Tecno Phantom V Fold review

The democratization of foldables is currently a truth. Signing up with an expanding list of bendy-screen models currently available beyond China, the Tecno Phantom V Fold provides a value-oriented alternative to the Galaxy of a comparable name - the de-facto standard for a tablet computer in a phone's role.

Tecno Phantom V Fold review


The Phantom has the better percentages of foldables that aren't the Galaxy - the cover screen is bigger and a lot more functional compared to the one on the Samsung, and the collapsible display on the inside is larger too. A large battery is after that had to power all that 120Hz OLED screen location, and you wind up with an instead hefty package - a gram timid of 300g.


You do obtain a pretty qualified video cam system with a pair of 50MP units for main and tele, plus an autofocusing ultrawide - when are we ever obtaining AF on an UW on a Samsung collapsible?


Unlike the mass of foldables, the Tecno has a Mediatek chipset at its heart. The Dimensity 9000+ has to do with on the same level with the Snapdragon 8(+) Gen 1 however, so the Phantom V Fold is anything but underpowered. And with 12GB of RAM as standard and 256GB or 512GB of storage space, you will not be pushed for memory either.


Various other small niceties consist of 45W fast billing, stereo audio speakers, and an FM radio - front runner Snapdragons dropped that a while back. It is a most invite view that the V Fold runs Android 13, so its software is present, too (also quite qualified, it ends up).


Tecno Phantom V Fold specifications at a glimpse:

Body: 159.4x140.4x6.9mm unravelled, 159.4x72x14.2-14.5 mm folded up, 299g; Gorilla Glass Victus front, plastic back, light weight aluminum frame; Schott UTG on the collapsible display.


  • Display: 7.85" Collapsible LTPO AMOLED, 1B shades, 120Hz, 1100 nits (peak), 2000x2296px resolution, 10.3:9 aspect proportion, 388ppi; 
  • Cover display: 6.42" LTPO AMOLED, 1B shades, 120Hz, 1100 nits (peak), 1080 x 2550 pixels, 431 PPI.
  • Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.20 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510); Mali-G710 MC10.
  • Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.OS/Software: Android 13, HiOS 13 Fold.
  • Back video cam: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.3", PDAF; Telephoto: 50 MP, PDAF, 2x optical zoom; Extremely wide angle: 13 MP, 120˚.
  • Selfie video cam: Cover:: 32MP, f/2.5. Interior: 16MP, f/2.5.
  • Video clip catch: Back video cam: 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps; Front video cam: 1080p@60fps.Battery: 5000mAh; 45W wired, 40% in 15 minutes, 100% in 55 minutes (advertised).
  • Misc: Finger print reader (side-mounted);
  • NFC; FM radio; stereo audio speakers.Tecno Phantom V Fold unpacking


Tecno did come up with an elegant box for the Phantom V Fold, as befitting a collapsible. As big as 2 routine telephone boxes, and with both strokes of a V meeting in the center, the package available to both sides, exposing a 'Beyond the extraordinary' cover. Just after removing that do you reach see the telephone, itself in a different tray.


Another box underneath holds a snap-on back cover with kickstand functionality. We're not completely certain you had want to be covering what is among the nicest back panels around, but you do you. 2 more separate containers have the battery charger and USB cable television all nicely packed.


Design, develop quality, handling

It is a collapsible, alright, the Phantom V Fold, but we can't help but begin our appearance right into its design from the one quarter of its surface that is not a screen. The relatively random-textured fiber-like finish of the back panel is unique to Tecno and we're liking it equally as a lot here as we did on the Phantom X2 Professional.


It is plastic in its significance, which isn't a problem by itself. In truth, it does feel instead premium, offers a sensible quantity of hold, and does not get finger prints. You can call us followers.



Of course, the Black colorway of our V Fold review unit is no place as loud as the Mars Orange X2 Professional we had for review, and that is probably right - the incognito paintjob suits the Fold. That said, there is a white alternative too, which does appearance pretty attractive too, however we can understand how the copper-colored frame may be polarizing.


Similarly not to everyone's preference is the video cam island on the back, however the customer writing these words does not find it one bit objectionable. A Celebrity Battles follower at the workplace explained a similarity to the Fatality Celebrity and we can see where he's originating from. All the same, similar to the choice of color, the V Fold is a great deal more restrained in its back designing compared to the X2 set, video cam collection consisted of. High notes for appearances, we'd say.


The 21.3:9 aspect proportion and the 6.42-inch angled of the display make it infinitely more functional compared to the one on the Galaxy Z Fold4, but now, you've probably listened to us say that a lots times - literally each large collapsible has a better cover screen compared to the Samsung when it comes to percentages.


The V Fold has a great deal of subjected light weight aluminum about its boundary, and the grey frame on our black unit is treated to a satin finish. All-time low fifty percent is the home of both physical switches (as opposed to the Recognize Magic Vs), and they both click favorably. The capacitive finger print reader in the power switch functioned perfectly with either the right thumb or the left index finger.


It is more of a nuanced experience opening up the V Fold. The mix of instead effective magnets, solid joint, level and rather unsafe frame and little room to wedge your fingertips in, makes unraveling the Fold a bit of a fiddly job. Of course, that is securely in the nitpicking category, and since you are mosting likely to be using it with both hands anyhow, using some purposeful initiative to open up it isn't a huge deal.


Once opened up, the V Fold does not actually fully unravel to a level specify. As in, both halves still need to maintain an angle in between them as opposed to remaining in one airaircraft. Is that what the V in the name mentions?


Mind you, it is all very refined, and at no point are you actually seeming like the device hasn't already unravelled fully, it is simply something you notice when you go looking for it.


120Hz LTPO AMOLEDs inside and out

The Phantom V Fold's display specifications will not be misplaced on among the higher-end foldables - in truth, the Tecno outspecs a couple of of them. The bendy panel is a 7.85-inch unit, while the 6.42-inch panel graces the cover, and both are LTPO AMOLEDs, bring a guarantee for flexible revitalize rate in the 10-120Hz range.


The internal panel has a 2,000x2,296px resolution (pixel thickness works bent on 388ppi) in a 10.3:9 aspect proportion, so it is partially higher-res, if fractionally smaller sized compared to the Recognize Vs' 7.9-inch 1,984x2,272px unit. The Galaxy Z Fold4 is also smaller sized, however, at 7.6 inches, and it is also not as pixel-rich (1,812x2,176px). The Tecno is connected with the Galaxy here for maximum revitalize rate, while the Honor's collapsible display maxes out at 90Hz.


On the cover, the Tecno's 6.42-inch panel contrasts similarly to these 2 - simply hardly smaller sized compared to the Recognize (6.45 "), more meaningfully bigger compared to the Galaxy (6.2"). The Phantom is certainly a great deal better compared to the Galaxy, also many thanks to its more practical aspect proportion (21.3:9 vs. 23.1:9). The resolution is FullHD with a somewhat unorthodox 2,550px dimension along the upright axis.


Moving on our illumination testing, we could not obtain the Tecno to get to the advertised 1,100nits of top illumination on neither panel, with both hovering about the 500nits note. No boost was observed with the Flexible illumination toggled on either. That was our experience with the Phantom X2 Professional as well, however the X2 did have an extra 200nits to open - so it is not such as the idea of a illumination boost is international to Tecno.


Color handling on the Phantom V Fold is performed in the same two-mode way we observerd on the X2 and X2 Professional. Both the 'Bright-colored' and the 'Original color' settings target the DCI-P3 color space (there is no sRGB-specific setting) but neither does it with any particular precision. The bright setting is more of a vivid setting, while initial tones points down a little bit. In either case, you can anticipate fairly chilly and bluish whites, and you might wish to push the temperature level slider about a 3rd of the way towards warm for one of the most neutral performance.


The Phantom V Fold doesn't claim any HDR abilities, and although equipment discovery applications list it as sustaining HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG, that is more of a software decoding capability compared to real HDR playback. YouTube did offer HDR streams, but they didn't have that characteristic stand out or an increase in illumination. The Widevine L1 accreditation does permit FullHD playback for DRM-protected content.


The revitalize rate food selection gives you a total of 4 options - 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz, plus an Auto-switch setting. No matter of setting, you can anticipate the Tecno to wind to 10Hz throughout the UI, if you are not touching it.


If you want to guarantee you had be obtaining the complete 120Hz in as many applications as feasible, your best option is the 120Hz setting. That will net you max revitalize rate in video games that support high frame prices. It will also let browsers wander maximize to 120Hz (if for whatever factor you might want that), as lengthy as there is vibrant content requiring it. You can still anticipate 10Hz when the web page is still, and you are not touching the screen.


The complete auto revitalize setting will be more likely to limit revitalize rate on a each application basis, and while it will regularly give you 120Hz in the UI, browsers and video games can wind up topped at 60Hz. We'd stay with the 120Hz setting to obtain one of the most from the Phantom V Fold's display - the flexible smarts will still lower the revitalize rate and conserve you battery, but you will also be obtaining the maximum more regularly.


We encountered an extremely annoying habits in YouTube, where if you are having fun back video clips fullscreen, the telephone will drop its revitalize rate to 10Hz, production for an uneven viewing experience. That held true in all revitalize rate settings, and affected video clips contended all frame prices other than, strangely, 24fps which would certainly play back simply fine. We also observed it on both displays, so it is not limited to simply the folding screen. We're hoping Tecno will come up with a software upgrade to fix it because it is kind of a significant issue if you such as your flexible revitalize rate.


It was also present in Netflix, however we'd have been likely not to earn a big deal from it, because we sideloaded the Netflix application ourselves. In a manner, if it is not formally available, there is no need to grumble about a problem with it.


Tecno Phantom V Fold battery life

A 5,000mAh battery powers the Phantom V Fold - that is the same capacity as in the Recognize Magic Vs and greater than the Galaxy Z Fold4, Oppo Find N2, or Xiaomi Blend Fold 2. Compared with the Recognize, the Phantom's advanced display can be both a true blessing and a curse - it is more flexible, but its maximum revitalize rate is greater. After that there is the issue of the chipset that sets the Tecno aside from the various other large foldables - all them use a premium Snapdragon, this is based upon the Mediatek Dimensity 9000+.


But enough with the thinking. In our testing, the Phantom proved a reliable entertainer from a durability perspective. We clocked 11 hrs of internet browsing (at a continuous 120Hz) and 14:44h of looping video clips (at 60Hz). The 29 hrs of call time and a fairly average standby effectiveness all integrate to form a general Endurance score of 92h.


We duplicated the screen-on tests on the cover display. We clocked 17:09h on our internet browsing manuscript and 20:08h of looping our test video clip - again, at 120Hz and 60Hz specifically. The Tecno is a suit for the Recognize when used on the cover screen, and both are better compared to the rest in this respect.


Billing speed

The Tecno specifications rate the Phantom V Fold's billing capability at 45W, and that is also what the packed adapter is ranked for. Inning accordance with journalism products, the telephone should have the ability to get to 40% charge in 15 mins and be fully butted in 55 mins.


In our testing, we could not quite suit Tecno's numbers, but we just weren't too away. The complete charge took us 61 mins, while thirty minutes right into the process, we were looking at 62%, while the battery indicator revealed 31% at the 15-minute note.


Most of the various other devices in the course charge much faster - not significantly so, but the distinction isn't minimal, especially if you contrast versus the Oppo Find N2 or the Recognize Magic Vs. That said, the Galaxy Z Fold4 is slower compared to the Tecno - tangibly so, too.


The Phantom V Fold doesn't support cordless billing, but we can hardly hold it versus Tecno. It is currently among the heaviest handsets of its type, plus it is not such as cordless billing is to be considered granted in the course - of the globally available large foldables, just the Galaxy has it.


Audio speaker test

The collapsible Phantom features a stereo audio speaker configuration with a chauffeur on each finish of the top/left fifty percent of the device. Each audio speaker outcomes through a grille in the frame while the top one also functions as an earpiece and thus also diverts some of the sound towards the display.


As is relatively common, the top audio speaker is designated the left network when in picture orientation (the Recognize Magic Vs is a noteworthy exemption). Most others will change the output to suit the device's orientation when you are holding it in landscape, but not the Tecno - so to obtain the correct networks originating from the correct side, you need to hold the Phantom V Fold with the video cam fifty percent up. It is not a huge deal - that is the basic habits of all Sony's phones for instance, but auto switching can't be too hard to implement (if you are not persistent about it).


Automated network switching or otherwise, the Phantom V Fold did alright in our speaker test. It made a 'Very Good' score for loudness - on the same level with the Recognize Magic Vs and a pair of notches over the Galaxy Z Fold4. Sound quality isn't exactly outstanding, but it is okay either - there is a little bit of a bathroom-y ambiance to the mids, but the treble is well specified and there is some bass too.


Lots of megapixels, functional cover screen

The Tecno Phantom V Fold has a skilled video cam setup with an appropriate three-way back configuration and a selfie video cam for each display. On the back you are obtaining a pair of 50MP units for main and telephoto, plus a 13MP autofocusing ultrawide.


Rather strangely, the selfie video cams are various - 32MP on the cover, 16MP on the inside - but that is almost beside the point since there is a fully-functional video cam UI on the cover screen when the V unFolds so you can use the back video cams for pictures of your cup.


Inning accordance with the equipment applications, the primary video cam is based upon the Samsung GNV sensing unit, which we understand to be a by-product of the GN1, and an imager we considered special to vivo. However, it remained in the X80 Professional and the the X90 Professional has removaled on from it, so perhaps that exclusivity is no much longer appropriate. It is obtained a 1/1.3" optical style and 1.2µm pixels, and a Tetrapixel color filter array (Quad Bayer, in Sony speak), but with an RGBW twist, as best as we can inform. The lens has a reported aperture of f/1.9 and a comparable focal size in the 24-25mm ballpark (by our estimate - Tecno does not define it).


The zoom video cam utilizes the Samsung JN1 - a prominent service for the job. It has a 1/2.8" optical style, 0.64µm pixels dimension and a Tetrapixel color filter too. We're determining the lens' equivalent focal size at about 44mm, so hardly telephoto, but still okay to have. The aperture is f/2.0.


The ultrawide uses the (S5K)3L6 sensing unit - 1/3" optical style, 1.12µm pixels and a traditional RGB filter array. Essential on this is its autofocusing capability - an unusual incident on anything that aims to in shape in a limited budget.


For selfies, you obtain the (S5K)GD2 on the cover (1/2.8", 0.8µm, Tetrapixel) with a 25mm-equivalent f/2.5 lens. The interior selfie video cam uses the just non-Samsung sensing unit - it is the OmniVision OV16B10 (1/2.8", 1.12µm, routine RGB) with the same lens specifications. Both lenses have fixed focus too.


The Tecno does not miss out on the opportunity to offer cover screen UI for running the back video cams with the device unravelled - among the key benefits of having actually a large-screen collapsible is back video cam selfie video clip and pictures. Over the shutter launch switch you will find the back/front video cam toggle, and over that one is the switch that moves the whole fully-functional UI to the front screen.


Various other foldable-specific features are available too, such as an online sneak peek on the cover screen for your based on appearance at themselves while you still have the manages on your finish. Also present is a split-screen view where the view finder moves away, while the various other side becomes a movie remove with one of the most recently caught pictures. What's missing out on is a waist-level shooting kind of split, but since the Tecno's joint can't truly be maintained in intermediate specifies to start with, we would not call that a software omission.


Daytime picture quality

Daytime pictures from the Phantom V Fold's main video cam are respectable. They have a well wide vibrant range, however we'd say outside shots lean a bit towards too much exposure - fifty percent a quit darker almost widely appearances better to our eyes. White balance is also simply hardly offthe note and we're obtaining a pass out green tint when shooting outside.


An push in saturation also would not hurt - it is alright as it's, but a little bit more would certainly improve points, we reckon. However, perhaps you prefer a more reserved color performance that you could modify on your own in post-processing. There is also the issue compared to the excessively passionate display shades can be misleading as to what outcomes you had actually be obtaining.


Intensity and information, on the other hand, are excellent, and the processing is very fully grown in this respect. There is no sound to mention either.


The ultrawide shots have some compound activity taking place when the topic is far-off enough - it is seldom manufacturers do this, but it does produce strong outcomes when done right, which holds true here. The facility part of the Phantom's ultrawide shots originates from the main video cam and the ultrawide just fills out the perimeter. That is why you can anticipate softer information about the sides compared to in the center of the frame, but after that ultrawides are susceptible to being softer off-center anyhow.


You had anticipate the ultrawide examples to be perfectly color-matched to the main camera's but that is not completely real - skies particularly have deeper, bluer blues, beside the more cyan performance at 1x. Overall however, some more saturation would not hurt, as held true on the main video cam.


Closeups

The ultrawide's autofocusing capability allows you catch closeups with it, and we value Tecno's approach of not turning up with some 'macro' setting with electronic zoom and upscaling - the ultrawide simply focuses shut and you can use that.


In those circumstances, you do not obtain the main camera's input - besides, if that could focus so shut, you had be using it rather.


One issue becomes apparent quickly and that is the darkness you have the tendency to toss with the telephone simply because you are this shut to the topic. Workarounds with strange angles can imply you do not obtain the framing you had preferably want. With those caveats off the beaten track, the Phentom's closeups are actually quite great - whatever little remains in focus is well detailed and sharp.


Low-light picture quality

The Phantom's main video cam pictures in reduced light, while not perfect, ready in the default AI Webcamera setting currently. Vibrant range isn't the largest, but it is reputable and while contrastier scenes will show clipped highlights and dark darkness, more balanced illumination will outcome in well subjected pictures. Information is excellent, sound is well included, auto white balance deals well with all kind of artificial illumination.


Very Evening setting does present some improvements. A noteworthy increase in vibrant range will restore highlights well while also increasing the darker locations. You'll obtain some of that fairly hefty sharpening and watercolor-like effect on information, and while it is certainly not one of the most all-natural performance, it is not the most awful situation we've seen either. We'd suggest it is well well worth it for the improved tonal residential or commercial homes.


Closeups

The ultrawide's autofocusing capability allows you catch closeups with it, and we value Tecno's approach of not turning up with some 'macro' setting with electronic zoom and upscaling - the ultrawide simply focuses shut and you can use that.


In those circumstances, you do not obtain the main camera's input - besides, if that could focus so shut, you had be using it rather.


One issue becomes apparent quickly and that is the darkness you have the tendency to toss with the telephone simply because you are this shut to the topic. Workarounds with strange angles can imply you do not obtain the framing you had preferably want. With those caveats off the beaten track, the Phentom's closeups are actually quite great - whatever little remains in focus is well detailed and sharp.


Low-light picture quality

The Phantom's main video cam pictures in reduced light, while not perfect, ready in the default AI Webcamera setting currently. Vibrant range isn't the largest, but it is reputable and while contrastier scenes will show clipped highlights and dark darkness, more balanced illumination will outcome in well subjected pictures. Information is excellent, sound is well included, auto white balance deals well with all kind of artificial illumination.


Very Evening setting does present some improvements. A noteworthy increase in vibrant range will restore highlights well while also increasing the darker locations. You'll obtain some of that fairly hefty sharpening and watercolor-like effect on information, and while it is certainly not one of the most all-natural performance, it is not the most awful situation we've seen either. We'd suggest it is well well worth it for the improved tonal residential or commercial homes.


When it comes to the 2x zoom, we're happy to record we didn't encounter an circumstances when the Tecno would certainly switch to its main video cam, no matter of how dark the scene was. The tele does a reputable job with information but does battle with vibrant range and will most of the time give you darkness that are too dark, and some clipped highlights to go with those.


Very Evening setting provides the expected tonal development, especially apparent in scenes with darker darkness, however there is some emphasize remediation activity as well. The watercoloring really feels more powerful here, but it is still an appropriate trade-off.


Very Evening setting obviously disable the compound processing - or else that would certainly be some difficult processing, we imagine. Various other compared to that, the distinctions in between both settings are minimal. We'd hypothesize that the Tecno is currently doing the best it can computationally in the routine setting, so the Very Evening can't add a lot.


Selfies

In foldables with an appropriate capability for back video cam selfie shooting it makes good sense to begin discussing selfies with the back ones. Certainly, the Phantom's main video cam will obtain you truly nice selfies. Information on your cup is excellent, while the history has some all-natural obscure, and complexion are realistic.


Pictures at the 0.6x zoom may actually sometimes be compounds too, also for selfies at arm's size. The exact range issues, as does the light - if you are too shut and/or there is complex illumination requiring hefty HDR activity, the UW is by itself.


You can also take selfies with the 2x zoom video cam - it will focus at arm's size, and those will have great information. That said, in landscape you can't in shape a great deal greater than simply a face up and down in the frame.


Shooting in picture orientation makes more sense after that, however that positions some handling problems - holding the tablet computer with the left hand and pushing the quantity switch with the index finger for shutter launch functioned best for us. Hand shutter isn't available, while grin shutter is, and it functioned relatively reliably, but you do not always want to be grinning in all your pictures, right?


With the back selfies accounted for, let's have an appearance at some selfie video cam selfies. The 32MP unit on the cover can instead excellent information in balanced illumination (examples 1, 3, 5) also if there is some sound therein as well. More complex or dimmer scenes (well, the remainder of the examples) involve various processing and outcome in not as a lot per-pixel information, however undoubtedly noone objectively needs 32MP pin-sharp selfies.


Vibrant range isn't the largest, but it is great enough and the telephone will subject to priotize for your face, so the most awful that could occur is some blown out clouds behind-the-scenes. Shades are, again, relatively laid back and could take advantage of a small saturation boost.


Picture setting

The Phantom V Fold's Picture setting can catch pictures with the main video cam at 1x or with the zoom video cam at 2x, and it defaults to the 2x option. In both situations you are obtaining excellent topic splitting up and the conservative obscure degree of the pre-set f/4.0 substitute aperture makes for an all-natural looking performance of out-of-focus histories.


The 2x video cam helps a great deal with topic range and face percentages and since it is a pretty strong video cam to start with, you obtain very nice picture quality.


Video clip tape-taping

The Phantom V Fold documents video clip up to 4K60 with its main and zoom video cams, while the ultrawide is topped at 1080p30. There is no option for using the h.265 codec - the older, much less efficient, but more commonly suitable h.264 is the just way to inscribe video clips. Stablizing is available up to 4K30.


We're not purely followers of the Phantom's video clip video video for one main factor. Main video cam 4K clips (53Mbps bit rate) have exceedingly high comparison that truly jumps at you and the tonal extremes are way too severe for our liking. However, white balance gets on point and shades are looking nice overall - saturation is greater compared to in stills (which in this situation means better). Information is lots, if rather overprocessed. 4K60 (about 65Mbps) has the exact same quality.



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