Nubia unveils the cheapest $599 foldable phone and a Music series with dual audio jacks
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Designed as the foldable phone "for young people," the Nubia Flip 5G by ZTE is priced from just $599, making it the cheapest foldable phone in a global launch, and marking a watershed moment for the form factor's affordability. It actually seems to be a rebranded version of ZTE's Libero that is only available in Japan, but for the global markets.
Previously, the cheapest foldable in the US was the Motorola Razr 2023 which launched with a starting price of $699, and the Nubia Flip 5G now undercuts even that low price by a full Benjamin, though it's not clear how and when the Flip 5G will make it stateside. Granted, the Moto Razr 2023 is currently discounted down to $500 at Best Buy, but its release date pricing was $200 higher.
What are the cheapest foldable phone's specs?
Actually nothing to sniff at. The Nubia Flip 5G features a 6.9-inch "ultra-clear" flexible display with 120Hz refresh rate that folds thanks to a strong hinge moving a dual-rail suspended centerboard that help it close with ease and unfurl "wrinkless."
We can attest that the Flip 5G has a barely visible crease when opened, though it is comparatively chunky when the camera island is accounted for as well. The cover screen is unique in the fact that it is right smack in the middle of the camera ring, though, and is good for widgets and notification only.
The dual 50MP rear camera kit can also be used for selfies with the phone bending like Gumby in multi-angle motions. What's the compromise for being the cheapest foldable phone? Well, the Nubia Flip 5G is powered by a midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, rather than a high-end processor from the 8-series, but it has a good capacity 4310mAh battery inside, all from $599, depending on the region and internal storage amount.
Affordable "Better for all" photography, music, and gaming phones
As part of its new "Better for all" technology concept, ZTE's Mobile Devices department also introduced a number of tailored smartphone experiences. The new nubia Focus 5G series banks on value-for-money photography experience and comes equipped with a 108MP dual-camera kit powered by its Neovision photography system for pro imaging at just with a starting price of just $199.
The nubia Music series is even cheaper, starting from only $149 but comes with dual 3.5mm headphone jacks and AI extreme volume algorithm controlling its big high-quality speakers that boom out "600% louder than average models." Last but not least, the new nubia Neo 2 5G elevates affordable mobile gaming with dual touch shoulder button design from just $199, better for all indeed!
Things that are NOT allowed: