by The Chinese manufacturer Tecno is trying to make a name for itself around the world. After dominating the African market, Tecno has unveiled its first foldable phone, the Phantom V Fold, which is set to make its way to an international release.
The Phantom V Fold is a book-style foldable phone with two 120Hz screens, five cameras in total, a large battery, fast charging, and a powerful chipset in the form of Mediatek’s Dimensity 9000 Plus. Tecno is touting the camera module as one of the best features on the phone thanks in part to having a telephoto lens capable of 2x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom and the ability to take selfies with those fancy rear cameras , rather than just the front. – face cameras. The hinge, which Tecno says is made of aerospace-grade material, is supposed to last more than 200,000 times.
The back of the Phantom V Fold when folded close.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
In the short time I spent with the Phantom V Fold, I noticed a few things, both good and not so good. I admired the slim hardware of the phone and the way it folds seamlessly. I tried hard to look for a crease but I couldn’t see one when the screen was open, although I sometimes felt its presence was subtle as I scrolled.
I wasn’t able to test the camera or battery life, but I spent about 30 minutes or so using the phone. Navigation and scrolling through apps was fluid thanks in part to that 120Hz display. Multitasking was also a pleasant experience, with the help of that 7.85-inch internal screen that lets you enjoy split screens, picture-in-picture and parallel windows. It also allows you to drag and drop across screens.
Tecno credits the hinge on the Phantom V Fold for a nearly flawless phone.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
However, the Phantom V Fold didn’t seem to take advantage of the hole in as many ways as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, his top rival. First of all, I could not position the phone in different directions or even at half an hour. I could just drop it into the larger tablet size display or fold it close to use the external screen. I couldn’t use it in a laptop-style setting and didn’t find any functionality like Samsung’s Flex mode, which moves the app you’re using to the top of the screen while the controls appear at the bottom. when the phone is lying half-open. For example, on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 YouTube app shows videos on the top half of the screen and the bottom half is for scrolling through comments or the description.
The Phantom V Fold has three rear cameras and two selfie cameras.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
The announcement of the Phantom V Fold means that Tecno is the latest in a growing number of companies to enter the premium foldable phone segment, where Samsung currently holds the leadership position. Former Huawei unit Honor also recently showed off the Magic Vs, its first foldable phone for a global release. The unveiling of the Phantom V Fold comes several months after the release of the company’s global flagship. Game phantom x2 prothe first commercially sold phone with a pop-out portrait camera.
To learn more about the Phantom V Fold, check out the specifications below.
Key specifications
Inner Screen: 7.85-inch AMOLED, 120 Hz, 2,296×2,000 pixels
Cover Display: 6.42-inch AMOLED, 120 Hz, 1,080 x 2,550 pixels
Processor: MediaTek 9000+ Dimension (4nm)
Rear Camera: 50-megapixel (main), 50-megapixel (telephoto), 13-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Selfie Camera: 32-megapixel, 16-megapixel
Memory: 12+256GB; 12+512GB
Battery: 5,000 mAh (45W charging)
Price: TB
