nubia Neo 5 Max 5G Unboxing, First Impressions - Return of the Pad Phones?

nubia's next-level gaming pad-phone has finally arrived in the Philippines, and we share just how capable the Nubia Neo 5 Max 5G is.

nubia Neo 5 Max 5G's in Black

Teased recently alongside the Geely GX3 Pro turnover, the new nubia Neo 5 Max is the latest member of the Neo 5 Series with a larger size, a larger 7.5-inch 1.5K display, and a larger 7,100mAh battery with 45W fast charging.

Its unique features include Neo Trigger 5.0 shoulder triggers, C-Grip Design, and the Eagle Eye RGB lights.

In the Philippines, the Nubia Neo 5 Max 5G Pad Phone is priced at PHP 25,999. But it will be available for PHP 19,999 during the launch period.

Unboxing/Accessories

nubia Neo 5 Max 5G Delta Force outer box

It comes with an outer box with the Nubia and Delta Force branding, memory capacity, and a render of Luna. 

nubia Neo 5 Max 5G's inner box

The box is a flat square shape bearing the nubia logo front and center. It has gaming-inspired decals alongside the Neo 05 Max branding and the eagle eye motif.

Box inclusions

Inside the main box is the nubia Neo 5 Max, USB-C to USB-C cable, 45W wall adapter, screen protector, SIM ejector tool, documentation, and hard case.

The second box contains the nubia GT Cable, GT Buds, and a second case. Similar to the Nubia Neo 5 GT.

Build Quality and Design

nubia Neo 5 Max 5G's rear design

Upon holding the nubia Neo 5 Max 5G, we were surprised at how similar it looks to their premium gaming smartphone, which it took inspiration from.

On the back are the gaming-inspired design and decals with the octagon-shaped camera protrusions,  LED Flash, Eagle Eye LED, and nubia branding.

nubia Neo 5 Max's incredible rear design that changes depending on how the light hits it

The rear panel is highly reflective and is a fingerprint smudge magnet. We recommend wearing the included hard case right away.

It has an intricate pattern across a 2/3rds of the back that shines differently depending on the angle of the light.

It is IP64 dust and water-resistant rated.

The Eagle Eye LED colors can be customized via the dedicated app.

Like the Neo 5 GT, the Neo 5 Max has a flat front and rear surface that makes it suitable for gaming. Combined with the ergonomic C-Grip design or rounded corners should provide a more ergonomic grip for longer playing sessions.

Unlike its brothers, it does not have an active fan, but it does have a massive 30,000mm2 total heat dissipation area that consists of a dual-layer capillary vapor chamber and a 3D Raised VC Panel.

nubia Neo 5 Max 5G's front panel

In front is the 7.5-inch display with a 2,664 x 1,280 resolution, a 1,000 nits peak brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a unique 18.7:9 Aspect ratio. It is SGS-certified hardware-level low blue light emission and full-scene true DC dimming (flicker-free).

nubia Neo 5 Max 5G's top and bottom sides

On top is a microphone and the first set of speakers while at the bottom are the second set of microphones and speakers, the USB-C port and the SIM tray.

nubia Neo 5 Max 5G's SIM tray and SIM ejector tool

The nubia Neo 5 Max 5G features a dual NanoSIM tray with rubber gaskets and a SIM ejector tool. The rubber gasket is inline with its IP64 dust and water resistance rating.

nubia Neo 5 Max 5's left and right sides

On the left side is a smooth surface, while on the right side are two Neo Trigger 5.0, volume rocker, and power key.

The new Neo Trigger 5.0 Shoulder triggers feature a 990Jz touch sampling rate and 4.7ms latency response.

Inside the phone is the 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 7100 octa-core processor, 8GB/12GB LPDDR5X RAM, 256GB UFS 2.2 storage, and a 7,100mAh battery.

It is running MyOS 16, based on Android 16, and it supports 5G Dual SIM, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos.

At the back are the 50MP main camera and the 2MP secondary camera, while in front is the 16MP selfie camera.

The stock camera app includes AI CAM, Portrait, 50MP, Camera Family, Video, and Night modes.

Nubia Neo 5 Max 5G Specs

Display: 7.5-inch LCD (IPS) screen w/ 144Hz refresh rate, 1.5K 2664 x 1280 resolution resolution at 439 ppi

CPU: 2.4GHz 6nm Dimensity 7100 octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G610 MC2

RAM: 8GB ROM: 256GB

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8 w/ PDAF + 2MP f/2.4 depth + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 16MP

Battery: 7,100mAh w/ 45W  USB-C Fast Charging, Bypass Charging

OS: Android 16 w/ MyOS

Connectivity: WiFi 6 (2.4GHz/5GHz), 5G SA/NSA, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, OTG, NFC, GPS, dual SIM Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, DTS:X Ultra, 2x shoulder triggers, z-axis linear motor, 30,000mm² Multi-Layer Heat Dissipation System, Colors: Black, Titanium Gold

Dimensions: 7.5mm thickness

Price: PHP 25,999 (8GB/256GB)

As of the moment

The new nubia Neo 5 Max 5G is a surprising release, given that it has been a while since a proper pad phone or phablet has been introduced in the market. However, we must praise it for offering a 120Hz 7.5K-inch 1.5K display in a slim form factor.

It features a multitude of gaming-focused practical elements, including the C-Grip and rounded corners for enhanced ergonomics, the Neo Trigger 5.0 Shoulder buttons, a massive 7,100 mAh battery, 45W fast wired charging, and Bypass Charging.

We also love the 90-degree USB-C cable that makes the phone easier to hold while plugged in for longer play sessions or when using Bypass Charging.

We will have to test the phone even more on how it actually performs while playing games and how the massive 30,000mm2 vapor chamber cooling system stacks up.

Let's not forget about the 50MP main rear camera and the 16MP Selfie camera.

Stay tuned for our full review coming soon.

What do you guys think?