Tecno is no stranger to futuristic concept phones, usually winning over fans at conventions like MWC with new — albeit not-ready-for-primetime — hardware. Ahead of Samsung’s upcoming showing at Unpacked this week, the brand is teasing a first look its latest tri-fold invention.
In a brief press release, Tecno announced the “Phantom Ultimate G Fold Concept” would make its official debut in mid-July, likely coming days after Samsung is rumored to debut its own — presumably commercial — tri-fold smartphone alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7. It’s a big swing from the brand, which is no stranger to utilizing concept hardware to score headlines and compete with brands like Samsung and Huawei. Even better, though — thanks to images shared by Ice Universe on Twitter, we don’t need to wait for an official unveiling to get a glimpse at Tecno’s new gadget.
The Phantom Ultimate G Fold Concept, as seen in these leaked photos from a hands-on session, lives up to its name, utilizing a G-shaped hinge layout that folds inward on itself. That’s an entirely new design from Tecno’s original tri-fold concept — which, as Ice Universe points out, was timed to the announcement of Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate. It’s a more sensible, practical design, building on the look and feel of standard foldables that protect their fragile, plastic-laden bending panels with a more traditional glass-covered outer screen. It’s also, of course, similar to how we expect Samsung’s tri-fold phone — itself rumored to be the “Galaxy G Fold” after that same G-shaped frame.
Despite the obvious timing of this announcement, Tecno’s overall concept actually has more in common with the Pixel 9 series than anything Samsung’s released lately. The matte silver frame paired with a white back is reminiscent of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, while the horizontal camera bar pulls from the Pixel 9 Pro.
While we’ve watched foldables grow nearly as slim and light as their non-foldable counterparts — a club Samsung is about to join with its 8.9mm Galaxy Z Fold 7 — Tecno’s Phantom Ultimate G Fold Concept shows the limitations of this form factor. Despite each of the G Fold Concept’s individual pieces appearing as slim as other commercially-available folding phones, put together, it looks about as bulky as older devices from the last couple of generations. Exact dimensions might not be available, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this device is around 13mm thick, with the three layers each contributing a little over 4mm to the chassis.
Though the form factor itself is obviously attention-grabbing, we’re still in the early days of any potential tri-fold revolution. To date, Huawei remains the sole company that’s shipped a tri-fold smartphone to consumers. Samsung is seemingly set to follow through later this year following a potential tease at Unpacked. Tecno might be taking this form factor for a second spin, but as long as these products remain concept phones, it’s up to globally-accessible brands like Samsung to eventually take the plunge on a more readily-available launch.
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