TECNO Phantom V Fold Handson Impressions: This Foldable Is Cheap
TECNO has long had a reputation as a budget player in emerging markets, offering a wide range of affordable and mid-range phones with localized customization. In recent years, the Chinese brand has tried to break into the premium segment with devices such as the Phantom line. Now we have what is definitely the culmination of their flagship efforts in the TECNO Phantom V Fold. But does TECNO have what it takes to produce a high quality foldable phone? It's time to learn with the Phantom V Fold.
clean but familiar
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
At first glance, you might think the Phantom V Fold is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. In fact, one of my respondents at MWC 2023 thought it was a phone.
This is due to the similar screen size and cold brushed metal frame. Turn the phone over and the V Fold reveals TECNO attributes: a circular body dominated by a 50-megapixel main camera and a paper-gloss back cover. We also have a pretty slim design, at least compared to Samsung's foldable phones. That's due, at least in part, to the company's "aerospace-grade" hinge, which helps create a virtually gap-free folding mechanism.
We've asked TECNO if the phone is waterproof, but they've sidestepped the issue so far, leading us to believe there's no official rating. This isn't surprising given the new slim non-waterproof hinges also seen on the HONOR Magic Vs, but it's still worth noting.
all on screens
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Of course, it wouldn't be a foldable phone without a foldable display. The TECNO Phantom V Fold has an impressive 7.85" (2296 x 2000, LTPO, 120Hz) main display. The TECNO Foldable's display is as level as my finger, but it's much thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. This Display foldable is also ultra-thin offering the added strength of glass (UTG).
However, the screen has all the disadvantages of a conventional folding screen. First of all, it is quite reflective compared to conventional screens. TECNO also has a list of warnings on the packaging. This includes warnings not to open the device in temperatures down to -15°C, not to press the center of the screen when tilting it, and not to touch the panel with your fingernails.
TECNO Phantom V Fold offers a stylish and slim foldable display with ultra-thin glass.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of the TECNO Phantom V Fold is the lack of a new dependent feature. Instead, it's a spring-loaded hinge that refuses to stay permanently locked in any position other than fully closed or fully open. This is a real shame for anyone who wants to use the phone as a base for watching videos or as a camera tripod. What's even more confusing is that when you try to partially tilt the phone, various apps like the camera app, YouTube and others try to switch to the Flex Mode style interface.
Close the Phantom V Fold and you have a 6.42-inch 2550 x 1080 OLED panel complete with Gorilla Glass Victus. It's an LTPO panel, just like the main display, with the ability to go down to 10Hz. I also really like the subtle curve on the right side of this screen, which is especially nice when using the back gesture.
reasonable return
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
The TECNO Phantom V Fold follows the OPPO Find N2 Flip as a foldable phone with a MediaTek chip, namely the Dimensity 9000 Plus processor from 2022. But it's a powerful piece of silicon, especially when paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or more. 512 GB of memory. In my experience, performance has been consistent; Switching from one home screen to another, switching between the smartphone and the foldable screen, and launching apps was generally smooth.
However, the phone's software slows down the excellent hardware. TECNO and its sister company Infinix are usually at the bottom of the list when it comes to third-party Android skins, and while the stuff here is a big improvement over previous devices we've tested, they're still a long way off. best skins for android
TECNO's software continues to be the company's Achilles heel, mainly due to viruses.
The Phantom V Fold comes with HiOS based on Android 13 and here you can expect some improvements to the foldable design. This includes a handy shortcut to launch two apps at the same time, an app linking feature to launch two custom apps at the same time, windowing support and more. includes Skin TECNO is comprehensive in other areas as well, offering PC integration, dual app functionality, support for RAM expansion, and the ability to draw letters on the lock screen to quickly launch apps.
However, there are some problems with the software. First, you can't pin Google Discover to the leftmost home screen (although it's possible to snap the screen right off, as the suggested shelf does). The foldable app bar is also not permanent like the Galaxy Z Fold range, it only appears on home screens.
In addition to its own applications (for example, gallery, voice assistant Ella, Hi Translate), the phone also includes third-party malware. I have never heard of some of these programs. What is CarlCare? Who is Carlos? Some third-party apps also look a little sketchy, like the TECNO Spot app. It looks like an official forum app, but it's not unusual to see a lot of NSFW images in the first version. Finally, it should be noted that system performance is not always smooth. I experienced occasional lag when opening the notification shade, as well as a noticeable lag when switching between cameras. Speaking of photography...
Damn the cameras?
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Unfortunately, the TECNO Phantom V Fold really stumbles when it comes to the camera. The hardware specs look pretty solid with a 50MP main camera, a 2x 50MP telephoto lens and a 13MP ultra-wide lens. On paper, this should match the best camera phones. However, some of the images we took during our first tests look like they were taken from a budget or mid-range smartphone.
Images from the main camera have a good level of detail, but sometimes look too contrasty and too sharp. It also doesn't help that TECNO insists on decorating objects by default (luckily you can turn this option off). Meanwhile, the 2x telephoto lens offers more detail, but struggles with overexposure and a more saturated color profile even under ideal conditions. The ultra-wide camera, surprisingly, has softer corners and less detail overall than the 1x camera, but at least it has autofocus for macro photography.
We also have a selfie camera with a 32MP notch on the outer screen and a 16MP notch on the inner drop-down screen. Our initial tests show that the foldable screen camera delivers similar results to the first-generation under-display cameras. So expect a blurry face in scenes, even with low lighting. At least you can take quality selfies with the main camera, like with Samsung's foldable devices.
TECNO Phantom V Fold impressions: more than a dream?
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TECNO's first foldable phone draws attention purely in terms of hardware. Between the minimal-creasing foldable screen and ultra-thin glass, the bright and sharp exterior display and the healthy power levels, there's a lot to like here.
Tecno Phantom V Fold: beautiful or not?
154 votes
Unfortunately, the software experience and camera quality let us down. With fantastic software and image quality more suited to budget phones, the TECNO foldable lacks the flashiness of the latest offerings from Samsung, OPPO and HONOR.
On the other hand, the phone's attractive starting price of just Rs 79,999 / $979 (12GB / 256GB) makes up for some of these complaints to some extent. Even at the regular price of Rs 89,999 / $1,099, you're looking at the cheapest foldable model on the market. The TECNO Phantom V Fold will arrive in India first, with other countries to be announced at a later date.
