There's a Z Flip 5 rival coming with the strangest front screen yet

Tecno has a habit of doing things differently

Tecno Phantom V Flip leak
(Image credit: Newzonly / @passionategeekz)

Phone maker Tecno might not be a household name but it's caught the eye recently with some well designed Android phones. It has also unleashed the Phantom V Fold – one of the most affordable foldable handsets out there right now.

While it has top-notch specifications, the phone costs almost £700 less than a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Now it seems the company is turning its attention onto the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, with its own flip phone reportedly in the pipeline.

The Tecno Phantom V Flip has leaked and it also seems to have a decent spec list. However, that's not all, it will also up the ante when it comes to interesting front screens.

Samsung upped the ante this year with its cover display by making it larger and more useful – Tecno seemingly plans to rock the boat by changing the shape. The front panel on the Phantom V Flip is said to be round.

Why? We're not so sure. But the porthole style panel shown in leaked images definitely catches the eye.

Tecno Phantom V Flip leak

(Image credit: Newzonly / @passionategeekz)

The pics were posted by Newzonly, which also states that the display will measure 1.32-inches in diameter and have a 466 x 466 pixel resolution. That puts it on the small side in comparison with the Z Flip and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra. However, it would suit smartwatch-style applications, if that's the plan.

Other specifications that have been touted include a dual battery configuration, consisting of a 1,165mAh cell and another with a 2,735mAh capacity. This should give a longer battery life in comparison with flip phone peers.

It is also claimed that the handset will feature a 6.9-inch AMOLED screen on the inside with a 1080 x 2640 resolution. It'll be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8050 chipset and feature 8GB of RAM. There will be 256GB of storage space.

A dual rear camera will be made up of 64-megapixel and 13-megapixel sensors, while the front will be 32-megapixels. It charges through USB-C.

Newzonly claims that the Phantom V Flip will launch in October this year and be available globally. We're going to keep an eye out for it, especially to see if it's price makes it a decent Samsung alternative.

Rik Henderson
News Editor

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.