One great thing about the world of Android is its choice. From manufacturers and cost, to form factors and specifications, there’s a plethora to choose from. A new option has emerged for foldables with a little-known company called Tecno. The Phantom V Fold intends to take on the Galaxy Z Fold and OPPO Fold N with a much more cost-efficient version — but all of which depends on whether it works in your region.
Design
The Tecno Phantom V Fold is an impressive device with a foldable design that opens up to reveal a large 7.85-inch AMOLED display. The display has a resolution of 1920 x 2480 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, making it perfect for watching videos and playing games. This really is the appeal of this type of device. Media content can immediately be made better by simply unfolding the Phantom V.
When folded, it is compact and easy to carry around. The device has a premium look and feel, with a sleek and slim body that is made of glass and metal. The hinge mechanism is smooth and sturdy, making it easy to open and close the device. Again, XL size when you need it and pocketable when you don’t.
The back panel is also interesting. Tecno has whipped this together out of recycled plastics for the Phantom V Fold. It makes for a unique texture with a mix of OnePlus sandstone and maybe parchment paper feel when you touch it. The back offers a look we’ve never seen and looks like it would still hold up to being in your pocket daily.
Performance
The Tecno Phantom V Fold is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset, which is a powerful processor that can handle demanding tasks with ease. The phone has 12GB of RAM and 256/512GB of internal storage, providing ample space for storing files and applications.
The phone runs on Android 13 with Tecno’s HiOS 13 skin on top. The skin adds useful features, such as a screen recorder, app lock, and gesture controls. However, it shows that Samsung has a few years’ worth of a headstart as well. There’s no fun way to have apps take up the top half of the screen when opening at a 90-degree angle for instance.
Actually, one of the limitations in comparison is the Tecno struggles to hinge at any angle. You don’t have the overly stiff crease like on the Galaxy Z to help prop up the screen in several positions. With the Phantom V Fold, you’ll find the hinge much more flimsy and the weight will always tend to carry it fully open.
To curb this, Tecno includes a nice shell case to go on the back that features a kickstand design. It’s coated in a carbon fiber design with a soft touch finish. It allows the phone to then be propped up in several orientations to consume media, take a call, or snap a selfie.
The phone also has a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition for added security. I found the face unlock to be much more consistent than the side-mounted fingerprint reader.
Camera
The Tecno Phantom V Fold has a triple-camera setup on the back, which includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 13MP ultrawide lens, and a 13MP telephoto lens on the main rear camera. The camera setup can capture high-quality photos with good detail and color accuracy.
Tecno has tuned the main shooter to function far better than I expected. It takes consistent photos in good lighting day in and day out. The one spot I was even more surprised about was that I would put its low light performance up against any other competition from Apple, Samsung, or Google.
The device also has a 16MP selfie camera, which is housed in a small notch on the front of the device. The selfie camera can capture good-quality photos with natural skin tones. As with most, you need it to just be social media functional, and again Tecno doesn’t disappoint with the Phantom V Fold’s front shooter.
Battery life
The Tecno Phantom V Fold has a 5,000mAh battery, which is decent considering the size of the device. The battery can last for a full day of moderate usage, including browsing the web, streaming videos, and taking photos. The device also supports 45W fast charging, which can charge the battery from 0 to 100% in about an hour.
Battery life is subjective and the Tecno Phantom V Fold falls into this same trope. When you aren’t over-taxing it with a ton of calls or video it should make it through a full day for most users. I’d have loved to have seen Qi charging onboard as well to help folks top off casually during the day.
Network and availability
The Tecno Phantom V Fold will have a primary market in China with some European availability followed by India. There’s currently no plan to bring the V Fold into the US. I’ve been able to get some bands and services using T-Mobile but zero with Verizon.
If you find a way to import this into the States, I think you have to be prepared for limited carrier services. The Phantom V Fold is meant to be an international device and our readers there should have much better luck.
Closing thoughts
In conclusion, the Tecno Phantom V Fold is an impressive device with a sleek design, powerful hardware, and a good camera setup. The device also offers decent battery life and fast charging support. However, it is worth noting that the device is only available in select markets, so it may not be easily accessible to everyone.
Even with the limitation in our region, the Phantom Fold V is currently only $1100. This makes it one of the cheapest foldable you can get. And honestly, I think most users will be happy with this choice. It’s missing some of the maturity of the Galaxy Z series but does so many things right that at this price it’s still worth it.
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