Instead of zoom level, Nubia lists the focal length (the distance where the lens and sensor converge) measured in millimeters, and a smaller number means a wider field of view and depth of field. The Flip 5G camera gives you the option of 50mm or 26mm. There’s no telephoto lens so zooming tends to lose detail. Processing is often heavy-handed, sometimes taking a second or two and creating an oil paint effect.
Most of the optional modes, including portrait, are poor and the resulting photos never look natural, but you can achieve reasonable bokeh with a regular camera. Trust the automatic settings and you will often be disappointed. It works better if you turn off AI, and best if you’re prepared to tinker with Pro mode, but there’s a lot of gimmickry in the camera app. There’s not much of a need to use the 16-megapixel front-facing camera beyond video calling, but it can get by.
Worry about software
The Nubia Flip 5G is off to a bad start on the software front, with an already outdated MyOS 13 on top of Android 13. It’s pretty close to stock Android, but there’s some bloatware and pointless shortcuts for downloading apps and games you almost certainly don’t want.
It’s important to note that external displays do not support third-party apps. It can display notifications, control music, weather, calendar, pedometer, stopwatch or voice recorder and let you take selfies with the main camera, but that’s it. The “interactive” pets are super cute (my daughter loves the cat), but they aren’t really interactive; they are just live wallpapers.
Nubia has a poor track record when it comes to updates. When I asked the company for clarification, they were unable to provide a definite timeline for Android 14 or subsequent updates. Based on previous phones, you’d be lucky to get three years, and that’s a shame when you consider Google is offering seven years for the similarly priced Pixel 8A.
Photo: Simon Hill
The closest competitor is the Motorola Razr (2023) and sadly, Motorola is also bad at software updates. There’s not much to differentiate the two other than different designs. I like the look of the Nubia Flip 5G more. It charges faster and comes with more memory. But the Razr supports wireless charging and has an IP52 rating. One final consideration that could affect Motorola is network compatibility. The Flip 5G will mostly work fine on T-Mobile or AT&T in the US, but cross-check supported bands with your carrier before buying.
If you can live without urgency, choose something better from best cheap phone. If you want a flip phone, try finding another $200 or so for a phone like the Motorola Razr+ (7/10, WIRED recommended) or Samsung Z Flip5, both of which offer more useful cover screens. Ultimately, I enjoyed using the Nubia Flip 5G and it was so cute that my 11-year-old daughter asked to trade it in for her Pixel 6.
