An affordable foldable phone is finally coming and I can't wait

While the halls of Mobile World Congress 2024 have been echoing with exciting new tech releases, it's not just the big players who are making strides in the industry.

Sure, the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Ring or the Oppo Air Glass 3 might have been the big news, but there's something else which has caught my eye.

That's because the Nubia Flip 5G has been confirmed for a global release. That's a really exciting product, offering a foldable phone experience at an affordable price. It's a market segment I've written about extensively in the past, and I'm really excited to finally see someone enter it.

The phone itself sounds decent, too. You'll find a dual 50MP rear-camera setup, with a 16MP sensor on the front. A 6.9-inch 120Hz internal panel is paired with a fairly unique external display. That's a circular display which sits inside of the camera module, offering access to a host of applications without needing to open the handset.

Inside, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset can be found. That's a slightly older mid range chip, though it still utilises a 4nm process. It was also the first 7-series chip to pack in the Qualcomm AI Engine, so it should be able to keep up with modern devices fairly well.

You'll also find a 4,310mAh battery inside. That's pretty decent for a flip phone, and should gift users a solid battery life.

Oh, and don't panic if you aren't familiar with the brand name. While it's definitely not a household name, they are the same company making gaming phones like the Redmagic 8 Pro. I tested that one last year, and it's a really well built handset. While there is certainly no guarantee of that quality here, it's a good sign.

The price is listed at $599, though Nubia are keen to state that could vary in other markets. Directly converted, though, that sits just a shade under £475.

If the brand can get the device to market around that price, this could be a real turning point for the foldable phone market. I've said for ages that we need something like this – a cheap folding phone – to act as a catalyst and get users into the market. This could be the perfect way to do that. There is no word on when this will hit the UK market, but rest assured that we'll be keeping a very close eye on it.