Chinese smartphone maker Tecno is best known for its budget phones that dominate the African smartphone scene, but the Shenzhen-based company has embarked on an expansion plan, both geographically and commercially.
This month, the company launched its highest and most expensive phone, and it's the most original, both in terms of design and concept, this year.
The main selling point of this new flagship, called the Phantom X2 Pro, is its retractable portrait lens, and it really works. But other than that, I was particularly impressed with the Phantom X2 Pro's image processing software, which smaller phone brands typically lack.
Equipment and design
I'll get to the cameras in a moment, looking at the overall design first. The Phantom X2 Pro is a large slab phone with a 6.8-inch OLED display with a stretched 20:9 aspect ratio. The back can be glass or vegetable-tanned leather "made from recycled materials from the Indian Ocean", and this is the latest model I'm testing. I love the look of the orange leather and it really highlights the attractive camera module. Twice in the last month I have been approached by random strangers asking me about the phone because the back caught their attention.
The screen is curved, with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 and a maximum brightness of 500 nits and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. I have no complaints in terms of color vibrancy, viewing angles vision, animation and sharpness. The screen looks good. But 500 nits of brightness is a tad low by 2022 flagship standards, and it's a screen that dims noticeably in direct sunlight compared to something like the new iPhone or Samsung.
Below the display is an optical fingerprint scanner and a selfie camera, both of which work well. The phone is powered by MediaTek Dimension 9000 chip which is the flagship chip from Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek. It's not as powerful as Qualcomm's best chips, but paired with 12GB of RAM, the Dimensity 9000 is still more than capable of anything you throw at it. There's a large 5160mAh battery with 45W fast charging and a charger is included.
The main attraction here is the retractable portrait zoom lens that physically pops out (see image below). Not only does this allow the lens to get a little closer to the subject, but it also gives the image more room to travel before reaching the ISP (Image Signal Processor). That extra distance makes a big difference, as the zoom is able to deliver a reliable 2.5x zoom for a focal length of around 65mm.
The zoom really works. Thanks to the focal length, image sensor size (1/1.3 inch) and fast f/1.5 aperture, photos have noticeable natural bokeh (blurred depth of field). Such a large aperture allows the lens to perform well at night, which smartphone zoom lenses typically suffer from.
The main camera is a 50MP Samsung GNV sensor, essentially the same sensor used by Google in the Pixel 7 Pro. It's a great sensor, but it doesn't matter if Tecno's image processing isn't up to snuff, and as I said at the start, Tecno's image processing is incredibly modern. Check out sample photos below, all taken with the Phantom X2 Pro's main camera. I was impressed with HDR, which requires smart imaging software to quickly capture multiple images and combine them into a single take.
The video stabilization is also up to par, the only negatives I would say are the super wide angle lens and the fact that the portrait lens struggles to focus in low light. Otherwise, it's a camera system that rivals the biggest names in the industry and is a major achievement in techno.
Software and performance
The Phantom X2 Pro runs Android 12 in addition to Tecno's HiOS Android. HiOS is one of the most customizable Android skins I've tested. Dozens of shortcuts can be customized to your liking, from app icons to home screen swipe animations. Honestly, the number of things you can change here can be a bit overwhelming. For the most part, everything works, and the massive overlay doesn't interfere with basic Android functionality. However, Android 12 is already a generation away and Tecno has not proven itself when it comes to timely software updates. I won't hold my breath if Android 13 is here soon.
The MediaTek chip here is based on a 4nm architecture and is fast enough for any application. Even in graphics-intensive games like Genshin Impact, the phone didn't once lag, although like most smartphones, it did warm up.
Battery life is excellent for such a large battery. I put this phone through 15 hours of heavy use, which included dozens of photos and videos, point-to-point browsing, Spotify streaming, social media use, and the phone managed 15 hours of battery life . .
Conclusion
Tecno Phantom X2 Pro is the most ambitious high-end device ever made by the company. It has an attractive design and a real breakthrough in camera hardware innovation. But it's also very expensive for a brand that is still far from being nominated. The phone will initially launch in Saudi Arabia (other markets coming soon) and will cost 3,499 Saudi Riyals, or around $930. That's around four to five times the price of an average Tecno phone, so quite a jump.
I think many consumers might find it hard to ask for a Tecno phone to pay around $1,000 for a more established brand. But this is also part of Tecno's strategy. it wants to grow as a premium brand rather than a maker of $100 phones sold in Africa. If that seems higher at first glance, so be it. This was also Huawei's strategy during the mobile boom (2017 to 2019). the company has priced its phones at Apple's level, not Xiaomi's, as Huawei sees itself as a premium maker. And in the end it worked, people accepted Huawei's status and its phones were selling very well before the US ban.
Of course, Huawei has achieved this goal by making really advanced high-end phones. Tecno has taken its first big step with the Phantom X2 Pro.
