The foldable phone scene has been heating up lately, and TECNO‘s not just sitting on the sidelines.

The brand has been making waves with its book-style foldable, the PHANTOM V Fold2 5G, but that’s not the only trick up its sleeve. Enter the TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G, the second generation of its clamshell-style foldable, and a device that’s been keeping our pockets occupied for the past couple of weeks.

In the Philippines, the PHANTOM V Flip2 5G is officially priced at P34,999 (around $603 converted), but there are ways for you to purchase it for less while racking up some freebies in the process. If you’re looking for the best deal, you can find the smartphone for as low as P27,999 ($483) during the first sale on the brand’s TikTok Shop until December 12. Beginning December 8, it will also be available on Shopee and Lazada.

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Our TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G unboxing video

Now, we’ve had some serious hands-on time with the PHANTOM V Flip2 5G — enough to get a real feel for its strengths and weaknesses, its quirks and its charms. And we tell you, this isn’t just another flip phone. TECNO has clearly been paying attention to what works and what doesn’t in this evolving market, and it has packed the foldable with some genuinely impressive features, all while keeping the price remarkably accessible.

Intrigued? You’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive in and see what the TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G is all about.

Solid flip-style foldable phone

The TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G, particularly in the Travertine Green colorway, makes a strong first impression. The design is refined, with a noticeable emphasis on premium materials and aesthetics. The glass-and-aluminum chassis, complemented by the gold-accented frame and camera rings, lends the device a sophisticated air. Meanwhile, the exterior AMOLED screen with rounded edges further enhances its appeal.

Despite its competitive pricing within the foldable segment, the PHANTOM V Flip2 5G offers a commendable level of build quality. This aligns with TECNO’s recent trend of hardware excellence, as evidenced by the well-received CAMON 30 and SPARK 30 series. While the hinge mechanism’s fluidity doesn’t quite match that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, it remains robust and well-engineered, particularly noteworthy given that this is only the brand’s second flip-phone model. The unit also achieves a seamless, gapless closure when folded — a feature present since TECNO’s initial entry into the foldable market.

In terms of physical dimensions, the PHANTOM V Flip2 5G is marginally taller than the Galaxy Z Flip6, while maintaining comparable thickness, width, and weight. This is noteworthy given that the PHANTOM V Flip2 5G accommodates a larger 6.9-inch foldable display and a more expansive — and useful — cover screen.

TECNO’s proprietary hinge, constructed from aerospace-grade steel according to the company, is thin and boasts a lifespan exceeding 400,000 folds under normal operating temperatures — double that of its predecessor. This advanced hinge allows for a gap-free closure and partial folding states between 30 degrees and 150 degrees. Additionally, the TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G addresses a limitation of its predecessor by opening completely flat.

While the display crease is noticeable, it’s less pronounced than you might think given the smartphone’s relatively palatable price point. It’s not bad at all. You can definitely feel it if you run your finger across the screen, but just looking at it straight on? Barely there. Plus, the screen is so tall that most of the time our fingers weren’t even near it.

The rear camera configuration comprises two vertically aligned lenses that actually cut into the little cover screen to make it bigger, a design choice used by other OEMs and contrasting with Samsung’s approach on the Galaxy Z Flip6. This results in a larger, more functional cover display capable of running applications, notably benefiting audio streaming services like YouTube Music, which retains full functionality, including lyrics display, on the external screen. The cameras on the back stick out a bit, with each lens housed in an individual, raised enclosure. An LED flash is positioned below the camera array.

You’ll find two physical buttons on the right side of the TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G: a volume rocker and a power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader. It’s a comfy setup, easy to reach even with the handset’s tall design. There’s no headphone jack here, sadly, which seems to be the norm these days. The good news is that the speakers on this thing are actually pretty great. It has this Dolby Atmos tuning thing going on, which basically means the sound is richer and more immersive. There’s one speaker on the bottom, next to the USB-C port, and another hidden in the earpiece, so you get a nice stereo effect.

We’re genuinely impressed with the design and build quality of this foldable. TECNO did a fantastic job. It feels solid and looks great. Yeah, it would be nice to have an IP rating for water and dust resistance, but we can totally understand why the company skipped it to keep the price down. It’s not a huge deal for us.

Small outer screen with big potential

Now, let’s talk screens. The TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G rocks two AMOLED displays. You’ve got your main 6.9-inch foldable screen, which is an LTPO panel that delivers a refresh rate up to 120Hz, but it can also drop down to 60Hz to save battery. There’s a 90Hz option if you want a balance between smoothness and battery life. Notably, the panel incorporates 2,160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, minimizing eye strain in low-light conditions.

The primary display offers commendable brightness, ensuring effortless outdoor readability even under direct sunlight. Touch responsiveness is excellent as well, and the LTPO panel renders vivid colors and reasonably sharp details. Viewing angles are generous and wide. The screen has a really nice feel to it — definitely not that cheap, plasticky feel you sometimes get on other clamshell devices. Oh, and that 21:9 aspect ratio is particularly well-suited for movie marathons. It definitely delivers on providing a cinematic experience in such a portable form factor.

Like most foldables these days, there’s a thin protective film on the inner screen. Don’t peel it off, though! It keeps the display safe. Up top, you’ll notice a small punch hole for the selfie camera, which houses a 32-megapixel sensor paired with a 24mm-equivalent autofocus lens. And for those who love a good selfie, TECNO hasn’t forgotten its signature dual-LED front flash. It’s subtly tucked into the top bezel next to the earpiece, so you barely even notice it’s there until you fire it up.

The real story here is the 3.64-inch AMOLED cover screen. It’s way bigger than the one on the last model, and it’s covered in durable glass. This external panel isn’t just for show, either. It’s got widgets, sure, but you can also run full-fledged apps on it, complete with keyboard support. That’s a game-changer for flip phones.

As mentioned earlier, the small display actually wraps around the rear-facing cameras, and you can rotate the phone however you want, so the cameras are on the left or right side — it’s up to you. TECNO basically split the screen above and below the cameras, which is kind of interesting. It’s still usable, but it’s not really part of the main display area. You’ll get little notifications and stuff up there.

Speaking of apps, you can actually enable a bunch of them to show up on the cover screen. Just head to the Folding Screen Zone in the settings. TECNO does warn you that some apps might not work perfectly, but we were able to use most of our favorites without any issues — except for games. We even got YouTube and Netflix running on it. Sure, it’s not the ideal way to watch movies, but it works in a pinch. Spotify and YouTube Music, on the other hand, are perfect for this little screen.

Say cheese — and flip!

The TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G rocks a dual-camera setup on the back, with both lenses clocking in at a rather impressive 50 megapixels. You also get a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the inside screen, but really, you’ll probably end up just using the rear cameras for selfies most of the time. Why? Because you’ve got that awesome cover screen to help you frame your shots. The inner camera, in our opinion, is really more for video calls.

The primary camera’s got a 1/1.57-inch image sensor and optical image stabilization, while the other camera is an ultrawide with a 114-degree field of view, perfect for capturing those sweeping landscapes or group shots. We were quite impressed with the image quality from both the primary and ultrawide cameras. They delivered sharp, detailed, and vibrant photos. Even the HDR performance was surprisingly good. The portrait mode on the main camera, while not the best we’ve ever seen on a foldable, is better than we expected. The dynamic range and white balance were mostly spot on.

As for the selfie camera, it’s decent. It gets the job done for video calls and the occasional quick selfie, but if you’re serious about your self-portraits, you’ll want to stick with the rear setup, especially since you can use it with the cover screen — whether the phone is folded or unfolded. This means you can take selfies with the higher-quality rear cameras, using the cover screen as your viewfinder. Plus, if you’re taking someone else’s picture, they can actually see themselves on the cover display while you’re snapping away.

Sample shots

TECNO’s own camera app itself is pretty easy to use and has a ton of features. The only thing that bugged us at first was that it was set to take pictures with a tap on the screen by default. We’re old school, so we prefer using the virtual shutter button. But no worries, since you can easily switch it back to the traditional way in the camera settings.

If you’re into shooting videos or vlogs with your smartphone, you’ll be pleased to know that the TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G supports 4K video recording at 30 frames per second on its rear cameras. The inner selfie shooter, on the other hand, is capped at 2K resolution. Both camera setups offer software-based stabilization to help smooth out your footage, but the more advanced Ultra Steady Pro feature is exclusive to the rear cameras.

Smarter than your average foldable

Inside, the TECNO Phantom V Flip2 5G is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8020 chipset. This mid-tier 5G processor is designed to deliver a balanced user experience, prioritizing both performance and power efficiency. While not a flagship-grade chip, the Dimensity 8020 offers ample power for smooth everyday performance, including demanding tasks like gaming, without compromising battery life.

Performance-wise, the PHANTOM V Flip2 5G handled everyday tasks like a champ. We did notice a few tiny hiccups here and there, like the occasional skipped frame, but nothing major. Overall, our unit felt really smooth and responsive.

Graphics-wise, the phone packs a Mali-G77 MC9 GPU, which is more than enough for casual gaming. You can even fire up some demanding titles, but you might need to dial down the graphics settings for a smoother experience. One thing we appreciated was that the smartphone never got uncomfortably hot, even when we were pushing it with more demanding 3D games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It did get a bit warm, but nothing that affected performance or made it uncomfortable to hold.

Battery life is always a big concern with smartphones, especially foldables. But the TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G delivers surprisingly good performance in this department. It’s got a beefy 4,720mAh battery, which is a significant upgrade from the previous generation’s 4,000mAh cell.

Now, we’ll admit, we’re not the heaviest smartphone users. But we put this thing through its paces to see how it would hold up. We spent several days using it extensively, taking tons of pictures, scrolling through X (formerly Twitter), and watching YouTube videos. And guess what? We consistently managed to get over 7 hours of screen-on time with around 15% battery left at the end of the day. So even if you’re a power user, we think you’ll be pretty happy with the battery life on this foldable.

And when it’s time to recharge, the PHANTOM V Flip2 5G supports blazing-fast 70-watt charging via USB-C. Sadly, there’s no wireless charging, but with wired charging this fast, we didn’t really miss it. We were able to get from 0% to 50% in about 18 minutes, and a full charge took around 50 minutes. Those are some great numbers.

On the software front, TECNO has skinned Android 14 with its own HiOS 14.5 software. The result is a highly customized interface with colorful icons and design elements. While this might not be to everyone’s taste, there’s no denying that HiOS 14.5 delivers a responsive user experience with fluid animations. Unfortunately, there’s no option to ditch the drawer for a flatter, iOS-style layout.

Taking a page from popular Android skins, the brand separates the notification shade and control center. Swiping down from the top left reveals notifications, while a top right swipe brings up quick toggles and system controls. Another intriguing addition to HiOS is the Dynamic Port, TECNO’s answer to Apple’s Dynamic Island. Right now, it’s mainly used for things like media controls and face-unlock prompts, but it’s got the potential to be a lot more useful in the future.

Multitasking also gets a boost with HiOS 14.5’s multi-window feature, which allows for a decent level of window management, supporting up to four apps simultaneously. You can have two apps side by side, and then two more in mini windows. It’s a great way to boost your productivity and get things done faster. That is, if you don’t mind the limited screen real estate.

But honestly, one of the coolest things about the software has to be the AI assistant, Ella. You can activate it by long-pressing the power button, and it can do a ton of stuff. We’re not just talking about setting alarms or checking the weather here — Ella can do so much more. Need a quick summary of a long web article? Ella can handle it. Feeling bored? Ella can tell you a joke. Need to compose a professional email? Ella’s got your back.

We asked TECNO’s virtual assistant to write an admission letter for college, and we were pleased with the result. Ella generated a well-written, convincing letter that we would actually consider sending. It’s clear that TECNO has put a lot of effort into developing Ella, and it shows. This is an AI assistant that can actually be useful in your day-to-day life, whether you’re at school, in the office, or just hanging out at home.

Final thoughts

The TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G isn’t here to play; it’s here to disrupt. Sure, it may not pack the absolute bleeding edge of processing power, but let’s be real, how much firepower do you really need to crush Candy Crush and scroll through social media?

What truly sets this device apart is its accessibility. TECNO has managed to deliver a premium foldable experience minus the exorbitant price tag. This is a smartphone that democratizes innovation, inviting users to experience the joy of a pocketable device that unfolds into a full-fledged bar phone at the cost of a midrange model.

The TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2 5G may not be a perfect phone, but it’s seriously hard to argue with that price. This model is your chance to jump on the foldable bandwagon without totally breaking the bank. And who knows, you might just fall in love with the whole flip phone thing. But even if you don’t, you’re still getting a super compact device that’s easy on the wallet and won’t weigh you down. It’s a win-win, really.

A true queen meets the ultimate flip phone! Let’s give a royal welcome to @PiaWurtzbach as she joins the TECNO family with the PHANTOM V Flip 2 5G!#PHANTOMVFlip2 #TECNOxPiaWurtzbach #TECNOAI #MoreThanFlip #TECNOPhilippines pic.twitter.com/GLofv9xC03

— TECNOMobilePH (@Tecnomobileph) December 5, 2024

TECNO Mobile Philippines introduces Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey as the brand ambassador for its PHANTOM line

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