The camera system is impressive too, with the main Super Night sensor offering incredible clarity in low light.
I admit, Ive been somewhat bemused by the very concept of a folding phone.
Are phone screens suddenly not big enough?
Do we really want to introduce yet another failure point on already fragile devices?
Does no one remember bend-gate?!
That isnt something this Apple-fanboy has experienced before.
Now I’m a believer.
And the low-light camera system is superb, too.
But perhaps that’s about to change.
When folded, it just feels like a somewhat chunky regular smartphone.
So far, I havent experienced any physical issues or delamination of the screen.
The flexible display, to my surprise, doesn’t exhibit any screen artifacts when viewed straight on.
While I havent got another foldable phone to compare, I don’t think that’s unusual.
So my fears may be entirely unwarranted.
The most surprising thing about a foldable screen for me was how much better it made typing feel.
But you’re lucky to get more than a single line of editable text visible if you do that.
That’s a real boon for mobile productivity.
For watching videos, most of the time, you’ll get a larger image on the unfolded screen.
Either will be significantly larger on the almost-square unfolded screen.
For browsing the web and reading documents, the square format is ideal.
Not every app will take advantage of the full screen though.
This provides stereo sound when the phone is held horizontally, either folded or unfolded.
Although it’s unclear exactly what material it is (some sort of recycled plastic?
), it feels surprisingly nice and warm compared to the usual bare metal.
There’s a basic slimline case included in the package.
When unfolded, the phone expands to 140mm wide.
Although it’s not quite twice the thickness of a regular smartphone, it’s not far off.
A 512GB model is also planned for around $100 more.
Thus, while the Dimensity 9000+ GPU may be slightly less powerful, the overall performance is significantly better.
Users should not experience any issues with a sluggish UI or gaming.
Browsing is fast, and video playback is smooth.
Be sure to watch the full review video to see this in action.
The difference in quality here from the iPhone was less pronounced if any.
That said, I did find pressing the shutter button one-handed to be a bit awkward like this.
So, inevitably, battery life suffers.
In real-world normal usage, it lasts just over a day, but certainly not two days.
It means a return to the overnight charge routine for me.
Audio
The audio is unimpressive, though it gets reasonably loud.
It’s not as good as the Honor V’s with its IMAX certification, for instance.
User Interface
The UI is a custom version of Android 13 called HiOS 13 Fold.
But I’m not a fan of some of the things HiOS has replaced.
All I really want is a standard suite of Google apps and the Play Store.
Other aspects can’t be changed, like the Google Discover feed.
I can uninstall most of the bloatware and eventually get it set it up as I like.
Id probably hate the Samsung Fold UI just as much, if not more.
So, Is the Tecno Phantom V Fold a Game-Changer?
For me, it certainly has been.
The Dimensity 9000+ chip allows it to outperform its counterparts with general UI and work performance.
The Tecno Phantom V Fold is an excellent gear for anyone looking for a unique and innovative smartphone experience.
Just be prepared to gamble on the rig’s long-term durability.
