TECNO might be onto something with its tri-fold phone concept

I've realized that I am not a folding phone guy. I'll admit that they are something different and can see why some people want them but for me, they aren't something I need to buy. Which is odd because I want to be a flipping phone guy.

I dig the idea of a flip phone like the Galaxy Z Flip 6 or the Motorola Razr Plus. For me, the design is 90% there and if things keep getting better every year it won't be long before I break all of my own rules and spend too much money on one. All I need is for the screen to feel less plasticky and I'm on it.

Seeing TECNO's concept for its tri-fold Phantom Ultimate 2 made me realize exactly why I like one form factor over the other: a flip phone is a big phone that folds in half, while a folding phone is a big phone that unfolds to get bigger.

That sounds stupid, I know. My Pixel 8a is not a big phone compared to some of the monstrous things you can buy but it still has a sizable footprint. It was also really cheap and I love cheap things. It's not too big to carry around, so needing it to fold in half isn't something I worry about. Still, it'd be cool if I could make it smaller when I put it in my pocket.

Take this idea to an unintentional conclusion and consider a tablet. Tablets are really good for some things; sitting around and watching videos or playing some goofy game is a great experience on a good tablet. Some people can be productive with one, too, even if I can't. The screen size makes all the difference.

One thing nobody does is stick a tablet in their pocket. I mean, if you have really big pockets, I guess you could, but I've never seen it nor heard that it's a popular thing. That's because a tablet is just too big to fit. That 8-inch or 10-inch screen that's good at some things is not good at fitting into pockets.

Enter something like the TECNO Phantom Ultimate 2—or, really, any thin tri-fold device. I picked the Phantom because of its multi-position hinge and a single render that shows it looking like a laptop. It may have a SIM card slot and be able to make phone calls, but it looks like a helluva nice, thin tablet.

It's also one that folds up small and is easy to carry around. You wouldn't need to buy a fancy tablet sleeve and hold it in your hands all day or carry a tech-survival bag around. If you're doing all that, you can just grab a Chromebook or a laptop and have the bigger screen and a "real" keyboard. Those are thin, and many models fold over to act as a tablet, so it is a win-win.

Maybe I'm missing something because for me carrying around a bag full of tech crap is easy—I just hook it to my wheelchair and don't notice it's there. But for most people, I see the allure of having a tablet-sized screen that folds up so it's easy to carry. The fact that it's also a phone and can send messages and make actual calls is a big plus, too.

I think that's what most people who buy a foldable like the Galaxy Fold or Pixel Fold want—a "tablet" that folds into a phone-sized package. When tri-fold phones eventually make it into stores I'm guessing a lot of people will look at them in a new light.

Maybe even me.