The Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 is yet another solid flip-style folding phone

After finding success with its first-generation foldables phone manufacturer Tecno has returned with its all-new Phantom V Flip 2. This flip-style device has a lot of positives going for it, but it isn’t releasing in a vacuum. Strong competition from the likes of Motorola, Samsung, and others is the new reality of the modern flip phone market.

The Phantom V Flip 2 does a lot right on the surface — but how good is the experience in the real world? And, can the software package stand its ground against bigger and more established players? I placed my SIM card into the foldable to find out.

Price, availability, and specs

The Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 measures in at 6.72 x 2.89 x 0.30-inches (170.75 x 73.4 x 7.64mm) when unfolded, and 3.46 x 2.89 x 0.63-inches (87.8 x 73.4 x 16.04mm) when folded shut. When coupled with the device’s 6.9oz (196g) weight, the V Flip 2 is relatively thin and lightweight in the hand.

The inner display is a 6.9-inch 1080 x 2560 pixel resolution AMOLED affair, while the outer screen is a 3.64-inch AMOLED panel. Both displays run at a capped refresh rate of 60Hz.

The camera setup is typical for a flip-style foldable, with a front-facing selfie shooter and a dual rear lens setup. The former comes in at 32-megapixel, and the latter is a pair of 50-megapixel wide and 50-megapixel ultra-wide shooters.

As for the brains of the operation, we’re looking at the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chip, which is a comfortably midrange offering in terms of power output. The battery sizes in at 4,720 mAh, with support for 70w wired charging.

The Phantom V Flip 2 starts at $700, and comes in a single configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The color choices on offer include moondust grey and travertine green. The phone can be purchased from various online storefronts, including Amazon. Tecno does have its own retail presence, but currently not within any major western market.

What I liked about the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2

This feels more refined than a second-generation product normally would

My favorite aspect of Tecno’s new Flip 2 foldable is its build — it feels premium in the hand despite only being a second-generation product. The hinge doesn’t snap shut quite as luxuriously as some other devices on the market, but it feels satisfying nonetheless.

I also enjoyed the overall cover screen experience — the display is big and bright, with tons of customization options to make it your own. When unfolding the unit, you’re greeted by a take on Android that offers a solid level of customization options throughout.

The MediaTek Dimensity 8020 is a mid-range chip through-and-through, but I personally had no gripes when using the device. It’s mostly unsuitable for gaming and other intensive tasks, but that goes without saying. When tested, I got a Geekbench 6 score of 752 in single-core, and 2,515 in multi-core.

The camera system is decent enough, but the bar isn’t exactly set high when it comes to flip-style foldable phones. I found the performance to be middling — not top-notch, but not noticeably poor in quality either.

What I didn’t like about the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2

The software skin needs additional refinement, and Tecno needs to support the device for longer

As great as using the Phantom V Flip 2 feels from a hardware perspective, I found the software experience to be a weaker link. My biggest concern comes down to longevity — the company only offers support for two additional years of Android feature updates, which is notably less than OEMs like Samsung. Tecno does offer three years of security patch updates, and it provides a website with up-to-date information on that front.

The software feature set itself is well-rounded, but the iOS-inspired theming and interface considerations aren’t to my personal taste. I also had trouble with the capacitive fingerprint sensor mounted on the sleep/wake key — it wound up being less responsive than I would’ve liked, and it brought down the experience for me by a bit.

The lack of support for Qi wireless charging is a cutback that I wish Tecno hadn’t made, as I use inductive chargers to top up other handsets daily. The 70w fast charging brick is included in the box, which I appreciate, but it’s a proprietary system, which isn’t ideal.

Lastly, the cover display ships with a lower resolution than I would’ve liked — at a standard viewing distance, individual pixels can’t quite be discerned, but there’s a slight fuzziness to the entire thing. For a phone shipping in 2024, this is probably the most disappointing aspect of the entire package.

Should you buy the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2?

Tecno’s new flip phone is a somewhat compelling choice

The flip-style foldable phone market is filled with excellent offerings from Android OEMs like Motorola and Samsung. Tecno’s Phantom V Flip 2 comes remarkably close to matching the quality of these much more established OEMs, and does so in what is only a second-generation product.

The hardware side of the V Flip 2 is adequate, and the user experience is pretty solid. I’m not a fan of the 60Hz display refresh rate, which I found hard to adjust to after so much time using 120Hz displays. As for the software, it offers a decent amount of customization, but it also feels somewhat unrefined compared to the competition. The lowly two years of Android OS updates is a significant letdown.

At $700, I don’t find there to be a massively compelling reason to pick the V Flip 2 over, say, a Motorola Razr flip phone, which offers a cleaner Android experience and a build that’s more premium to hold in the hand. That being said, I think that with another year or two worth of refinements, Tecno might genuinely have a winner on its hand.

This device was provided to Pocket-lint by Tecno.

Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 5G