Could this be the budget-friendly foldable smartphone we’ve been anticipating?
Tecno has introduced its latest foldable smartphone, the Phantom V Flip 5G, in India ahead of other markets. The device boasts an intriguing array of features, with the company emphasizing its camera, battery, and display capabilities. What’s particularly noteworthy is its competitive pricing, positioning it as a rival to the Motorola Razr 40 series, the Oppo Find N2 Flip, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in the Indian market. Here are our initial impressions of Tecno’s latest offering in the foldable phone category.
The Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G is available in a Mystic Dawn color variant, featuring an appealing leather rear panel with a lychee-patterned design. It also comes in an Iconic Black option. Despite its folding mechanism, the phone feels relatively lightweight to hold, and its metallic edges offer a cool tactile feel. The device is offered in a single configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at an early bird price of Rs. 49,999, with sales beginning on October 1.
The smartphone features a 6.9-inch flexible AMOLED display with a crease that is scarcely noticeable. While you can feel it when scrolling within an app, it’s hardly perceptible when gazing at the screen. The display offers a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, ensuring good visibility in most outdoor conditions, though direct sunlight may pose some challenges.
Tecno’s ‘Hoverlock’ design incorporates a drop-shaped hinge on the Phantom V Flip 5G, capable of staying open at angles ranging from 30 to 150 degrees and enduring up to 200,000 folds. While it is possible to open the phone with one hand, there is some resistance, suggesting that using both hands might be a more secure option.
The user interface adapts seamlessly to various display angles, optimizing the layout for specific functions. For instance, when the phone is partially folded, the camera app will display controls on the lower half of the screen. This feature is also available on other smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, but it’s impressive to find it on a foldable phone that comes at a price significantly lower than Samsung’s offering.
Externally, the phone boasts a circular 1.32-inch AMOLED screen that is encircled by external cameras, resembling the appearance of a round smartwatch display. This secondary display is capable of presenting notifications, time, and weather information.
Additionally, the cover display offers an always-on mode and supports the display of animated pets, which users can choose from. However, due to the relatively compact size of the external screen, you may find yourself frequently unfolding the foldable phone to respond to notifications and perform various tasks.
Under the hood, the Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G is powered by MediaTek’s octa-core Dimensity 8050 chipset, coupled with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It houses a 4,000mAh battery and supports rapid 45W charging via a USB Type-C port. Notably, a charger is included in the package, unlike its more expensive South Korean counterpart.
The smartphone features two external cameras, including a 64-megapixel RGBW sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field of view, positioned around the circular outer display. Internally, the device is equipped with a 32-megapixel front camera, complemented by a micro-slit dual-flash LED light.
The recently launched Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G appears to strike a favorable balance between design and hardware features, positioning it as a contender among foldable phones available in the market. For a comprehensive evaluation and our final verdict, stay tuned for the full review on Gadgets 360.
Disclosure: Tecno sponsored the correspondent’s flights and accommodations for the event in Singapore.