The Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 is yet one more stable flip-style folding telephone

After discovering success with its first-generation foldables telephone producer Tecno has returned with its all-new Phantom V Flip 2. This flip-style gadget has plenty of positives going for it, nevertheless it is not releasing in a vacuum. Sturdy competitors from the likes of Motorola, Samsung, and others is the brand new actuality of the trendy flip telephone market.

The Phantom V Flip 2 does so much proper on the floor — however how good is the expertise in the true world? And, can the software program package deal stand its floor towards bigger and more established players? I positioned my SIM card into the foldable to seek out out.

Value, availability, and specs

The Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 measures in at 6.72 x 2.89 x 0.30-inches (170.75 x 73.4 x 7.64mm) when unfolded, and three.46 x 2.89 x 0.63-inches (87.8 x 73.4 x 16.04mm) when folded shut. When coupled with the gadget’s 6.9oz (196g) weight, the V Flip 2 is comparatively skinny and light-weight within the hand.

The internal show is a 6.9-inch 1080 x 2560 pixel decision AMOLED affair, whereas the outer display is a 3.64-inch AMOLED panel. Each shows run at a capped refresh price of 60Hz.

The digicam setup is typical for a flip-style foldable, with a front-facing selfie shooter and a twin rear lens setup. The previous is available in at 32-megapixel, and the latter is a pair of 50-megapixel vast and 50-megapixel ultra-wide shooters.

As for the brains of the operation, we’re trying on the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chip, which is a comfortably midrange providing by way of energy output. The battery sizes in at 4,720 mAh, with assist for 70w wired charging.

The Phantom V Flip 2 begins at $700, and is available in a single configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of inside storage. The colour selections on provide embody moondust gray and travertine inexperienced. The telephone could be bought from numerous on-line storefronts, together with Amazon. Tecno does have its own retail presence, however at present not inside any main western market.

What I favored in regards to the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2

This feels extra refined than a second-generation product usually would

My favourite facet of Tecno’s new Flip 2 foldable is its construct — it feels premium within the hand regardless of solely being a second-generation product. The hinge would not snap shut fairly as luxuriously as another units in the marketplace, nevertheless it feels satisfying nonetheless.

I additionally loved the general cowl display expertise — the show is massive and vibrant, with tons of customization choices to make it your individual. When unfolding the unit, you are greeted by a tackle Android that provides a stable degree of customization choices all through.

The MediaTek Dimensity 8020 is a mid-range chip through-and-through, however I personally had no gripes when utilizing the gadget. It is principally unsuitable for gaming and different intensive duties, however that goes with out saying. When examined, I bought a Geekbench 6 rating of 752 in single-core, and a pair of,515 in multi-core.

The digicam system is first rate sufficient, however the bar is not precisely set excessive in relation to flip-style foldable telephones. I discovered the efficiency to be middling — not top-notch, however not noticeably poor in high quality both.

What I did not like in regards to the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2

The software program pores and skin wants extra refinement, and Tecno must assist the gadget for longer

As nice as utilizing the Phantom V Flip 2 feels from a {hardware} perspective, I discovered the software program expertise to be a weaker hyperlink. My largest concern comes all the way down to longevity — the corporate solely gives assist for 2 extra years of Android characteristic updates, which is notably lower than OEMs like Samsung. Tecno does provide three years of safety patch updates, and it provides a website with up-to-date info on that entrance.

The software program characteristic set itself is well-rounded, however the iOS-inspired theming and interface issues aren’t to my private style. I additionally had bother with the capacitive fingerprint sensor mounted on the sleep/wake key — it wound up being much less responsive than I’d’ve favored, and it introduced down the expertise for me by a bit.

The shortage of assist for Qi wi-fi charging is a cutback that I want Tecno hadn’t made, as I exploit inductive chargers to high up different handsets every day. The 70w quick charging brick is included within the field, which I admire, nevertheless it’s a proprietary system, which is not preferrred.

Lastly, the duvet show ships with a decrease decision than I’d’ve favored — at a typical viewing distance, particular person pixels cannot fairly be discerned, however there is a slight fuzziness to the whole factor. For a telephone transport in 2024, that is in all probability probably the most disappointing facet of the whole package deal.

Must you purchase the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2?

Tecno’s new flip telephone is a considerably compelling selection

The flip-style foldable telephone market is crammed with wonderful choices from Android OEMs like Motorola and Samsung. Tecno’s Phantom V Flip 2 comes remarkably near matching the standard of those far more established OEMs, and does so in what is just a second-generation product.

The {hardware} facet of the V Flip 2 is ample, and the person expertise is fairly stable. I am not a fan of the 60Hz show refresh price, which I discovered arduous to regulate to after a lot time utilizing 120Hz shows. As for the software program, it gives an honest quantity of customization, nevertheless it additionally feels considerably unrefined in comparison with the competitors. The lowly two years of Android OS updates is a major letdown.

At $700, I do not discover there to be a massively compelling motive to choose the V Flip 2 over, say, a Motorola Razr flip telephone, which gives a cleaner Android expertise and a construct that is extra premium to carry within the hand. That being stated, I believe that with one other 12 months or two value of refinements, Tecno would possibly genuinely have a winner on its hand.

This gadget was offered to Pocket-lint by Tecno.

Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 5G