The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the best device in Samsung's clamshell foldable lineup. It doesn't bring too many big upgrades over the Flip 4 or Flip 3, but the Flip 5 meaningfully elevates the overall user experience, especially when it comes to the cover screen, which has been upsized considerably compared to the cover screens on previous Galaxy Z Flip smartphones.
In some markets, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 also launched with a higher price tag than its predecessors. That hasn't stopped the phone from seeing increased demand from consumers, but it does provide the competition the chance to undercut Samsung by offering their foldables for a lower price.
And that's exactly what Chinese manufacturer Tecno has done over in India. Tecno has launched the Phantom V Flip in the country as a new option for those looking to buy a foldable phone and is depending on a lower price tag to attract customers. The Phantom V Flip starts at INR 49,999 in India, which is basically half of what the Galaxy Z Flip 5's base variant costs.
The price for Europe is around €700, which isn't as aggressive as the Indian pricing but is still lower than the Galaxy Z Flip 5. What about the specs, though? Do they match those of Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Flip, or will people have to compromise on the specs in order to take advantage of the aggressive price?
It's the latter, as you would expect, and the very first category in which it loses to the Z Flip 5 is the size of the cover screen. The Phantom V Flip has a 1.32-inch circular cover display that limits what you can do without unfolding the device. The Z Flip 5, on the other hand, has a 3.4-inch display on the outside that can be used to run many apps and also acts as a bigger viewfinder for taking pictures.
On the performance side of things, the Phantom V Flip once again trails the Z Flip 5 as it uses the MediaTek Dimensity 8050 chipset, which is fairly powerful but isn't as good as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powers all of Samsung's 2023 flagships. The Phantom V Flip also loses out on features like water resistance and wireless charging, and its 6.9-inch 120Hz foldable OLED display can only hit 1000 nits of brightness.
Tecno's phone does have some advantages, like a 4,500 mAh battery that supports 45W charging (the Flip 5's 3,700 mAh battery charges at 25W) and a 64MP main camera, and it matches the Galaxy Z Flip 5 with features like stereo speakers and the ability to stay unfolded at different angles. And you could also argue that it looks great – the circular cover screen, with the cameras placed around it, is a different approach that could appeal to some folks.
For the asking price, the Phantom V Flip certainly is an attractive proposition, though that doesn't mean the Galaxy Z Flip 5 can be ignored. Samsung's after-sales service is not something most Chinese manufacturers can match, and the Korean giant also provides customers with four years of major OS upgrades and five years of security updates.
Samsung also has a lot more experience making foldables than Tecno and other Chinese OEMs, and that offers peace of mind that customers would prefer if they're buying something fragile like a foldable phone. That said, Samsung should certainly try bringing down its prices, and perhaps it's devices like the Tecno Phantom V Flip that will force Samsung's hands into making its foldables more affordable.
