You may not have heard of the Tecno brand in the US but it's a China-based smartphone company that is popular in emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and South America. Tecno announced its new Phantom X2 series earlier today with the Pro model boasting a “world first” in a consumer device, a pop-out portrait lens that is claimed to produce a real bokeh effect.
Accompanying the Phantom X2 Pro is the vanilla Phantom X2, both of which are powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9000 chipset and feature a unibody design with a curved 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED display which also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate. Both models sport 45W wired charging, a 5,160nAh battery, and run on Tecno's HiOS 12 software which is based on Android 12. Neither handset has an IP rating, which is unfortunate.
Something else that is shared is the rather unique looking camera housing which is sure to spark debate. Personally, I like that it's different to other brands although I'm cognizant of the fact that's its a tad chunky.
Phantom X2
The lesser of the two models, the Phantom X2 still packs a punch with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 expandable storage. While it misses out on the retractable portrait lens, there is a 64MP main sensor with OIS which is accompanied by a 13MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP depth camera.
Tecno's Phantom X2 will go on sale before the end of the month in Stardust Grey and Moonlight White colorways. We've got the Phantom X2 in for review, so keep an eye out for our thoughts on Tecno's latest handset.
Phantom X2 Pro
The top-of-the-line Pro takes the photography skillset up a notch with its 50MP portrait camera which offers a large F1.49 aperture and a shallow 18.9cm depth of field effect which produce what Tecno is calling a “stunningly pure optical bokeh” effect. The portrait lens pops out a smidge to facilitate the increased depth of field. The main camera is also a 50MP sensor (Samsung GNV ISOCELL 3.0), and there's also a 13MP ultra-wide lens. The front camera has 32-megapixels and is located in the top center of the display.
The Phantom X2 Pro will be available in Stardust Grey and Mars Orange, the latter of which is made from recovered plastics and claimed to reduce carbon emissions by up to 38% in comparison to new plastics. Scheduled to go on sale before the end of 2022, the Phantom X2 Pro will cost around $930 while the regular Phantom X2 is priced at roughly $715.
