During IFA 2025, nubia, a subsidiary of ZTE, announced the launch of the new nubia Air smartphone with a body thickness of only 5.9mm, a 5000mAh battery capacity, and IP69K, IP69 and IP68 waterproof specifications. It challenges the industry's long-standing design problem of being unable to achieve both "lightness" and "battery life", and also competes with Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Air.
Nubia stated that the nubia Air is the representative product of the brand's "Air-style" series. Inheriting the brand concept of "Be yourself", it focuses on combining design aesthetics, durability and deep application of AI. With a starting price of US$279, it is expected to be launched in Europe in September, and will subsequently enter Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and other markets.
Ultra-thin design and durability
The nubia Air features a 6.78-inch, 1.5K resolution AMOLED screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 4500nits. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, ensuring an ultra-thin body while also enhancing drop resistance.
The body weighs only 172 grams, and the built-in 5000mAh battery can correspond to more than 1000 complete charge and discharge cycles through AI power-saving technology, and is said to maintain a stable service life of more than three years.
In terms of appearance, nubia Air adopts an aluminum alloy frame and ultra-thin frame design, and is reinforced with four-corner structure and undergoes multiple tests, including 60 touch durability tests and 6000 continuous drop tests, to ensure its slimness and durability.
In addition to the common IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, nubia Air also supports the more advanced IP69 and industrial-grade IP69K protection specifications, which can withstand high-pressure hot water washing at 80°C and immersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, allowing it to be used in more extreme environments.
Deep integration of imaging, performance, and AI
The camera configuration includes a 5000-megapixel triple-lens system and a 2000-megapixel video lens, supporting AI night shooting, AI HDR, EIS electronic image stabilization recording, and built-in VLOG shooting mode and multi-camera simultaneous recording function to meet the needs of audio and video creators.
The processor uses an eight-core chip with a 6nm process, with up to 20GB of dynamic memory (8GB and 12GB are preset to simulate memory space based on storage capacity) and 256GB of storage space. Through the AI performance engine and application freezing technology, it reduces power consumption by 25% and significantly extends battery life.
In terms of AI experience, nubia Air not only has built-in AI Magic Photos editing tools that support background removal and object removal, but also integrates Google Gemini AI models to support instant voice translation, cross-language calls, content generation and smart assistant functions, making AI a daily system-level experience for users.
Value strategy oriented towards the younger generation
Bai Keke, Vice President of nubia, said, "We've heard the voice of young users who don't want to compromise between design and battery life. With its thinnest 5.9mm body, 5000mAh battery, and comprehensive AI experience, the nubia Air sets the standard for a new generation of entry-level flagship phones."
The nubia Air will be available in three colors: Titanium Black, Phantom Black, and Desert Titanium. It will be first released in Europe in September with a suggested retail price starting at US$9. It is a new flagship with a "high cost-effectiveness" that combines stylish design with practicality and durability.
