Lenovo Legion 7i review: Anything Goes

We have reached this point in time where book-style foldables are not in a tight duopoly between two major key players we all aware of.

Although TECNO is barely recognized where Samsung and HUAWEI are both dominant (South Korea and US, China respectively), the budding brand is still at the forefront for being Africa’s most popular smartphone brand.

TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 with TECNO CAMON 30 Premier LOEWE. Design Edition

As one of the fastest rising tech companies, the Chinese tech-maker continues to establish its dominance in South and Southeast Asia as well as expanding their reach in Latin America by offering premium products for less. 

After almost two years, their first ever book-style foldable has been due for a refresh. This is where the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 enters the scene.

Refined Aesthetics

Nowadays, gargantuan circular camera islands are the new design trend in both slabs and folds — budget phones notwithstanding.

Well, TECNO has dared to make the PHANTOM V Fold2 shine on its own.

It might look like a step backwards compared to last year’s design but I appreciate this aesthetic change for the sake of getting out of the norm.

Albeit, the new rectangular camera cutout reminds me of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra — minus its small watch band screen.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | 2020

The PHANTOM V Fold2 that I have is in this stylish “Rippling Blue” model. And it’s another special collab between the Chinese company and the German tech brand.

Again, ICYMI: LOEWE. (always with a periodt 💅) is a high-end German TV and audio brand. It’s NOT the popular Spanish fashion brand most of us know.

I would always prefer having a faux leather back instead of glass any day as it eliminates the need for case. This also counts as a leap forward with last year’s model only having a plasticky back.

If you don’t want this in-your-face colorway, Karst Green comes your way. But that one comes with a composite fiberglass material instead.

Admittedly, upon seeing the early press materials, I wanted this blue back more. I guess someone from TECNO had some telepathic power and read my mind.

Looking at all sides and corners of the PHANTOM V Fold2, the new foldable looks and feels sturdily built. Its shiny frame is made out of aluminum.

Opening and closing the fold never felt cheap. There’s enough resistance to keep the fold at a certain angle — between 30 to 120 degrees to be precise.

These are all thanks to TECNO’s aerospace-grade precision hinge, high-performance lightweight materials, and innovative engineering design. It even has an improved durability of up to 400,000 folds in contrast to last year’s 200,000.

Surprisingly, it has managed to shed some fat. The PHANTOM V Fold successor is now slimmer at 11.78mm when closed (versus 14.5mm of the V Fold).

HONOR Magic V3, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 (Left) vs TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 (Right)

Even though it is not, in any way, the slimmest in the competition (the crown still goes to the HONOR Magic V3 at 9.3mm), it can still beat the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 (12.1mm) and keep up with the OPPO Find N3 / OnePlus Open (11.7mm).

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 vs HONOR Magic V3 vs TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2

And while in the topic, look at how the PHANTOM V Fold2 shows the least amount of crease compared to Samsung and HONOR’s latest and greatest. Only time will tell how long will it stay this way.

Redefined Experience

One of the few unchanged parts in this year’s PHANTOM V Fold2 are its screens: 6.42-inch Full HD+ outer and 7.48-inch 2K+ inner foldable — both with AMOLED displays and adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.

Ever since the HONOR Magic V2 came out, I’ve been more accustomed to that cover screen aspect ratio. It’s a lot more usable even when folded.

But on the contrary, the outer screen of the PHANTOM V Fold2 reminded me instead of the HONOR Magic Vs I held for a year.

It’s not too narrow like the Galaxy Z Fold series, neither like the wider cover screens of the HONOR Magic V3 and OnePlus Open nor the Moleskine-like Google Pixel Fold.

But as someone who’s always into full-blown entertainment experience, the PHANTOM V Fold2 when unfolded delivers a plausible performance when it comes to audiovisuals.

The inner foldable display is bright enough with deep blacks and whiter whites. Its standard color calibration is already popping. What more if you switch to Vivid mode?

In line with V Fold2’s dual stereo speaker setup is the TECNO x Dolby partnership.

I may not be the biggest audiophile around but I appreciate (and can distinctly pinpoint) the superb sound quality of Dolby Atmos over something that sounds straight out of a can.

Its IP54 rating and Gorilla Glass Victus glass protection also make me less anxious against water splashes and sudden drops — especially when I’m so immersed in my banging K-Pop music sesh whenever I take a shower or do laundry.

But it’s not just the displays and sound system that make up the full experience.

With its flexible form factor, I also love how flexible you can get when it comes to consuming content.

First is by unfolding the screen to its full potential together with its bundled kickstand case.

Second, there’s FreeForm Mode where you can split the media and controls by folding it in half.

Lastly, there’s Tent Mode. I knew of this feature just recently and even tried out on HONOR’s latest fold offering.

Surprisingly, TECNO has the better implementation as it’s not as buggy as what HONOR did — especially with absurd control overlays and inconsistent full-screen previewing.

And with HiOS Fold 14, it makes the PHANTOM V Fold2 a very compelling all-around device.

For power users, there’s this nifty three-dot on top so you can switch your app in full-view, split-screen, or even floating window mode.

I also like the existence of this taskbar where you can swiftly switch between docked and/or running apps all at once. It can also be minimized when it obstructs your scrolling and viewing usage.

A menu app drawer is also at the left side in case the app you want to open isn’t in the actual deck. Moreover, apps you split into two can actually be saved and pinned on the multitasking switcher so it can be accessed next time you need ’em.

Finally, the Dynamic Port feature is here — and it looks better in a bigger screen like this.

BONUS: Customization options in lock screen much like any Android 14 skin nowadays.

When it comes to privacy and security, there’s a side-mounted fingerprint scanner which I highly prefer over slower in-display sensors.

Face Unlock is here too but again, it’s not foolproof.

Munch That Punch

TECNO has decided to keep MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000+ 4nm SoC just like last year’s PHANTOM V Fold. It’s also one among the rarest devices that has this chip equipped.

A bold yet controversial move I dare not to ask. But I could only think of one obvious reason: to keep costs down.

OPPO Find N2 Flip | 2023

ICYMI, it’s one of the least prominent processors used in ASUS’ ROG Phone 6D, Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition, and even OPPO’s Find N2 Flip.

For the most basic tasks including socials or entertainment, it is more than enough.

Most games will run just fine.

Those include FPS games like Call of Duty: Mobile (CoDM), MOBA games such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) and Pokèmon Unite, and even the ever-popular racing game, Asphalt Legends Unite.

This foldable form factor even enables the racing game to run in split-screen — actual racing gameplay above, racing track course plus controls at its bottom.

But IMHO, it would have been better if Gameloft made an option to toggle this mode even when you use the foldable completely flat and opened.

This also seems a bit of a reach considering controls at the upper part of the game don’t work at all. It also feels weird to play this with a limiting screen angle.

Meanwhile, performance wear and tear are expected among HoYoverse titles such as Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, and Honkai Star Rail.

This is simply because the Mali graphics in this 4nm SoC isn’t up to par to the latest Immortalis GPU of the Dimensity 9200+ and 9300 SoC.

Memory-wise, its 12GB LPDDR5X RAM suffices in running several tasks all at once. That’s despite you using dual apps simultaneously or adding more floating windows.

If you can’t get enough, MemFusion extends it for another 12GB, making your total memory worth 24GB.

Though this also means it maximizes its internal storage. But in this worrying case, the V Fold2 has an ample 512GB UFS 3.1 storage.

A speedier and power-efficient UFS 4.0 standard would have been better. Then again, this may have been a move to avoid hiking up the price.

Sadly, don’t get your hopes up as most flagship devices have already ditched the idea of an expandable storage.

With a Bunch of Crunch

For the record, the PHANTOM V Fold2 currently holds the biggest battery in any book-style foldable at 5750mAh — beating the vivo X Fold3 Pro by 50mAh.

Sure, that’s a massive feat for TECNO in terms of tech and engineering. As a matter of fact, its battery capacity grew further to 750mAh compared to its predecessor.

But considering its chipset situation, my hunch was that its aging core will create a significant impact on its overall endurance.

And I wasn’t wrong. Even when I leave the fold on standby, it consumes a noticeable chunk of energy. If that was my case, how much more in last year’s fold of the same chipset.

Nevertheless, I do commend how a measly 1% charge still gives me more than half an hour of use.

Case in point: I watched four different K-Pop music videos that’s worth 12 minutes. I then played my LE SSERAFIM’s “CRAZY” in Apple Music on-repeat for around eight times (around 30 minutes). All in all, that 1% charge gave me more a crazily long 42 minutes worth of entertainment playback.

And when you’re already in a pinch

Its 70W Ultra Fast Charge Adapter easily makes up for the battery performance woes I’ve experienced. Gratefully, it’s bundled in the box.

Here are the results of my usual GadgetMatch Charge Test:

I noticed that the PHANTOM V Fold2 does NOT support the “Ultra Charge” feature using my 100W GaN charger. The CAMON 30 Premier I reviewed was able to take advantage of it.

I could be wrong but I’m pointing my fingers (again) to the device’s processor.

Although I’ve never been a wireless charging type of guy, it’s good to mention that the PHANTOM V Fold2 now supports it for up to 15W. Of course, it has reverse wireless charging too.

Pretty fly for a camera guy

The TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 has an improved triple 50MP rear camera setup with dual 32MP selfie shooters.

As GadgetMatch’s camera guy, I appreciate how TECNO managed to equip this very capable camera system. Other brands usually compromise cameras in favor of other features.

And in case you weren’t aware, its main camera houses the OmniVision OV50H — the same image sensor found in camera-centric flagships like the HONOR Magic6 Pro and HUAWEI Pura 70 series — minus the dual variable aperture, as expected.

With my not-so-recent CAMON review, using the camera app felt familiar. The three-color modes are present here as well:

Standard for a flatter, true-to-life look…

Bright with a boosted vibrance…

…and PHANTOM with its toned down highlights, shadows, and saturation altogether resulting to a faded feel. Much like the CAMON mode last time.

I’ll let this plethora of photos speak for themselves.

Ultra-Wide + 1x Wide

Macro Mode

2x Zoom and Beyond

Portrait Mode

Low-Light

Night Mode

Hoop the Loop

There are some camera caveats I witnessed:

1. Its 2x telephoto unit cannot shoot photos at a closer distance

I usually use 2x lens for a better image framing. The problem here is, it doesn’t allow photos to be taken too close.

It’s more like a macro lens rather than a telephoto. This sometimes give me shots that are blurred.

2. Cover Screen Preview needs some learning curve

In instances where you want to use the rear cameras for selfies, couple-fies, and groufies, the Cover Screen Preview will never appear when the foldable is already open.

The workaround is to close the fold and restart the camera app.

From there, you will see the Cover Screen Preview icon beside the flip icon. Once selected, it will prompt you to unfold the device.

3. The Photo Review icon feels irrelevant

Which is frustratingly persistent at the upper left part. It felt senseless as it can be activated when the device is half-folded.

It would have also been better if that was replaced by the Cover Screen Preview icon instead.

I wish TECNO would polish these small inconsistencies in a future software update.

Noteworthy in its own Glory

To make the PHANTOM V Fold2 an overall noteworthy companion, it supports TECNO’s first ever PHANTOM V Pen.

While it’s not a dedicated pen nor bundled in the box, it’s still a great add-on for those users who do a lot of writing, scribbling, or sketching every once in a while.

I used to draw frequently way back in ‘my prime’. But forgive me for my cat sketch.

One noteworthy functionality is the ability to generate AI images with the precision of this pen.

You can also use it to jot down notes while simultaneously voice recording solemn meetings and presentations. TECNO’s AI magic will then transcribe it for you.

That’s not all. Using the pen with AI Eraser precisely removes unwanted subjects out of an image instead of relying on fat fingers (like I have).

Lastly, text recognition with the pen so foreign handwriting can easily be translated once written by a local.

TECNO’s stylus only works on the inside screen due to the nature of the digitizer that doesn’t exist on the outer display.

As per battery life, it can last more than a day when casually used. Expect complete energy depletion when continuously used.

PHANtastic Packaging

Here’s what you get when you purchase TECNO’s latest foldable — plus its pen on the side.

@gadgetmatch The biggest battery in a foldable so far! 🔋 #TECNO #foryou #foryoupage #fyp #fypage #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypシ゚ ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

Is the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 your GadgetMatch?

With a pricing of US$ 1099 (EUR 996 / GBP 840 / SG$ 1434 / PhP 61,985 / INR 92,288), the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 is the “most affordable” book-style foldable you can buy in 2024.

“Affordable Foldable”??¿?¿?

Ever since Samsung revealed the Galaxy Z Fold to the world, it has created a vision of the future. But with its staggering pricing of US$ 1980, there has been nothing but a slow and unsure future for foldables.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold | 2019

But the birth of a contender like the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold as the “affordable foldable” means something.

Not only it challenges the trendsetter in producing the BETTER foldable, it also gives consumers a more viable option that wouldn’t burn huge holes in pockets.

It’s something other major Android brands like HONOR, HUAWEI, OPPO (or OnePlus), vivo, and Xiaomi won’t even dare to do anymore because of their already established reputation.

This new segment in the foldable farm paves a different path for people to try out the latest in tech without shelling out every fortune they have.

I am fully aware that second-hand foldables cost way less than their original launch pricing. But would you risk buying a used one instead of getting something new for yourself?

Old folds are notorious for their shallower than ever creases, degrading performance, and restricting software features. That’s where I can commend the PHANTOM V Fold2.

Sure, it may not be the greatest when it comes to performance with its chip “limitations”. Even so, its overhauled software, capable cameras, superb screens, and even fast charging speeds all make up for it to be deemed as something worthy to buy.

Most of all, it never felt flimsy. It’s a solidly-built fold that has managed to overcome its past hurdles — its thick and hefty form factor with an underwhelming hardware inside and out.

And unlike the definition of a phantom whose existence is nothing but an illusion, TECNO’s PHANTOM is the complete opposite. It’s a real and finished product that you can truly be proud of. It rightfully deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

The Future of PHANTOM

TECNO, despite being a brand dedicated to the lower and mid class, does not stop them from making tech innovations and show them to the masses.

At MWC 2024, they unveiled their very first rollable concept dubbed as the “PHANTOM Ultimate”. But it’s NOT that concept that intrigues and excites me.

TECNO PHANTOM Ultimate | February 2024

Right before HUAWEI announced the Mate XT, TECNO unveiled their second iteration of the PHANTOM Ultimate concept with a tri-fold design and a more holistic approach towards overall usability.

Although the claims of the “world’s first tri-fold” neither goes to TECNO or HUAWEI as it was first presented by TCL way back in the early days of the pandemic.

TCL Tri-Fold Concept | 2020

Still, with this foldable form factor already being consumer-ready, I am way beyond excited with what the future of tech holds. I am honestly expecting to see an affordable tri-foldable one day.

And I would be lying if I don’t say I see TECNO as the pioneer in such regard — much like what they’re doing with their current PHANTOMable portfolio.