The Tecno Phantom V Fold, the most affordable of the foldables, costs about $1,100. It undermines the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 by a prominent Margin, especially in the market in which it is being sold.
I’ve been using the Tecno Phantom V Fold for a week, and surprisingly, it does five things better than Samsung’s $1,800 foldable. It’s something that seems impossible, but it’s true.
Larger, more usable cover screen
The Techno Phantom V Fold features a 6.42-inch display compared to the 6.2-inch front screen found on the Galaxy Z Fold 4. And it’s not just about the size, it’s also about the aspect ratio. While Samsung is going for the narrow form factor, the wider cover screen on the Tecno phone is more usable.
For example, apps like Instagram rest more comfortably on the screen and load stories in a better way. Instagram Stories on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 are compressed to fit the screen, but they are not on the Phantom V Fold. The wider aspect ratio also helps with keyboard placement. I get a wider and more compact keyboard on the Tecno Fold, which helps with the typing experience.
The wider form factor makes me feel more confident holding the Phantom V Fold; I said the same for the Oppo Find N2. The narrower Galaxy Z Fold 4 looks like it would slip out of my hand anyway. It hasn’t happened yet, but there’s always the worry that it might.
Best wrinkle condition
Tecno Phantom V Fold has a waterdrop hinge design that helps reduce creases and lays flat when folded without a screen gap. On the other hand, Samsung opts for a kind of hinge that has a gap between the screen when folded along with a deeper crease on the inner screen.
Crease on the Tecno Fold is minimal. When you pass it through your thumb, you can almost not feel it. The crease is still there, as it is on the Oppo Find N2, but it’s not as much of a screen curvature as the Galaxy Z Fold 4. I’ve always said that the crease doesn’t bother me on Samsung’s foldable, and I’m still of the same opinion. But the minimal crease definitely helps with the ease of use.
However, the Samsung hinge has its advantages. For example, the foldable Tecno Phantom V Fold does not have a flexible mode like the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The latter can be configured to sit comfortably half open, but there is no such thing on the Phantom V Fold. This Tecno smartphone has a hinged design that opens up. To fix this, you can get a case with a kickstand inside the box that lets you open the Tecno Fold in half on a table.
Accessories in the box
Despite costing around 40% less than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in India, the Phantom V Fold packs a full set of accessories in the box. Tecno offers a charging brick, cable, case with kickstand, and screen protector pre-applied to the cover screen — all of which are absent from Samsung’s foldable box.
I don’t normally use a case on my phone, but the Phantom V Fold’s case has a built-in kickstand, which adds to the device’s functionality. Not only does it allow me to keep the phone half open on the table but it also adds to the convenience of holding the phone. I am now thinking of getting a kickstand case for my iPhone 13 Pro Max because of this.
Bigger battery with faster charging
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 still stuck with 25W fast charging for its 4,400mAh battery, and if the leaks are to be believed, it doesn’t get any better than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. By contrast, the Tecno Phantom V Fold packs a 5,000mAh battery. The amp supports 45W fast charging and is rated to reach 40% charge with 15 minutes of charging.
After using a bunch of OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, and Realme phones, I’m used to fast charging. I need it in my daily life, and the foldable Tecno supports it. However, there’s no wireless charging here, unlike the 15W wireless charging support on Samsung’s foldable.
Incredible price
Tecno has made a foldable device that rivals the Galaxy Z Fold 4 neck-to-neck but is available at a fraction of the price. As MrMobile said in their Phantom V Fold review video, that’s twice the price of the Flip. In fact, Oppo Find N2 Flip and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are priced higher than Tecno foldable in India.
As we mentioned at the beginning, the Phantom V Fold costs around $1,100 in the markets where it’s available, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is priced at $1,800. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 still has better cameras, a more polished software experience, and Flex mode.
But is it worth $700 more? i don’t think so. Tecno is democratizing book-style foldable phones, and according to my initial impressions, it’s winning.
Editors’ recommendations
(tags to translation) Foldable