ZTE's new gaming phone offers super specs at a sweet price

close up of Nubia Neo 2 5G and its triggers
(Image credit: ZTE)

ZTE took the covers off its Nubia Neo 2 5G MWC 2024, unveiling a gaming phone that costs just $199.

Much like its predecessor the ZTE Nubia Neo 5G, the Neo 2 is designed to offer solid gaming phone specs to people who don’t have the cash to splash on high-end gaming phones like the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro.

Despite its relatively affordable price, the Nubia Neo 2 has some decent gaming specs. There’s a 6.72-inch 120Hz refresh rate display, up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and a large 6000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. ZTE didn't detail the chipset the phone will be using, but it sports an 8-core CPU with a clock speed of up to 2.7GHz. 

The Neo 2 also has up to 20GB of what Nubia is calling dynamic RAM - ZTE didn’t explain what this is, but if it functions the same as the previous Neo it could mean 10GB of physical RAM that’s then augmented by using internal storage to act as virtual RAM.

Promotional picture for Nubia Neo 2 5G

(Image credit: ZTE)

As a gaming phone, the Neo 2 also includes built-in shoulder triggers for precise control when holding the phone in landscape orientation. And these can be customized for various game actions; think the familiar tapping of the right trigger to shoot, and the left to throw a grenade in shooters.  

The overall shape and design of the Neo 2 don’t appear to have changed too much from its predecessor. It sports a similar sci-fi, mech-inspired design and looks like it will be available in the same black and yellow colorways. However, the camera system appears to have changed to an octagon-shaped rear camera module.

The rest of the specifications, like the camera type of display, are not known at this time. But the phone's main attraction will be its low-price of $199, significantly lower than many of the best gaming phones and most mid-range phones.

The Neo 2 also features the latest version of its Game Space software, present on some Redmagic gaming phones. It allows users to customize the gaming experience, including choosing between three performance modes and tweaking audio and notification settings.

Overall, the Nubia Neo 2 looks like it has the specs and features to be an intriguing budget gaming phone, though it’ll be interesting to see what compromises have been made to enable ZTE to offer it at such a low price.

You may also like

Staff Writer, Mobile Computing

James Ide was a writer for TechRadar specializing in phones and tablets, having previously worked at The Daily Mirror since 2016, covering news and reviews.  

James loves messing with the latest tech, especially phones due to their incredibly rapid pace of development.

When not surrounded by various devices and/or tinkering with gadgets while putting them through their paces, James has a love of handheld consoles.

He is almost the textbook definition of a geek, who loves sci-fi, comics, games and of course, all things tech. If you think you have a story for him or just want to challenge him at Smash Bros, get in touch. 

Read more
The Nubia Flip 2 5G in the hand
The 'affordable' Nubia Flip 2 is here to tempt you away from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
an image showing the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro vs Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro vs Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro: which gaming phone is best?
Nubia RedMagic 10 Pro in silver on top of TechRadar logo in red
The best gaming phone 2025: top mobile game champions
Asus ROG Ally on blue background with lowest price text overlay
The Asus ROG Ally model I'd recommend to most people is back to a record-low price
TCL 60XE NXTpaper 5G
TCL's ultra-affordable 60XE uses NXTpaper to potentially break all kinds of battery life records
The Oppo Reno 12 Pro on a gray and white background.
I've spent over 330 days on COD: Mobile this year – here's how to pick the perfect gaming phone
Latest in Phones
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
All three rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge colors shown off in ‘official’ images
Anker Zolor Power Bank 10,000mah
My favorite portable charger goes everywhere with me, and it's under $13 at Amazon right now
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Hands on
I'm actually glad the new Siri with Apple Intelligence is delayed, and here's why we've got Apple's AI problem backwards
The iPhone 16 Pro on a grey background
iPhone 17 Pro tipped to get 8K video recording – but I want these 3 video features instead
Google Pixel 9 on blue background with big savings text overlay
Forget Amazon, the best Pixel 9 deal is at Mint Mobile today - get $400 off without an annoying trade-in
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge colors seemingly revealed in new video, and there’s another sign of an imminent launch
Latest in News
Pro-Ject A1.2 in black, playing a vinyl record in a hi-fi listening room
Pro-Ject's new fully-automatic turntable could be the buy of Record Store Day 2025
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet reportedly won't release until after 2026, as Neil Druckmann says that staff 'are playing it at the office' right now - but I don't think I can wait that long
Screenshot from action RPG soulslike Lies of P
Lies of P Overture won't elaborate on the game's eyebrow-raising post-credits twist, and I think that's good news
Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 launching with a Mario Kart game 'is very unlike Nintendo' compared to the original Switch releasing with Breath of the Wild, says former marketing leads: 'That's what's gonna make you want to buy the new hardware'
Kindle de Amazon
The latest Kindle update finally fixes page turning – and adds the perfect reading tool for my sieve-like brain
Waze voice control
Waze is ditching Google Assistant for Gemini on iOS, and for good reasons