REVIEW | nubia Neo 2 5G gaming phone

Out of the box, the nubia Neo 2 5G is an immediate stunner with its bold mecha-inspired graphics on the rear panel. The Sunfire Yellow variant which was our review unit is definitely the standout color that will appeal to its intended users.

The phone is touted as a gaming phone but what is really interesting is also the phone’s retail price that’s in the mid-range level. As most gaming phones go, flagship level specs come at a premium price but the nubia Neo 2 5G is an exception.

With a retail price of only P9,999 that’s right in the sweet spot for budget-conscious gamers, the phone punches above its weight. The build is exceptional with a solid feel all throughout the chassis.

Although it’s hard to accurately capture in photos, the back gives off a metallic sheen with subtle patterns depending on how light strikes the surface. Anime and sci-fi fans will appreciate the technical linework on the back panel that resembles part of a robot’s face with a prominent camera aperture eye.

Also packed in the box is a 33W fast charger, cable, and snap-on case. A screen protector is factory-installed.

The chamfered edges give the phone a feel of a much more expensive unit while making it very easy to hold. There’s a splash of red color on the power button which also doubles as a fast fingerprint scanner.

Making the phone more game-centric are a pair of capacitive shoulder buttons which can be used as extra control buttons in various games. It also makes the phone more natural to hold in the landscape orientation where the dual stereo speakers can pump out sound with DTS: X Ultra processing.

The centerpiece is the 6.72-inch display with a minimalist bezel design. Images appear pin-sharp and ghost-free on the 2400 x 1080  FHD+ resolution IPS LCD screen with adaptive refresh rate that maxes out at 120Hz.

It’s only broken by a 16MP pinhole camera that’s enhanced by surrounding Live Island information display that shows battery status, earbuds connection, countdown timer, and call information. It can also be switched off in the settings.

As a gaming phone, the nubia Neo 2 5G has a game manager called Game Space pre-installed which can be configured to run automatically. Depending on the setting, the app can be set to manage each game individually to optimize their settings as well as configure the shoulder buttons.

The app runs in the background and optimizes the phone’s CPU and GPU by shutting down unnecessary apps, optimizing memory, and preventing accidental touch before each game runs to get the best performance. Because of how seamlessly it works, it’s easy to forget that Game Space is even running in the background.

When it comes to games, the phone’s ample specs showsit can go toe to toe with a higher specced device. Powering the phone is a 2.7Ghz Unisoc T820 6nm octa-core CPU that utilizes 8GB ram + 12GB extended ram.

In real world performance, this means games like Genshin Impact are playable at the highest settings while hitting an average of 30fps. High speed racing games such as Asphalt Nitro 2 runs without a hitch.

Another useful feature that gamers will appreciate is the phone’s charge separation feature. When plugged in, the phone is directly powered through the charging port and battery charging is disabled lessening the heat generated by the phone. Speaking of thermals, a multi-layer heat dissipation system keeps the device temperature to manageable levels.

Outside of the phone’s gaming features, the nubia Neo 5G is pretty much well specced for its price. Bloatware is minimal and the phone’s MyOS UI overlay is simple enough to use for longtime Android users.

The main 50MP camera performs decently in daytime use. Under lowlight conditions, it’s rather average and outclassed by other phones. The 6000mAh battery holds up pretty well and with power saving turned on, it lasts more than a day for non-gaming use.

As a pure media consumption device, the nubia Neo 5G hits all the marks, making a use-case outside of gaming.