Nubia Flip 5G Review: An Affordable Folding Phone with Compromises
Nubia has entered the foldable phone market with its new Flip 5G, aiming to offer a more budget-friendly option in the growing flip phone segment. Priced at just $499, it undercuts competitors like Samsung and Motorola. But does this affordable folding phone deliver a compelling experience? Let's take a closer look.
Design and Build
The Nubia Flip 5G sports an attractive design reminiscent of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, with a flat aluminum frame and angular chassis. Its standout feature is the circular housing for the cover display and cameras, which adds a premium touch. At 7mm thick when open and 15mm when closed, it's relatively slim for a flip phone.
However, the matte AG etched glass on the exterior feels somewhat cheap and plasticky, even if it does resist fingerprints well. The hinge mechanism is sturdy and satisfying to use, allowing the phone to be positioned at various angles.
Displays
The main 6.9-inch FHD+ display offers a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, though this needs to be enabled manually in settings. Colors are vibrant even in the standard mode. While the crease is noticeable, it's not as pronounced as on some other foldables.
The circular 1.43-inch cover display is quite limited in functionality. It allows checking notifications and using a few basic widgets, but you can't interact with notifications directly. It does serve as a camera viewfinder for selfies using the main camera.
Performance and Software
Powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset and 8GB of RAM, the Flip 5G delivers solid midrange performance. It handles multitasking and even gaming at high settings without major issues, though the frame can get quite warm under load.
Unfortunately, the phone still runs Android 13 despite launching well into the Android 14 cycle. The software experience is mostly inoffensive but comes with some bloatware. Nubia's Z-Board feed to the left of the home screen feels unnecessary and ad-filled compared to Google Discover.
Camera
The 50MP main camera takes surprisingly decent photos in good lighting, outperforming some other budget flip phones. Images are crisp and vibrant, though sometimes oversaturated. Low-light performance is less impressive. Video tops out at 4K30fps. The 2MP depth sensor seems to add little value, especially for portrait shots.
Battery Life and Charging
Despite its 4,310mAh battery, which is larger than some competitors, battery life is mediocre. It struggles to last a full day of mixed use. The 33W wired charging helps top up quickly, but wireless charging is not supported.
Price and Availability
The Nubia Flip 5G starts at $499 for the 8GB/256GB model, with a 12GB/512GB option at $699. It's available in Cosmic Black, Sunshine Gold, and Flowing Lilac colors, though retail availability seems limited to Nubia's own website for now.
Verdict
The Nubia Flip 5G makes some clever compromises to hit its attractive price point. It offers a taste of the folding phone experience with decent performance and camera quality for the price. However, the limited cover display, older Android version, and mediocre battery life are notable drawbacks.
For those curious about flip phones but hesitant to spend $1000+ on flagship models, the Nubia Flip 5G presents an intriguing, if imperfect, entry point into the world of foldables. Just be prepared to live with some rough edges in exchange for that lower price tag.