Blackview Hero 10 launches next month as new cheapest foldable phone

The nubia Flip 5G is currently the most affordable foldable smartphone in the market. It was first announced at MWC 2024 and later made a global debut this month. For those who missed our coverages, the phone starts at $499, a very affordable price tag for a folding phone.

However, it seems that the nubia Flip 5G won’t be holding its title as the world’s cheapest folding phone for long. Blackview Hero 10 is getting ready to contest the title with a price tag of just €399, around $425. It is set to launch in May, which is next month.

But the thing, like the nubia Flip 5G, the Hero 10 won’t be coming with flagship-grade specs. To fill you in, the Flip 5G packs the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC, a mid-range processor from 2022. The upcoming Blackview foldable, on the other hand, will come with a little less capable MediaTek Helio G99.

This choice of processor for the Blackview Hero 10 also means that the new affordable folding phone won’t support 5G. But that’s not the only sacrifice that you would be making to get a foldable phone at such a low price. The device has a 60 Hz main screen.

To compare, the nubia Flip 5G comes with a 120 Hz main AMOLED display. Blackview says that the company chose a 60 Hz screen to keep the price down. The good part is that the camera setup of the Hero 10 looks a bit better than nubia’s offering. It equips a 108 MP primary sensor on the back, which is paired with an 8 MP ultrawide.

The other highlights of the Blackview Hero 10 include 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, 45-watt fast charging support, 8.8 mm of thickness when unfolded, and a weight of 198 grams. As for the external screen, it’s a circular display like the nubia Flip, but the company hasn’t shared any details about it yet.

While these specs are not as exciting as what the current flagships pack, it’s definitely good to see the prices of folding phones coming down. Before the nubia Flip 5G, the most affordable foldable that you could get was the Motorola Razr 40, which had a starting launch price of $699 (curr. $499 on Amazon).