ZTE’s Libero Flip is a super-affordable foldable flip phone for Japan

Ben Schoon | Feb 22 2024 - 11:45 am PT

Foldables have a reputation of being super expensive, but that’s slowly changing. Now, in Japan, ZTE is selling the “Libero Flip” as a super-affordable foldable flip phone that costs just over $400.

The ZTE Libero Flip is a foldable similar in form factor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Oppo’s Find N3 Flip. The clamshell opens up to reveal a 6.9-inch 2790×1188 display. The OLED panel doesn’t have a listed refresh rate, though.

Outside, there’s a round 1.43-inch display at 466×466 which is used for notifications and six built-in widgets for weather, timers, and more. There are two outward-facing cameras in the ring around that display, much like Tecno’s Phantom V Flip.

It’s largely a mid-range phone beyond that, with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 under the hood and 6GB of RAM. It has 128GB of storage and runs on Android 13 while packing a 4,310 mAh battery which is quite large among flip phones. There’s no wireless charging, though.

The device is sold on Y! Mobile in Japan as the carrier’s first foldable flip phone and it comes in gold, white, and blue colors.

What’s most impressive here, though, is the pricing. The retail price appears to be 63,000 yen, or just shy of $420. Even the Motorola Razr (2023) which has similar specs comes in at a price of $699, at least when it’s not on sale. But The ZTE Libero Flip drops that price even further down, with a carrier offer cutting it to 39,800 yen, or about $265.

It’s unclear if the Libero Flip will make its way to any other markets, but its price is certainly a milestone for foldables.