The ZTE Nubia Flip is currently one of the cheapest foldable smartphone strong enough to matches up to the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Motorola Razr 40 and the Oppo Find N3 Flip. As the company’s first foldable smartphone the ZTE Nubia Flip 5G has a range of impressive features and sold at a pocket-friendly price with its price starting at just £499. It has a simple yet beautiful design with the Snapdragon chip and up to 12GB RAM powering it under the hood.
ZTE Nubia Flip Key Specs and Features
- 6.9 inches Foldable OLED Display, 1188 x 2790 pixels (~439 ppi density), ~86.3% screen-to-body ratio
- Android 13
- Qualcomm SM7450-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (4 nm) Octa Core Processor
- 8GB, 12GB RAM
- 50 MP (wide) + 2 MP (depth) Dual Rear Camera
- 16 MP Front Camera
- Fingerprint Sensor (side mounted)
- 128GB, 256GB, 512GB Built-in Storage
- 4G LTE
- 5G Support
- 33W Fast Charging Capacity
- 4310 mAh Non removable Battery
Design
The ZTE Nubia Flip 5G is a testament to simple yet premium craftsmanship, standing out in the competitive smartphone market. It has a sleek and modern aesthetics that complements its robust build quality, making it both a fashion statement and a durable device.
The Nubia Flip 5G features a stunning design that blends elegance with practicality. The phone front and back are crafted from high-quality glass while the frame with uses an aluminum material, providing an all-rounder frosty finish that exudes sophistication. Meanwhile, this design is enhanced with matte textures, offering a visually appealing contrast that minimizes fingerprints and adds a tactile feel.
Furthermore, the Nubia Flip edges are smoothly curved, ensuring a comfortable grip while adding to the device’s sleek profile. This device also has a compact and portable profile, when unfolded, it measures 170 x 75.5 x 7.0 mm, while when folded, measuring 87.6 x 75.5 x 15 mm, making it easy to carry and store.
When opened, the large 6.9 inches OLED display dominated the profile occupying a wide 86.3% screen space with thin bezel around the edges. At the top of the screen, there sits the punch hole cutout holding the front facing camera.
Additionally, the ZTE Nubia Flip 5G metal-edged circular bump located in the top half of the phone is one design you cannot miss. The camera module houses the two main cameras and a round 1.43-inch diameter external display. The housing is mostly black with a golden ring around it, adding a premium touch to the design.
One of the standout features of the Nubia Flip 5G is its innovative flip mechanism. The hinge is designed with precision engineering to ensure smooth and reliable operation. This mechanism allows the android phone to transition seamlessly between different modes, offering versatility in how the device is used.
When folded in half, the hinge reveals the Nubia logo, adding a touch of brand identity to the sleek design. Whether you’re using it in the traditional smartphone form or flipping it to access new functionalities, the mechanism is built to last, providing a satisfying user experience.
Lastly, the power button and volume control key are strategically placed on the side for easy access. Notably, the power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor and is highlighted in a saturated red color, making it an eye-catching and practical feature. This thoughtful design consideration enhances the overall usability of the device, making it convenient for extended use.
Display
Like all flip smartphone, the ZTE Nubia Flip 5G has two display that enhances both visual appeal and functionality. According to Nubia, the display is “wrinkleless”, with a high-strength hinge that should be good for more than 200,000 folds.
The main display is a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel, offering a stunning visual experience with vibrant colors and deep blacks. This display is built on an AMOLED display technology with an impressive resolution of 1116 x 2480 pixels. Coupled with a 20:9 aspect ratio and approximately 400 ppi pixel density, the screen delivers sharp and detailed visuals that make text and images crisp and clear.
The display also supports a 120Hz refresh rate, which ensures smooth scrolling and fluid animations, enhancing the overall user experience. The high refresh rate is particularly beneficial for gamers and users who appreciate seamless transitions and responsive touch interactions.
Furthermore, with support for HDR10 further enhances the dynamic range of the display, allowing for more detailed and realistic visuals with better highlights and deeper shadows. It also support up to 1 billion colors which ensures that the display can reproduce a wide gamut of colors accurately and offers a peak brightness of up to 1500 nits, therefore, the screen remains highly readable even in direct sunlight, making it practical for outdoor use.
Meanwhile, when unfolded, the ZTE Nubia Flip 5G has a 1.43-inch circular external display. This secondary screen, also refers to as the “Outer Cover Screen” when compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 which has a much larger 3.4-inch Super AMOLED display is quiet small, yet functional.
It comes with a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels integrated into the camera module with a premium metal-edged housing and a golden ring, adds both aesthetic and functional value. This screen allows users to quickly glance at notifications, control music playback, and access essential information without the need to unfold the phone.
Camera
The Nubia Flip 5G has a total of triple camera setups; two (50-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor) on the rear and one (16-megapixel sensor) at the front for selfie shots. This array ensures that users are equipped to capture a wide range of scenes with exceptional detail and clarity.
The main camera is a 50MP Sony IMX800 sensor, the same high-quality component found in flagship models like the Xiaomi 13 and Honor Magic Vs. This 1/1.49-inch sensor, with a 35mm focal length, delivers stunning image quality with vibrant colors and sharp details.
The 35mm equivalent focal length is a departure from the more common 24mm or 26mm, providing a more natural field of view that is particularly favored in classic photography. The camera also support phase detection autofocus (PDAF), laser autofocus (Laser AF), and optical image stabilization (OIS) ensuring that images are consistently sharp and free from blur, even in challenging conditions.
One notable feature of the 50MP main sensor is its ability to achieve 2x lossless digital zoom, adding versatility even in the absence of a dedicated telephoto lens. This feature allows users to zoom in on subjects without sacrificing image quality, making it a valuable tool for both close-up shots and distant scenes.
Accompanying the main camera is 2MP depth sensor. This sensor plays a crucial role in portrait photography by providing depth information that helps create a pleasing bokeh effect. This effect blurs the background while keeping the subject in sharp focus, resulting in professional-looking portraits that highlight the subject against a softly blurred backdrop.
The Nubia Flip 5G’s video recording capabilities are equally impressive. The main camera can shoot videos in 4K resolution, delivering ultra-high-definition footage that is rich in detail and color. For those who prefer smoother videos, especially for social media sharing, the camera also supports 1080p video recording. These options provide flexibility for different shooting scenarios, whether it’s capturing high-resolution clips or standard HD videos. The video functionality is further enhanced by features like LED flash, HDR, and panorama, which offer additional creative possibilities for users.
The ZTE Nubia Flip 5G features a 16MP wide-angle lens, designed to capture high-quality selfies and provide clear video calls. The wide-angle lens ensures that more of the background can be included in the shot, which is ideal for group selfies and scenic backdrops. This front camera supports HDR and 1080p video recording at 30 fps, ensuring high-quality selfies and video calls.
Hardware and Software
The ZTE Nubia Flip 5G is powered by the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, fabricated on a 4nm process. This octa-core processor, featuring a combination of Cortex-A710 and Cortex-A510 cores, delivers efficient performance suitable for multitasking and demanding applications.
The 4 fast cores is based on the ARM Cortex-A710 architecture with a maximum clock speed of up to 2.4 GHz, while the 4 power-efficient cores is based on the ARM Cortex-A510 architecture clocked up to 1.8 GHz. This cluster handles background tasks and helps conserve battery life.
This is the same chipset found in the Motorola Razr 2023, while the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip is capable, it lags behind newer models such as the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in terms of raw processing power.
The chipset is backed up by Adreno 644 GPU running at 619MHz and has the Qualcomm AI Engine 7th Gen support which enables features like Camera Deep Learning Face Detect (DLFD) and Video Super Resolution (VSR) for enhanced camera performance.
In terms of storage and memory, the Flip 5G offers configurations up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage paired with 12GB of RAM, ensuring ample space for storing multimedia content and running multiple apps simultaneously without performance degradation. The absence of expandable storage may be a limitation for users with extensive media libraries.
In addition, this ZTE flip device boasts a robust 4310 mAh battery, providing extended usage time on a single charge. Supporting 33W fast charging capabilities, the Flip 5G promises rapid recharge times. According to the company, the Flip 5G should be able to reach 50% in 18 minutes of charging.
Running on Nubia’s MyOS 13, based on Android 13, the software experience on the Flip 5G is refined and user-friendly. The MyOS 13 introduces various personalization options, including customizable wallpapers and always-on display clocks for the cover screen. This allows users to personalize their experience with different always-on display styles, fonts, notification effects, color schemes, and fingerprint animation styles.
Additionally, Nubia is committed to providing regular software updates, ensuring that users receive the latest features, security patches, and performance improvements. This commitment helps keep the device secure and up-to-date with the latest advancements in Android technology.
In terms of security, the Nubia Flip 5G offers both a fingerprint sensor and face recognition technology, allowing users to choose their preferred method of unlocking the device quickly and securely.
For connectivity, this device supports Wi-Fi 6E for high-speed wireless connectivity and improved network capacity. It also has the 5G network, Bluetooth 5.1 version, NFC and USB Type-C port.
Where to Buy ZTE Nubia Flip
Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers
ZTE Nubia Flip Price and Availability
ZTE Nubia Flip starts at 600.00 EUR.
ZTE Nubia Flip Specs
Here are a few specs of the ZTE Nubia Flip:
General Features
- Platform: Android 13
- Processor: Qualcomm SM7450-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (4 nm) Octa Core Processor (2.4 GHz Cortex-A710 and 2.36 GHz tri-core Cortex-A710 and 1.8 GHz quad-core Cortex-A510)
- GPU: Adreno 644
- Memory: 8GB, 12GB RAM
- Colours: Sunshine Gold, Cosmic Black, Flowering Lilac
- Dimension: Unfolded: 170 x 75.5 x 7.0 mm, Folded: 87.6 x 75.5 x 15 mm
- Weight: 214 g
- SIM Type: Nano SIM
- SIM Count: Dual SIM
Display
- Display: 6.9 inches Foldable OLED Display, 1188 x 2790 pixels (~439 ppi density), ~86.3% screen-to-body ratio, 120 Hz; 1.43 inch OLED Cover Display, 466 x 466 pixels
- Screen Protection: Yes
- Foldable Display: No
Camera
- Rear Camera: 50 MP (wide), PDAF + 2 MP (depth) Dual Camera
- Rear Camera Features: LED Flash, HDR, Panorama, 4K, 1080p
- Front Camera: 16 MP (wide) Camera, 1080p@30fps
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Memory Card Support: No
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
- 3G CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes, LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66
- 5G: Yes, 5G Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: Yes
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes
- 5G: Yes
- WLAN: Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Wi-Fi, dual-band
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE
- NFC: Yes
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: Yes, USB Type-C
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: Yes
- Video Player: Yes
- FM Radio: –
- Loudspeaker: Yes, with stereo speakers
- 3.5mm Jack: No
Navigation
- Navigation: Yes, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: –
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: –
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, (side mounted)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: –
- Stylus Pen: –
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: Yes
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: –
- Wireless Charging: –
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: –
- Dust Resistant: –
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: –
- Document Editor: –
Battery
- Battery: 4310 mAh Non removable Battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: 33W Fast Charging Capacity