximity, usually no more than a few inches. |
| Battery Type Battery Type => Cell phones run on various kinds of batteries depending on the manufacturer, phone size or shape and features. There are basically four types of cell phone batteries => Lithium Polymer, Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride and Nickel Cadmium. | Li-Po 6000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging Wireless Charging (Inductive Charging) uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device, which can then use that energy to charge batteries or run the device. | 80W wired, PD3.0, QC4 |
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only.