We're expecting the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 later this year, and while this phone is rumored to receive some welcome upgrades, it may still resemble its predecessor in many ways, including a $1,000 price tag However, the phone I just tried at MWC 2024, the Nubia Flip 5G, promises to do much the same as some of the best folding phones, but at $600 instead

Nubia is a ZTE subsidiary, which you may know for its Axon 40 Ultra under-display camera technology and RedMagic-branded gaming phones like the recent RedMagic 9 Pro Both of these phones can be purchased in the US through sub-branded web stores This means that this could be a real option for US foldable buyers, unlike many other foldable rivals

Pricing for the Flip 5G starts at $599, but ZTE acknowledges that this price may vary depending on specifications This pricing is part of ZTE's push to market this phone to younger users, but as far as I could tell, there was nothing to prevent a more mature person from appreciating this phone, except for the funky wavy purple color of the model I tried

On the outside, there is a large round cover screen with widget options, similar to what the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus offer This includes a camera widget for taking selfies with the main camera, again like rival folding phones

Inside, there is a 69-inch, 120 Hz inner display The folds are noticeable and felt, but not enough to interfere with the use of the screen Another similarity with the Galaxy Z Flip series is that the hinge supports multiple angles, so the screen can be opened as much as needed depending on the scenario

For photos, the Nubia Flip 5G has a 50MP dual camera, which is a main and telephoto combo rather than the main/ultrawide combination that is common on flip-folding devices There is also a 16MP selfie camera on the inside that can take pictures while the phone is open However, it is hard to say whether the pictures will rival the generally excellent photos of Samsung's foldable phones, since software processing is as important as sensor size and quality

Powering the Flip5G is a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip, which is perhaps its biggest potential weakness compared to other foldable handsets that have tended to use the more powerful Snapdragon 8 series chips However, it is likely a large part of the reason this foldable is inexpensive, and if you don't use demanding apps or play many games, it may be a negligible drawback

Another advantage the Nubia flip phone may have over its rivals is battery life: with a 4,310mAh battery, it is more than 600mAh ahead of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and 500mAh ahead of the Razr Plus Battery life depends on more than pure cell size, which is a good sign

ZTE also showed off other devices at MWC, including the Focus series of photo phones and the Z60 Ultra flagship However, the Nubia Flip is the most interesting of the lot There are already plenty of flagships and camera phones in the West, but not many folding phones, especially affordable ones

If ZTE can start selling this phone quickly (no sales date has been announced as of yet), it could get noticed before its rivals launch cheaper folding phones There are rumors that Samsung is working on a cheaper folding phone, but the rumors do not match what we could actually see coming out