Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 and Fold 2 launch with mighty cameras and huge batteries

Tecno has been rising the ranks of smartphone camera makers over the last few years, and the Phantom V Fold 2 looks like the most exciting Tecno handset to date. Launching alongside the V Flip 2, the phones are loaded up with 50MP cameras and dual-screen designs, and are expected to undercut the foldable establishment when pricing is announced.

With Tecno phones typically available in Africa, the brand impressed us with its Camon 30 Premier, its first camera system to feature a periscope camera. Paired with a strong 50MP primary camera and mighty MediaTek internals, the Camon 30 series achieved a level of user experience we hadn't seen from the smartphone maker before.

As for its Phantom foldable line, the first generation showcased the most affordable flip and fold form factors around at launch and, once again, paired an attractive price with a respectable user experience.

With Tecno having teased a tri-fold (dual-hinge smartphone) in recent weeks and just dropped the second generation of its foldable Phantom series, it's carving a name for itself on the innovation front. So what are the Phantom V Fold 2 and Flip 2?

Tecno Phantom V Fold 2

Starting with the big-screen foldable, the Phantom V Fold 2 takes on phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open. It packs a 6.42-inch outer display – slightly larger than that of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and a 7.85-inch unfolded main display, both with 1-120Hz refresh rates and 30-120º hovering capabilities.

While foldable cameras are traditionally pared-back, Tecno includes a 1/1.3-inch sensor in the Phantom V Fold 2's primary camera – the joint-largest in any foldable alongside the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro. There's also a 50MP 2x optical zoom equivalent portrait camera, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera, as well as two 32MP selfie cameras, one in the cover display and the other within the main display.

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It's also great to see pen support for the Phantom V Fold 2, and what's arguably the most impressive aspect of the phone on paper is the battery capacity. Going toe-to-toe the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, the phone crams in a huge 5,750mAh cell with 70W wired charging.

The Fold 3 can be picked up in two colors: Karst Green (fiberglass texture) and Rippling Blue (leather texture), weighs 249g, and measures a slender 6.08mm unfolded, and 11.98mm folded. How impressive all these features are will largely depend on pricing which we hope to have in the coming weeks.

Tecno Phantom V Flip 2

Taking on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, the Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 adds a huge cover screen to Tecno's flip phone formula while once again upping the battery capacity and improving the camera spec over the original Phantom V Flip.

The 3.64-inch cover screen should give users plenty of space for basic tasks when the phone's closed and boasts support for over 2000 apps. Unfolded, the 6.9-inch main display serves up a traditional smartphone view.

With two 50MP cameras – a wide and ultra-wide – the primary sensor is a respectable 1/1.57-inch size which is a great start on paper, and the phone holds its position between 30-150º for creative part-folded capture and hands-free video calls with the 32MP selfie camera.

With a large (for a flip phone) 4720mAh battery, the Phantom V Flip 2's specs read very well, while the 70W charging delivers a 50% charge after 15m of use.

The Phantom V Flip 2 and Phantom V Fold 2 will be on sale in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and other select regions. It will go on sale on 23 September in Africa, with launch dates varying according to individual markets throughout September and October. Both phones' prices will significantly undercut Western foldable competition when converted from local pricing, with the V Fold 2 costing the equivalent of $1099, and the V Flip 2 costing the equivalent of $699.

So why do these phones matter to folks in the US, UK, and beyond? Competition like Tecno's Phantom series, Xiaomi's China-only Mix Fold 4, and the newly announced Huawei tri-fold phone make the best flip and fold phones from Google and Samsung look very expensive and a little tired, especially in the camera department. With any luck, these punchy alternatives will encourage Google and Samsung to up their game with future Galaxy and Pixel foldables.