nubia V70 Design Review: iPhone Look For Less, Affordable Yet Feature-Packed

Upgrading your smartphone doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. If you’re a student, young professional, or someone looking for a new phone without draining your wallet, the nubia V70 Design might just be the perfect choice. 

Packed with solid features, a sleek design, and a budget-friendly price tag of just PHP 5,299, this smartphone proves that you can get great value without spending a fortune.

Price and Availability in the Philippines

With price tag of only PHP 5,299, the nubia V70 Design is an excellent option for those ready to upgrade from their old device without going overboard. 

Whether you’re a student on a budget, a young professional trying to get the most out of your hard-earned money, or anyone who wants a quality smartphone without the high price tag, this model offers a balance of performance, features, and affordability.

You can find it online through TikTok Shop, Lazada, and Shopee, or at ZTE Mobile stores across the Philippines, making it easy to get your hands on it.

Quick Unboxing and Package Contents

Unboxing the nubia V70 Design feels surprisingly premium for its price. 

Inside the box, you’ll find:

The nubia V70 Design handset itself.

A USB Type-C charging cable.

A 22.5W fast charger.

A SIM ejector tool.

A free protective silicone case to help keep your phone safe from everyday wear and tear.

The packaging is simple yet thoughtful, with everything you need to get started right out of the box.

Design

If you’re all about sleek and stylish devices, the nubia V70 Design will impress you. It features a clean, modern look, with a 6.7-inch screen and a slim profile that fits comfortably in your hand. 

For me, the square-with-rounded-corners camera module and its upper left placement of the nubia V70 Design give it that iPhone-like aura.

The iPhone-like camera module gives it a premium feel, while the build is lightweight and durable. Available in two elegant colorways, namely, Stone Gray and Jade Green, nubia V70 Design exudes class and sophistication despite having a budget-friendly SRP.

nubia V70 Design's power button has a red color, which I think is one of the design hallmarks of this series. This power button also has an integrated a fingerprint scanner.

You'll find the SIM card tray on the left side of the handset. You can eject this using the provided pin.

Nothing on top but a microphone pinhole.

Finally, at the rear, you will see a 3.5mm combo jack, which has become a rarity on smartphones these days, another mic pinhole, the USB Type C port, and a row of holes for the loudspeaker.

For those who appreciate good design but don’t want to pay for an expensive flagship model, the nubia V70 Design offers a look and feel that’s hard to beat at this price point.

Display

The 6.7-inch IPS display on the nubia V70 Design is vibrant, offering decent sharpness with 720 x 1612 resolution. 

While it's not a FullHD display, it’s more than enough for watching YouTube, scrolling through social media, and playing mobile games. 

The 120Hz Refresh Rate makes everything feel smoother when browsing or swiping through apps, adding a premium touch that is often reserved for higher-end phones.

It's a real treat to enjoy 120Hz Display Refresh Rate on a smartphone that's priced at only around PHP 5,000. This feature makes finger-scrolling on social media apps feel buttery smooth.

If you’re someone who watches videos or enjoys gaming on your phone, you’ll appreciate the smoothness and clarity the display provides for everyday tasks and media consumption.

Cameras

For those who love to capture life’s moments, the nubia V70 Design comes equipped with a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor, so you can take detailed photos with beautiful bokeh effects.

Whether you’re snapping a quick selfie or capturing a sunset, this camera setup does the job without the need for a flagship-level price.

The 16MP front camera is great for clear and crisp selfies. For students, young professionals, or anyone into social media, these cameras give you great value for money.

Video Recording

Both the main and selfie cameras are capable of 1080p video recording, which is perfect for capturing those TikTok moments, video calls, or casual vlogs. While it may not have the most advanced video features, it’s still more than capable for everyday use, giving you good quality footage without the price tag of a high-end phone.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the nubia V70 Design runs on the Unisoc T606 chipset with an octa-core processor (2x1.6 GHz Cortex-A75 + 6x1.6 GHz Cortex-A55) and the Mali-G57 MP1 GPU, which makes it reliable for multitasking, browsing, and light gaming. 

With 4GB of RAM (expandable with an additional 10GB with virtual RAM) and 256GB of internal storage, there’s more than enough room for your apps, photos, music, and videos. If you need more space, the microSD card slot lets you expand the storage, which is a must-have for people who use their phones for work, school, and entertainment.

If you’re someone who juggles multiple apps or needs extra storage for documents and media, the 10GB extended RAM and expandable storage offer great flexibility.

Gaming Performance

Although the nubia V70 Design isn’t marketed as a gaming phone, it can handle popular titles like Mobile Legends Bang Bang with decent settings. The 120Hz refresh rate also helps to provide a smoother gaming experience, which is a nice touch for casual gamers who want to enjoy their favorite titles without lag or stutter.

If you’re not an extreme gamer but enjoy occasional gaming on the go, the nubia V70 Design will get the job done without breaking the bank.

Software

Running on Android 14 with MyOS 14 UI, the nubia V70 Design is packed with features that are easy to navigate. The interface is clean, and the phone is responsive, making it a great option for those who just want a phone that works smoothly for both personal and work-related tasks.

Battery and Charging Speed

The 5000mAh battery on the nubia V70 Design offers all-day use, even with moderate gaming, video streaming, and social media scrolling. The 22.5W fast charging feature ensures you’re back to full power in no time, so you can go about your day without worrying about your phone running out of juice too quickly.

The 5000mAh battery can last you through a busy school or workday, while the fast charging means you don’t have to wait long for your phone to be ready again.

Privacy and Security

The nubia V70 Design comes with several security features, including a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, and the more traditional pattern lock. 

Whether you prefer unlocking your phone with your face, your fingerprint, or a passcode, the options give you flexibility without sacrificing security.

Verdict: Pros and Cons

Pros:

50MP camera for clear, detailed photos.

16MP front camera for great selfies and video calls.

6.7-inch 120Hz display for smooth scrolling and media consumption.

Affordable price at PHP 5,299.

5000mAh battery for all-day use.

Expandable storage with microSD support.

Cons:

720p resolution may not be sharp enough for those who want ultra-high-definition visuals.

Shared SIM and microSD slot, so you can’t use both simultaneously.

Recommendation

The nubia V70 Design is an excellent choice for anyone looking for an affordable phone that doesn’t skimp on quality. If you’re a student, young professional, or someone on a budget, this phone offers great value with solid camera performance, smooth visuals, and reliable battery life. With its modern design and excellent price point, the nubia V70 Design proves that you don’t need to spend a lot to get a smartphone that works well for your everyday needs.

ZTE nubia V70 Specs

DESIGN

Body Dimensions: 165.8 x 77.1 x 8.2 mm

Weight: 206 grams

Build: Glass Front, Plastic Frame, Glass Back Or Silicone Polymer (Eco Leather) Back

Colorways: Stone Gray, Rose Pink, Citrus Orange, Jade Green

Look: iPhone-like Camera Module Back Design

DISPLAY

Size: 6.7 Inches, 107.8 cm² (~84.4% Screen-To-Body Ratio)

Resolution: 720 x 1612 Pixels, 20:9 Ratio (~264 ppi Density)

Type: IPS LCD

Refresh Rate: 120Hz

PLATFORM

OS: Android 14

Chipset: Unisoc T606 (12 nm)

CPU: Octa-Core (2x1.6 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.6 GHz Cortex-A55)

GPU: Mali-G57 MP1

MEMORY

RAM: 4GB

Internal Storage: 256GB

Card Slot: MicroSDXC (Uses Shared SIM Slot)

MAIN CAMERA

Dual:

50 MegaPixels, f/1.8, (Wide), PDAF

2 MegaPixels, f/2.4, (Depth)

Features: LED Flash, HDR, Panorama

Video: 1080p 30fps

SELFIE CAMERA

Single: 16 MegaPixels

Video: 1080p 30fps

SOUND

Loudspeaker: Yes

3.5mm Jack: Yes

COMMUNICATIONS

SIM: Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM

WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 A/B/G/N/Ac, Dual-Band

Bluetooth: 5.2, A2DP, LE

Positioning: GPS, Galileo, GLONASS

NFC: Yes (Market/Region Dependent)

Radio: FM Radio

USB: USB Type-C 2.0

PRIVACY AND SECURITY

Fingerprint: Yes, Side-Mounted

Facial Recognition

Pattern Passcode Unlock

SENSORS

Accelerometer

Proximity

Compass

BATTERY

Type: 5000 mAh

Charging: 22.5W Wired

nubia V70 Design Price in the Philippines

Official SRP - PHP 5,299 (Always check for discount promos from ZTE Mobile)

Launch Date in the Philippines - November 28, 2024