Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 Review: the price makes it a great first foldable phone

The Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 is one of the most affordable book-style foldable phones on the market. Priced at Rs 79,999, it undercuts competitors like Samsung, OnePlus, and Vivo by a significant margin. For those who want to experience the foldable form factor without breaking the bank, this phone is a great option.

It was announced with a price tag of Rs 79,999 for the sole 12GB+512GB variant at launch. Now, the price of the device has increased to Rs 99,999. However, with Rs 20,000 coupon, it can still be purchased for the same Rs 79,999 price tag. It comes in Karst Green and Rippling Blue color editions.

The Phantom V Fold 2 flaunts a sleek and modern design, with a vegan leather back that feels premium and offers a comfortable grip. The rectangular camera module and minimalist branding add a touch of elegance, while the aerospace-grade hinge ensures durability. The front screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It’s a well-built device that doesn’t feel cheap despite its lower price.

One of the biggest concerns with foldable phones is the visible crease on the screen. Tecno has made significant improvements here—the crease on the Phantom V Fold 2 is less than 0.1mm thick and is barely noticeable when using the phone. Whether you’re reading documents or watching videos, the crease won’t distract you.

The phone features a 7.85-inch AMOLED LTPO main display and a 6.42-inch AMOLED cover display, both with a 120Hz refresh rate. The main display offers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and smooth scrolling, making it perfect for multitasking, gaming, or media consumption. The cover display is equally impressive, providing a seamless experience even when the phone is folded.

The Phantom V Fold 2 runs on HiOS 14.5.0 Fold, based on Android 14, which is optimized for foldable displays. The interface makes multitasking intuitive—you can easily switch between apps, use split-screen mode, or drag and drop apps for side-by-side viewing. The UI even provides helpful tips to guide you through these features, making it beginner-friendly.

The Phantom V Fold 2 comes with Ella, Tecno’s digital assistant, which offers a range of AI-powered features. The Smart Service section placed under Tecno AI in Settings gives access to all the AI features available on the device. Some of these include real-time call translation, AI writing, AI subtitles, AI transcribers, and more. Shown below are the wallpapers generated using an AI wallpaper generator.

The phone supports the Phantom V Pen, a stylus that enhances productivity. Whether you’re taking notes, editing documents, or sketching, the stylus adds a layer of functionality that’s rare in this price range. It’s a great tool that makes the best use of the Phantom V Fold 2’s massive display. Unfortunately, our review did not come with a style. So, we are not sure how well it works. The V Pen is not included in the retail box. While it is priced at Rs 1,999 on Amazon, it is available for free for the buyers of the Phantom V Fold 2.

For a foldable phone in this price range, the Phantom V Fold 2 delivers solid camera performance. On the back, it features a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS support, a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. The rear camera system can capture detailed and color-accurate photos in daylight.

While low-light performance could be better, the cameras are more than capable for everyday use. For selfies, the device is equipped with a 32-megapixel front camera and a 32-megapixel internal camera. The quality of images by these cameras are mediocre, but they are decent enough for video calls.

The 5,750mAh battery ensures that the phone lasts more than a day with moderate usage. After all, its packed with the largest battery seen on a foldable phone.

Additionally, the 70W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging mean you can quickly top up the battery when needed. It takes around 55 minutes to achieve a full charge from scratch using the in-box 70W charger.

The Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 is powered by the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset, which, while not the latest in the market, delivers reliable performance for everyday tasks. Whether you’re multitasking, streaming, or gaming, the phone handles it all smoothly. Complementing the processor is 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. However, at this price point, some candy-bar-style flagship phones offer faster UFS 4.0 storage. Shown above is how it performs on benchmarking apps.

What Might Set Buyers Back?

While the Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 is an excellent entry-level foldable phone, it’s not without its drawbacks. The MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset, while capable, is outperformed by newer processors in the same price range. For those who don’t know, last year’s Phantom V Fold also featured the same chip. Probably, the company has decided to use the same chip again to keep the cost of the device low. The good thing is the company has successfully resolved the shortcomings of the previous generation.

The low-light camera performance leaves much to be desired, producing noisy and grainy images. Lastly, the limited software update policy (only 2 years of major OS updates) might deter buyers looking for long-term software support. Additionally, it has a thickness of nearly 12mm in the folded state and weighs 249 grams. While this is typical for foldable phones due to their complex design, it may not appeal to those accustomed to sleeker, more compact smartphones.

Final Thoughts

The Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 is a compelling option for anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of foldable phones. It offers a premium design, impressive displays, and a host of features that make it stand out in its price range. While it has some limitations, its affordability and overall performance make it a great choice for first-time foldable phone buyers. If you’re ready to embrace the future of smartphones without spending a fortune, the Phantom V Fold 2 is worth considering.

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