What you need to know
- Tecno unveiled the Phantom V Fold at Mobile World Congress.
- The phone features a 7.85 folding display with an external 6.42-inch display, both at up to 120Hz.
- The phone will launch in India before arriving in other countries.
Many exciting new smartphones are coming out of MWC, and Tecno just revealed its first foldable phone to take on the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and others.
The Phantom V Fold is a fairly impressive foldable phone that comes with many of the bells and whistles one would expect from this type of device. It's powered by a flagship MediaTek 9000+ chipset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage to start. The external OLED display measures at 6.42 inches, while the inner display is a 7.85-inch OLED screen that's "virtually seamless and crease-free." Both LTPO panels can display content at variable refresh rates between 10Hz and 120Hz.
According to Techno, the hinge has been tested to withstand 200,000 folds, which should be enough to get through years of use. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any sort of water resistance, according to Android Authority.
The back cover is made from recycled plastics and houses a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP 2x telephoto camera, and a 13MP ultrawide. There are two selfie cameras — a 32MP unit on the external screen and a 16MP camera on the internal display.
Underneath the hood is a large 5,000mAh battery that supports 45W charging, making the battery and charging speed both larger and faster than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Techno also shows off software enhancements made to its HiOS 13 (Android 13) UI to take advantage of the foldable form factor, like a split panel view for apps, split screen gestures, and drag and drop.
Techno is known for its large presence in Africa, although the company has begun to expand to other global markets with phones like the flagship Tecno Phantom X2 Pro. The Phantom V Fold seems to offer a good mix of specs and a solid design, and while it may not be the most interesting foldable phone out there, the presence of one from a relatively smaller OEM is a good sign for the form factor.
Per Android Authority, the Phantom V Fold is expected to launch first in India, retailing just over $1000 before arriving in other regions, making it quite a steal for anyone considering a large-screen foldable.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 sets the standard for foldable phones, thanks to its durable, water-resistant design, fantastic displays, and optimizes software. It also supports S Pen input for better productivity when using the large internal display.
