I have been interacting with the Tecno Phantom 8 for two weeks now. The device was launched close to a month and is retailing at Ksh.37,000 in the country. A pretty good device, if you asked me, good specs, great performance making it list among the top high-end devices in the market currently.

In this article, I am going to share a short review or basically what I loved and did not love about the Tecno Phantom 8. Are there areas Tecno could have done better? Well, maybe, what did I love? Well, all that I will be telling you about in this short review.

We have already done the unboxing and first impression article. In case you missed it you can read about it here.

Let’s talk about the design and display 8/10

To be honest, Tecno did a pretty good job with the Phantom 8 design. I love the curves metallic frame and also the placement of the dual rear cameras and flash. By far, I can describe the device as the most beautiful Tecno Phantom device I have seen.

The Tecno Phantom 8 comes with a 5.7 inch Full HD display thanks to its 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution and the 403 PPI which delivers some quality display. You also get a 2.5D glass on the top which gives the phone a premium look.  Despite the 5.7-inch FHD screen size, the smartphone is also very slim and fits perfectly well in the hand.

One of the other highlights of the Phantom 8 is the unique ‘’Diamond Fire Design’’ which we have been talking about in our 24Bit episode (Check out our YouTube channel to learn more). This design gives the device a glossy and attractive look. I need to also point out that the back cover of the device is so slippery. Maybe  Tecno should have done better here by making the back side comes with a bit of friction. But this should worry you less because Tecno has included a transparent case in the packaging which should be able to protect the phone.

Remember the Phantom 8 is available in Champagne Gold, Phantom Black, and Galaxy Blue colors.

Tecno Phantom 8 Performance 7/10

First, let’s just agree the device is not a cheap one, I mean for Ksh.37,000 you must be getting something good. By good, I mean good specs which of course translates to good performance. Does the Phantom 8 offer you that? Yes, or let me just say it does not disappoint. Let’s look at the specs, first, you get a whopping 6GB RAM, this is basically more than what we all need in a smartphone. I didn’t have any problems multitasking while using the device.  You also get a 64GB internal memory which you can expand to 2 terabytes via a MicroSD card. This are actually some of the key highlights of the Phantom 8.

The Octa-core processor on the Phantom 8  on the other hand clocks at 2.6 GHz with a MediaTek Helio P25 chipset.

The Tecno Phantom 8 also boasts Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box with Tecno’s  HiOS 3.0 on top. I love the HiOS as it promises more optimized and sleeker user interface on the device. There are also reports that the Phantom 8 will receive a future OS update to Android 8.0 Oreo, something I am definitely looking forward to. The device is a dual Micro SIM Android device and supports dual standby with 4G network option as expected.

Overall the performance is good, its snappy and fast and if you are one of those people who love playing high graphics games on your mobile phone, you will definitely like this device.

Tecno Phantom 8 camera 9/10

This is probably one of the other things I love about the Phantom 8. When I first heard that the smartphone will come with a 20MP selfie camera, I had my doubts, until I got the device from Tecno Mobile and actually tried taking some selfies. The quality was amazing, no doubt about that. Check some of the photos I took below.

The device also comes with a 12MP and 13MP dual cameras with TRI-LED flash which also captures some really 

amazing images. So why dual cameras? Here is what you need to know, the 12MP is the main camera while the 13MP is the telephoto one.  What this means is that you can capture images that blur out the background of your subject. Pretty awesome if you asked me.  The two cameras are of SONY IMX 386 similar to the ones we have seen on the iPhone flagships. 

Below are some of the images taken by the Phantom 8. You can follow our Instagram page to check out more photos.

I like the fact that Tecno decided to incorporate Dual Cameras on the Phantom 8, I mean this is the future of smartphone photography.  

Tecno Phantom 8 battery 6/10

The Phantom 8 sports a 3,500 mAh battery capacity. I feel Tecno could have done better here by at least making the battery 4,000 mAh, but again, it does not disappoint. The non-removable battery can take you for up to days, and if you are not heavy user it could be even more.

The smartphone also supports fast charging and also features power saving features to give you a few extra hours of usage. I loved the fact that you can set the battery saver to be automatically turned on when your juice is below a certain level.

Would I buy it?

If I had Ksh.37,000 lying somewhere I would definitely spend it on the phantom 8. Apart from the few pointers I made about the back cover and battery, the Phantom 8 delivers great performance.

The 6GB RAM does a great job, no lags, it’s a smooth experience all through. The camera, a key selling point on the device delivers great performance. The sound quality is good, the display is great. You got to give Tecno a plus on the specs.

Remember I said if I had Ksh. 37,000 somewhere in my house I would, without hesitating spend it on this device, but what if I don’t? Well, I have a problem with the pricing, It’s just too high considering we have so many other options like the Infinix ZERO 5 Pro and the OPPO F5 which were launched around the same time the Phantom 8 was launched.

Overall Tecno Mobile did a good job on the Phantom 8 and we expect future Phantom devices to come with more amazing specs.

BUY THE TECNO PHANTOM 8 HERE