There are plenty of wild concept devices on show at MWC 2025, but none surprised me quite as much as Tecno’s Phantom Ultimate 2 tri-fold phone. Not because it’s a dual-hinged foldable (I just spent a week with the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate, after all – look out for my full review soon) but because of its dimensions.
Just like Huawei’s latest, the phone has a single large format screen and it folds in a Z-shape to quickly transform from a spacious tablet to a pocketable smartphone. The Mate XT is already the thinnest foldable I have ever used when unfolded, and I wasn’t sure it was possible to go any slimmer, but here we are.
Luke Baker
The Tecno Phantom Ultimate 2 measures just 11mm when folded down, while the Mate XT is 12.8mm. It’s even slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which only has a single hinge and a measly 7.6-inch display.
It’s worth noting that the Tecno tri-fold has a slightly smaller display than the Huawei, coming in at 10-inches rather than 10.2-inches. But it’s a very impressive feat, and in either case, it’s incredible that you can fit that in your pocket.
The biggest difference, though, is that the Tecno device is only a concept, while the Huawei tri-fold can be purchased around the world. It remains to be seen if the Phantom Ultimate 2 will get a proper launch, but if it does, I’ll bet it’s a lot cheaper than Huawei’s offering. Tecno is known for its aggressive pricing, and I doubt it would have too much trouble undercutting Huawei’s €3499 MSRP.
Luke Baker
Unfortunately, the other big issue with the Mate XT remains unsolved. This phone uses a very similar design, which leaves the fragile folding display exposed at all times. So, if you’re clumsy at all, this won’t be the phone for you.
Slimness was a bit of a theme for Tecno at MWC 2025. The brand also showcased its Spark Slim concept device, a traditional bar-style smartphone that’s only 5.75mm thick. Despite that, the phone packs a sizable 5200 mAh battery and a flashy illuminated camera module.
If you hate bulging pockets, Tecno could be a brand to watch for in the future. Unfortunately, it’s still a rare one in Europe, but the company has been making strides in Africa and Southeast Asia. If it keeps making attention-grabbing phones like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if it became a lot more popular.
Author: Luke Baker, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Luke is a freelance journalist who has been working in consumer electronics for over a decade. Previously Features Editor at Pocket-lint, Luke can now be found contributing reviews and features to a variety of publications, as well as running a YouTube channel called Neon Airship in his spare time. Luke loves anything that takes pictures, whether it's a smartphone, camera or drone, and he also gets very excited about the latest VR and AR tech.