Tecno Phantom V Flip Review: A Right Step in the ‘Mass’-ification of Flip Phones

The Phantom V Flip — launched at Rs 54,999 is the most affordable clamshell foldable in India. This is Tecno’s second foray into the foldable market with both its offerings priced reasonably. Tecno’s Phantom V Flip cuts some corners to attain this price but mostly ticks the necessary boxes. So, should you consider buying it? Find out in this review.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Review: Design and build quality

• The faux leather exterior gives the phone a premium look and feel

• The phone is available in two colour variants

The V Flip (First Impressions) looks stunning in both its colourways. While the purple variant features a dual-tone finish, the black colourway sports a mixture of stitched textured and lychee patterns. In fact, the latter is commonly used in luxury items. When paired with the bundled case, the V Flip looks like a fashion accessory. After all, flip smartphones are a fashion statement among other things.

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The amalgamation of the leather back, aluminium frame, and steel hinge makes sure you do not feel like you are using a mid-range foldable. At its weight, the V Flip does not overburden your wrists, and once folded, is a treat for your pockets.

Also, that camera ring with a tiny circular display is a total attention magnet. While the hinge can be used in a semi-folded state, it does not fully open and has a slight inwards bend. We faced the same issue with the Moto Razr 40 Ultra, but the V Flip’s bend isn’t as prominent. Tecno claims the phone can last 200,000 folds.

For a first-generation flip phone, Tecno has done a fine job in minimising the gap when folded, but there is still a bit of opening for lint and dust to enter. The fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button works flawlessly. The phone also misses out on any sort of IP rating.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Review: Display and audio

• The main display is taller than the Galaxy Z Flip 5

• The cover screen is a bit limiting due to its size

Main Display	Specifications
Display type	AMOLED
Refresh rate	120Hz
Display size	6.9 inches
Screen-to-body ratio	84.6%
Brightness	1000 nits
Resolution	1080 x 2640 pixels

Cover Display	Specifications
Display type	AMOLED
Refresh rate	60Hz
Display size	1.32 inches
Brightness	800 nits
Resolution	466 x 466 pixels

The cover display is essentially like a budget smartwatch. You get a bunch of preloaded widgets and interactive pets that can be customised in the settings. The screen also misses out on an oleophobic coating, resulting in annoying smudges at all times.

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WhatsApp chats can be read from the cover display, but you are limited to preset replies. Luckily, you can answer or decline calls, but the touch response needs to be worked on here. That and using it as a viewfinder when capturing selfies with the rear camera are the biggest use cases since using full-fledged apps is not possible.

While there are premium flip phones with a fully functional cover screen, considering the V Flip costs half the price, this limitation should not be a dealbreaker

The main display is tall, beating the Z Flip 5 and levelling the Moto Razr 40 series in terms of size. The plastic bezels on all four sides are visible, reminding me of older Galaxy phones. But, it does not hinder your daily usage. The panel is rich and vibrant in terms of colour reproduction. The high brightness levels ensure good legibility under the sunlight.

The faster refresh rate helps with smooth scrolling through the UI and the Widevine L1 certification makes sure you can watch 1080p content on OTT platforms. The video-watching experience is pretty good until you notice the crease. The indent is also prominent.

The well-placed stereo speaker setup provides good output. While it can get loud enough, the speakers lack decent depth.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Review: Performance and software

• The V Flip uses the MediaTek Dimensity 8050 chipset and comes in a single RAM and ROM variant of 8 / 256GB

• It runs on a custom HiOS interface based on Android 13

Hardware	Specifications
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 8050
RAM	8GB LPDDR4X
Storage	256GB UFS 3.1
Geekbench 6	Single-Core – 1091, Multi-Core – 3211
AnTuTu v10	606414
Android version/UI	HiOS 13.5 based on Android 13
Connectivity details	Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC

To keep the price of the V Flip in check, Tecno has gone ahead with a mid-range processor. It is a small trade-off for flaunting the flip phone in your friend circle but it fares well in daily use.

We have seen the Dimensity 8050 in the Infinix GT 10 Pro as well, which is priced at Rs 20,999. This chip is essentially a spruced-up version of the Dimensity 1300, which can also be found in the year-old OnePlus Nord 2T.

In the AnTuTu v10 tests, the V Flip scores less than the GT 10 Pro. Strangely, the test marked the GPU score on the V Flip under the “lite” version, while the GT 10 Pro tests showed no such labels.

The V Flip also manages to outclass the Razr 40 by a huge margin in the benchmark results. In practical usage, it had no issues dealing with menial tasks. The phone was able to handle switching between apps and normal everyday usage well. There was not a single hint of stuttering when doom scrolling through social media.

The V Flip can run BGMI at HDR graphics and Ultra frame rates, which means you can achieve 40fps. But, to get 60fps you will have to switch to Smooth graphics preset. The game runs fine without any obvious lags.

But, the area around the camera module tends to warm up very easily. This warmth then spreads to the aluminium frames rather easily. While the increase in temperature did not affect our gameplay, the thermal management could have been better.

The V Flip runs HiOS 13.5, a custom interface which does not deter much from the UI found on the Phantom X2 series. The customisation options are plenty, but the default homepage is overburdened with widgets making you want to quickly swipe up. The control centre is quite accessible, but it may be time for a revamp.

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Tecno has neatly managed to integrate foldable-focused features, which can be used when the phone is folded in half — such as camera controls on the bottom screen while the top half acts as a viewfinder. Bloatware is still here but is comparatively less than last year. The V Flip will receive two years of software upgrades and three years of security patches.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Review: Cameras

• The V Flip features a dual-camera setup at the back

• You get an LED flash module at the front for bright selfies

Photos from the main camera are pixel-binned to 16-megapixels, resulting in detailed and crisp shots. The white balance leans toward the warmer tones. Bright colours such as reds and greens get a saturated and vibrant approach.

The colour science lacks consistency when switching to the ultra-wide angle camera. Here, you can find photos with cooler tones and slightly lesser details. But, the dynamic range on both cameras is good.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Daylight Camera Samples

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Once you overcome the bunch of filters and effects, the portrait mode clicks photos with good edge detection.

Low-light shots are just serviceable, with some photos that consist of noise. With night mode, these images are brighter, but the details are just about adequate.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Low-light Camera Samples

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The selfie camera clicks detailed photos, but the dynamic range is not quite wide. Portrait mode also works well here, but the interesting part here is the front LED flash module.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Selfie Camera Samples

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This allows for brighter selfies under dim lighting conditions. But, since this is a foldable phone, you can take more detailed selfies using the combo of the rear camera and cover screen (which acts as a viewfinder)

Tecno Phantom V Flip Review: Battery and charging

• The V Flip packs a 4,000mAh battery

• You get a 45W charger inside the box, making it the fastest-charging flip phone on the market

Despite the relatively slim body, the V Flip packs a 4,000mAh battery. On the numbers front, it’s bigger than the Z Flip 5 but smaller than the Moto Razr 40. On most days, the V Flip managed to last us an entire day, but if you are a heavy user keep the charger handy by 6 pm.

Speaking of chargers, you do get one. Something the premium foldable market lacks. The 45W charger fills up the battery to 100 per cent in just an hour. This has been quite the lifesaver for me.

Tecno Phantom V Flip Review: Verdict

For the price, there is no denying that the Phantom V Flip offers a lot, but it cuts some corners too. But, as I mentioned at the start, it ticks most of the boxes.

Despite its prominent crease, the inner display performs well for daily usage and video-watching sessions. The build quality and design approach rivals the premium foldable smartphones at half the price.

The primary camera captures palatable shots in daylight conditions, and the LED flash module for selfies is a nice touch. Battery life on the V Flip is also decent if you are a moderate user. But, what’s good is the included charger that counters the battery anxiety.

On the performance front, the mid-range chipset may not bode well against heavy games, resulting in thermal issues. But, it supersedes the Razr 40 (Review) in benchmarks, while costing less. The corner cutting was inevitable at this price, but a more usable cover screen is something I would have liked to see.

You will find much better phones in this price segment, but if you want one to flaunt and shut after an angry call, the Phantom V Flip provides good value for money. The Razr 40 is another good option but has its own shortcomings.

Overall, the Tecno Phantom V Flip reaffirms that 2023 is the year when foldable smartphones become mainstream.