It’s incorrect to say that a phone has been reviewed after having used it for hardly five days, which is long enough to give you a feel of the device. That has been the case with Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G. My decision to check out the phone has a lot to do with looking at the future of foldable phones.

Samsung, without a doubt, is leading the foldable race at the moment because the brand has been manufacturing these phones for a few years now and selling them globally. Other brands are entering the fray with Oppo trying to push the segment more than Motorola. Where does Tecno come in? They have just ensured that flip smartphones don’t remain expensive. The company has managed to achieve this without making too many compromises.

The outer screen is small but has enough functionality

After four years of foldable technology, there is a certain degree of maturity in the flip phone market. What I am enjoying (and also not so much) is that manufacturers have settled on a common size and shape. It’s only the outer/cover screen that looks different and each phone is slightly more (or less) capable than the previous. Look, I am talking from a consumer’s point of view and I need something more than “another” clamshell phone. Tecno is delivering something in the way of pricing.

Good design

Tecno hasn’t tried to maximise its cover display, instead it has leaned into style. Tecno’s implementation is bold and the phone definitely catches the eye. You can set a stopwatch, see weather updates, and record your voice. Oh, you can use it as a viewfinder to take photos.

There could be a reason for this. Consider this: What do you do with the cover screen of a flip phone? The cover screen on phones from rival companies is larger but you don’t get the best of, say, YouTube experience. For most activities, you need to unfold/flip open.

Unfolded, the display is bright enough for indoor usage

And then I am hit with the pricing of Tecno’s offering — one of the cheapest clamshell phones in the market. In fact, Tecno hasn’t made compromises on the design. The finish on the back panel is pretty good and there is some visual flair.

The quality of the hinge matters and it’s impressive. But remember what I said, five-seven days is too short a period to judge a phone. In the few days I had the phone, the hinge worked well and the folding mechanism felt sturdy. When folded, there is no gap between the two halves.

When you open the phone, you get a good 6.9-inch display with full HD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate and adequate brightness indoors. When you take the phone outside, you feel the screen could have done with a bit more brightness. Crease? There is a bit of it but nothing more (or less) than what you get on rival brands.

In terms of processor power, there is MediaTek Dimensity 8050, 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s good enough for daily use. But don’t expect it to work like a gaming phone; that’s the not the idea here. Touching on the software, HiOS 13.5 (based on Android 13) is good but I am not sure of its long-term plans or what it would deliver.

Battery life too is better than some phones. The 4,000mAh battery may not sound like a lot of power but software optimisation (and the processor) allows you to use the phone for a day… with moderate screen time.

Finally, camera setup. The main 64MP camera turns in bright photos and the 13MP ultra-wide is not bad at all, even though under low light the latter is iffy. The main camera rocks and offers good HDR performance.

Will I buy it? I still like “old-fashioned” black slabs but if you are certain to enter the world of flip phones without breaking the bank, Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G is for you.

At a glance

Device: Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G

Price: Rs 54,999

High notes

Good design

Sturdy hinge

Main camera works well

Battery is well optimised

Muffled notes

Main display could have been brighter

There is a slight crease on the main screen