Nubia recently announced that it will launch its foldable clamshell smartphone next week. Officially called Nubia Flip 5G, this device will be available in China on April 9. This will be the brand’s first foldable phone. However, the product will not be new. According to trailers and leaks, the phone is expected to be rebranded as ZTE Libero Flip. For those who don’t know, Nubia and Red Magic are subsidiaries of ZTE.

Libero Flip It is the group’s first foldable smartphone. It was quietly released in Japan in February. It’s currently the most affordable foldable phone, priced at just ¥63,000 ($415). In China, the device could be even cheaper than the Motorola Razr 40.

This could start a new trend in budget advanced devices in the coming years, as a few more devices (Energizer Ultimate U660S and Blackview Hero 10) are confirmed to go on sale later this year. These phones have lower specifications compared to those that cost more than $1000. So what features can we expect from Nubia Flip 5G?

Expected features of Nubia Flip 5G

one. An old mid-range chip

Nubia Flip 5G will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 mobile platform. The same chipset is also available in the almost one-year-old Motorola Razr 40. The chip was introduced nearly two years ago, in May 2022. It is slower than current generation mid-range chipsets, let alone flagship chips.

It has Kryo octa-core processor and Adreno 662 GPU. The CPU consists of 4 ARM Cortex-A710 cores and 4 ARM Cortex-A510 cores running at 2.4 GHz. In any case, the chipset alone does not define the product and is actually capable enough for normal daily use.

2. small screen

Nubia Flip 5G will have a 6.9-inch vertical foldable main screen. This centered perforated panel will have a resolution of 2790 × 1188 pixels. The size and resolution of the screen correspond to the dimensions of a premium folding device. We have no information about the refresh rate, but it is likely to be 120Hz.

However, it will have a small round screen of 1.43 inches. This small screen can only display a minimum number of widgets and act as a viewfinder for the camera.

The small size of the external screen may be a problem for users who prefer to use the foldable screen without opening it. On the other hand, it is a feature that provides quality of life for those doing digital detox.

3. single camera

Nubia Flip 5G will have a dual camera on the back. However, only one of these sensors will be available and this will be the primary 50MP snapper. The additional sensor will only be a 2 MP depth sensor. There will be a 16 megapixel camera on the front. While the cameras are the same as those found on regular budget smartphones, the hinge can be adjusted between 60-110 degrees for creatively clicking pictures and shooting videos.

4. good battery

Nubia Flip 5G will be powered by a 4310mAh battery. This is remarkable for a folding cover whose thickness when opened is 7.3 mm. The phone will support 33W wired charging, but there will be no wireless charging support.