Initial Verdict: The ZTE nubia Flip 5G is an interesting product showcased at MWC 2024 as it makes flip foldable phones more affordable. While it has its fair share of compromises, the nubia Flip 5G is another affordable option for those who want a flip phone but are on a budget.
Pros
-Decent build
-Very affordable
Cons:
-Other camera is a filler
-Processor of choice is a bit old
We’re at MWC 2024, and among the many products showcased, the ZTE nubia Flip 5G is one of those devices that caught our attention. We initially thought that it would be exclusive in Japan (as the Libero Flip in the Land of the Rising Sun), but it seems that ZTE wants to make its affordable flip phone available to more places. We got our hands on the nubia Flip 5G at the MWC 2024 show floor, and here are our first impressions.
ZTE nubia Flip 5G: Design
The nubia Flip 5G’s design looks familiar, as it reminds us a lot of TECNO’s Phantom V Flip with its large circular module that has two cameras and a circular external display for notifications. The nubia Flip 5G appears to be durable with its aluminum frame (evidenced by antenna lines) and a gapless design that makes you forget that it is a mid-range device–more on that later.
Like its doppelganger, the nubia Flip 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and volume controls on the right side, and the SIM tray on the right side. As for its gapless design, ZTE claims that the nubia Flip 5G’s dual-rail suspended hinge can withstand over 200,000 unfolds–it’s not as high as what Samsung and OPPO currently offer, but do remember that this is a mid-range device.
ZTE nubia Flip 5G: Display
Similar to the Phantom V Flip, the Nubia Flip 5G’s inner display is a 6.9-inch 120hz AMOLED display with bezels to protect the flexible display. The display appears to have a good color rendition based on our short time with it, so we presume that ZTE might be using the same panel found on TECNO’s flip phone. The punch-hole on the top has a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
The outer display, on the other hand, is a 1.43-inch AMOLED display. While it’s mainly used for notifications and music playback, you can use it as a viewfinder when using the cameras.
ZTE nubia Flip 5G: Cameras
The biggest difference between the nubia Flip 5G and Phantom V Flip is the cameras, as the former uses a more toned-down setup that consists of a 50-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. ZTE did not disclose the sensor used for the main camera, but we’re speculating that it might be an ISOCELL JN1.
We don’t have sample photos taken with the nubia Flip 5G, but we will test them out once we get our hands on a review unit.
When it comes to video, the nubia Flip 5G can shoot 4K video on the main camera, while the selfie camera is most likely limited to Full HD.
ZTE nubia Flip 5G: Internals and Battery
While we don’t know what RAM/Storage configuration the nubia Flip 5G will have outside of Japan (the Libero Flip had a 6GB/128GB configuration), the nubia Flip 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which is an aging processor at this point especially since the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 exist. While it’s an old processor, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is expected to give decent performance as a mid-range phone, performing slightly better than Qualcomm’s tried-and-tested Snapdragon 778G.
While it’s a compact flip phone, the nubia Flip 5G has a larger-than-usual 4310mAh battery that supports 33w charging. It may not be the fastest charging speed in the market, but 33w is just fine for most users.
ZTE nubia Flip 5G: Wrap-Up and Initial Conclusions
With a global retail price of $600(~Php 34k), the nubia Flip 5G is an interesting offering, especially in expanding flip phones into the mid-range segment. Despite a few shortcomings like the basic camera setup and slightly dated internals, the nubia Flip 5G gets the job done in making flip phones more affordable.
Do note that European pricing is usually higher, so we expect the nubia Flip 5G to be priced at under Php 30k (or even under Php 25k) should it land in the Philippines.
