Foldable on a budget
If you’re looking to test the waters in foldable phones but aren’t quite ready to drop a massive amount on one, the Motorola Razr 2024 is a good option to try out the design. It has decent though not top-notch specs and employs a design similar to many other foldables. With OS updates for three years, you can hand it over to someone else or sell it once you decide if you’re ready for something more premium.
For
- Comes with Gemini Assistant
- Sizable inner and outer screens
- Supports 3 years of OS updates, 4 years of security
- Affordable
Against
- Slower processor
- No charger in the box
An interesting concept
The Nubia Flip 5G employs an interesting design with a small, smartwatch-sized circular external screen to complement the larger inner screen. While its hinge is durable and it opens flat, the phone has some performance issues we just can’t ignore. Plus, you can only perform limited functions from the outer screen. Thus, while it has some better specs, this phone might not be worth the investment.
For
- Lovely and unique design
- Takes decent photos
- The crease is barely noticeable
- Affordable
Against
- Outdated software
- Doesn't have an IP rating
- Does not support wireless charging
- Limited external screen functionality
- Performance is buggy
The Motorola Razr 2024 vs. Nubia Flip 5G are both foldable phones that provide an outer screen plus a larger inner screen once unfolded. If you’re considering getting a foldable phone, one of the latest trends of late, these are both good options to consider. But let’s take a look at how they compare to help you decide between the two.
Motorola Razr 2024 vs. Nubia Flip 5G: Their designs
The Motorola Razr 2024, introduced in summer 2024, comes in funky color options, including Spritz Orange, Beach Sand, and Koala Grey. It has a 3.6-inch pOLED HDR10+ (1,056 x 1,066) external display. When unfolded, it reveals a 6.9-inch pOLED HDR10+ FHD+ 2,640 x 1,080 foldable display.
The external screen offers up to 90Hz refresh rate and 1,700 nits of brightness, so it’s decently viewable in direct sunlight while the main screen affords a 120Hz refresh rate and an impressive 3,000 nits peak brightness. The outer screen is great for viewing quick information, like calendar alerts, text messages, weather updates, and more. With Google Gemini and Google Photos access, it’s also a neat way to interact with the phone without opening it up.
Made with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, it’s a fairly durable phone with a vegan leather back and high-strength aluminum frame. It meets an IPX8 rating, which makes it resistant against water but not rated for dust, which is typical of foldable phones with a hinge like this one.
Available with 256GB storage, the 4,200mAh battery is rated to last all day, and the phone supports 30W TurboPower charging, 33W regular charging, and 15W wireless charging. But there’s no charger in the box, so you’ll need to charge it with a USB-C cable you have at home (most of us have many nowadays anyway) or purchase a TurboPower charger separately to keep it running for as long as possible per charge.
Additional basic features include 5G, USB-C as noted, NFC, fingerprint reader, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi, lock screen, personalized themes, dual stereo speakers, and quick gestures. It also has a Moto Secure folder for storing personal and sensitive information privately.
Introduced in February 2024, the Nubia Flip 5G is a foldable phone from a brand you might not know as much about. It comes in Sunshine Golden, Cosmic Black, or Flowing Lilac and is designed to be ultra-pocket-sized, offering a seamless fold and opening without wrinkles. The high-strength hinge has been tested for up to 2,000 folds. While it’s thin when folded up and unfolded, it’s also a heavier phone, so that’s something to keep in mind.
In his review, Android Central’s Derrek Lee says he loves the flat frame, which reminds him of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, but finds this phone softer to the touch. Made with metallic, starlight AG etched glass with a zircon sand sandblasting frame, it has a 6.9-inch 2,790 x 1,188 OLED inner screen and much smaller, circular 1.43-inch 466 x 466 OLED external display. To put this in perspective, the outer screen is comparable in size to the typical screen on a circular smartwatch.
The circular external screen might not be what you’d expect from a foldable, but Lee loves the golden ring around it that gives it a premium feel. However, it won’t provide the same experience as you’d get with other foldables that have external screens twice the size. You can cycle through eight panels for functions like camera, calendar, and music player and see notifications, but not do anything about them (you can’t reply to a message, for example).
It comes with either 256GB or 512GB storage depending on the country and availability, and with a 4,310mAh battery that supports 33W charging. Nubia says it can charge up to 50 percent in just 18 minutes. It does not, however, support wireless charging.
With 5G connectivity, as the name implies, it also has USB-C, the older Bluetooth 5.1 spec, fingerprint reader, NFC, and dual speakers with DTS:X Ultra and Snapdragon Sound. There’s an optional face wake-up or fingerprint sensor and even mobile NFC door unlocking, which varies by country or region.
Enjoy additional features like all-care eye protection with dark, night, and read modes. With the circular front screen, you can access things like one-click call backs and even a cute interactive 3D pet. The Nubia Flip 5G, however, does not have an IP rating for resistance against dust or water.
Motorola Razr 2024 vs. Nubia Flip 5G: Specs
Let’s break down the most notable specs of these two foldable phones.
There are some differences here between the two foldable phones, with the Motorola Razr 2024 having a leg up in some respects and the Nubia Flip 5G in others.
Motorola Razr 2024 vs. Nubia Flip 5G: Operation
The Motorola Razr 2024 comes loaded with Android 14 and supports three years of software and four years of bi-monthly security updates, which is decent. It also features Motorola’s Hello UX overlay for further personalizing the look and feel of the phone.
With a MediaTek Dimensity 7300x processor, this isn’t the most powerful foldable phone. Considering most people opting for a foldable are power users on the cutting edge of technology, you might find this disappointing.
However, the phone does come with moto ai and Gemini Assistant so you can enjoy plenty of AI-powered features, both on the main phone as well as the external display. There’s a no-hand mode, for example, for incoming calls so you can answer without even opening the phone.
Along with the 8GB RAM, the phone also offers RAM Boost, which can temporarily turn storage into 8GB of extra RAM as needed. You might tap into this for more intensive tasks, like gaming. This is complemented by the dual stereo speakers that support Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio content so you get a favorable audio experience to go along with the bright and beautiful screens.
The Nubia Flip 5G comes with a more powerful albeit mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor and offers up to 12GB RAM, depending on the version and country. Lee says it handles itself well, even when playing games at a high setting. However, the phone can get warm after a long gaming session. The 120Hz refresh rate is great but note that you need to adjust to this in settings as the default is set to 60Hz.
The phone oddly runs on the older Android 13 OS and it’s unclear how many software updates and how many years of security updates it might support. It’s strange, nonetheless, that a phone released in 2024 would come with an older version of the OS.
The phone also boasts MyOS 13 with animation speed adjustments, a wallpaper color picker, split screen, and other cool features baked in over and above the stock Android experience. But there’s nothing else worth noting about this phone.
Motorola Razr 2024 vs. Nubia Flip 5G: Cameras
The cameras in the Motorola Razr 2024 are decent but won’t blow you away. You get a respectable 50MP main camera along with a decent 13MP ultra-wide camera with macro vision and a 32MP front “selfie” camera.
Motorola adds some neat photo features, like the option to tilt the phone at a 90° angle for video recording to start automatically, holding it just like a traditional video camera. There’s also the cool Photo Booth mode that will snap four consecutive photos as you make different poses, mimicking the shopping mall photo booths of yesteryear.
Additionally, the phone has a dual preview mode that allows you to view yourself on the external display while taking a selfie so you can fix your make-up or hair or adjust your pose or smile just right before taking the photo.
Across the board, the Motorola Razr 2024 has better cameras than the Nubia Flip 5G. It does have the same 50MP sensor for its AI dual camera, but there’s no ultra-wide camera, just a 2MP depth camera that’s likely not usable at all. The front camera also leaves something to be desired at a dismal 16MP, a waste for a foldable phone with so many great opportunities to take selfies.
Nonetheless, Lee says he was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the main camera, which he said took decent images when the lighting conditions were favorable that had lots of detail and vibrancy. He found the images better than ones he had snapped with the previous generation Motorola Razr 2023. He did, however, find that the phone’s camera can go overboard with saturation and you’ll lose a lot of detail when zooming in to images you have taken from further away.
There are some cool usability features when it comes to the cameras in the Nubia Flip 5G, though, including gesture and smile snap, super night camera, and fun real time photo filters so you can turn your images into ones with themes like cyberpunk, mucha, and nostalgic film styles. The circular screen also plays a role here since you can use it as a viewfinder for the camera, set a photo timer, or even swipe up and down to cycle among photo and video modes.
Motorola Razr 2024 vs. Nubia Flip 5G: Which should you buy?
When it comes to foldable phones, there are only a limited number of them on the market to date. But that’s quickly changing as more brands are entering the category and established ones are refreshing designs and coming out with new options.
Both the Motorola Razr 2024 vs. Nubia Flip 5G are affordable options in this otherwise expensive category. We ranked the Motorola Razr 2023 as the top affordable flip phone on our list of the best foldable phones and we’re confident that once we get our hands on it, the Motorola Razr 2024 will take its place.
The Motorola Razr 2024 is more of a traditional foldable phone design that gives you a big external display you can make use of when the phone is folded closed. But some of its specs are disappointing, though necessary to bring the cost down. You won’t get an ultra-fast processor, for example, and don’t even get a charger in the box. But overall, it’s a pretty decent foldable phone if you’re looking to get into this category and don’t want to spend in the thousands.
By contrast, the Nubia Flip 5G is a less traditional foldable, with an outer screen that’s more like a smartwatch screen. It has limited functionality, but still classifies as a foldable for those who might prefer the design.
Lee found the circular outer screen disappointing overall and he deems only one of the three cameras to be actually useful. The fact that the Nubia Flip 5G comes with an older OS version is odd, and the lack of wireless charging is an unfortunate omission for a phone that employs such a modern design.
Through his review period, Lee also experienced some issues with things like notifications showing up late or not at all, and found the battery barely lasted a day with mixed use of apps like social media, games, and photos. At least it recharges quickly.
Bottom line: if you’re looking for something foldable on the cheap, go with the Motorola Razr 2024, which will provide a larger external screen, some cool AI features (includes ones that can be accessed from that screen), and decent cameras. Yes, it has an outdated, slower processor. But you get what you pay for. If you need more, wait it out, save up some money, and consider another foldable that might set you back more dough but will offer much better overall performance and specs.
A respectable entry option
If you are dying to get your hands on a foldable phone but don’t have a ton of dough to spare, the Motorola Razr 2024 is a decent option worth considering. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg but has a design that’s a lot like many others that are twice its price. Just keep in mind that there are some concessions to be made when it comes to specs and performance if you go this route.
Outdated already
Despite launching in February 2024, the Nubia Flip 5G comes loaded with the old Android 13 OS, and it’s unclear how many more software updates it will support. It has a solid mid-range processor and a cute smartwatch-sized outer screen that some might love but others may find doesn’t meet expectations for a foldable. With some performance downsides, however, there are better options to consider.
