Nubia Z80 Ultra vs Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer

The Nubia Z80 Ultra (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (2019) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nubia Z80 Ultra leads — 81/100 vs 12/100 (a 69-point difference). Key differences: the Nubia Z80 Ultra has the bigger battery (6500 mAh vs 3300); the Nubia Z80 Ultra is faster in AnTuTu (3,942,923 vs 824,513); the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer is noticeably lighter (173g vs 225g).

The Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer by 69 points (81/100 vs 12/100).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Nubia Z80 Ultra
Performance 92
Display 100
Camera 74
Battery 78
Design 18
Value for money 58
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
Performance 1
Display 0
Camera 23
Battery 1
Design 83
Value for money 55
What makes Nubia Z80 Ultra better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 3942923 vs 824513
  • Better Geekbench Single: 3640 vs 968
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 11033 vs 2731
  • Bigger battery: 6500 vs 3300 mAh
  • Faster charging: 80W vs 27W

  • Higher performance (92/100 vs 1/100)
  • Better camera (74/100 vs 23/100)
  • Longer battery life (78/100 vs 1/100)
  • Better display (100/100 vs 0/100)
  • Better value for money (58/100 vs 55/100)
What makes Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer better?
  • Lighter: 173g vs 225g

  • Better design/ergonomics (83/100 vs 18/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Nubia Z80 Ultra vs the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer, the Nubia Z80 Ultra scores 69 points higher (81/100 vs 12/100). In the "performance" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra leads (92/100 vs 1/100). In the "camera" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra leads (74/100 vs 23/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra leads (78/100 vs 1/100). In the "performance" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (92/100 vs 1/100). In the "display" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (100/100 vs 0/100). In the "camera" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (74/100 vs 23/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (78/100 vs 1/100). In the "design" category, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer significantly outperforms the Nubia Z80 Ultra (83/100 vs 18/100). In the "value for money" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer are nearly equal (58/100 vs 55/100).

Nubia Z80 Ultra: The Nubia Z80 Ultra is a better fit for gamers and power users, those who care about battery life.
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer: The Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer is a better fit for everyday use.
Specs comparison
Specification Nubia Z80 Ultra Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
AnTuTu 3942923 824513
Geekbench Single 3640 968
Geekbench Multi 11033 2731
Display 6.8" LTPO AMOLED 6.4" Super AMOLED
Resolution 2688x1216 1080x2340
Refresh rate 120 Hz
Battery 6500 mAh 3300 mAh
Charging 80W 27W
Wireless charging 80W 0W
Main camera 50 MP
Ultrawide 50 MP 48 MP
Telephoto 64 MP 0 MP
Front camera 16 MP 20 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB 12GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB / 1TB 256GB
OS Android 16 Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 10
Brightness (peak) 2000 nits
NFC yes yes
Protection IP68
Dimensions 164.5×77.2×8.6 mm 157.5×74.7×7.6 mm
Weight 225 g 173 g
Price $749
Camera comparison
Nubia Z80 Ultra
  • Main: 50MP f/1.59
  • Ultrawide: 50MP
  • Telephoto: 64MP
  • Front: 16MP
74
camera
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
  • Main: —
  • Ultrawide: 48MP
  • Front: 20MP
23
camera
Display comparison
Nubia Z80 Ultra
  • 6.8" LTPO AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2688x1216
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
100
display
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
  • 6.4" Super AMOLED
  • Resolution: 1080x2340
  • Refresh rate: —
0
display
Battery and charging
Nubia Z80 Ultra
  • 6500 mAh
  • NanoReview test: web browsing 14:17 hrs, total 34:15 hrs
  • Wired: 80W
  • Wireless: 80W
78
battery
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
  • 3300 mAh
  • Wired: 27W
  • No wireless charging
1
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Nubia Z80 Ultra and Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Nubia Z80 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
81/100
3942923 AnTuTu
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
12/100 -378.2%
824513 AnTuTu

Nubia Z80 Ultra leads Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer by 378.2% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Price and availability
Nubia Z80 Ultra
$749
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
Price unknown
Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (92/100 vs 1/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (100/100 vs 0/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (74/100 vs 23/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (78/100 vs 1/100).

design

In the "design" category, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer significantly outperforms the Nubia Z80 Ultra (83/100 vs 18/100).

value for money

In the "value for money" category, the Nubia Z80 Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer are nearly equal (58/100 vs 55/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Nubia Z80 Ultra or the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?

The Nubia Z80 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer by 69 points (81/100 vs 12/100).

What is the rating of the Nubia Z80 Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?

The Nubia Z80 Ultra has a MobileRank rating of 81/100, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer — 12/100.

Which has the better camera: the Nubia Z80 Ultra or the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?

The Nubia Z80 Ultra leads on camera score (74/100 vs 23/100).

Which is more powerful: the Nubia Z80 Ultra or the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?

The Nubia Z80 Ultra leads on performance (92/100 vs 1/100).

Should you choose the Nubia Z80 Ultra over the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?

The Nubia Z80 Ultra is a better fit for gamers and power users, those who care about battery life. The Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer is a better fit for everyday use.