Even today, 60Hz remains the industry standard when it comes to the refresh rate in smartphone screens. Only a handful of flagship and mid-range devices can boast about higher refresh rates. About a month ago, we saw Nubia release Red Magic 5G with a 144Hz screen. And now, the company has made it more accessible by incorporating it into a mid-range release. The new Nubia Play 5G isn’t just another affordable 5G device but is the only one in its price range to come with a 144Hz screen.
Nubia Play 5G Overview
Nubia is well known for its Red Magic series of gaming smartphones. However, these phones come with the latest flagship processor and other equally capable hardware. This time around, Nubia is taking a different route with the Nubia Play 5G. The company has designed a mid-range device that inherits the gaming heritage of the RedMagic series but at a much cheaper price.
Design and Display
Let’s talk about the display first. Most of the smartphone these days come with either a notched or a punch-hole display but Nubia looks to have turned both of them down for ultra-slim bezels. The device comes with a 6.68-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. It supports a refresh rate of up to 144Hz refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of up to 240Hz. The device will dynamically switch between 90Hz and 144Hz refresh rate according to the app in use. An optical fingerprint sensor has been placed under the screen.
- Check out Oppo A92s with 120Hz screen
On the back, we can see what the company calls “Starlight Concept Design“. Different lines of light make up an “X” shape. The use of multiple colors, a complex looking design, and the odd camera module separate it from other non-gaming phones in this price range.
Performance and Memory
Like most of the mid-range devices these days, Nubia Play will come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G. The chipset allows the device to offer 5G connectivity while still being a mid-ranger. The base variant of the device comes with 6GB of RAM but on can also opt for an 8GB variant. For the storage, one can choose between 128GB and 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage.
Qualcomm’s Elite Gaming features will help in a better gaming experience. It also comes with two shoulder buttons that can be customized for the different games. The buttons will be another stand out feature of the device among all other mid-range 5G devices.
It also comes with ICE2.5 multi-cooling system which utilizes a 61mm liquid cooling tube, thermal granite, and thermal gel to keep the device cool even during intensive gaming sessions. Nubia claims that it can cool the CPU by up to 16-degrees.
Camera
The device features a 48MP quad-camera setup on the back. The primary camera uses Sony’s IMX586 sensor. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP front camera, and a 2MP macro camera. On the front, there is a 12MP selfie camera enclosed within the top bezel.
The camera setup doesn’t look that great but Nubia doesn’t focus primarily on camera. It makes gaming devices and these devices are not known to have top of the line camera setup.
Battey and Other
Nubia Play features a massive battery of 5100mAh battery which comes with support for 30W fast charging. While most of the mid-range devices are shifting towards side-mounted fingerprint sensors, Nubia Play features an optical fingerprint sensor placed under the display. It runs on Android 10 with NubiaUI 8.0 on top.
Check out our list of best mid-range gaming phone in Nepal
Nubia Play 5G Specifications:
- Display: 6.65-inch AMOLED display with slim bezels; 144Hz refresh rate; 240Hz touch sampling rate
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G; 7nm Mobile Platform
- CPU: Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver)
- GPU: Adreno 620
- Software & UI: nubia UI 8.0 based on Android 10
- Rear Camera:
– 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor
– 8MP ultra-wide sensor
– 2MP macro sensor
– 2MP depth sensor - Front Camera: 12MP
- Security: Fingerprint sensor (under-display)
- Battery: 5100 mAh battery with 30W PD fast charging
- Features: ICe2.5 Liquid Cooling, 2x game shoulder key
Nubia Play 5G Price in Nepal & Availability
The Nubia Play is up for pre-order in China for a price of 2,399 Yuan for 6/128GB, 2,699 Yuan for 8/128GB, and 2,999 Yuan for 8/256GB variant. The price of Nubia Play 5G in Nepal can be expected to be Rs. 45,000 for 6/128GB, Rs. 50,000 for 8/128GB, & Rs. 55,000 for 8/256GB.
| Model Name | Price in Nepal [Converted] | Availability |
| Nubia Play 5G (6/128) | 2,399 Yuan (~NPR 41,570) | April 24 (China) |
| Nubia Play 5G (8/128) | 2,699 Yuan (~NPR 46,770) | April 24 (China) |
| Nubia Play 5G (8/256) | 2,999 Yuan (~NPR 52,000) | April 24 (China) |
Check out our review of Nubia Red Magic 3/3s
