Tecno launched the Camon X less than a month ago. The Camon X is its latest addition to the Camon series known for their camera so definitely, the key highlight of this latest Camon is the Camera. It is important to note that Tecno launched two, we have the Camon X and the Camon X Pro.
I got the Camon X, thanks to our good friends at Tecno Mobile and I have been interacting with it for close to four weeks now. I was actually supposed to have this review article up by 17th of April but I felt I needed to test a few more things fast.
As I mentioned earlier the Camon X has a great focus on the selfie camera. In fact if you have seen some of the ads the company has been running on our tv screens, Tecno is marketing this device as the smartphone to buy if you love to take great selfies.
We already did an unboxing article for you to basically give you an idea of what to expect in case you choose to purchase the Tecno Camon X including a brief overview of the specs. In case you missed it you can check it out here.
The specs is one thing and experiencing the device is also a completely different thing. And that’s what I will be talking about in this review. Below is an overview of the specs:
- Display: 6.0 Inch HD – 720 by 1440 px (IPS)
- Dimension: 158.6 x 75.8 x 5.2mm
- Processor: 2.0 GHz Octa-core
- Operating system; Android™ 8.1 Oreo
- RAM: 3GB
- Internal Storage: 16GB expandable up to 128GB
- Rear Camera: 16MP Back camera with a single flash
- Front Camera: 20MP with flash
- Network; 2G, 3G and 4G
- Battery: 3750mah
- Fingerprint sensor: Yes
- Face ID: YES
Design & Display 9/10
This is probably one of the things most people who saw me with the device noticed. One of the problems I always have with smartphone manufactures is how at times they make it hard for us to hold devices with one hand, a problem which I did not have with the Camon X.
The edges are slick, similar to just what we saw on the Camon CM. Of course, this is due to the bezel-less design. You basically have minimal bezels on all sides.
The device is 6 inches but you can easily mistake it for a 5.5-inch regular smartphone. The full view display on the capacitive touchscreen is really clear and sharp thanks to the 720 by 1440 pixels resolution.
At the back, Tecno added a fingerprint sensor which I did not really struggle using. I will be telling you about it later. It’s also here that you have the 16MP rear camera.
At the bottom edge, you have the USB charging port, the microphone, speaker and earpiece jack. I love the fact that Tecno put the speaker, mic and earpiece jack here, as it made it easier for me play songs or even listen to voice calls on loudspeaker without having to turn the device. Remember traditionally, the company has always placed the speakers at the back which always affected the sound. With the Camon X, the audio quality is and you can listen to your favorite song without too much hustle.
The overall, design gives the Camon X an attractive look. I need to also point out that Tecno added a nice Tecno branded cover which makes the phone look even better.
Camera 10/10
The camera is the key selling point for the Camon X. Remember the Tecno Camon series is known for its camera so the Tecno really put so much effort on this. In fact, when this device was launched in Nigeria a few months ago, Philex MENG, CMO of TECNO Mobile said ‘’You cannot say you have built a next-generation smartphone if the device dons a regular camera regardless of its stellar design and features. Smartphone photography is the newest trend and several startup businesses depend on the proficiency of their mobile phone camera to grow their businesses. ‘’
He added the latest CAMON duos are designed to deliver unimaginable precision and appeal to the consumer – a proposition the company is proud of. Is that really the case? Well, let’s see.
The Camon X features a 16MP camera with single flash with delivers some pretty good images. I was hoping Tecno will join the dual camera trend with this device like some of the other devices we have seen being launched in 2018. Right now it’s really hard to find a 2017 or even 2018 flagship phones already launched without an extra lens.
Tecno also decided to add the Super Pixel feature on the Camon X rear camera. What Super Pixel basically does is allow you to enhance the resolution of your camera improving sharpness and reducing noise. This setting is however optimized for static scenes so you really need to be steady when taking photos with this feature.
That aside, the Camon X delivers some quality images which you can check below. I will be sharing another article just about the camera in the coming week.
The front camera, on the other hand, is 20MP and this is one of my winning features on the Camon X. The selfies are so natural clear, sharp and really accurate both in bright and lowlight. The camera also has some additional features including beauty and panorama.
Every selfie lover will definitely love this. Check some of the selfies taken by the Camon X below. More images are available on our Instagram page.
Battery, Specs, and Performance: 7/10
The Tecno Camon X is powered by 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor and comes with 3GB of RAM. Does it perform well? Mmmh the device does everything well, although at times I experienced some slight lags which I am sure can be fixed with a simple software update.
The phone packs 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded to 128GB via a MicroSD card. Again here is what have a problem, maybe Tecno should have considered a 32GB of internal storage instead, 16GB is just way too low.
The device runs on Android 8.1.0 and is actually the first from Tecno to feature this new operating system. Topped up to this is Tecno’s latest customized user interface HiOS 3.3 which comes with lots of improvements and features. For example, Tecno has added a facial recognition system called Face ID which allows you to unlock your phone in just seconds after a few minutes of set-up. This now means you have to security features to use; the Face ID and the fingerprint sensor which is located at the back of the device. Another feature is the night mode feature which we first saw on the Phantom 8. Other features include multi-window tab, one hand mode and much more.
For the battery, the Camon X comes with a 3750mAH capacity and my thinking is Tecno could have done better here, why not just make it 4,000mah? But still the battery does some good job: charges faster, approximately two hours and can last you up to two days if you are not a heavy user. I have used the Camon X as my primary phone over the last few weeks and I was never worried about running out of juice especially when I am of town. Tecno also added features like the Battery Saver which when turned on reduces the device’s performance and limits vibration, location services, and most background data which usually consume lots of battery. This feature automatically turns off when your device is charging.
I, however, wish Tecno had applied fast charging on the Camon X. Overall, the battery performance is good even if you are a heavy user like me.
Connectivity options on the Dual SIM Camon X include WI-FI, 4G LTE, 3G, and Bluetooth.
Conclusion and Pricing
The Camon X is a good device, no doubt about that. In fact, I think is the best device from the Camon series I have used. The selling point which is the camera is quite something delivering some amazing images. The performance is good, apart from the usual lags which as I said just require a simple update to be fixed.
Tecno is selling the device at Ksh. 19,990 on Jumia and other retailers across the country. Hopefully, we will also get a chance to interact with the Camon X Pro in the coming weeks to try to understand the difference between the two. In the meantime, you can visit our Instagram page to check out some photos we have taken with the device.
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BUY THE TECNO CAMON X ON JUMIA HERE
