Pros
- Large 5,000mAh battery
- 90Hz refresh rate
- 3.5mm headphone jack
Cons
- No AMOLED display
- No 5G support
Several smartphone makers have launched devices in the affordable segment and Tecno is one of them. In fact, Tecno has recently announced the launch of the Camon 18 smartphone in India. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 14,999 and is already available on Flipkart.
The device is known as the successor of the Tecno Camon 17 device that was launched in July last year. The handset features 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It comes with the MediaTek Helio G85 processor and it is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery along with an 18W Type-C flash charger.
Meanwhile, we got a chance to review the Tecno Camon 18 smartphone and this is what we think about the newly launched device.
Tecno Camon 18 Review: Plastic Back With Glossy Finish
Let’s start with the design of the Tecno Camon 18 smartphone as it is one of the good-looking devices launched by the company. It is visible that the device is an upgraded version of the previous smartphones launched in the same series.
On the right side of the smartphone, you’ll find a volume rocker and power button, whereas the SIM card tray is on the left side of the smartphone. The USB Type-C port, 3.5mm audio jack, and speaker grille are at the bottom of the device, whereas the back panel supports a triple camera setup along with a quad flashlight. Then, there is a Tecno Camon branding at the bottom of the back panel.
Although, the smartphone is big and cannot be operated via a single hand, still, the glossy finish looks good and premium. The Tecno Camon 18 features a plastic body and is prone to fingerprint smudges.
On the display front, the Tecno Camon 18 features a 6.8-inch LCD display, a screen resolution of 1080×2460 pixels, and a 60Hz refresh rate, which is a bit disappointing as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G, Realme Narzo 30 5G, and the Samsung Galaxy M32 comes with a 90Hz refresh rate. On top of that, all devices are under Rs. 15,000.
The display also has 396 ppi and a peak brightness of 500 nits. Overall, the display is large enough for those who play games and watch content on YouTube and other OTT applications. Besides, the display is bright enough in the sunlight, provides good viewing angles, and offers bright colours.
Tecno Camon 18 Review: Triple Rear Camera Setup At The Back
On the imaging front, the Tecno Camon 18 comes with a triple camera setup at the back, including a 48MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro unit. The back camera also supports modes like Super Night, Portrait, Beauty, AI Cam, Film, Ultra HD, Wide Selfie, time-lapse, and AR Shot.
The imaging experience from the rear camera seems decent at night, while it captures ample details during the daytime. In short, the triple camera at the back produces good colors and clear images. In fact, the images that came out are much better than expected from the back camera.
Moving to the upfront, it has a 48MP selfie camera. The front camera also supports AI Cam, Beauty, Super Night, AR Shot, Ultra HD, Slow Motion, Wide-Selfie, and time-lapse.
In addition, there is a mode called Film, where you get different segments Vintage, Travel, Street, Party, Family, and Performance. There is another mode called Short Videos you can upload videos on social media platforms. Overall, the front camera captures good images in a proper light but struggles at night as images appeared grainy.
Tecno Camon 18 Review: 5,000 mAh Battery, MediaTek Helio G88 Processor, And Connectivity
The battery life of the newly launched Tecno Camon 18 is good enough for two days with normal usage and can last for 24 hours with heavy usage. The 5,000 mAh battery takes one hour 10 minutes to get fully charged. Besides, the screen time can range between seven to nine hours.
Also, the device comes with Ultra Power and Power Boost features that enable you to save the battery. Coming to the performance, the Tecno Camon 18 feature is equipped with MediaTek Helio G85 chipset, which you will find in the Realme Narzo 50 A, Moto G31, Tecno Pova 2, Infinix Hot 10s, and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9.
The Tecno Camon 18 features 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There is also 3GB of RAM support. The smartphone works smoothly in performing everyday tasks. Similarly, there was no lag during playing high-end games for the long run; however, there were some heating issues. The Tecno Camon 18 18 seems quite better than its predecessor in terms of performance.
On the connectivity front, the Tecno Camon 18 supports 4G, USB OTG, FM radio, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, USB OTG, and FM radio. Additionally, there are ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and fingerprint sensor on the device.
The fingerprint scanner works fine and is integrated into the power button on the right side. The sound quality is also nice in comparison to the device that comes under the same price segment.
Tecno Camon 18 Review: Android 11 OS And Benchmark
The newly launched device is powered by Android 11 OS along with HiOS 8, which is similar to the Infinix smartphones. But, the major drawback of this smartphone is its interface as it is not clear and has several third-party applications, which keep sending notifications. However, Tecno allows you to uninstall all third-party applications.
Apart from the pre-installed applications, the Tecno Camon 18 features a Game mode that increases the performance of the device. On the benchmark front, the Tecno Camon 18 achieved 8141 points on the Work 3.0 performance score. Also, it has managed to get a 710 score on the Wild Life, 349 points on the single-core, and 1230 points on the multi-core benchmark.
Tecno Camon 18 Review: Should You Buy It Or Not?
The Tecno Camon 18 smartphone comes with a good design and battery backup. In fact, it can offer good shots during sunlight. Also, if you are looking for a smartphone that looks good in your hands, then you might go for the Tecno Camon 18 device.