Tecno Phantom V Fold: A Deep Dive into Tecno's First Foldable Phone
The foldable smartphone market has seen significant growth, with major brands like Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi leading the charge. Tecno, a brand well-known for delivering feature-packed yet affordable devices, has now stepped into this niche with the Tecno Phantom V Fold. Aimed at making foldable technology more accessible, this device strikes a balance between premium features and affordability.
In this blog, we will explore everything you need to know about the Tecno Phantom V Fold — from its design and display to performance and camera prowess.
Design and Build Quality: A Statement of Elegance
The Tecno Phantom V Fold takes cues from the premium foldable segment, delivering a sleek and refined look. Its foldable design features a dual-display setup, allowing users to experience both a compact phone and an expansive tablet-like interface.
Outer Display
When folded, the Phantom V Fold presents a 6.42-inch AMOLED display with a 1080 x 2550 pixels resolution. This secondary screen is more than sufficient for everyday smartphone tasks like texting, browsing, and watching videos. It offers an excellent refresh rate of 120Hz, making scrolling and animations smooth, while the colors are punchy and vibrant.
Inner Display
Unfold the device, and you are greeted with a stunning 7.85-inch LTPO AMOLED display that boasts a 2000 x 2296 pixels resolution. This expansive inner display delivers immersive media consumption and multitasking experiences. The LTPO technology dynamically adjusts the refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, preserving battery life during static tasks like reading while delivering fluidity for more dynamic content.
The Phantom V Fold's hinge design feels robust, using what Tecno calls a "micro-curved hinge" for smooth folding and unfolding. It is durable enough to withstand numerous folding cycles, providing confidence in its longevity.
Build Quality
Tecno has paid special attention to the build quality of the Phantom V Fold. Its aluminum frame combined with a Gorilla Glass front and eco-leather back gives the phone a premium feel. The eco-leather finish provides a soft, grippy texture that helps prevent accidental slips while giving it a luxurious look.
Performance: Speed and Efficiency
Under the hood, the Tecno Phantom V Fold is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset, a powerful SoC designed for flagship smartphones. Built on a 4nm process, this chipset features an octa-core CPU setup with:
- 1x Cortex-X2 at 3.2 GHz for high-performance tasks.
- 3x Cortex-A710 at 2.85 GHz for balanced workloads.
- 4x Cortex-A510 at 1.80 GHz for power efficiency.
Coupled with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, the Phantom V Fold offers seamless multitasking, making it a powerhouse for users who require heavy workloads like gaming, video editing, and running multiple apps simultaneously. The device is available in 256GB and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage variants, ensuring quick data access and ample space for large files.
The combination of the Dimensity 9000+ and Tecno’s optimized software results in smooth operation, even when switching between the outer and inner displays.
Camera System: Folding Photography Excellence
One of the standout features of the Tecno Phantom V Fold is its versatile and powerful camera system. It is equipped with a triple-camera setup on the back and an additional two cameras—one on the outer display and one on the inner display.
Rear Cameras
50MP Main Camera (f/1.8): The primary sensor delivers exceptional photo quality, even in low-light conditions, thanks to its large sensor size. It captures rich details, vivid colors, and crisp sharpness.
50MP Telephoto Lens (f/2.0): With 2x optical zoom and up to 20x digital zoom, this lens is designed for high-quality zoom shots, ensuring lossless detail retention even from a distance.
13MP Ultra-Wide Lens (f/2.2): This sensor expands the field of view for capturing breathtaking landscape shots and group photos, with minimized edge distortion.
Front Cameras
32MP Selfie Camera (Outer Display): Positioned on the front of the outer display, this high-resolution camera ensures excellent selfies and video calls.
16MP Inner Display Camera: While slightly less powerful, this inner display camera allows you to take selfies and participate in video calls while using the unfolded device.
Both the main and front cameras support advanced features like AI enhancements, HDR, and Super Night Mode, allowing users to shoot in diverse lighting conditions.
Battery and Charging: Lasting Power
A foldable phone with two displays naturally requires a substantial battery. The Tecno Phantom V Fold is equipped with a 5000mAh dual-cell battery, which efficiently manages power across both the inner and outer screens.
The device supports 45W fast charging, allowing users to charge the device up to 40% in just 15 minutes and fully charge in under 55 minutes. While it doesn't offer wireless charging, the fast wired charging makes up for it by ensuring you spend minimal time tethered to a cable.
Battery optimization is well-executed with the Phantom V Fold. Even with its large displays, the device can comfortably last through a full day of moderate usage, including media consumption, gaming, and multitasking.
Software: HiOS Meets Foldable Innovation
The Tecno Phantom V Fold runs on HiOS 13 Fold, a foldable-optimized version of Tecno’s custom Android skin based on Android 13. HiOS 13 Fold is packed with features designed to maximize the foldable experience:
App Continuity: Seamless transitions between the outer and inner displays, ensuring that apps automatically resize and continue functioning as you unfold or fold the device.
Multi-Window Mode: The large inner screen can be divided into two or three sections, allowing you to run multiple apps simultaneously.
Floating Windows: You can open apps in floating windows, making it easier to multitask while keeping essential apps on the screen.
Tecno has refined the user interface to ensure that apps feel intuitive to use across both displays. It also offers customization options like dark mode, themes, and gesture navigation.
Connectivity and Additional Features
As expected from a flagship foldable device, the Tecno Phantom V Fold is packed with the latest connectivity features:
5G Support: Ensures blazing-fast internet speeds for streaming, gaming, and downloading.
Wi-Fi 6: Faster wireless internet connectivity for stable performance, even in crowded networks.
Bluetooth 5.3: Reliable and energy-efficient Bluetooth connection for wireless audio and accessories.
Side-Mounted Fingerprint Scanner: This scanner is integrated into the power button, providing quick and secure unlocking.
Tecno also includes stereo speakers with Hi-Res audio certification, providing a robust audio experience for gaming, movies, and music.
Price and Availability
The Tecno Phantom V Fold is marketed as an affordable foldable phone, making it more accessible to a broader audience. It is priced significantly lower than premium foldable offerings from Samsung and Huawei, giving users a chance to experience foldable technology without breaking the bank.
Prices start around $1,100, depending on the region and storage variant. Tecno has launched the Phantom V Fold in select global markets, with a focus on emerging markets where it has a strong brand presence.
Final Thoughts: A Foldable for the Masses
The Tecno Phantom V Fold makes a strong case as a serious competitor in the foldable smartphone market. It brings together solid hardware, beautiful displays, and a capable camera system at a fraction of the price of other premium foldables. Tecno’s bold entry into this space signifies the growing accessibility of cutting-edge technology, allowing more users to experience the future of smartphones.
While it may not yet have the brand prestige of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, the Tecno Phantom V Fold offers a compelling alternative for those looking to embrace foldable technology without a premium price tag. For first-time foldable users, the Phantom V Fold stands as an exciting and budget-friendly choice