Honor may have dominated the folding phone sector at MWC 2023 with its Magic Vs foldable, but it's not the only company releasing a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 style device at the show. Another unlikely competitor comes in the form of the Tecno Phantom V Fold, which opts for a MediaTek processor rather than the Snapdragon chipsets we've seen in international Fold-style phones so far.

If you're not familiar with Tecno, we can't blame you. Tecno is a Chinese manufacturer that is mostly selling its phones in South East Asian markets like India, and it hasn't been at too many big trade shows with a large launch like this yet. It recently made headlines with its chameleon-style color-changing phone at IFA 2022, and with its folding phone, it wants to turn heads again.

Tecno's Phantom V Fold is quite clearly meant to take on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, coming with an outer screen that makes it look like a conventional phone when folded and a bigger book-style screen on the inside. Right from the start, Tecno makes clear that its outer screen is more usable than the Z Fold 4's with an aspect ratio of 21:9, making it feel less cramped and not overly tall. The inner screen also offers a much more reduced crease, enabled by a lighter, flatter, and more stable hinge. The company says it's merely 0.11mm deep.

If you want hard numbers, both the interior and exterior screen support 10-120Hz refresh rates, with a 6.42 screen on the outside and a 7.85-inch screen on the inside. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, coupled with up to 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. The battery offers a capacity of 5,000mAh and can be charged in less than an hour with up to 45W. The fingerprint scanner has been added to the power button, and there are stereo speakers on the sides.

Design-wise, the phone will be available in leather-style black and white options, with a big, circular camera array on the back. That's another point that the company wants to use to set itself apart from the competition. It consists of three rear cameras consisting of a 50MP main camera, 50MP telephoto, and a 13MP wide angle. The setup is supposed to excel at night with a night mode, with Tecno saying that it can focus and record quickly in dark scenes. Like Samsung, the brand also lets you take selfies with the primary cameras, displaying the camera interface on the outer screen when unfolded.

Tecno's HiOS 13, based on Android 13, has been optimized for the form factor, giving you access to a taskbar and more advanced multitasking features, like a simple split-screen option that can be activated with a swipe from the top, drag and drop across applications, and floating windows.

There is also a dedicated driving mode that sure looks reminiscent of Android Auto for phones, adding shortcuts and big buttons for music, navigation, and phone calls.

The Tecno Phantom V Fold will be available in India in the coming quarter, and the price is hot. The 12+256GB version will cost INR 91,000, which is roughly $1,100. The 12+512GB version will go for INR 100,000, which is about $1,222. Now, it's unlikely this phone will ever launch in the US, and prices rarely translate 1:1 like this in any case, but it's quite the statement, undercutting the $1,600 Honor Magic Vs and of course the $1,800 Z Fold 4. There is also an early bird price for Indian customers at INR 80,000 or about $980.