nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition is Here: It’s Literally The Coolest Gaming Phone

ZTE made a strong comeback in 2025, launching nine smartphones in Nepal. The momentum has carried into 2026, with the launch of the RedMagic 11 Pro, marking the brand’s return to the flagship segment after years. Building on that, ZTE introduced flagship-grade features at a more accessible price with the nubia Neo 5 GT. Now, the same phone is getting a Special Edition. So, what’s so special about it?

The base variant featured an actual fan inside a smartphone. It is not the first time we have seen a fan inside a phone, but it is definitely the first time we are seeing it on a phone that does not cross the Rs. 1 lakh mark. The special edition takes it further by including liquid cooling on top of the cooling fan.

What is the Price of ZTE nubia NEO 5 GT in Nepal?

Based on its international pricing, I expected the nubia Neo 5 GT to cost around Rs. 70,000 for the 12GB variant. The base model did land somewhere in that ballpark, but the phone is still more expensive than I anticipated.

The ZTE nubia Neo 5 GT price in Nepal is Rs. 77,999 for the sole 12/256GB variant. The Special Edition costs Rs. 10,000 more, bringing the price to Rs. 87,999 for the same 12/256GB configuration.

Both the standard and Special Edition are available at ZTE-authorized stores across the country. Plus, with the purchase of the Special Edition, you also get a Nubia Game Pad that’s worth Rs. 15,000 completely free. But it doesn’t end there; both variants of the Nubia Neo 5 GT are also available on 0% interest EMI.

ZTE has been quite confused about what kind of brand it wants to be since its comeback. They have launched a wide range of phones, including entry-level, budget, and even flagship models. But outside of the flagship, none of their recent offerings have really stuck the landing.

That is likely why they introduced the nubia NEO series, starting with the NEO 3 GT, an attempt to establish ZTE as a serious budget gaming brand in Nepal. But we know how that went. Phones like the CMF Phone 2 Pro and Infinix GT 30 blew it out of the water.

So now with the NEO 5 GT, it looks like ZTE is trying something different. From what we have seen so far, it genuinely feels like a breath of fresh air. Let’s see if that holds up.

ZTE nubia NEO 5 GT Overview

The nubia NEO 5 GT is a gaming phone, so let’s get right into the performance.

The NEO 5 GT runs the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 (D7400), which is not the fastest chip out there, but it is certainly a capable one and a solid option for a budget gaming experience. It is also the same SoC found on phones like the Infinix GT 30 and Redmi Note 15 Pro.

But the NEO 5 GT has one clear edge over both of those, an active cooling fan on the back, with intake and exhaust vents on either side of the phone. Combined with a massive 29,508mm² vapour chamber, you are looking at some seriously sustained gaming sessions. ZTE even claims that after 1 hour of gaming, the phone only peaked at 38.9°C, a very impressive number.

The Special Edition takes things further by adding liquid cooling. It’s similar to the liquid-cooling technology introduced with ZTE’s own RedMagic 11 Pro, which brought this approach to a mass-produced smartphone.

The liquid cooling system uses a piezoelectric micropump and a three-layer cooling film to circulate non-conductive coolant, transferring heat away from core components like the SoC. The Special Edition also increases the total heat-dissipation area to 33,652 mm².

Paired with the Dimensity 7400, you get 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Sadly, there is no microSD card slot this time around.

Design is where the standard and Special Editions differ. That said, both variants scream gaming, just like every other phone in the NEO lineup. The standard variant features the iconic eagle eye on the back, along with a GT engraving on the side. Both light up with RGB lighting, and it looks pretty cool.

The Special Edition, however, drops both the eagle eye and the GT engraving. And honestly, that’s fine. With liquid cooling already in the mix, adding an RGB-lit eye and engraving might have been a little too much. It’s good to see ZTE keeping things simple with this one.

The phone is completely flat, with no camera bump, no curvature on the sides, back, or front, similar to the RedMagic 11 Pro.

At first glance, the standard nubia Neo 5 GT appears to have three vertically aligned camera cutouts. However, only one of them houses a functional camera. The second cutout houses the cooling fan, which also glows just like the eagle eye on the back. It’s a nice touch. The third cutout is purely decorative and is absent from the Special Edition.

The Neo Triggers also add to the gaming feel, supporting up to 550Hz touch sampling, so response time should be very snappy.

On the durability front, the NEO 5 GT carries an IP64 rating, which is understandable given the active cooling fan with physical intake and exhaust vents on either side of the phone. Those vents are necessary for airflow, but they do mean the phone is more vulnerable to dust and accidental splashes than a sealed device.

The display is flagship-level as well. A 6.8-inch OLED panel with a 1.5K resolution delivers crisp and vibrant visuals, and for a gaming phone, a big display is a necessity. The official site mentions a 144Hz refresh rate, but in our testing of other phones running the D7400, we have never seen it consistently hit 144Hz in games.

So it will be interesting to see whether the NEO 5 GT actually reaches that limit. To power everything, the NEO 5 GT gets a 6,210mAh dual-cell battery. That is a decent size for a gaming phone, though with the active cooling fan drawing power as well, screen-on time could take a slight hit when the fan is running.

Charging is handled by an 80W wired charger, and the 90-degree angled 80W cable comes included in the box, which is a practical touch. The phone also supports bypass charging, routing power directly to the processor during gaming to reduce heat and battery wear.

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ZTE also makes an interesting claim: the last 5% of battery apparently lasts 30 minutes while gaming, 2.3 hours during a call, and up to 27 hours on standby. Whether that holds up in real-world use, we are not entirely sure. But if it does, it is definitely something to look forward to.

Lastly, the phone runs Android 16 with MyOS 16 on top, along with an AI assistant called AI Copilot Demi 2.0, which ZTE describes as both a gaming coach and a chatbot.

Lastly, the camera on the NEO 5 GT is about what you would expect from a gaming-first phone; it takes a back seat. There is a single 50MP main shooter paired with a 2MP depth sensor on the rear and a 16MP selfie camera up front. ZTE has not shared much about the aperture or sensor size, so expectations here should stay modest. But honestly, if you are buying a gaming phone for the camera, you might want to reconsider your priorities.

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The standard nubia Neo 5 GT is a genuinely interesting proposition. You are not getting the best raw performance in this segment, but you are getting a phone that can comfortably handle prolonged gaming sessions. The built-in cooling fan helps keep temperatures in check during extended gaming, which is a nice advantage.

However, I cannot say the same about the Special Edition. Combining liquid cooling with an active cooling fan is certainly impressive, but it feels like overkill at this price. At nearly Rs. 90,000, it also faces stiff competition from the Infinix GT 50 Pro, which offers considerably better performance, its own liquid cooling system, and a lower asking price.

So, while there is a case to be made for the standard variant, the Special Edition has a much harder time standing out.

What are your thoughts on the ZTE nubia NEO 5 GT? Let us know in the comments below!