TECNO Phantom V Fold Review: A first-rate first attempt

And boy, am I glad they did. Not only does using a different device lend perspective to my view of folding smartphones, but also calibrates my compass to help me get a better read on where the industry is going as far as this segment is concerned.

First things first — TECNO must be lauded for taking the risk of releasing a foldable smartphone in a country that has yet to embrace the concept — primarily due to a lack of choice. The Galaxy Z Fold5 costs more than Rs 1.5 lakh and that high price point severely curtails its accessibility. Priced curiously at Rs 88,888, the Phantom V packs not quite a phantom punch.

Let's first get the specifications out of the way.

The Phantom V is a solidly-engineered device that sports an aluminium chassis, a 6.42-inch full HD curved outer screen and a 7.85-inch, 2K main screen — both AMOLED panels capable of a 120 Hz refresh rate. It is packed with a 5,000 mAh battery, 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of non-expandable storage.

On the rear is a three-camera system in a circular housing — a 50-megapixel primary lens, a 50-MP telephoto shooter, and a 13-MP ultrawide camera. There's a 32-MP selfie camera in a hole-punch cutout on the cover screen, and a 16-MP shooter on the right half of the main screen.

The entire package is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset.

Its design is the best part of the Phantom V. The slight curve of the screen towards the outer edge, the brushed aluminium frame, and a ridged hinge — when folded — coupled with the leather back and the centrally-aligned camera bump — make this a very good looking phone when folded. The cover screen boasts a 21:9 aspect ratio, making it perfect for watching movies without the letterboxing effect.

Unfolded, the Phantom V opens into what is basically a tablet. The sheer customisability of the Android 13-based HiOS 13 Fold (optimised for this particular device) means you can add different sounds when you unfold it, giving it a dash of flair.

There's a side-mounted fingerprint sensor — about par on foldables — and volume buttons just above it. The sensor's placement is perfect — it is right where your finger hits when you pick up the device, unlocking it instantly.

The only downside, if I can call it that, is the weight. At 299 grams, this is the heaviest smartphone I've ever handled, and puts a strain on your wrist if you use it one-handed for a prolonged duration. When unfolded, however, the weight distribution is saner, which makes it easier to use.

One thing must be noted here — the Phantom V does not open to a completely 180-degree angle, and the hinge is loose enough so you can feel it flex without too much effort. Also, unlike on the Z Fold5, the hinge does not allow you to leave the phone open at any angle. Open it any wider than 90 degrees, and the entire device un-folds.

But given the risk TECNO is taking in making a device for a niche market, and the fact that it comes in at a little more than half the price of the Z Fold5, I find it hard to hold this against the company.

It's the usability — folded or otherwise — that matters, and in that respect, the Phantom V deserves a solid win.

Here's where things get a little rough.

The HiOS is pretty good. It's smooth with fluid animations and looks great both in light and dark modes. But it's not there yet, at least on the foldable side. There are a few creases to iron out — no pun intended. For instance, I'm not a fan of the device not locking when I fold it shut — whichever app I'm running on the main screen simply transitions to the cover screen, dubbed 'sub display' by TECNO.

This has, on several occasions, led to accidental touches on the app. Now, this was not that much of an issue with the Kindle app, but I can see how this might lead to accidental dials or texts. It's important to note that all this can be changed in the settings, but it's on by default.

Also, you can't just drag and drop an app icon from the app drawer onto the home screen. You need to long-press the app icon and select the 'send to desktop' option. Depending on your settings, this will either send the app icon to where you want it or a to completely different screen.

This makes customising the home screen a little tedious, especially given that other versions of Android make the process so much simpler. Another — final — issue I have with the software is how the notification panel is implemented. In most Android devices, you can just pull down from anywhere on the home or lock screen to bring down the notification shade and the control centre. Another pull and the control centre is expanded. In HiOS, the pull-down gesture only brings down notifications. You need to swipe down from the top-right edge to bring down the control centre, which seems counterintuitive, adding an entire extra step to the process.

I absolutely love how TECNO has implemented Android 13. HiOS is easily among the best Android skins I've used and the sheer number of options to customise this foldable is eye-popping. From wallpapers designed specifically to highlight the symmetry of the unfolded device to navigation, TECNO has almost nailed it — if you account for the issues I have highlighted above.

Scrolling is smooth, especially at high refresh rates, and app responsiveness is very high. There's a snappiness to the operating system that enhances the user experience. You can really get your hands dirty and customise how pages turn, and how different animations display, or even have a wallpaper that keeps track of your daily step count ,and, assuming you meet your target, rewards you with a delightful wallpaper. I thought this was a really nice Easter egg.

Further, there are options galore to personalise the always-on display — right from displaying your daily fitness stats to a plethora of clock styles, cosmic-themed images and more. I lost track of time setting up everything just the way I like it, and that's the best part about Android, isn't it?

The 12 GB of RAM can be boosted by an additional 9 GB. There are also several baked-in options to manage the device — right from cleaning up junk files to clearing up storage, there's everything you could think of.

My favourites are 'phone cooler,' which discernibly cools down your phone; 'phone boost,' which optimises apps and background processes to give you extra power; and voice changer, which actually allows you to alter your voice on calls (supported on WhatsApp, too)!

All in all, this makes for a fun experience that I haven't seen in too many Android devices, which are increasingly leaning towards seriousness.

Without using any of the special options, the Phantom V easily gave me more than two days of battery with regular to heavy usage, and in my experience, that's the best I've gotten out of a foldable yet. It does pack more capacity at 5,000 mAh than some of its competitors, which probably accounts for a part of its 299-gram heft.

As with any foldable, cameras are not why you're buying them, but TECNO does go out of its way to offer you a camera experience that's bursting with options with its 50-megapixel main shooter, 50 MP telephoto lens and 13 MP ultrawide snapper. On the front, you get a 16 MP selfie camera.

I found that the photos were a too little saturated for my liking, but on the whole, they are pretty good.

The daylight shots exhibit excellent colour reproduction and crispness, but it's in low-light conditions where the Phantom V Fold truly shines. It manages to capture remarkably impressive images in low-light scenarios, showcasing impressive detail and sharpness. However, this level of performance does not extend to the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses.

The camera application boasts a plethora of features, including Super Night, Pro Mode, Film Mode, AI CAM, AR shot, and more. Among these, the Sky Shop feature provided the most enjoyable experience, allowing you to transform the sky into various conditions like Sunny, Rainbow, Starry, Twilight, and more. Furthermore, the Phantom V Fold excels in video recording, supporting resolutions up to 4K 60. It's worth noting, though, that optical image stabilisation (OIS) is only available for the primary sensor.

For a budget-focused brand like TECNO to even take a risk with a foldable when the segment is still in its nascency is commendable. Yes, it has its issues but you must consider the price at Rs 88,888 compared to its cousins — which cost nearly twice as much. TECNO is about to launch its flip version of the Phantom V in the coming weeks, meaning the brand is clearly going all-in on the foldable segment. So, the Phantom V remains a compelling  debut —and choice.