Tecno Phantom V Flip review

Design, build quality, handling

The Tecno Phantom V Flip grabs your attention the moment you lay your eyes on it. It looks like something that came out of a jewelry store, especially if you snap the bundled case.

The Phantom V Flip has been designed by flagship standards. The two rear panels are covered in vegan leather, the frame is made of aluminum, the hinge - of steel, while the internal screen has a thin plastic film and a prominent plastic bezel around it, just like the Galaxy Z Flips.

Tecno has put some commendable attrition to the detail demonstrated very well on both versions - Mystic Dawn and Iconic Black.

We have the Mystic Dawn version, and its leather parts are painted in this cool purple hue. The bottom panel has a metal V logo embedded between the transition from light purple to dark purple. It's a subtle yet captivating accent.

The Iconic Black version is, well, black, but has faux stitches, which mimic those on haute couture suits.

The leather parts have a lychee pattern, which is often considered a fashionable touch and used on different luxury items and vehicles.

Planet Cover Screen is what Tecno calls the round screen and the cameras around him, probably because this arrangement mimics a star and a bunch of circling planets. And we do admit it's quite neat and fitting.

The rear design is all Tecno and we are glad it is different from the rest of the Flip bunch.

The self-developed steel hinge is thin and has a lifespan of above 200,000 cycles. It allows the phone to fold completely gap-free and supports semi-folded states between 30°-150°. But it does not allow the phone to open completely flat.

In its fully unfolded state, the Phantom V Flip is not completely flat, but let's say at about 178-degrees.

And that is a bummer, because it makes for one super prominent crease on the internal foldable screen. Worse, not only we can see and touch it, but we can also feel the hollow underneath. And while we are well aware we won't puncture this screen with our fingers, it still feels iffy.

Let's take a closer look at the Phantom V Flip now.

The foldable screen is great. It is covered by a thin film, and it is not recommended to peel that off. It keeps the screen safe. The panel itself has a small punch hole for the selfie camera - a 32MP sensor with autofocus.

There is more! Tecno is known for its dual-LED front flashes and there is one here. It is embedded in the top plastic bezel, barely visible, next to the earpiece.

The phone has stereo speakers - the earpiece acts as one, while the other is at the bottom near the USB port.

The Phantom V Flip can stand in semi-folded state, and we cannot see any visible gaps around the hinge, which may allow dust or sand to enter and eventually compromise the screen from below. This is definitely a good thing.

We've already mentioned the fact that the V Flip is not exactly perfectly straight when open, which increases the screen crease and makes the phone look a bit weird. It's not such a big issue as it sounds, especially for a mid-ranger of sorts, but it is still something worth mentioning.

The back is really beautiful. The top part contains the Planet-like arranged round 1.32" AMOLED screen, the 64MP primary and the 13MP ultrawide cameras. The ring-LED flash is also around.

This whole setup is jutting out a bit and is surrounded by a thin metal ring.

The bottom panel has a metal circle with the V logo.

The Tecno Phantom V Flip has a thin aluminum frame with a glossy finish and a slight curvature.

It has a lonely microphone at the top.

The bottom houses the primary microphone, the USB-C port, and one of the speakers.

The left side has the dual-SIM card tray.

The volume and power/lock keys are on the right. The power key also contains the fingerprint scanner - it's always-on, fast and incredibly accurate.

The Phantom V Flip opens and closes relatively easy, and we had no issues with that. Handling the phone feels as premium as it looks - the leather is quite nice to touch, and you can feel the sturdiness of the metal frame.

The grip is good, even if not great. The grippy leather panels do help a lot, and they are smudge-resistant, but the glossy frame is the opposite. Still, the grip was secure enough not to bother us during our week with the phone.

The case Tecno ships with the phone is superb and we do recommend using it. It is the same color as the phone and is all matte plastic, very grippy at that. And we will admit, we liked carrying this phone on our finger.

Overall, if it weren't for the weird angle when opened, we would have given this V Flip an excellent mark for design. While we still think Tecno did a solid job here, we feel it could have done a little better, even though it's a mid-range foldable phone. Or maybe we are just nit-picking. We will let you decide.