Tecno recently hosted a global launch event wherein the company launched its next-generation flagship smartphone series dubbed as the Tecno Phantom X2 5G. This series includes two devices – the Pro variant called the Phantom X2 Pro 5G and the vanilla Phantom X2 5G. In theory, the Phantom X2 5G is the successor to the Tecno Phantom X smartphone that arrived in India last year and is available at a price of Rs 25,999. However, in reality, the phone is so much more owing to the marquee of features that it offers.
The Phantom X features a modest 90Hz display with Mediak’s Helio G95 processor that is coupled with 50+13+8MP rear camera setup, a 48MP selfie camera and a 4,700mAh battery. The Phantom X2 5G goes a step ahead by introducing a mix of powerful specifications and unique features that are not easy to come by.
To give you a quick brief, the Phantom X2 5G comes with a 120Hz AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass Victus that is coupled with the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset, a 64MP+13MP+2MP rear camera system and a 32MP front camera, a bigger 5,160mAh battery. The highlight of the Phantom X2 5G or the entire series, however, is the retractable camera that steals the spotlight.
Phantom X2 5G costs 2699 SAR (Rs 59,120 approximately), while the Tecno Phantom X2 Pro 5G costs 3499 SAR (Rs 96,358 approximately). Of these, the Phantom X2 5G is expected to arrive in India sometime towards the end of this month.
Even though there is sometime before the Phantom X2 5G arrives in India, we were able to steal sometime with it during Tecno’s global launch event and here are our initial thoughts about the device.
Tecno Phantom X2 5G design and display
The Phantom X2 5G features a premium design that is hard to miss. The phone has a glass back with frosted glass finish. On the top of the back is a squarish camera module consisting of the triple camera setup with LED flash. There are two giant cameras on the opposite ends of the camera module one of which is the retractacle camera that is one of the major highlights of this smartphone series. The camera module is distinct and unlike what we have seen in a lot of smartphones these days. Whether you’ll like it or not is debatable. That said, the back of the phone does look different in a good way owing to the balance of shapes and the colour that Tecno has picked out for the phone. What adds to the overall appeal of the phone is the fact that despite the frosted glass appeal, the phone isn’t slippery at all and it is easy tol hold, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra that we reviewed earlier this year.
On the front, the Phantom X2 5G features an AMOLED display with curved edge design with the selfie camera in the top-middle section. The display is bright and well lit all the time and it was able to handle the beaming Dubai sun with relative easy. In the low-light conditions, the display offers a comfortable viewing experience.
Tecno Phantom X2 5G experience
Coming to the experience, the Phantom X2 5G is comfortable to use and fast enough for everyday usage. The phone comes with Google’s suite of app along with a bunch of other apps, a lot of which you may not need. It is powered by Android 12-based HiOS 12.0, which might be a let down for a lot of users, especially for a phone launching at this time. However, Tecno has promised to release Android 13 update on the device around January 2023. At a time when a lot of original equipment makers (OEMs) haven’t released Android 13 update to a lot of their smartphones across price segments, getting Android 13 in around a month-and-a-half’s time isn’t a bad bargain, especially when you look at the overall package that this device offers. That said, we will have to test this phone more to give a more definitive verdict on its performance.
Tecno Phantom X2 5G camera
Camera is a department that the Tecno Phantom X2 5G handles exceptionally well. During our limited time with the phone, it was able to capture images in low light conditions with surprising clarity – an area that is tricky for most smartphones in the market right now. It was also able to reproduce colours quite precisely, even on zooming in images. This exceptional clarity was maintained even during the day time.
As far as the colours are concerned, the phone offers a vibrant colours with the right degree of brightness contrast. Overall, the cameras are a hit. However, we will have to test the phone under more diverse set of conditions to know more about it.