Nubia is preparing to show off its first AI-agent smartphone, the NaviX Ultra, at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 in Shanghai, running July 17 to 20. Before any official hardware reveal, a detailed leak has given us a strong look at what to expect from the device.
The tipster behind the leak, known as Bald Panda on Weibo, shared a set of expected specs that paint a picture of a high-end phone built around both raw performance and AI capability. Nubia has already confirmed the NaviX Ultra name, its general design, and that it will ship with the Doubao AI assistant, but the company has stayed quiet on the hardware side until now.
AI-focused smartphones are becoming a serious category in 2025 and beyond, with brands racing to offer more than just a chatbot shortcut. The NaviX Ultra appears to be Nubia’s attempt to build AI functionality directly into the phone’s architecture, not just bolt it on as a software feature.
On the hardware side, the leak points to a strong set of specs:
- 6.78-inch flat display with 1.5K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate
- Centred hole-punch cutout with what could be the slimmest bezels ever seen on a Nubia phone
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset
- 7,100mAh battery, which would rank among the largest on any flagship phone
- Triple rear camera system with three 50MP sensors covering standard, ultra-wide, and telephoto
- 50MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls
The battery capacity is worth noting. Most flagship phones top out around 5,000mAh to 6,000mAh, so a 7,100mAh cell would be a real differentiator if the spec holds up. Combined with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it suggests Nubia is going after users who want both power and longevity.
The AI side of the NaviX Ultra is where things get more interesting. The phone is built around four core functions: natural language understanding, contextual memory, real-world task execution, and data protection. Rather than simulating touch inputs to control apps, it reportedly uses a system-level GUI Agent architecture that reads on-screen information and interacts with apps directly through MCP and A2A protocols.
In practical terms, that means the AI assistant should be able to carry out tasks across multiple apps from a single voice or text command, rather than switching between them manually or relying on clunky workarounds. Whether that works as smoothly in practice as it sounds on paper remains to be seen.
Nubia has confirmed the phone’s look through official teasers. The NaviX Ultra has a pill-shaped rear camera island, a centred punch-hole display, and an orange side key. It will come in Black, Pink, Purple, and White. A launch date has not been announced yet, though the tipster says the phone is being prepared for commercial release.