As if nubia’s gaming products aren’t niche enough, it went ahead and launched the nubia Neo 5 Max.
This one has the bragging rights of having the largest screen on a modern smartphone. While that sounds cool and all, is anyone really in the market for a 7.5-inch non-tablet device?
In our nubia Neo 5 Max review, we’ll see what this phone is all about and who it’s really for. Let’s start.
nubia Neo 5 Max Specs
- Android 16, MyOS 16
- Dual SIM, Dual Standby
- 7.5-inch 1.5K IPS display, 2250 x 1080 pixel resolution, ~420ppi
- 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10, HDR10+
- MediaTek Dimensity 7100 octa-core processor
- 30,000mm2 dual-layer VC cooling
- Mali-G610 MC2 GPU
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB internal storage, non-expandable
- 16-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel + 2-megapixel (depth sensor) rear cameras, LED flash
- Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos
- Z-axis Linear Motor
- Neo Triggers 5.0, 990Hz touch sampling
- IP64 dust- and splash-resistant
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
- Bluetooth
- GPS
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 180.9 x 88.4 x 8mm
- Weight: 245g
- Colors: Cyber Silver, Titanium Gold, Shadow Black
- 7,100mAh battery, 45W wired, bypass charging
Design and Build Quality
Phablets became obsolete as phones with 6- to 6.5-inch screens became the norm. Now, ZTE is bringing back those feels by pushing the envelope with the nubia Neo 5 Max, a smartphone with a whopping 7.5-inch display.
Clearly, this device isn’t for everyone. It feels much larger than your average phone. In fact, it’s just 0.5 inches shy of being a tablet. So if you want a compact smartphone, this is definitely not it.
It’s 180.9mm tall and 88.4mm wide, making it impossible to use with one hand, even for people with big hands.
However, the device is actually relatively compact for something with a 7.5-inch screen, primarily because of its 8mm thickness, which is almost the same as your average smartphone. It’s inevitably heavier, though, at 245g.
The device is IP64 dust- and water-resistant. It’s not as durable as other budget phones that are already IP69-rated, but it’s acceptable for a budget gaming phone. The included hard plastic case does a decent job of protecting the device, although it doesn’t cover the sides.
Like most budget phones, the device is entirely made of plastic. Despite that, the frame feels solid, while the rear panel has a shiny, glass-like finish—so much so that it easily attracts fingerprints and smudges.
It has a cyber-mecha design. The flat rear panel has an RGB-lit logo that oddly resembles the ASUS ROG emblem. It also has a transparent-like design, with fake cooling pipes and a chipset displayed on the left. The two rear cameras have octagonal lens surrounds.
It is available in three colorways: Cyber Silver, Titanium Gold, and the one we have here, Shadow Black.
Overall, we’re big fans of the design and build quality. Again, the size is not for everyone, but it should definitely satisfy people looking for the biggest screen on a smartphone.
Taking a tour, the nubia Neo 5 Max boasts a 7.5-inch IPS display on the front, with a punch-hole for the 16-megapixel selfie camera.
The left side is empty, while the right has the lock/power/fingerprint button, volume controls, and shoulder triggers. The physical buttons are tactile and clicky.
The top has the noise-isolating microphone and a stereo speaker.
At the bottom, we have the dual nano-SIM slot. Sadly, there’s no space for a microSD card. We also have the primary microphone, loudspeaker, and USB-C port.
The back has the 50-megapixel camera on top, with the auxiliary lens below it. The LED flash is on the far right. Both the eye emblem and the “Max” icon light up.
Display and Audio
A big feature of the nubia Neo 5 Max—quite literally—is the display. We have a 7.5-inch 2.8K IPS display with a 2772 x 1280 resolution, ~407ppi, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 1,000 nits of peak brightness.
A phone this large has a niche market. It’s for people who want an enormous screen, and if you’re one of them, you’ll really like this one.
At 7.5 inches, this is possibly the biggest screen you can get on a smartphone. Anything bigger is already a tablet. This made everything more immersive, from playing games to watching content.
The resolution manages to keep up with the size. It’s sharp enough to make small text clear. Colors are also nice for an IPS panel, and there’s enough brightness for outdoor use.
We then have stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos support. The stereo separation is wide, thanks to the large display. However, the sound is a little thin. The bass is lacking, and the treble could be clearer.
There’s a volume booster if you really want to go loud; just expect distortion to intensify.
Hardware and Performance
The nubia Neo 5 Max is powered by a 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 7100 octa-core processor with 2.4GHz clock speeds, a Mali-G610 MC2 GPU, 8GB LPDDR5X RAM, and 256GB UFS 2.2 internal storage. Sadly, there’s no microSD card slot for storage expansion.
nubia Neo 5 Max Benchmark Scores
There’s an extensive 30,000mm² cooling system that utilizes a vapor chamber layer. nubia claims you can play Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at 90fps for an hour while keeping temperatures at just 38.4°C.
The device felt smooth and very responsive when doing day-to-day tasks such as browsing social media, watching short videos, editing documents, replying to emails, taking pictures, and more.
nubia also included 360-degree antennas for gaming, along with shoulder triggers and GameSpace software. The question is, how well does it really handle games?
We first tested Genshin Impact, which ran smoothly at 60 frames, but only at the Lowest preset. PUBG Mobile ran fine at Balanced graphics with Ultra frames, Call of Duty Mobile at Very High graphics with Max frames, and Farlight84 at Smooth graphics at 90 frames.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang had no issues at Extreme map quality with High frames, while Asphalt Legends Unite ran at Default quality at 60 frames.
It goes without saying that the gaming experience was good, made even better by the large display and shoulder triggers. Overheating isn’t an issue, either. But in case you encounter higher temperatures, or if you want to increase the graphics settings, you can use the magnetic cooler accessory.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Genshin Impact | • Render Resolution: Lowest • Visual Effects: Low • SFX Quality: Lowest • Frame Rate: 60 |
| PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Balanced • Frame Rate: Ultra |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Very High • Frame Rate: Max |
| Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: Smooth • Frame Rate: 90 |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Resolution: HD • Map Quality: Extreme • Frame Rate: High |
| Asphalt Legends Unite | • Visual Quality: Default • Frame Rate: 60 |
Software and User Interface
According to Nubia, the entire Neo 5 series will receive 2 years of OS upgrades and 5 years of security patches. That puts it behind many smartphone makers that are already offering 4-7 years of updates. It ships with Android 16-based MyOS 16.
Unlike many OEM interfaces, MyOS seems to struggle to find its identity—or perhaps nubia just didn’t put enough work into it. It looks pretty bare-bones, which we guess is nice if you prefer a more stock Android look.
As expected, the nubia Neo 5 Max has many UI elements dedicated to gaming. The main one is the shoulder triggers, which nubia calls the Neo Triggers 5.0. They have a 990Hz touch sampling rate and <4.7ms hardware latency.
The triggers are highly customizable. Just open the game window while in-game and place the markers where you want the L and R triggers to be. It works best with shooter games, but can be used with any type of game.
It has one of the richest game windows we’ve seen. It shows real-time CPU and GPU usage, tons of relevant data, and access to features such as voice control, enabling a floating app counter, screen recording, and more.
There’s also nubia’s AI Copilot Demio 2.0, which is said to offer real-time pro coaching, a gaming chatbot for answering game questions, and Demi Auto-Chat.
The Light Strip on the back lights up when you have incoming calls, receive notifications, and more. It also lights up to match the game’s atmosphere and when playing music. You can customize the colors and lighting effects.
It’s not a 2026 smartphone without AI features, and the nubia Neo 5 Max has a plethora of them.
There are the usual features such as AI Wallpaper, AI Writing, AI Eraser, and more. Many people will also appreciate its security features, such as AI Scam Alert, Spam Blocklist, and more.
For security, the fingerprint scanner worked very well. The face unlock, however, seems to struggle with people wearing glasses, something we rarely experience with other phones.
Cameras
The nubia Neo 5 Max has a basic camera setup, which is expected for a budget-oriented gaming phone. There’s a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.7 aperture and PDAF, joined by a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 16-megapixel selfie camera on the front.
For video recording, the main camera can shoot in 720p@30fps and 1080p@30fps/60fps. The selfie camera can do both 720p and 1080p, but only at 30fps.
Daylight shots from the main camera are horrible. They’re usable if you really have to, but the details are just terrible, with noticeable grain and noise. The dynamic range overblows the shadows, and there’s a noticeable greenish hue in many of the shots.
Low-light shots are the same. While the good exposure is nice, the dynamic range and colors are still off.
The same dynamic range issues persist with the front-facing camera. Still, the quality looks more usable than the main camera. Details seem to be fine, as are the colors.
Clearly, the camera department was an afterthought on this gaming phone, and it shows.
Battery and Charging
The nubia Neo 5 Max has a 7,100mAh battery with 45W wired charging and bypass charging support. Considering how large the device is, having a bigger battery seems like a missed opportunity. We’ve seen smaller phones with 8,000mAh to 11,000mAh capacities.
With its larger screen but smaller battery, it’s no surprise that the nubia Neo 5 Max lagged behind much of its competition at this price point.
It lasted for 16 hours and 16 minutes in PCMark’s Synthetic Battery Test and 19 hours and 38 minutes in the 1080p YouTube Video Loop Test.
Charging speeds are decent. We got a 0-21% charge in 15 minutes, with a full charge taking about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- 15mins: 0-211%
- 30mins: 45%
- 45mins: 64%
- 1hr: 81%
- 1hr 18mins: FULL
Verdict
The nubia Neo 5 Max is an oddball of a smartphone, but that’s also what makes it interesting. Its massive 7.5-inch display gives it a clear identity in a market where most phones have settled around the 6.5-inch mark.
It’s also a genuinely capable gaming phone, with good performance, effective cooling, responsive shoulder triggers, and a large display that makes gaming more immersive.
However, the huge display comes with obvious compromises. The phone is bulky and difficult to use one-handed, while the 7,100mAh battery feels underwhelming for a device this large.
Battery life is also behind some of its competitors, while the 50-megapixel camera produces disappointing results. The software experience is functional but lacks polish, and the 2-year OS upgrade commitment is difficult to overlook in 2026.
Ultimately, the nubia Neo 5 Max is a niche product for a niche audience. If you specifically want the biggest possible screen on a smartphone and prioritize gaming over photography, portability, and long-term software support, there’s a lot to like here.
But if you’re looking for a well-rounded gaming phone, there are better options that offer a more balanced package.
nubia Neo 5 Max pricing and availability in the Philippines
The nubia Neo 5 Max has an SRP of Php25,999 in the Philippines. It’s available at Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop, where it’s discounted to Php19,999 as of writing.
Pros
- Massive 7.5-inch display
- Good gaming performance with effective cooling
- Responsive shoulder triggers
- Solid build quality
- IP64 dust- and water-resistance
Cons
- Bulky and difficult to use one-handed
- Disappointing camera performance
- 7,100mAh battery feels small for its size
- Only 2 years of OS upgrades
- Speakers sound thin