News
TECNO’s PHANTOM V Fold2 currently has the biggest battery in any foldable
Minor refinements with one major change
TECNO, one of the budding brands in the tech space, has finally announced the PHANTOM V Fold2 — the successor to the company’s first-gen book-style foldable.
Biggest Battery Ever
Starting with the headliner, the TECNO PHANTOM V Fold2 boasts a humongous 5750mAh battery. This beats the last record-holder, vivo X Fold3 Pro, with its 5700mAh capacity.
50mAh may not sound a lot but something doesn’t mean nothing. And compared to its predecessor, the V Fold2 gets a bigger increase at 750mAh.

Not only that, charging has been improved a lot. It now has 70W Fast Wired Charging as opposed to last year’s 45W. That’s still a lot faster compared to Samsung’s measly 25W support on the Galaxy Z Fold6.
TECNO has also welcomed the idea of wireless charging of up to 15W. There’s reverse wireless charging as well.
Better Durability
The PHANTOM V Fold2 has achieved a serious slimming effect.
Compared to its predecessor, it’s now thinner at 11.78mm (and 5.52mm when unfolded). Last year’s V Fold is thicker at 14.5mm (6.8mm opened). It has also managed to shed 50g (299g vs 249g).
Thanks to its aerospace-grade precision hinge, high-performance lightweight materials, and finger-dimensional engineering design, the PHANTOM V Fold2 can now be folded up to 400,000 folds (versus 200,000 last year).

Its 3D micro-arc extreme middle frame and curved outer screen also make for a comfortable grip. This means its pebble-like shape gives for an easier and effortless opening and closing of the foldable.
The droplet hinge is also responsible for giving it a barely shallow crease of just 0.1mm.
Its aluminum alloy frame is high in performance as well. There’s a 0.2mm aluminum silicon carbide for the battery compartment as well as robust low-density plastics for a resilient build.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch
The back cover of the PHANTOM V Fold2 comes with an industry-first laminated fiberglass material. Its just 25% the weight of a regular glass back but 100x greater strength when dropped. And with its NCVM Coating Technology, it creates an overall metallic texture.
Speaking of drops, the screen is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus. Lastly, there’s an IP54 rating protected agains water splashes and dust. Its predecessor doesn’t feature one.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
There are things that remain totally unchanged in the updated PHANTOM V Fold2.
First and foremost, it still keeps the same 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ SoC.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch
On the brighter side, it’s now only available to a single, high-capacity configuration: 512GB UFS 3.1 storage plus a 12GB LPDDR5X memory.
Screen size, ratio, and resolution were barely changed as well: 6.42-inch FHD+ for the cover screen and 7.85-inch 2K+ when you unfold it.
Display tech? Same LTPO AMOLED displays with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
Still with improvements
The PHANTOM V Fold2 still has subtle improvements across the board.
First of which is the camera system. Ditching last year’s 50MP Samsung GNV sensor, the PHANTOM V Fold2 now comes with a 50MP f/1.9 based on the OmniVision OV50H sensor instead.
That’s the same camera sensor as those found in some flagships like the HONOR Magic6 Pro and HUAWEI Pura 70 series, as well as the vivo X Fold3 Pro mentioned earlier.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch
Moreover, the UWA (Ultra-Wide Angle) lens was changed from 13MP 120-degree FoV to a 50MP 114-degree FoV lens. Aperture is the same though at f/2.2.
However, its 50MP telephoto shooter is still stuck at 2x optical zoom (and up to 20x digital).
Main front camera has been upgraded to 32MP (vs 16MP), making both of them 32MP selfie shooters.
Its partnership with Dolby has been brought to the foldable as well with its dual stereo speaker setup powered by Dolby Atmos. Last year’s PHANTOM doesn’t have it.
There are more added features such as Wi-Fi 6E support, satellite communication services, and an intelligent, more precise positioning accuracy.
Freeer Fold
The improvements don’t stop on the hardware side. HiOS Fold 14 based on Android 14 comes with several software additions to make the foldable experience greater.
The FreeCam system allows you to shoot with the PHANTOM V Fold2 freely. There’s the usual cover screen preview, as well as taking selfies using the rear cameras.

And with a folding range between 30 to 120 degrees, you can shoot selfies, videos, and several other more hands-free.
The tripod-less dependency also means you can take timelapse and long exposures more.
There’s also FreeForm where you can unfold and angle your device while using it for video calls, watching videos, and playing music.
There’s even Tent Mode that lets you play videos on the outer screen without totally closing the foldable.

Lastly, there’s now a stylus support on its folding screen by using the optional PHANTOM V Pen.
The pen enables more features other than writing such as taking screenshots, remote operations, and even handwriting calculations.
Eco-Friendlier Approach
Unlike the standard Karst Green colorway made up of fiberglass, TECNO has decided to make its Rippling Blue variant different.
This special variant features an eco-friendly leather material all thanks to their continuous partnership with LOEWE., a German TV and audio brand.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch
This special unit comes with an industry-first eco-friendly packaging made mostly of plant fibers such as pulps from sugarcane, wood, and bamboo, as well as discarded cardboard boxes.
The packaging is also fully degradable and got completed through a process of pulping, absorption molding, and drying — all harmless to the environment.
Pricing and Availability
The PHANTOM V Fold2 5G retails for around US$ 1099 (around EUR 996 / GBP 840 / SG$ 1434 / PhP 61,985 / INR 92,288). Pricing will still vary depending on one’s region.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch
TECNO also said that they will sell it in key regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia. There’s also Latin America, the Middle East, and more on the list.
It will officially go on-sale first on September 23rd in Africa. Other markets are expected to follow around September to October.
News
FIFA World Cup: Lenovo’s Referee View received positively by fans
Unique first-person perspective brings action closer to viewers
Lenovo has revealed that technological advancements at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has made viewers “feel closer” to the action than ever before.
Surveying fans across Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Lenovo bared that 87% say technology is improving the viewing experience.
Close-to-action camera perspectives have also help 84% of surveyed viewers, making them feel they’re right on the pitch.
Of course, Lenovo AI has introduced Referee View throughout the World Cup. This AI-powered technology gives viewers a first-person POV of the match from a referee’s perspective.
Lenovo Referee View has been featured on an average of three times per match across the tournament in over 220 countries and territories worldwide, according to preliminary FIFA data.
Through a lightweight camera mounted on the match official, the technology gives a first-person POV of the match.
And while raw footage is fast-moving and sometimes unstable, Lenovo’s AI-powered video analytics platform automatically transforms the clips into smooth, broadcast-quality video in real-time.
Other findings from Lenovo’s research include:
- 76% of viewers have seen or heard about Referee View
- 91% say the close-to-action Referee View POV is appealing
- 88% say smooth and stable footage is an important part of viewing sports footage
- 98% say clear picture quality has been important when watching the FIFA World Cup 2026
- 91% are interested in seeing more technology that creates immersive or close-to-action sports experiences
Over the weekend, a report emerged about Disney+ allegedly considering a new tier offered to users for absolutely free. Apparently, Disney isn’t the only one. Netflix is now resurrecting its free trial program in select countries.
Back in the day, it was easy to get into Netflix. With a 30-day free trial, you can watch the shows you’ve always wanted to catch. If you liked what you saw, you can pay the monthly fee to access the entire library without constraints. Eventually, the platform got rid of this system to favor a cheaper ad-supported tier.
Perhaps not seeing the benefits of ad-supported tiers, Netflix has suddenly resurrected its free trial program. Spotted online (via Android Authority), some countries, including Brazil and India, are experimenting with the program again. New users can get 30 days of free Netflix access.
Because only regular users are spotting this (rather than an official announcement), we don’t have a list of where the free trials are available.
Still, it’s an interesting move. Cable isn’t a thing anymore so “cutting the cable” isn’t a popular phrase anymore, but people are definitely cancelling subscriptions over rising prices. Some even rely on short clips from YouTube to catch up with their shows. Having a free trial opens up more possibilities for users, but it remains to be seen whether it’s enough for users to return to Netflix.
SEE ALSO: Netflix expands its cheaper ad-supported tier to Southeast Asia
In a world disappointingly obsessed with increasing prices beyond our means, Disney+ has miraculously remembered the phrase, “free sample.” According to a report, the streaming platform is considering making a free subscription tier.
As of late, it’s been difficult to maintain a healthy collection of streaming services. When you have to pay the equivalent of a full-course meal every month for just a single platform, you start to evaluate which ones really matter.
Perhaps feeling the sting of users leaving the platform over pricing, Disney+ is reportedly experimenting with a tier that comes at no cost to users (via Business Insider). According to two sources, adding such a tier might help the platform reach customers more.
Now, it’s still a mystery how this tier might work. Disney+ already offers an ad-supported tier, so it’s unlikely to be another one like that.
One possibility is a heavily curated feed of content either designed specifically for free users or limited exactly to give users a free sample. For the latter, think of the limited content you get on a plane. Sure, you might get the first three episodes of The Mandalorian, but you’ll have to fork over cash if you want to see the rest of the story.
And for the former, you can imagine short-form content available for free. Going back to Star Wars, you might see a short anthology series like Star Wars: Visions.
Either way, it’s an interesting concept. If the tier does offer full content, it’s a great way to get into franchises you were thinking of trying without the need to spend for a taste.
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