TECNO Phantom V Flip evaluation: Do you have to purchase it?

The TECNO Phantom V Flip actually makes a powerful impression at first look. The clamshell-style foldable packs a pleather again, and the sunshine purple colour choice I bought my fingers on stands out from a sea of drab glass colours available on the market.

TECNO’s additionally made an attention-grabbing transfer by having a round digital camera housing and canopy display. It’s a novel alternative, however the execution leaves me wanting. There’s a large bezel across the display, for one, leaving you with a tiny show. We’ve additionally bought three sensors (two cameras and a flash) strewn nearly haphazardly on these bezels. I’d’ve a lot somewhat seen the sensors in a single housing and the round show in one other, or punch-hole cutouts paired with a bigger display.

That big digital camera/show housing additionally has ergonomic ramifications, as a few of your fingers naturally relaxation on this space. Complicating issues is the truth that the Phantom V Flip is a bit of top-heavy. It’s not awfully balanced, however it’s noticeable in comparison with different flip telephones, particularly as your fingers shuffle up or down to succeed in the very prime or backside of the display.

In any other case, the Phantom V Flip brings a comparatively svelte design that competes with the finest foldable telephones on the market, with the slim, polished edges serving to to make the cellphone really feel even thinner. Sadly, the handset doesn’t pack an IP score, in contrast to Samsung and Motorola’s clamshell foldables.

It’s additionally value noting that the 2 halves of the cellphone do have a sure “looseness” to them. This may be felt if you maintain the folded machine in your hand and push the highest half up and down and side-to-side. It’s not terrible, however it’s not one thing I’ve observed on different clamshell foldables. A minimum of the free-stop hinge works reliably.

TECNO has additionally introduced a 6.9-inch foldable 120Hz OLED display to the fray, full with ultra-thin glass for added sturdiness. You’ve nonetheless bought a show crease right here, which appears just like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 crease (i.e. not very refined). The display touts a brightness of 1,000 nits, which isn’t wonderful for a foldable, however I discovered it to work tremendous open air. The larger difficulty is that it nonetheless falls into that foldable display entice of being very reflective, though the identical may be mentioned for many different foldables.

TECNO says the display can also be an LTPO panel able to dropping right down to 10Hz, however I’ve solely ever seen it drop right down to 60Hz. I do respect the flexibility to toggle a 90Hz refresh charge, although, as many telephones nonetheless solely supply 120Hz, 60Hz, or dynamic choices. 90Hz represents a pleasant center floor between display fluidity and battery effectivity, however extra on that later.

In the meantime, the duvet display is sort of small at 1.32 inches, whereas the round design makes it look extra like a smartwatch show. Sadly, the duvet show software program hasn’t caught as much as the likes of Motorola and Samsung. You possibly can entry roughly a dozen widgets, fast settings, media playback controls, and notifications. However you possibly can neglect about working full apps right here. In truth, the present widgets additionally really feel barebones by way of data density in comparison with rival Flip telephones. An actual disgrace.

The TECNO Phantom V Flip packs a MediaTek Dimensity 8050 processor (4 Cortex-A78, 4 Cortex-A55), 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. That’s actually a step down from the Phantom V Fold, and benchmarks bear this out, too. Geekbench 6 scores reveal CPU efficiency that simply beats mid-tier Samsung telephones just like the Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G however lags behind even final yr’s flagship SoCs. In the meantime, GPU benchmarks present the cellphone beats most mid-range handsets however lags behind the Pixel 7 collection. A minimum of stress testing reveals spectacular stability of 96.7%, so that you shouldn’t see main efficiency drops in a protracted gaming session.

I had no vital complaints about real-world efficiency, as system navigation, launching apps, and multitasking had been all completed seamlessly. I did, nonetheless, discover that the digital camera app has a “saving” display for a few seconds after filming even 1080p/30fps video.

Genshin Influence was very playable with default settings, though it had greater than its fair proportion of judder and the very occasional freeze for a second or two. However titles like Struggle Thunder and CoD Cellular had been largely easy out of the field, so I may chalk the Genshin Influence efficiency right down to an absence of optimization. You possibly can play superior emulators too, comparable to Dolphin, though essentially the most demanding titles see frequent body drops in comparison with latest flagships.

Clamshell foldable telephones have a tendency to scrimp on battery capability, and the TECNO Phantom V Flip is not any exception. You’re getting a 4,000mAh battery, and I discovered it was able to simply over a day of normal utilization. I used to be capable of eke out nearly 9 hours of screen-on time with fixed YouTube playback, some Telegram utilization, and Reddit searching, and simply over six and a half hours of display time of heavier utilization (e,g. extra YouTube and cell hotspot performance). Simply don’t count on it to final for 2 days with out battery-saving modes. The cellphone additionally sports activities 45W wired charging speeds, permitting you to go from zero to 100% in 45 minutes. That is consistent with the agency’s personal claims. There’s no wi-fi charging, although.

TECNO’s cellphone ships with the Hello OS 13.5 pores and skin atop Android 13, and it’s not my favourite software program pores and skin by any measure. That’s attributable to a bland MIUI-style aesthetic, some unfamiliar apps, separate dropdown panels for fast settings and the notification shade (with no solution to unify them), and a dearth of clamshell-specific foldable options.

The corporate didn’t go loopy with bloatware, though you’ll nonetheless discover first-party apps just like the CarlCare assist app, T-Spot, Visha Participant, the Ella assistant, and WeLife. These be part of third-party apps like Fb, Instagram, BoomPlay, and WPS Workplace. A minimum of the pre-installed T-Spot discussion board app now not blasts NSFW photos in your face like I encountered with the Phantom V Fold, in order that’s an enchancment. It additionally seems just like the model has polished issues in comparison with its book-type foldable, comparable to near-instantaneous digital camera lens switching and a considerably diminished delay when opening the notification shade instantly after unlocking.

Sadly, essentially the most disappointing factor in regards to the Phantom V Flip software program is perhaps the lackluster replace coverage. TECNO is promising two main Android model updates and three years of safety patches. That’s nearly the naked minimal for an Android cellphone, and it pales compared to different foldable producers.

The Phantom V Flip ships with a fairly commonplace rear digital camera system for a clamshell foldable, that includes a 64MP fundamental shooter (RGBW) and a 13MP ultrawide lens with autofocus.

Picture high quality itself is often stable in the course of the daytime, with a largely wholesome stage of element (save for the occasional mushy picture) and saturated colours that may be a bit of too vibrant at occasions. The digital camera begins to stumble in blended lighting, although, notably blowing out highlights. You’ll additionally wish to stick to the Tremendous Evening mode in low-light conditions except you want darkish pictures with a great deal of noise. The evening mode is heavy-handed with the noise discount, however a minimum of it isn’t aggressively vivid like another OEMs. And sure, you’ve bought TECNO’s plump butt magnificence filter, if that’s your factor.

There’s a giant gulf in high quality between the principle and ultrawide cameras, with the ultrawide delivering extra noise, better distinction, and a ton of mushiness even in broad daylight. The one saving grace is the autofocus module, which permits macro snaps.

Video high quality isn’t fairly on par with the likes of Samsung’s wares, largely attributable to very noticeable judder. The cellphone additionally gives an HDR toggle for video in addition to a brilliant regular video mode, however each of those choices prime out at 1080p/30fps. In any other case, you’re getting a most of 4K/30fps video right here. That’s a downer when rival foldables supply 4K/60fps.

In a primary for foldables, the Phantom V Flip ships with a front-facing flash for the selfie digital camera. Then once more, you possibly can merely use the rear cameras and flash for selfies along with the duvet display. Plus, the cellphone packs a standard display flash too. However hey, it’s one thing completely different, I suppose. You possibly can view full-resolution picture samples through the Google Drive folder.

The TECNO Phantom V Flip is a welcome addition to the foldable market by advantage of its extra inexpensive price ticket alone (even when the corporate hasn’t disclosed a daily price ticket but). It manages to tick a couple of containers as effectively, comparable to stable battery life, a largely glossy design, and respectable, if unspectacular, efficiency. However there are just too many compromises, such because the tiny, underbaked cowl show, the large bump on the again, the shortage of an IP score, poor low-light digital camera high quality, a nasty ultrawide digital camera, and the shortage of wi-fi charging.

I take my hat off to TECNO for providing a foldable cellphone at what is sort of a mid-range price ticket, however you’re higher off shopping for an older Samsung flip cellphone if you happen to actually need a cheaper foldable.

There are a couple of options to the TECNO Phantom V Flip value realizing. Listed below are our picks.

• Motorola Razr (on the product’s web site): The vanilla Razr mannequin in 2023 (often known as the Razr 40) was the most affordable Flip cellphone available on the market previous to the V Flip’s launch. Count on a tiny cowl show and mid-range Snapdragon silicon, however you’re nonetheless getting a 144Hz OLED display, water-repellent coating, and wi-fi charging.
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 ($999.99 at Samsung): The mega-popular Flip vary is essentially the most extensively obtainable clamshell foldable round. Between the large cowl display, IPX8 score, and highly effective chip, there’s rather a lot to love in regards to the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
• OPPO Discover N2 Flip ($1029 at Giztop): OPPO’s first flip cellphone brings a pleasantly giant cowl show, final yr’s flagship silicon, and a big battery for a clamshell machine. In contrast to the vivo X Flip, this BBK flip cellphone is offered exterior China too.
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 ($944.45 at Amazon): Samsung’s earlier Flip cellphone can also be effectively value contemplating if you would like a less expensive clamshell foldable. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 nonetheless gives a robust processor, IPX8 score, and polished software program. Plus, you’re getting a protracted dedication to updates.