TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 review: applaudable and affordable

Since the recent emergence of foldable phones, few brands have put affordability before all else to appeal to consumers. That was until TECNO entered the fray with the original Phantom V Fold, a budget-busting smartphone. It had its flaws, admittedly, but it was a decent first attempt. Now, it’s time for the sequel, the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2, and spoiler alert: this thing is impressive.

While still much more reasonably priced than the likes of the Google Pixel 9 Fold Pro, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and OnePlus Open, the V Fold2 is a proper competitor. The displays, cameras, and software are much better than the original, and a luxurious feel and form factor would have you believe this thing is just as expensive as its foldable competitors. So, where does it rank on our list of the best foldable phones? Well, let’s get into it.

Price and availability

Let’s get this out of the way early and remind you that, unfortunately, TECNO phones aren’t widely available in the US and Europe. The brand is currently concentrating on emerging markets, like Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, with the V Fold2 arriving in Africa on September 23 for the equivalent of around $1,099. The PHANTOM V Pen, TECNO’s answer to the Magic Pencil, is available separately.

If you opt to import a V Fold2, you can choose between two colorways: Rippling Blue and Karst Green. The phone comes in one configuration, with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. TECNO is also pretty generous with its accessories, including a lovely faux leather case, charging lead, charging plug, and other useful bits in the box.

Specs

Features and software

The TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 runs the brand’s own HiOS Android 14 skin, which, while not as visually impressive as some other operating systems, is incredibly easy to use. It feels very similar to Apple’s iOS, putting simplicity before everything else, which I’m a big fan of. It’s always annoying having to spend days adjusting to a new operating system, but it takes mere minutes with the V Fold2. It’s also worth mentioning that this handset is very light on bloatware, so there’s no time spent removing apps you don’t use either.

Before getting into software features, we have to talk about the PHANTOM V Pen. Yes, TECNO now has its own S Pen equivalent, and it’s a pretty nifty addition to the V Fold2 offering. I’ve never been a big stylus guy, prodding at the screen with my fingers, even in my Nintendo DS glory days. However, the V Pen is pretty nice to use, and it’s a rapid charger thanks to it having its own USB-C input on the side. The only downside is that, while the V Pen comes with a holster to stick onto your phone, it doesn’t feel like there’s any particularly convenient place for it to go on the V Fold2.

One of the big selling points of both this phone and its sibling, the TECNO PHANTOM V Flip2, is TECNO’s new AI features. From my experience, these features are a bit of a mixed bag. Some, like voice assistant Ella and live translation, are fantastic and are sure to get even better with future updates, but I’m not convinced about others. AI Sketch to Image is fun, but it doesn’t always seem to grasp what I’m trying to draw, often deciding on turning almost anything into a young woman. When I’m clearly sketching a pig, with a snout and twisty tail, I expect the phone to know what I’m looking for. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

While the V Fold2 shares many features with its flippable sibling, it really comes into its own when you’re multitasking. With the phone unfolded, splitting the screen is straightforward, and I’ve already used this to my advantage. Recently, I covered a product launch, and I could watch the live stream on one half of my screen while jotting notes down with the V Pen on the other half. All it takes is a tap of the side-by-side button, which you can find by dragging from the bottom of the screen. You also find the floating windows option there, further demonstrating how clean and simplified TECNO’s OS is. While there are plenty of reasons I’m thinking of making this phone my daily driver, its ease of use might be the main one.

Design

The V Fold2’s design is a bit of a coup for TECNO, as the thing is somehow slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. It’s not quite as thin as the new Honor Magic V3, but it’s not far off, and considering how proud Honor is of its slimline phone, TECNO should take pride in how close it’s come with something much more affordable. At 249g, it’s a bit heavier than both of those pricier foldables, but it’s not really noticeable, especially when you unfold the thing.

Speaking of not really noticing things, let’s move onto the sticking point of many a folding phone: the crease. Like with the V Flip2, TECNO does a great job of hiding the V Fold2’s crease, and with content on the screen, it’s almost invisible. It’s a bit easier to see if you weirdly angle your phone or have a blank screen, but when it counts, you can hardly see it. If you prefer to angle your device like a little laptop, the option is there, with an adaptive positioning of 30-120 degrees, which is ideal for streaming video content if you want to go hands-free.

As a whole, the V Fold2’s design feels more refined than the original, and the curvature of the edges makes it simple enough to unfold the device without feeling like you’re prying it open against its will. I’m also a big fan of the redesigned camera module. It’s a bit chunky and rectangular, but it sits nicely within the wider aesthetic of the device without making for an uncomfortable form factor to hold either folded or unfolded, and there’s no wobble factor with the phone lying on its back.

In terms of durability, this thing is IP54-rated. That rating isn’t awful for a foldable device. It’s below the level of protection we’d expect for a standard smartphone, with IP68 the gold standard, but it’s much more common for foldable phones to float around the IP54 rating. TECNO also assures us that the V Fold2 is capable of 400,000 folds, though I couldn’t check that myself (I gave up after 100).

Display

The PHANTOM V Fold2 boasts not one but two stunning LTPO AMOLED displays, which are both capable of offering 120Hz refresh rates. This makes for silky smooth and well-defined visuals, whether you’re playing a game, streaming content on YouTube, or just browsing the web. I’ve tried all the big-name foldables, and honestly, the V Fold2 is as impressive as any of them in terms of screen quality.

Peak brightness is a little lower on the main display than I’ve seen on other devices, at just 900 nits. Fortunately, if you’re struggling under direct sunlight, the 1,600 nits peak of the cover display is sure to shine through. I’d have tested this myself, but it’s September and I’m in England, so I’ve forgotten what the sun looks like. Both displays also offer PWM dimming, so you can dial down the brightness if you’re prone to headaches from looking at screens.

My only issue with the V Fold2’s displays is that they’re smudge magnets. While I might go around with a couple of microfiber cloths, usually to de-smudge my Steam Deck, not everyone does, so this could be a little annoying if you always want a sparkling screen. It’s certainly a bit irritating for someone who had to take a bunch of nice pictures of the thing for this review before discovering after a 15-minute photoshoot that there’s a mark right down the center. Still, I have to be fair and say this isn’t a problem unique to this device, and I had similar issues with the Honor Magic V2.

Cameras

The camera department is another area that highlights the V Fold2’s glow-up, with the triple camera setup on the back of the thing plenty capable of high-quality captures. You’ve got a 50MP main lens, 50MP telephoto, and 50MP ultrawide to play with, and if you’re something of an amateur smartphone photographer, that should cover you on all bases. As ever, I’ve used a picture of my lovely pup Floyd to offer a snapshot of the main camera’s quality, which you can see below.

I have to say, I’m really pleased with the results. The quality is the level I’d expect from a flagship, so that’s a big win. It’s more impressive because of how much cheaper this phone is compared to Samsung and OnePlus’ foldable alternatives, with little to separate the three phones in terms of the caliber of main cameras. It struggles a little more with moving subjects, but fortunately, Floyd stayed still. The result of our little photoshoot is a selection of images with impressive color definition, especially the dark blacks of his coat. Ultrawide shots are similarly stellar, capturing even the smallest of details off in the distance.

However, while the V Fold2’s cameras are great for the most part, there are a couple of sticking points. For some reason, the bokeh effect in portrait mode is very invasive, lacking the subtlety you might expect while applying more like a blur effect on everything but the subject of the image. The 20x zoom is a nice option to have, but the zoomed images lack the quality I’ve seen from other cameras at 30x or 40x zoom, so there might be a bit of work to do there for the V Fold3.

In terms of selfie cameras, TECNO has equipped both the outer and inner displays with 32MP selfie cameras. As I found with the V Flip2, the V Fold2’s front-facing cameras have no business being this impressive. All too often I find that even flagship cameras tend to wash the color out of an image, but there are no such problems here. Personally, I’d still use the main camera for selfies, but it’s always good to have options.

Performance

In terms of day-to-day performance, nothing really phases the V Fold2. It handles internet browsing, instant messaging, and even video calling with style. Admittedly, this is what you should expect from any device over $1,000, but it’s still a relief, as, without naming any names, I’ve seen more expensive devices struggle with basic tasks.

So, onto gaming. While the V Fold2’s little sibling, the V Flip2, can’t quite muster the performance power to run demanding games like Honkai Star Rail or Zenless Zone Zero at high settings, the V Fold2 is much more capable. The boosted performance over the original V Fold is a bit of a surprise, given that both use the same MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, but given I can play HSR at 60fps, I’m not asking any questions. That’s more than good enough for me.

The only downside in the performance department is that the camera island on the back of the phone tends to get a little toasty if you’re playing with the device unfolded. It’s not so hot that you have to stop playing, but it gets a little warmer than I’d like, and it spreads across the rest of the phone’s back panel over time. While I appreciate how thin this device is, it might be worth sacrificing the ultra-slender design to squeeze in more cooling tech, but that’s coming at it from a gamer’s perspective. If you’re not much of a gamer yourself or only dabble in a bit of Candy Crush or Marvel Snap, you shouldn’t notice an increased temperature.

Battery

As I’ve come to anticipate with TECNO phones, both the battery life and charging speeds of the V Fold2’s 5,750mAh battery are impressive. If you use it sporadically, it can easily make it through a full day, often with a little juice left to spare. It drains a bit quicker if you play games or stream content, losing anything between 10-20% battery an hour. It can lose charge faster still if you’re playing something demanding, so be sure to dial down the settings if you want a six-hour Genshin Impact session with a bit of battery life breathing room once you finish.

If you thought the battery life was a selling point, the V Fold2’s 70W charging speed is even more remarkable. I managed to get from flat to 100% in around 50 minutes, which means you can get a solid boost of 25% from just under 15 minutes. If you often forget to charge your phone before bed, as I do, this can be a real lifesaver. Not only does this thing offer rapid charging, but also 15W wireless charging, which, while not incredibly fast, is always a great option if you dash out of the house without your charger.

Should you buy the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2?

While I’ve almost always had an enjoyable experience testing a TECNO device, the V Fold2 might be the most impressive yet. Its displays are fantastic, its performance is up to scratch, and the design could be the envy of bigger-name brands with more resources at their disposal. This is all before you take into account how much cheaper this thing is than most foldable phones on the market, offering an alternative that doesn’t feel like a budget version or a downgrade.

Sure, it’s not perfect. Some of the AI features aren’t there yet, and it can get a touch too hot while running demanding games, but I’ve seen other brands solve both those issues with software patches, so that’s a possibility. My only plea to TECNO is to make this thing more widely available. I can’t tell you how many people have told me they’d get a foldable if it wasn’t for the $1,500+ pricing. I’d love to recommend the V Fold2 to them, but not everyone wants to import a phone. So if you’re listening, TECNO…

Alternatives

If our TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 review hasn’t sold you on the new foldable, check out some suggestions for alternatives below.

Samsung Z Fold 6

Samsung is the big dog of the foldable marketplace, which makes sense given it’s the brand that really brought the alternative form factor into the spotlight. The big caveat here is that the Z Fold 6 is much more expensive than the V Fold2, but for the extra spend, you’re getting a significant performance upgrade and some of the best smartphone cameras on the market. For more on this one, see our Samsung Z Fold 6 review.

Honor Magic V2

With the release of the Honor Magic V3, the V2 is now more affordable than ever, and it’s still a solid phone compared to its successor, with stunning displays, a comfortable form factor, and stellar performance thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Again, it’s more expensive than the V Fold2, but if you are determined to pick up a foldable, it’s another strong option. To get the full lowdown, see our Honor Magic V2 review.