A few weeks ago, Tecno launched the Phantom 6 and 6 Plus smartphones that are supposed to take over from the Phantom 5 which the company released last year. With the launch of these new smartphones, I thought it is a good idea to compare the new vs the old. I will be looking at the new ones (the Phantom 6 Plus in this case) to decide if it is an upgrade compared to the Phantom 5 to help you decide which is one better for you.
I have used both the Phantom 5 and Phantom 6 Plus smartphones so am quite aware what they both offer straight out of the box.
Design and Build
Staring off with the design, the Phantom 5 and 6 Plus have a lot of similarities but at the same time they are very different. Their sizes are also different with the Phantom 5 having a 5.5-inch display while the Phantom 6 Plus having a 6.0-inch display. If the 6-inch display is too big for you, you can get the standard Tecno Phantom 6 that has a 5.5-inch display.
phantom 6 plus
Both devices have metallic bodies that give them a premium feel. Having used both devices, the Phantom 5 feels slightly thinner than the 6 plus, this is one of the things I liked about the Phantom 5.
Still on design, Tecno has changed a few things with the Phantom 6 Plus including the speaker grilles that have been moved from the back to the bottom section of the phone. The company has also included a USB Type-C port on the Phantom 6 Plus compared to the Phantom 5 which has the USB-B port. To ensure you can use your previous USB cable, Tecno has included a USB-B to USB-C adapter.
Phantom 5
At the front of the Phantom 6 Plus is the Phantom’ branding that we did not see on the Phantom 5. I have to say this looks good and gives the phone a different look. At the back there is the 21MP camera on the Phantom 6 Plus and 13MP unit on the Phantom 5. Both cameras protrude slightly but the one on the Phantom 6 Plus is way more visible than the Phantom 5. I am not a big fan of such cameras as I feel that they can be damaged easily.
Both models have fingerprint sensors on the back but the one on the Phantom 6 Plus is way faster and responsive than the one on the Phantom 5.
Performance and Software
With the design aside, let’s look at what’s under the hood. The Phantom 5 is powered by the 1.3 GHz Octa Core (Mediatek MT6753) processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space. The Phantom 6 Plus on the other hand is powered by the 2.0 GHz Helio X20 processor (64-bit) from MediaTek paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage space. Both devices look quite powerful on paper but the Phantom 6 Plus is slightly more powerful. It handles everything you throw at it without any issues.
As for software, the Phantom 6 Plus comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HiOS on top. HiOS has an iOS-like feel and doesn’t feel original in my opinion. The Phantom 5 on the other hand has Tecno’s old UI with Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Also Read: Tecno HiOS vs Old Tecno UI – Something’s Just Not Right!
Camera
The one big difference between the Tecno Phantom 5 and the Phantom 6 Plus has to do with the cameras. The Phantom 5 comes with a 13MP unit at the back and an 8MP one at the front. The Phantom 6 Plus on the other hand has a 21MP unit at the back with an 8MP front facing one.
Both models have dual tone LED flash at the back with the Phantom 6 Plus having LED flash on the front too. Both back cameras take some good shots but the 6 Plus is slightly better with more accurate photos. The front facing cameras are almost similar and I did not see any big difference between the two.
Battery Power
The Tecno Phantom 5 came with a 3000 mAh battery but that has been upgraded to 4050 mAh on the Phantom 6 Plus. The Phantom 6 Plus is bigger and more powerful and thus will consume more battery power than the Phantom 5 so it makes sense to have that big battery. Both batteries are non-removable.
Even though the Phantom 6 Plus has a bigger battery, charging it is not an issue since the battery supports quick charging. You can get a few hours of usage with just a few minutes of charging.
Conclusion
The Tecno Phantom 6 Plus is definitely an upgrade when compared to the Phantom 5. If you are on the fence and are not sure which one to choose, I hope this post has helped you out. If I were the one choosing, the Phantom 6 Plus is definitely the winner. I know its huge size can be too much to some people but it’s performance is unmatched.
Also Read: Infinix Hot S Review: S is for Standing Out!