You might not have heard a lot about Tecno just yet, but its first foldable phone looks very interesting indeed.
The foldable phone fever continues at MWC 2023, with the launch of the Phantom V Fold from Tecno.
The brand has been trying its hand at a few interesting concepts in the past 12 months, including the Phantom Vision V rollable sliding screen phone and colour-changing technology, but the Phantom V Fold is very real and ready to launch.
It’s made up of dual LTPO screens, which both have an adaptive 10-120Hz refresh rate for smooth video and gaming.
On the front, there’s a 6.42-inch FHD+ sub screen with micro-curved design and 21:9 aspect ratio, made with single-handed use in mind, with the unfolded 7.85-inch 2K+ display offering an optimal 8:7 aspect ratio. Tecno says the crease is “virtually invisible”, measuring 0.11mm when new.
The self-developed drop-shaped hinge is all part of this, with a reverse snap structure and aerospace-grade construction that improves the phone’s durability and makes it capable of 200,000 folds.
Away from this folding prowess, the Phantom V Fold offers a five-lens photography system, comprising three rear lenses and two on the front.
Techno
The 50MP Super Night main camera wants to ensure good low light results and features a super light-sensitive custom 1/1.3-inch sensor, large f/1.85 aperture and 7P composition.
Its low-light abilities are helped further by AI powered modes that reduce noise.
Making up the other rear lenses are a 50MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom, alongside a 13MP ultra wide-angle lens. There are two front-facing cameras – one for when the phone is folded and one for when it is open.
Tecno has developed an optimized and customized OS for its Phantom V Fold, claiming to offer functionality to better suit a foldable device. Based on Android 13, HiOS13 Fold promises features like split screens, picture-in-pictures, parallel windows and the ability to drag and drop across screens. Tecno claims to have adapted over 2,000 apps for the HiOS13 Fold operating system.
Powering all of this is MediaTek’s flagship Dimension 9000+ processor, supported by 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a choice of 256GB and 512GB of storage. Battery life is handled by a 5000mAh capacity battery, with fast 45W charging delivering the ability to fully charge the phone in just 55 minutes, and to 40% within 15 minutes.
Tecno will launch the Phantom V Fold in India in the second quarter of 2023, costing 89,999 Indian Rupees – around $1099 – with an early bird price of 79,999 Indian Rupees – around $979. Details on availability in other regions to follow.
