Tecno Phantom X2 Pro goes official with world's first "retractable" portrait camera

Tecno has just introduced a new smartphone under its premium Phantom sub-brand. Called the Phantom X2 Pro, it is the world’s first smartphone to feature a retractable portrait lens. Let's take a look at what Tecno has to offer with the Phantom X2 Pro, as well as its expected price in Nepal.

Tecno Phantom X2 Pro Overview:

Design, Display

The Tecno Phantom X2 Pro sports a unique design for a smartphone. Especially, its centrally located large camera module on the back looks extra-ordinary. It even has a decorative ring around one of its cameras. So it's easily distinguishable from the sea of similar-looking smartphones.  Furthermore, the X2 Pro is available in an Eco-Friendly Edition with a microfiber back cover made from recycled ocean materials. According to Tecno, ocean waste was first transformed into microfibers through a complex and multi-stage process.  It is then woven to create a strong, long-lasting material for the back panel. All this tech is packed in the Mars Orange color variant. Whereas, there is a Stardust Grey variant with a glass back. Up front, you’re looking at a 6.8-inch Full HD+ curved AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus Protection. This is a 10-bit panel that covers 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Likewise, the bezels on the top and bottom are quite minimal as well.

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Performance

In charge of things inside the chassis is a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC. This is a big lead from the original Phantom X which was equipped with a mid-range Helio G95 processor.  Based on TSMC’s 4nm SoC, the SoC has a high-performance Cortex-X2 (3.05 GHz) core, three Cortex-A710 (2.85 GHz) performance cores, and four Cortex-A510 (1.8 GHz) efficiency cores.  Sure, Tecno could have gone with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Dimensity 9200 SoC. But the Dimensity 9000 is a capable chipset in its own right. Memory options are limited to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It comes pre-installed with Android 12-based HiOS 12.

Cameras

Let’s now talk about the highlight of this guy, the cameras. It comes with a 50MP Samsung JN1 retractable portrait lens with support for 2.5x zoom. As a result, you can even use it as a telephoto lens. The reason behind the name “retractable” lens is that the phone has a mechanism that extends the camera lens outward when in use and retracts it afterward. On the other hand, this portrait lens has a bright f/1.5 aperture, which is quite wide for a 65mm smartphone camera. This brings in two advantages.  First, it allows more light to reach the sensor. Second, its shallow depth of field produces natural bokeh for portrait shots. The portrait lens is paired with a 50MP Samsung GNV primary camera with a 1/1.3" ISOCELL 3.0 sensor. Although the large 1/1.3” unit helps to capture more light, Tecno has also used an RGBW sensor and a glass element on the camera to increase light intake. The remaining lens is a 13MP Samsung 3L6 ultra-wide camera which can also take macro shots. A 32MP camera with an f/1.5 aperture is there for selfies.

Rest of the specs

Besides this, the smartphone features a big 5160mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging. Biometric options include an in-display fingerprint sensor. Likewise, you get all the major connectivity options such as 5G (SA/NSA), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax), Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, and USB Type-C.

Tecno Phantom X2 Pro Specifications:

• Dimensions: 164.6 x 72.7 x 8.9mm
• Display: 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
• SoC: MediaTek Dimensity 9000 (4nm)
• Memory: 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
• OS: Android 12 with HiOS 12
• Cameras: Triple; - 50MP primary lens with 1/1.3″ Samsung GNV sensor, f/1.9 - 50MP ISOCELL JN1 retractable sensor, f/1.5 (65mm telephoto, 2.5x optical zoom) - 13 MP ultrawide camera, f/2.2
• Selfie: 32MP, f/2.5
• Biometric: In-display fingerprint sensor
• Audio: Stereo speakers
• Connectivity: 5G (SA/NSA), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax), Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C
• Battery: 5160mAh, 45W charging
• Color: Mars Orange, Stardust Grey

Tecno Phantom X2 Pro Price in Nepal and Availability

The Phantom X2 Pro is currently launched in Saudi Arabia for SAR 3,500 (~ USD 930) for the sole 12/256GB configuration. It will go on sale in the coming weeks. If and when the Tecno Phantom X2 Pro is released in Nepal, we expect it to cost around NPR 150,000.

• Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.