Tecno Phantom V Flip Takes On The Galaxy Z Flip 5 At Half The Price
Foldable phones are nice, but expensive. Tecno is working to democratize the technology with the Phantom V series. After the Phantom V Fold comes the V Flip, which will make your head spin with its price. Tecno's new foldable phone is priced at 49,999 Indian Rupees (INR) or around $600. For reference, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr Plus cost $999. Additionally, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 costs twice as much as the Phantom V Flip in India at INR 99,999. I got to know the sophisticated Tecno device and here's what you need to know about it.
The Tecno Phantom V Flip weighs seven grams more than the Galaxy Z Flip 5 at 194g, and still feels light and durable in the hand. The phone closes without leaving any space between the two halves. Samsung's move only comes through its latest generation of foldable phones. This helps protect the internal screen from debris in your pocket.
Tecno's first foldable phone features a flip-up design with a 1.32-inch display. It's strange, but very different, and that's why I like it. While it's not as feature-rich as its Motorola or Samsung counterparts, it does everything well. You get regular notifications, quick settings, several widgets like an alarm clock and a calendar for interaction.
There is an interactive 3D animal that changes its actions every time you touch the screen. After using Moo Time on the Motorola Razr Plus, this implementation feels a little clunky, as the pet doesn't interact with you and simply switches between small videos with each click, whereas Moo is more intuitive. You can also take selfies using the small viewfinder on the screen lid.
As for the hinge, it's better than Motorola's, but not as strong as the one on Samsung's flip phone. Designed for over 200,000 combinations. For reference, the Razr Plus' hinge broke after about 120,000 folds in YouTuber Mrkeybrd's tests, while the Flip 5 is said to withstand up to 400,000 folds and not break at more than 401,000 folds. It can be folded in half, allowing for features like One UI, where the camera controls are placed on one half of the screen and the viewfinder on the other half.
Inside is a 6.9-inch FHD+ AMOLED display that can boost brightness up to 1,000 nits and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It's bright to look at but can be a challenge in direct sunlight, but for the price is good. On the other hand, the Flip 5 can reach up to 1,750 nits of brightness, while the Razr Plus has 1,400 nits. As for wrinkles, they are minimal, just like the Razr.
Tecno Phantom V Flip is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8050 chipset which is a mid-range SoC. It can be found in phones priced around $300/₹25,000, such as the Camon 20 series.
In my experience it works well in everyday life, but I will limit my opinion because I haven't tested it on this phone yet. You get 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It features a 4000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. That's bigger than Samsung's 3700mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging.
Coming to the front camera, the Tecno Phantom V Flip has a dual rear camera setup with a 64MP primary camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. There is also a 32MP selfie camera. I'm not sure about the quality of the photos yet, but I will soon in my review. The phone runs HiOS based on Android 13.
Priced at INR 49,999, the Tecno Phantom V Flip seems like a steal for its price. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 remains a premium offering with better hinges, interface, and possibly cameras. But Tecno offers a sophisticated form factor at an unbeatable price. I haven't evaluated it yet to make a judgment, but my first impressions are positive.
