🔍 Major Design Leak
Renowned tipster Evan Blass has leaked the first design renders of ZTE's upcoming foldable smartphones - the Nubia Flip3 and the company's first-ever book-style foldable, the Nubia Fold. The leaks reveal significant design changes and new features that could position these devices as serious competitors in the foldable market .
Nubia Flip3 Features
- Large, nearly edge-to-edge cover display
- Dual rear camera setup with differently sized lenses
- Pogo pins for accessory attachment
- Black and white color options
- Power button and volume controls on right side
Nubia Fold Features
- First book-style foldable from Nubia
- Triple rear camera system with LED flash
- Minimal crease visible on inner display
- Large rectangular camera module
- Black color option shown in leaks
Nubia Flip Design Evolution
Next-Generation Foldable Designs Revealed
ZTE's Nubia brand appears to be significantly expanding its foldable smartphone portfolio with two new devices that showcase innovative design approaches. The leaked renders, shared by reputable tipster Evan Blass on social media platform X, provide the first comprehensive look at both the third-generation clamshell model and Nubia's inaugural entry into the book-style foldable market .
The Nubia Flip3 represents a substantial design departure from its predecessors, featuring a much larger cover display that nearly spans the entire front surface when closed. This design evolution follows the pattern of Nubia completely redesigning its flip phone with each iteration, unlike some competitors who maintain similar designs across generations .
Nubia Flip3: Major Cover Display Upgrade
| Cover Display | Large, nearly edge-to-edge design |
| Cameras | Dual rear camera system |
| Color Options | Black and white variants shown |
| Special Features | Pogo pins for accessories |
| Buttons | Power and volume controls on right side |
The Nubia Flip3's most noticeable upgrade is its expansive cover display, which marks a significant improvement over the Nubia Flip 2's rectangular portrait-style display and the original Nubia Flip's circular cover screen . This larger external display follows the trend set by competitors like the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra, providing users with more functionality without needing to open the device .
Interestingly, the Flip3 appears to feature pogo pins on its back panel, near the hinge area. These contacts could potentially be used for attaching various accessories, though specific compatible accessories haven't been revealed in the leak . The dual LED flash is positioned on the second half of the foldable, a design choice similar to what Honor adopted for its Magic V Flip 2 .
Nubia Fold: Company's First Book-Style Foldable
| Form Factor | Book-style horizontal fold |
| Camera System | Triple rear cameras with LED flash |
| Display | Near-square inner screen with minimal crease |
| Camera Bump | Large rectangular module spanning upper third |
| Color Options | Black color shown in leaks |
The Nubia Fold represents ZTE's first venture into the book-style foldable market, positioning it as a potential competitor to established models like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series . The device features a prominent camera housing on the back that spans almost the entire upper third of the device, with four visible circles though likely not all containing camera lenses, similar to the design approach seen in the RedMagic 11 Pro+ .
Technical diagrams of the Nubia Fold reveal additional details including a centered punch-hole camera on the cover display, along with the positioning of the SIM tray, speakers, microphones, and USB-C port . The inner flexible screen appears to have minimal visible creasing, which has been a challenge for many foldable manufacturers .
Expected Launch Timeline
While ZTE has not officially confirmed the existence of either device, industry analysts suggest both smartphones could launch in the first quarter of 2026 . This timeline would align with the company's previous release schedule, as the Nubia Flip 2 was announced in January 2025 .
No detailed specifications, features, official launch dates, or pricing information have been revealed in the current leak . More concrete details about both foldable handsets are expected to emerge in the coming months as their potential launch windows approach.
Expanding Foldable Portfolio
The leaked Nubia Fold and Flip3 devices demonstrate ZTE's commitment to expanding its presence in the competitive foldable smartphone market. With these two new models, Nubia would join the ranks of manufacturers offering both clamshell and book-style foldables, providing consumers with more options across different form factors and price points.
This isn't Nubia's first attempt at a book-style foldable - reports indicate the company had previously planned a Z60 Fold model several years ago that was ultimately cancelled . The emergence of the Nubia Fold suggests the company believes the market timing and technology have now improved to support such a product.
