Tecno Phantom V Fold Review
Tecno has been aggresively marketing their brand for quite some time now. From billboards to digital ad placements, Tecno has emerged as a silent big spender in the tech space to promote their products with killer specs and price. The Tecno Phantom V Fold is definitely not an exception.
When I had a meeting with Tecno a month ago, I shared with them my thoughts about the Tecno Phantom V Fold. Brands have been talking about their foldable product, and they are quite intrigued with how Tecno was able to pull of the combination of the following: decent specs for a foldable at a less expensive price.
The term “less expensive” and “affordable” received a handful of engagement and controversy lately because of a post by our fellow tech content producer, Peter Icogo of Gizguide. The context was clear: Tecno Phantom V Fold is the most affordable full sized foldable device in the market right now. It’s an irrefutable statement, and its context is enough to put authority to the term “affordable”… or reasonably priced.
The Tecno Phantom V Fold is reasonable priced, and this is the subject of this full review.
Tecno Phantom V Fold Specs
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | Tecno Phantom V Fold |
| Colors | Black, White |
| Dimensions | Height: 159.4mm, Width (Unfolded): 140.4mm, Folded: About 71.95mm, Thickness (Unfolded): 6.8mm, Folded: 14.53mm (hinge side) / 14.15mm (open side) |
| Weight | 299g |
| Memory | Internal Memory: 12GB+256GB, 12GB+512GB, RAM Type: LPDDR5X, RAM Specifications: UFS3.1, External Memory: No |
| Display | Main Screen: 7.85″ (2K+), Sub Screen: 6.42″ (FHD+), Screen Ratio: Main: 90%, Sub: 90.1%, Refresh Rate: Main and Sub: LTPO 10-120Hz Self-adapted High Refresh Rate, Touch Sampling Rate: Main: 240Hz, Sub: 360Hz, Color Gamut: Main and Sub: 100% P3, Color Depth: 10.7-bit (8+2bit), Pixel Density: Main: 388ppi, Sub: 431ppi, Brightness: Main and Sub: 1100-nit Peak Brightness, Material: Main: AMOLED Foldable Screen, Sub: AMOLED Flexible Screen, Cover Glasses: Main: Schott UTG, Sub: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Rear Camera | Main Camera: 50MP, f/1.85, Telephoto Camera: 50MP, f/1.98, 2x optical zoom, 20x digital zoom, Ultra-wide Angle Camera: 13MP, f/2.2 |
| Front Camera | Main Screen: 16MP, Sub Screen: 32MP |
| Shooting Mode | Rear: AI cam, Portrait, Video, Film, Super night, Documents, AR shot, Pro, Slow motion, Panorama, Time-lapse, Sky shop, Dual video<br>Front: AI cam, Portrait, Video, Film, Super night, AR shot, Slow motion, Panorama, Time-lapse |
| Video Recording | Rear: 4k@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, Video stabilisation with EIS support, Video slow motion support 1080p@120fps(default)/240fps/960fps, Time-lapse support 1080P (default)/4K, Various video features<br>Front: 1080p@30/60fps, default 1080p@30fps, Video stabilisation with EIS support, Front video slow motion support 1080p@120fps, Time-lapse support 1080P, Various video features |
| Processor | CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, 8 cores, 4nm process, up to 3.2GHz, GPU: Arm Mali-G710 MC10 |
| Battery | Battery Capacity: 5000mAh (typ), Charge: 45W SuperCharge, OTG: Yes |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint Recognition: Side-mounted fingerprint recognition, Facial Recognition: Yes |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Step counting |
| Network | 2 SIM Cards: Yes, Network: GSM/GPRS/FULL EDGE/WCDMA/HSPA+/TDD LTE/FDD LTE/NR, Band: Various supported bands |
| Connectivity | WLAN: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n/; WLAN 2.4G/WLAN 5.1G, Bluetooth: v5.3, USB Interface: USB Type-C, Earphone: USB Type-C, NFC: Yes, Location Technology: BDS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, FM: Yes |
| Operating System | HiOS13 Fold – Based on Android 13 |
| Audio and Video | Speaker: Dual Speakers, Stereo Support: Yes, Ringtone Format: Various formats, Video Playing Format: MP4, MKV, 3GP, Video Playing Resolution: Various resolutions |
| In the Box | Phone x 1, USB Type-C Cable x 1, Charger x 1, Eject Tool x 1, Aramid Fibre Protective Case x 1 |
Design and Display
The design of the Phantom V Fold is a perfect blend of elegance and functionality. It seamlessly combines sleekness and practicality, making it stand-out in the sea of choices. While I am not a big fan of its drop-shaped hinge, the Tecno Phantom V Fold is much easier to open and shows less crease when compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Unlike the latter,
It looks sophisticated too in sleek Black and White color options. Tecno sent the Black version to us, and really appreciate its faux leather design and cosmic-inspired camear module. The dimensions of the device have been meticulously planned, with a height of 159.4mm and an unfolded width of 140.4mm. When folded, it has a thickness of approximately 71.95mm, ensuring a comfortable grip. The unfolded thickness is 6.8mm, while on the hinge side it measures 14.53mm and 14.15mm on the open side when folded. What I don’t like about it though is its hefty weight at 299g, which is significantly heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
In terms of display, it features a main screen that measures 7.85″ and boasts a stunning 2K+ resolution. Complementing the main screen is a sub screen with an impressive FHD+ resolution that measures 6.42″.
The screen ratio is an astounding 90% for the main screen and 90.1% for the sub screen, creating a truly immersive viewing experience. Both screens have a LTPO 10-120Hz Self-adapted High Refresh Rate, ensuring smooth interactions and fluid visuals. The touch sampling rate is 240Hz for the main screen and 360Hz for the sub screen, providing enhanced responsiveness. The color gamut covers 100% P3, and the color depth is a 10.7-bit (8+2bit), delivering true-to-life visuals. With a pixel density of 388ppi for the main screen and 431ppi for the sub screen, the Phantom V Fold offers exceptional sharpness and clarity. The brightness level reaches an impressive 1100-nit Peak Brightness, ensuring excellent legibility even in bright outdoor conditions. The screens are built with AMOLED technology, with the main screen being foldable and the sub screen being flexible. Both screens are protected by high-quality cover glasses, Schott UTG for the main screen and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for the sub screen, ensuring durability and longevity.
I would, most of the time, use the sub screen especially when browsing my social media applications like X, Threads, and TikTok. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 5, the sub screen is a little wider thus giving you more horizontal space for both browsing and even when playing games. However, I use the main display 90% of the time when playing games. With Play Pass now official in the Philippines, you can just imagine the breadth of games and applications that you can use on this device’s main screen. The aspect ratio of the Phantom V Fold is perfect as well for all purposes – whether for gaming and productivity work.
Performance Review
Under the hood, the Phantom V Fold is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ CPU with 8 cores built on a 4nm process, capable of reaching speeds up to 3.2GHz. The GPU, Arm Mali-G710 MC10, guarantees smooth graphics performance for demanding tasks. The device is equipped with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and offers two storage variants: 256GB and 512GB. The RAM specifications include UFS3.1, contributing to fast data access and multitasking capabilities. While the device doesn’t support external memory, the generous 512GB internal storage should accommodate your needs.
We subjected the Phantom V Fold to a series of synthetic tests that you can try and replicate. Below are the list of synthetic benchmarks we have used. Benchmarks were done with a total of 12GB memory.
- Antutu Benchmark is a widely used and popular benchmarking tool for smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. It evaluates the performance of a device by measuring its CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage capabilities, as well as testing its UX (user experience) and overall performance. The benchmark provides a comprehensive score that helps users compare the performance of different devices and make informed decisions based on their specific needs and preferences.
- Geekbench 6 serves as an indispensable tool for individuals who seek reliable and comprehensive information about the performance capabilities of their devices. By providing accurate and standardized benchmarks, Geekbench 6 enables users to choose devices that cater to their specific requirements, ensuring a seamless and efficient user experience.
- 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme is a benchmarking test that measures the performance of graphics cards in mobile devices. It is designed to push graphics cards to their limits, simulating demanding gaming scenarios and providing an accurate assessment of their capabilities. With Wild Life Extreme, users can evaluate the graphical performance of their devices and compare them to other devices on the market. It is a reliable and comprehensive tool for assessing the gaming potential of a mobile device and making informed decisions about their hardware choices.
- PCMark Work 3.0 is a benchmarking tool specifically designed for smartphones. It assesses the performance of various aspects of a smartphone’s functionality, focusing on work-related tasks. This benchmark evaluates the device’s ability to handle daily productivity tasks such as document editing, web browsing, video conferencing, and data manipulation. By running PCMark Work 3.0, users can accurately gauge their smartphone’s efficiency and compare it to other devices on the market. This information enables users to make informed decisions regarding their smartphone choices, ensuring optimal productivity and performance in their daily work routines.
Synthetic Benchmark Results
Gameplay Benchmark Results
In terms of actual gaming peformance, I played games like Farlight 84, Diablo Immortal, Mobile Legends, and Honkai Star Rail on the Tecno Phantom V Fold. As expected, the performance of these games are quite well, but I would not say that they are at par compared to other phones with flagship chipsets.
I played the games mostly in High Settings, and the games fare around 52 to 60fps. Note that the values below are only based on the average FPS per game while playing the game. We have not yet accounted for the 1% FPS and 5% FPS per game on the device because we have yet to finalize our smartphone benchmarking methodology. We will have a separate explainer of this in a separate article. For our PC benchmarking methodology, you can check out this link.
Mobile Legends (click Show More+ to view all graphs): Actual gameplay starts from Frame 100 to 562. Full gameplay from start to Victory.
Honkai Star Rail (click Show More+ to view all graphs): 6 Rounds of Calyx Gameplay.
Diablo Immortal (click Show More+ to view all graphs): Gameplay starts from 6 to 231 at Ashworld Cemetery.
Farlight 84 (click Show More+ to view all graphs): Actual gameplay starts at 61 to 637.
Software
Running on HiOS13 Fold, based on Android 13, the software provides a user-friendly experience with a host of features optimized for the foldable display. Biometric security is ensured through side-mounted fingerprint recognition and facial recognition technology.
As their first foldable device, it’s impressive how Tecno managed to make an optimized software. Most apps I fired up work flawlessly on its sub screen and main displays. Similar to other foldables, it has multi app features where I can watch YouTube on the left, and browse my Facebook feed on the right. Due to lack of flexible hingle, there are some apps that could have worked perfectly like the camera app and YouTube. There is also no extra feature found on Galaxy Z Fold 5 on TikTok where I can watch videos on the left, and read comments on the right.
Camera Performance
The Phantom V Fold takes photography and videography to the next level with its advanced camera system. The rear camera setup includes a 50MP main camera with an aperture of f/1.85, a 50MP telephoto camera with an aperture of f/1.98 offering 2x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom, and a 13MP ultra-wide angle camera with an aperture of f/2.2. These lenses collaborate to produce stunning images with vivid details and dynamic range. On the front, the main screen houses a 16MP camera, while the sub screen features an impressive 32MP camera. This dual-camera setup ensures that your selfies and video calls are of the highest quality.
It is surprising that Tecno managed to put really good camera specs on the Phantom V Fold. While it isn’t its most celebrated feature, you’ll be glad to know that this is something you can carry around to save memories through photos and videos.
Sample Photos
Battery and Connectivity
The Phantom V Fold houses a 5000mAh (typical) battery that keeps you connected throughout the day. The 45W SuperCharge technology ensures rapid charging, minimizing downtime. Notably, the device supports OTG (On-The-Go) functionality, allowing you to use your smartphone as a power source for other devices. In a single charge, I usually get an average of 18 hours at moderate usage with 4 hours and 38 mins of screen on time.
Connectivity options abound with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 support, offering fast wireless internet access. The device supports a range of Bluetooth v5.3 for seamless wireless communication. Other features include a USB Type-C interface, NFC capabilities, and accurate location technologies such as BDS, GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. Additionally, FM radio support is included. Despite the lack of support for eSIM, it managed to work well on my physical SIMs (Globe, Gomo, and Smart).
Verdict
The Tecno Phantom V Fold is the most accessible foldable phone you can buy. At PhP59,999 is the least expensive foldable device in the market right now. While its specs would not match Samsung’s and Huawei’s products, its overall performance is reasonable enough for the price it asks.
There is are two challenges that await Tecno though: availability and after sales. The Phantom V Fold is quite difficult to find at stores these days. If you ever found one, and you’re looking for a foldable phone, this is an easy recommendation. While I have not yet tried Tecno’s aftersales service, they have put it in place via their Carlcare app. You can book for a repair, cleaning, and mobile diagnostics. It also shows the service center near you.
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
