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 a whole lot 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 quite a bit proper on the floor — however how good is the expertise in the actual world? And, can the software program bundle stand its floor in opposition to bigger and more established players? I positioned my SIM card into the foldable to search out out.

Worth, 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 inside show is a 6.9-inch 1080 x 2560 pixel decision AMOLED affair, whereas the outer display screen is a 3.64-inch AMOLED panel. Each shows run at a capped refresh charge 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 huge and 50-megapixel ultra-wide shooters.

As for the brains of the operation, we’re wanting 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 inner storage. The colour selections on supply embrace moondust gray and travertine inexperienced. The telephone might be bought from varied 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 concerning 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 does not snap shut fairly as luxuriously as another units in the marketplace, nevertheless it feels satisfying nonetheless.

I additionally loved the general cowl display screen expertise — the show is large and shiny, 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 stage 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 obtained 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 on the subject of 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 concerning 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 greatest concern comes right down to longevity — the corporate solely affords assist for 2 extra years of Android function updates, which is notably lower than OEMs like Samsung. Tecno does supply three years of safety patch updates, and it provides a website with up-to-date info on that entrance.

The software program function 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 prime up different handsets day by day. The 70w quick charging brick is included within the field, which I respect, nevertheless it’s a proprietary system, which is not very best.

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

Do you have to purchase the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2?

Tecno’s new flip telephone is a considerably compelling alternative

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

The {hardware} facet of the V Flip 2 is sufficient, and the person expertise is fairly stable. I am not a fan of the 60Hz show refresh charge, which I discovered onerous to regulate to after a lot time utilizing 120Hz shows. As for the software program, it affords 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 select the V Flip 2 over, say, a Motorola Razr flip telephone, which affords a cleaner Android expertise and a construct that is extra premium to carry within the hand. That being stated, I feel that with one other yr or two price of refinements, Tecno would possibly genuinely have a winner on its hand.

This gadget was supplied to Pocket-lint by Tecno.

Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 5G