In addition to announcing its new book-style foldable, the TECNO Phantom V Fold 2, the company also announced its second-gen flip phone. The of that device is the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2, and I’m here to review it. I’ve had some time with the phone at this point, over two weeks, and do think I have a good grasp of what it has to offer. If you’re interested in learning more about this rather affordable flip phone, well, read on.

In my TECNO Phantom V Fold 2 review, I talked about how much of an improvement that phone is over the first-gen model. The jump is monumental. Well, something similar can be said for the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2, actually, even though the effect is not as big as it was with the book-style foldable. With that being said, let’s see what this flip phone has to offer, shall we?

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Hardware / Design

The TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 comes in two color options, and it’s made out of metal and glass. The model I got to use is referred to as ‘Moondust Gray’, which is essentially a gray smartphone. The other model is ‘Travertine Green’. TECNO used aluminum for the frame here, and the phone feels very sturdy, and very well-built. I had high expectations in that regard following my use of the TECNO Phantom V Fold 2, but this phone delivered. Its backplate has a matte finish, and even though it’s slippery, it’s not as slippery as some other backplates are.

This phone does seem to be wider than it actually is when it’s folded. That’s the case with basically every flip phone, actually. It’s 73.4mm wide, which is not wide at all. The impression quickly changes when you unfold it, however. It’s quite tall at 170.75mm when unfolded, so it ends up being tall and narrow. Once again, that’s something many flip phone users already know. This phone has a large 6.9-inch display, so that explains things. It does feel really nice in the hand in both folded and unfolded setups as it’s not too heavy at 196 grams.

The folding mechanism does offer quite a bit of resistance

The folding mechanism is good. It does offer more resistance than some other flip phones I’ve used when you’re opening it, but that’s just a preference thing. It feels perfectly fine to open and close. There is a satisfying click in place when it fully opens or fully closes, as there should be. The hinge has been rated for hundreds of thousands of folds, so you’re fine in that regard. Unfortunately, though, the phone is not IP-rated at all, so don’t get it wet or anything like that. We didn’t really test if it will die if we do that, but it’s definitely not recommended without an IP rating.

All the physical buttons sit on the right-hand side of the device. There is the power/lock button, which doubles as a fingerprint scanner. On top of that, you’ll also notice the volume up and down buttons there. The power key does protrude less than the other two buttons, but all of them are clicky enough. The volume buttons do offer more of a click, of course. And yes, that fingerprint scanner does work perfectly fine and can scan your finger the moment you place it on the button, you don’t have to push it.

Two cameras are placed on the back and cut into the display

There are two cameras situated on the back of the phone, on the cover display. TECNO decided to let them cut into the display itself, as did Motorola and some other companies. It did not go the Galaxy Z Flip 6 route. Those cameras do protrude on the back, though each of them is its own camera island. An LED flash sits below them, and they’re vertically-aligned in the top-left corner.

Overall, I don’t really have major complaints when it comes to the build of the device. It’s perfectly fine in that regard, even though it would be nice to have an IP rating. TECNO needed to make some cuts in order to reach the desired price tag, though, so… that one is understandable.

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Display

The TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 has two displays, of course. This is a flip phone after all. This model has a much larger cover display than the original. Let’s start with the main display, though. The main panel measures 6.9 inches, and it’s a fullHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This panel does support a 2,160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming. The cover display measures 3.64 inches, has a resolution of 1056 x 1066, and it’s also an AMOLED panel. This panel goes around the cameras on the back this time around. Needless to say, due to its sheer size it’s far more useful than the panel on the predecessor. TECNO also allows you to do quite a bit of work on that panel, but we’ll talk more about that soon, let’s focus on the main display first.

Both displays are vivid and have good viewing angles

The main panel does get bright enough, though it’s not as bright as some of the competition in direct sunlight. Still, I never wished for it to be brighter, which is a good indicator. The touch response is good, and the panel is quite vivid and more than sharp enough. The viewing angles are not a problem either. This panel also didn’t feel plasticky at all, which is always a good sign. The crease is there, but it’s not as noticeable as you’d think it is considering the price tag of the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2. You can feel it with your finger, though, easily. You won’t notice it when you look at the screen straight on, and due to the fact how tall the screen is, I rarely felt it under my finger.

The cover display is quite spacious too

What about the cover display? Well, that panel is also more than bright enough, and it’s also quite responsive. There’s glass covering it, and other than the cameras being annoyingly inside the panel, technically, it was a joy to use. You can rotate the phone any way you like in order for those cameras to be on the left or right side of the screen, it’s up to you. TECNO basically separated the space above/below the cameras. It’s still usable, but not as part of the main display layout, if that makes sense. For example, a small notification card pops up there when you get a call, message, or something of the sort. It’s sort of a notification area.

Yes, you can use any app on the outer display

The number one question I usually get when it comes to cover displays is… can I use any app on it? Well, yes, kind of. You can enable any app to appear there, from the UI, though you do get a message some apps may not work or have a funky layout. Considering that each app has to be enabled on its own, it’s possible that you cannot use just about any app. I was able to, however, every app I wanted to use there, I was able to. That’s how every cover screen should work, by the way. I also didn’t experience odd UI problems or anything like that. TECNO’s implementation is not bad at all.

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Performance

Much like its ‘Fold’ sibling, the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 is using one of MediaTek’s chips. It is not using the same one as the Fold, however. This smartphone is fueled by the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 processor, which is the company’s mid-tier chip. This is a 6nm chip, in case you’re wondering. The company paired it with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 flash storage. You are not getting the option to expand the internal storage here, by the way. Those are not bad specs, but they’re also not flagship-grade, not at all. Is the performance any good, though? Well, read on…

The performance was good, but don’t expect flagship-level experience here

The performance was… well, quite good. Everything was mostly smooth without major hiccups or anything of the sort. I did notice some hiccups after I restarted the phone (every time), for a minute or two, but after that, everything ran fine… with ocassional hiccups. I don’t have considerable lag to report, none whatsoever, even if you’re really aggressively jumping between apps, etc. You can get it to slow down a bit, as with basically any phone, but you really have to hammer it hard in order for that to happen. There is a hiccup here and there, a skipped frame, but very rarely. The phone’s performance overall is really good.

If you’re wondering about gaming, well, you can play games on this phone, without a problem. If we’re talking about casual games, that are not too graphically demanding, the phone does it without a hitch. You can also run truly demanding games but do note that you’ll need to lower the details in order to get better performance out of those. I never felt like the phone was too hot to hold, or that the heat affected the performance, though it does get rather warm when you’re running more demanding 3D games.

If you’re a gamer, look elsewhere

The bottom line is, I wouldn’t get this phone if you’re into gaming. It can run games, but it’s just not meant to do that exactly unless we’re talking about casual games. I don’t know, I always find it weird to play anything in landscape on flip phones. In any case, the phone’s performance overall is really good. It’s not up to par with flagship smartphones, and it’s not supposed to be. This is not a powerhouse phone, but it’s one that offers really good performance that will satisfy the vast majority of people without a problem.

Benchmarks

We’ve also run some benchmarks on the device, as we usually do. Below, you’ll find results from Geekbench 6, both CPU and GPU results. On top of that, we’ve also tested the phone via 3D Mark’s Wild Life Extreme Stress tests which is supposed to put strain on the phone by emulating intense usage of the device.

Geekbench 6

GRAPH

3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test

Video export test

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Battery

TECNO did include a considerably larger battery this time around. The company went with a 4,720mAh unit. The previous model included a 4,000mAh battery. That’s a huge improvement right there, then again this model does have a much larger cover display. The charging has also been improved, but we’ll talk about that a bit later on. So, is the battery life good enough to last you throughout the day? Well, yes, at least it was for us. In fact, it managed to get me through the day easily, I was not even close to needing a charger. Do note that I did use both displays and didn’t unfold the phone for every little thing. This was a combined usage, though I did use the main display more, like 70% of the time, maybe.

The battery life was really good

I don’t usually use my phone that much during the day, but on several days I really pushed it to see how good it’ll do, and it managed to cross the 7-hour screen-on-time mark with somewhere between 10 and 25% of battery left, depending on the day. I did use the camera quite a bit on those days, and the same goes for TikTok and YouTube. So, even if you’re a power user, this phone can keep a charge quite well.

I did notice that gaming does deplete the battery faster than anything else, but that is to be expected. This is not a gaming phone, and even if it is, games have that effect on battery life. Overall, the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 offers really good battery life. It’s easily one of the best in that regard when it comes to flip phones. You can check out some battery stats below.

This thing can charge in about 45 minutes, more or less

TECNO also boosted the charging speed on its ‘Flip’ series. This smartphone supports 70W wired charging, Wireless charging is not included, and the same goes for reverse wired or wireless charging. This wired charging, however, can get you to 50% in only 15 minutes. A full charge takes around 45 minutes according to the company. It took us 47 minutes to get there, though, but still… it’s more than fast enough overall. TECNO also includes a charger in the retail box, so no worries there.

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Camera

The TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 has two cameras on the back, and one on the foldable display. The thing is, if you need to take a selfie, chances are you’ll want to use the main cameras. You have a nice size of the cover display to help you. The inner camera should only be used for video calls, realistically. The rear cameras are so much better in every way. With that being said, let’s talk details. On the back, TECNO included a 50-megapixel main camera. The company used a 1/1.57-inch camera sensor here. OIS is supported, and the same goes for PDAF. The other camera is a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit with a 114-degree FoV. On the front, you’ll find a 32-megapixel snapper with a 1/2.8-inch sensor, 0.8um pixel size, and an f/2.5 aperture lens.

The main camera managed to surprise me, it’s actually really good

The main camera performance actually managed to surprise me, in a good way. The same goes for the ultrawide snapper. I was expecting a lot less in the photography department, but both of those cameras did a nice job, actually. Both the main and ultrawide cameras managed to provide sharp and detailed images that are also vivid at the same time. Even when it comes to HDR performance, they did not do a bad job. What surprised me is that the main camera did a wonderful job with portraits. Not the best out there, but a lot better than I had hoped. The dynamic range was good in images, and so was the white balance.

Low light perfromance is not the best

No, not everything is great, unfortunately. Both the main and ultrawide cameras do show a visible drop-off in quality in low light. The main camera does a good job overall, though street light flares can mess up images. The ultrawide camera on the other hand, well, street flares are an issue, but images also end up looking a bit greener than they should in such conditions. Also, the details do take a visible hit compared to the main camera in low light conditions. If you plan to shoot in such conditions, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you use the main camera.

You should use main cameras for selfies

The selfie camera is also not great, in general. That’s not as important, however, as you do have the phone’s main cameras for taking selfies and even video calls if you want. You really don’t have to use the selfie camera at all. Videos are not the best. They perform okay in good lighting, but when you shoot in low light things deteriorate. There’s also considerable stutter when jumping between two views (main and ultrawide cameras). You do get plenty of options in the camera UI, though, the UI itself is not half-bad. All in all, this phone has an okay main camera, and most people will likely be happy with the images it can provide. That’s about it, though, it’s not exactly versatile in the camera department, and that’s perfectly fine.

Main camera samples:

Ultrawide camera samples:

2x digital zoom camera samples:

Recording temperature (5 & 10 minutes):

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Software

I praised TECNO’s software quite a bit in my TECNO Phantom V Fold 2 review. Well, this is basically the same software, but without some Fold-specific foldable features. It’s really, really good. TECNO managed to trump quite a few smartphone OEMs in the software department. Not only does it look clean, but it’s very smooth, with great animations, and you can easily remove the excess bloat that comes with the phone. There is also plenty of customization baked into HiOS 14.5.

You can customize this phone through and through

This phone allows you to change the swipe-down home screen gesture without a problem. It allows you to customize the icons, while you can also remove items from the status bar if you want. That’s not something just about any OEM offers, and it’s nice to see. You can grab different themes from the Internet, while an AI wallpaper generator is included in the package too. It can switch wallpapers for you. TECNO even threw in some fun live wallpapers, which are kind of interactive. On the cover screen, you can choose between a variety of pets that appear and have different movements based on your swipes and taps. They even become interactive when you receive a message.

You can also customize the fonts, and color theme, plus there are additional settings for the home screen itself. Options like changing the grid layout, changing animations, utilizing different gestures, hiding apps from the app drawer, and so on. On top of all that, the phone’s always-on display feature is not half bad either. It’s very simplistic. You can choose the accent colors for it, and also choose what items actually appear on the screen. It’s mostly black to save battery, and it’s a really nice way of knowing what’s the notification status, what’s the time, and so on.

The animations are quite good, and the UI is responsive

The entire UI offers great performance, actually. The animations are not too slow at all, they’re just right. It’s very responsive, and modern looking. Different UI elements are well-balanced, so nothing pops out as if it doesn’t belong. That’s a mistake a number of other companies made. I didn’t think I’d like HiOS as much as I did, but there you go. There’s a lot to unpack on the software front here, but I just wanted to give you an idea as to what to expect. And yes, multi-window is supported, and it works well. You even get access to the side tray with apps that you can access from the vertical line on the display… no matter where you’re currently located. From there you can launch apps in small windows, or fire up multi-window. HiOS is a lot better than you’d expect, it’s definitely worth trying out.

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Audio

As you’d expect out of basically any mid-range or high-end smartphone these days, stereo speakers are included here. The main speaker is bottom-firing, while the secondary one is front-firing, as it’s located in the earpiece. Are the speakers any good? Well, let’s just say that most people will be happy with their performance, even though they’re not exactly the best speakers we’ve seen, not even close.

The speakers are not exactly loud, but they’re loud enough. It’s a nice balance I’d say. The sound quality coming from them is good, but nothing to write home about. I wish the vocals were a bit more pronounced, and the low-end is not the best, but only if I’m nitpicking. The point is, the output is more than good enough, and the vast majority of people won’t really find much to complain about here.

TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 Review: Should you buy it?

So… is the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 worth it? Well, it all depends on what you’re looking for, and what’s the price of competing products in your region. The TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 has a rather limited availability, but if it’s available in your region, you should consider it. It’s a solid phone, there a no glaring problems with it at all.

TECNO really did manage to pack a lot of power and features here, having the price in mind. Its screens are good, the software is great, the main camera is okay, and so on. As I said, no glaring problems at all, it’s a solid phone. This thing costs the equivalent of $699, though its price tag does vary from one market to the next. I do believe the TECNO Phantom V Fold 2 is a better value, but you should not overlook the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2, it’s worth taking into consideration.

You should buy the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 if you:

…want a flip phone but are on a budget
…mainly shoot with the main camera
…appreciate well-executed software
…love to customize your software experience
…plan on using the cover display a lot

You shouldn’t buy the TECNO Phantom V Flip 2 if you:

…want your phone to be water and dust resistant
…need the best camera on a flip phone
…have the need for wireless charging

We’re getting into the colder months of the year (at least in the northern hemisphere). If you haven’t done so already, it’ll soon be time to switch on the heating. Rather than make manual adjustments to the thermostat throughout the day, why not let a smart version take care of the heavy lifting? As luck would have it, Google’s Nest Thermostat is back on sale.

The device . That’s $45 off the regular price but some way off the record low of $61 it dropped to a year ago.

Google

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Google’s Nest Thermostat is on sale for $85. It’s a helpful way to optimize your home’s temperature and save money.

$85 at Amazon

This is a more affordable version of the Nest Learning Thermostat and should do the trick for many people. When you leave your home, the Energy Star-certified Nest Thermostat can automatically adjust the temperature to prevent wasting energy on heating or cooling.

The Nest app allows you to tweak the settings remotely. This can come in especially handy if you’re going to arrive home at a different time than usual. You can delay a temperature change or make it kick in earlier so your home’s at the optimal level of warmth while minimizing energy waste.

The thermostat can be controlled via Google Assistant and other Matter-certified assistants such as Siri and Alexa. There’s also a Savings Finder feature. This offers suggestions on how to tweak your temperature schedule to keep your costs lower.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Elon Musk’s publicly traded electric vehicle company Tesla, Inc. hosted its highly anticipated “We Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Burbank, California and streamed it live on his social network X and YouTube.

Despite showing off slick prototypes of a new “Cybercab” autonomous car without a steering wheel or gas and brake pedals, and a similarly sparse, art deco retrofuturistic “Robovan” capable of seating 20 passengers, the event was criticized by some prominent observers as being more style than substance, lacking precise details on timelines, costs, and legal issues, and even coming across as misleading in some cases.

The most glaring example of potentially misleading information was Tesla’s move to have its still in-development humanoid Optimus robots filling the venue space and interacting with attendees, even serving drinks at a bar. While some present assumed the robots were entirely autonomous, reports confirmed they were teleoperated — meaning controlled by a human in another room.

“Not wholly AI? Not at all AI,” wrote venture capitalist Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital on Musk’s social network X. “Totally worthy to celebrate low latency remote control but totally dishonest to demo these as autonomous robots—call it the parlor trick it is.”

This skepticism raises questions about how far Tesla has truly advanced in developing artificial intelligence for robotics. While Musk touted the Optimus, Cybercab and Robotaxi as tremendously impactful inventions for society, EV reviewers The Kilowatts noted on X that much of the technology will remain “unbelievable” to investors and consumers until it is actually shipped.

For now, Tesla’s vision of fully autonomous personal robots as well as new autonomous electric vehicle types remains more speculative than realistic. Here’s the video of the event embedded below and a summary of what was discussed:

Cybercab: all autonomous and cheaper than a bus or Model 3?

Perhaps the most expected of the announcements was Tesla’s Cybercab, a two-seater electric vehicle designed for autonomous operation.

Musk described the Cybercab as a sleek, more compact version of the Cybertruck, and it will reportedly cost less than $30,000 — below the current price of Tesla’s currently most affordable personal vehicle, the Model 3, which debuted at $35,000 in 2019 but has since seen its price rise to around $42,000.

According to Musk, Tesla aims for the Cybercab’s operating cost to between $0.20 and $0.30 per mile compared to the operational cost of a bus, which he placed at around $1 per mile.

The vehicles themselves would be powered by inductive (wireless) charging, eliminating the need for plug-in charging stations and further integrating autonomous cars into the urban landscape.

The promise of an individualized “mass transit” future has long been part of Musk’s vision, and the Cybercab is a key component of that goal.

During the event, Musk proudly displayed 20 Cybercabs driving autonomously around the venue. He emphasized that the Cybercab is part of a broader effort to make cities safer, cleaner, and more efficient.

Tesla’s AI Vision system, trained on millions of cars, allows these vehicles to operate without the fatigue and distractions that affect human drivers. Musk claimed that Tesla’s autonomous technology could eventually make driving 10 to 30 times safer than human operation.

He also floated the idea that autonomous car owners could manage fleets of vehicles, offering ride-hailing services similar to Uber or Lyft. This business model, if successful, could reshape the gig economy and create new opportunities for individuals to generate income.

However, while the Cybercab’s debut was met with enthusiasm, industry insiders raised concerns about the lack of concrete details surrounding its rollout.

Musk indicated that production on the Cybercab would begin between “probably” in 2026 or “before 2027,” but admitted he “tend[ed] to be a little optimistic with timeframes.”

And indeed, Tesla has historically struggled with meeting deadlines for its more ambitious projects such as its Full Self-Driving (FSD) and even shipping the Cybertruck, which Musk at one point suggested would be waterproof enough to act as a boat for short journeys (it is not and cannot).

And as Washington Post technology journalist Faiz Siddiqui noted on X, the entire We, Robot event livestream was preceded by a heft disclaimer from Tesla stating, in part, that “Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions with respect to the future, are based on management’s current expectations, involve certain risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.”

While the vision of affordable autonomous transportation is compelling, much remains uncertain about when—or if—Tesla can deliver on these promises.

Robovan: Tesla’s answer to buses, trains, and mass transit

Another key reveal at the event was Tesla’s Robovan, a large autonomous vehicle designed to transport up to 20 passengers or goods.

Musk positioned the Robovan as a potential solution for high-density urban transport, hinting at a future where autonomous shuttles replace conventional buses.

The Robovan represents a vision of more efficient, less congested cities where autonomous vehicles run frequently enough to eliminate the need for large, underutilized parking lots.

Musk suggested that, over time, cities could convert parking spaces into parks, improving quality of life in urban areas.

Some technology observers such as Brian Roemmele on X were overjoyed at the news, especially the Robovan’s sleek, striking art deco design, even predicting that “100s of 1000s” or hundreds of thousands of people would be living in Robovans converted into mobile homes by 2031.

Despite these ambitious goals and praise, critics were quick to point out that Tesla offered no specific timeline for the Robovan’s production.

X user Facts Chaser noted that while Tesla unveiled a prototype, China already has operational autonomous vans in real urban environments.

Tesla Full Self-Driving coming to Texas and California next year?

A recurring theme at the We Robot event was Musk’s long-held belief that autonomous vehicles will revolutionize urban life by reducing traffic, improving safety, and reclaiming public spaces.

Tesla’s plans to launch fully unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) in Texas and California by 2025 were highlighted as a pivotal moment in this transformation.

The rollout will begin with the Model 3 and Model Y, followed by the Cybertruck and eventually the Cybercab.

Musk painted a picture of a future where autonomous vehicles are used up to ten times more frequently than today’s cars, dramatically increasing their value.

However, despite Musk’s optimism, several hurdles remain. Tesla has faced significant regulatory challenges in deploying its FSD technology, and autonomous driving technology in general has not yet reached the Level 4 autonomy necessary for vehicles to operate without human oversight.

Optimus: your future household helper?

Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot also took center stage at the event. Musk introduced the robot as a personal assistant capable of performing everyday tasks like babysitting, walking dogs, mowing lawns, or even serving drinks at parties.

The robot was showcased interacting with and speaking with attendees, even bartending and playing halting games of “rock, paper, scissors” impressing many with its potential versatility.

According to Musk, at scale, Optimus could be sold for $20,000 to $30,000, making it a possible addition to millions of households.

However, he again provided no specific timeline for its release, nor publicly answered questions about how the robot would handle adverse situations like a dog or child running away, breaking something, or causing other problems and mischief, let alone ensuring the robot would be able to handle said common situations safely and without harming others in the process.

Meanwhile, other robotics providers such as startup Figure, 1X (both backed by OpenAI), and many newcomers from China are pursuing their own humanoid robotic helpers for the home, setting up an intense contest. However, Tesla has shown itself to be resistant to challengers in the EV market and continues to grow market share, making the outlook for the Optimus potentially more bullish.

Safety, legal and regulatory challenges remain

One of the biggest challenges facing Tesla as it pushes for widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles and robots is regulatory approval.

While Musk’s vision of autonomous transport is bold, it is fraught with legal and safety concerns.

Vehicles like the Cybercab, which lack steering wheels and pedals, will need to comply with strict safety standards before they can be sold or used on public roads.

Tesla’s existing FSD technology has already come under scrutiny from regulators following several high-profile accidents involving Tesla vehicles operating under partial autonomy.

For Tesla to achieve Level 4 autonomy—where a vehicle can operate without human intervention under specific conditions—it will need to prove that its systems can reliably handle a wide range of driving scenarios without putting passengers or pedestrians at risk.

Spammers take advantage of the attention

The We Robot event attracted significant online attention, though the livestream was marred by a flood of bots and spammers promoting an unrelated cryptocurrency token, XAI33x.

Despite the disruption, Tesla fans were generally enthusiastic about the future Musk presented, although many were left with lingering doubts about the timelines and feasibility of some of the announcements.

In today’s software ecosystem, open source code has become the backbone of innovation and digital infrastructure, playing a pivotal role in everything from startups to major enterprises. The collaborative nature of open source software has unlocked incredible potential for businesses, allowing rapid development and agility. But with this openness comes a critical dilemma: security vulnerabilities. As state-level actors target open source projects, the global community must confront the balance between innovation and protection. 

Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 as Bogomil Balkansky, partner at Sequoia Capital; Aeva Black, section chief of Open Source Security at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); and Luis Villa, co-founder and general counsel of Tidelift dive deep into the world of open source software, asking how companies can continue building on communal code while mitigating serious security risks.

Check out the Builders Stage as these leaders share their experiences navigating the complexities of open source security, investment, and policy. We’re excited to explore how open source’s decentralized model can remain a force for good without becoming a back door for malicious activity.

Meet the speakers 

Bogomil Balkansky, partner, Sequoia Capital

Bogomil Balkansky has been at the forefront of investments in companies leveraging open source technology. With over two decades of experience in the tech industry, Bogomil has a strong track record of supporting key infrastructure technologies and cloud companies. His leadership at Sequoia has fostered initiatives like the Sequoia Open Source Fellowship, funding developers to work on open source projects without giving up equity. Bogomil’s deep understanding of how venture capital intersects with open source software provides a critical business lens for the conversation.

Aeva Black, section chief, Open Source Security, U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Aeva Black brings a wealth of knowledge from both the private sector and government. She’s an international thought leader on open source security, with over 25 years of experience building digital infrastructure and leading open source projects at companies like Microsoft. At CISA, Aeva is involved in ensuring the security of open source software within critical national infrastructure, a mission that aligns directly with the topic. Aeva’s expertise will offer a crucial perspective on how the government can support the safety of communal code.

Luis Villa, co-founder and general counsel, Tidelift

Luis Villa has dedicated his career to both the legal and technical aspects of open source software. Having worked at organizations like the Wikimedia Foundation and Mozilla, Luis has led critical open source licensing reforms and community-building efforts. Tidelift’s mission to help companies manage and secure their open source software dependencies puts Luis at the intersection of business and security, making him a key voice in the dialogue.

Witness the discussion at Disrupt 2024

As the conversation unfolds, these leaders will offer actionable insights on how to foster a secure, sustainable open source ecosystem. With Disrupt 2024 bringing together the brightest minds in tech, this panel is a must-attend for anyone seeking to understand the future of open source. It’s not just about code — it’s about securing the foundation of global innovation. 

Don’t miss your chance to be part of these critical conversations from October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Grab your ticket here before prices rise at the door.