After years of waiting for an affordable folding phone, finally in 2023 it became a reality. The device is the Tecno Phantom V Flip, a clamshell flip phone that competes with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and the Oppo Find N3 Flip. Like Infinix, Tecno is also a brand under Transsion which is the world's fifth largest device manufacturer. If Oppo and Samsung sell at more than RM4000, Tecno offers it at only RM2,999.
SPECIFICATIONS
Tecno Phantom V Flip
Inner Screen
6.9″ AMOLED LTPO 10Hz-120Hz, FHD+ 2640 x 1080,
1000 nits, Schott UTG
Outside
1.32″ AMOLED, 466 x 466, 60Hz, Gorilla Glass Victus
Dimensity 8050 processor (6nm)
1x 3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 chip
3x 2.6 GHz Cortex-A78
4x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55
Mali-G77 MC9 Graphics Chip
RAM 8GB LPDDR4X + 8GB Virtual
Internal Storage 256GB UFS 3.1
Micro SD 1TB
Main Camera 64MP f/1.7 (Wide Angle)
13MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
AI Cam, Super Night, Sky Shop
Selfie Camera 32 MP f/2.45
4000 mAh battery
45W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof None
Scan System Fingerprint scanner on the side
Sale Price RM2,999 (8/256 GB)
SCREEN
The size of the AMOLED screen on this device is quite large at 6.9″. It is larger than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 which uses a 6.7″ screen. The Phantom V Flip screen supports FHD+ resolution, comes with an adaptive refresh rate of 10Hz-120Hz because it uses an LTPO panel. The bezel is also thin and even. It's a shame this screen doesn't support HDR10+ and the screen brightness is limited to only 1000 nits.
Despite that I still have no problem using the screen of this device every day. As far as using it when in the home or office it is sufficient. Sacrifices must be made to be able to sell at an affordable price. The colors of the screen are still sharp, the YouTube content is still clear and most interesting is the crease effect that is not so obvious after weeks of use. Even so, the folding effect can still be felt when the screen is scrolled in the middle and it has a bigger "gap" than the Z Flip5 or Z Flip4.
The biggest disappointment for me is the Phantom V Flip's screen which doesn't support HDR10+ display. Netflix is limited to FHD only and videos often fail to play. Within a week, Netflix and Prime Video would get stuck on the “Loading” screen about 4 times causing me to uninstall the app and reinstall it. I have never encountered this strange experience even on Huawei devices that are not officially supported by Netflix.
The round screen on the outside isn't bright enough and isn't very responsive when scrolling. It is like a basic smartwatch screen with functions limited to viewing notifications but not replying to messages, a small calendar view, creating alarms, quick access to the camera, voice recorder and several others including the ability to change the "watch face".
BIOMETRIC SYSTEM
The Tecno Phantom V Flip uses a fingerprint scanner on the side along with the power button. It's pretty fast and still manages to scan my finger even when I'm sweating. For a device in the middle class, it is a good thing. As for the face scan, it only uses the selfie camera and also detects my face quickly even in dark conditions.
DESIGN
This device uses a quite unique design compared to competitors like Samsung. For the unit I tested, it used a purple color like the Samsung Bora Purple and also used a two-tone tone like the Flip4. The round "V" logo on the back is like the Motorola Razr 40 and the round screen on the front is like the Huawei P50 Pocket but bigger. Two camera sensors with LED flash lights are also built around the outer screen bezel.
The volume control button and power button are on the left side, the SIM card slot is on the right side, on top there is only the microphone hole. Underneath there is a speaker grille, another microphone hole and also a USB-C port. This device also still does not use the design that is a trend now which is flat, instead on each side it is slightly curved and quite smooth to operate with one hand.
On the hinge side there is a simple Phantom text logo and the hinge technology used also does not allow the device to be completely closed as there is still a hole that can potentially trap dust and one day continue to damage the device. The device feels premium in the hand, but the hinge part is a little loose and this raises the question of how durable this device worth almost RM3000 is?
For users with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), this device may not be for you. This is because when the device is opened, it is not upright and is bent. Even me who doesn't have OCD makes my eyes hurt to see it. But I try my best to accept the shortcomings of this device because of its cheapest selling price for a clamshell flip phone.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE – HiOS V13.5.0
The HiOS running on the Phantom V Flip is built on Android 13 and has 99% similarities with the XOS used on Infinix devices as both are devices under the same manufacturer. Since I used the Infinix GT 10 Pro before, I had no problem using the Phantom V Flip.
Although it still has some fat applications, it is still acceptable and most of it is still disposable. The most important thing is that HiOS does not display ads even though it has its own theme store. Like XOS, HiOS also seems to combine MIUI with Funtouch OS. The interface design is quite user-friendly and easy to use but the system settings are a little disorganized and many are hidden in various categories that I don't even need.
HiOS also offers some interesting features and functions. Here is the list;
Lightning Multi-Window
Gesture controlled multi-tasking feature.
MemFusion
Gives an extra 8GB of RAM virtually.
Smart Panel
A special panel that displays quick access to favorite applications.
Social Turbo
Gives WhatsApp the features of beauty mode, voice changer, sticker creator and more.
Ella
ChatGPT powered virtual assistant. It accepts proms to help users in opening applications, creating poems and so on.
Since this is a device with a foldable screen, some special features are also provided. First is the Cover Screen Collections to customize the external screen with various "clock face" designs and widgets. In it there is also a Cute Pets category to defend cute 3D animals.
Tecno Phantom V Flip still doesn't support many apps in Flex mode and is limited to YouTube and camera apps only just like Oppo Find N3 Flip. So far Samsung is still the best because of its very mature software.
BENCHMARK – DIMENSITY 8050
The processing chip used is Dimensity 8050 which is a rebranded Dimensity 1300 chip. The specifications of this device are also similar to the Infinix GT 10 Pro and the only difference is the camera and battery. Even so it's still a powerful chip for a mid-range device. The CPU is 1x 3.0 GHz Cortex-A78, 3x 2.6GHZ Cortex-A78 and 4x 2.0GHz Cortex-A55 and the GPU is Mali-G77 MC9.
Just like the Infinix GT 10 Pro, the Tecno Phantom V Flip has smooth and fast enough performance for everyday users. The issues I had were minor and still tolerable like some inconsistent warm up and lag. I'm sure this can be fixed with a simple software update. Let's compare this device with GT 10 Pro (Dimensity 8050), Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (Dimensity 1080), Poco X5 Pro 5G (Snapdragon 778G) and iQOO Z7 (Snapdragon 782G).
Geekbench 6
Tecno Phantom V Flip – 1123/3300
Infinix GT 10 Pro – 1103/2980
iQOO Z7 – 1125/3001
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – 960 / 2288
Poco X5 Pro 5G – 781 / 2892
Antutu 3D
Tecno Phantom V Flip – 673919
Infinix GT 10 Pro – 592,127
iQOO Z7 – 588,831
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – 463,849
Poco X5 Pro 5G – 529,942
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme
Tecno Phantom V Flip – 1313
Infinix GT 10 Pro – 1,312
iQOO Z7 – 808
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – None
Poco X5 Pro 5G – None
First play on this device is still good. But only for vertically displayed firsts like Monopoly Go and Marvel SNAP. The first horizontal display like Asphalt 9 is less attractive because of the soft hinge and the device easily folds during the gaming session. Performance however is still fast enough for a device in the affordable category with only 8GB of memory.
I also like HiOS which has good memory management. For example the Marvel SNAP game, while playing and receiving a WhatsApp notification when I reply to a message in the WhatsApp application then open a YouTube video when returning to the first it is still in the same session without reloading.
TELEPHONY And GPS
My device feels like it has the best signal support as I receive 5G more often on my Maxis SIM card at the office than any other device. WiFi connection is also stable and phone calls are clear enough no matter in VoLTE, VoWiFi or normal mode. Using GPS however was a little slow to lock in a location and I had to wait around 30 seconds for it to give accurate turn-by-turn directions.
CAMERA
As I expected, the camera quality on this device is not satisfactory. I understand that Tecno is trying to bring a worthwhile value for an affordable flip phone. However, a camera that is affordable will make users question whether spending around RM3000 alone is the camera's capabilities?
Like the Infinix GT 10 Pro, the Phantom V Flip is also a premium mid-range device with a basic device camera. Colors often fade, focus is inconsistent and rarely gets bright and sharp results. The zoom is also quite weak and the post-processing takes quite a long time. Night mode, it's hard for me to praise even though there is already a Sky Store as a feature on the MIUI camera application that can replace the sky. The only thing I like about this device's camera is the pretty good and neat portrait mode.
VIDEOS
If the photo results are not interesting enough let alone the video results. Because of that, Tecno offers a Film mode that allows me to record some short videos. Then the AI system on the device will combine all the videos and edit them automatically to give a result that looks interesting and can be shared on social media.
BATTERY
Tecno Phantom V Flip only has a 4000mAh battery with 45W charging. There is no wireless charging support and fast charging only supports the charger provided in the box. It does not support PD to use other USB-C chargers. Charging time from 0% to 100% takes around 90 minutes.
The battery life as far as I have tested over a period of two weeks is around 4 hours 30 minutes SOT for light use and 2 hours 30 minutes for heavy use. The battery performance of this device is very disappointing. This is probably because applications kept in the background and very good memory management cause excessive power consumption.
AUDIO
The speaker is also just there. It lacks bass to provide more dynamic audio. So every time I listen to music, watch a video or play games, something is missing. It was as if there were not enough things. Although this device uses a DTS stereo speaker system, it does not provide an immersive audio experience.
IN THE BOX
Here is what is received in the box with purchase.
1x Tecno Phantom V Flip
1x Plastic protective frame with iron coil to hold or strap to hang around the neck
1x USB-A to USB-C Cable
1x 45W Charger
1x Set of manual/safety book
CONCLUSION
As someone who has used several generations of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, this Tecno Phantom V Flip reminds me of the first generation Z Flip. It's simple, has basic features but still provides an interesting user experience. The Phantom V Flip offers great performance at a competitive selling price for a flip phone. It's just that with an underwhelming camera, inconsistent build quality like a premium exterior but loose hinges – it might be hard to convince people to buy it.
Not only that, with some sellers already offering Malaysia's official Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 set at roughly the same price – I'd say it's better to buy Samsung because of the excellent software. Anyway, in my opinion Tecno has tried to offer something that many analysts predicted would happen that is now available to the public. This is only the first generation of Tecno, who knows if a good response to this model Phantom V Flip2 will give more satisfactory value?
Pro
The design looks premium.
Good software and performance.
The screen is less likely to show creases.
Affordable.
Cons
The camera is not satisfactory.
Battery does not last long.
The build quality is suspect.
Does not close tightly and has the potential to enter dust.
A very basic external screen.