TECNO recently launched their camera-centric phone, the Camon 11 and it has landed on our review desk. With the Camon 11 and Camon 11 Pro, TECNO has also joined the notch bandwagon. In my opinion, I don’t think it’s going to be such a big deal especially since most phones launched this year have a notch of some kind or it could my notch fatigue?
The notch that was once debuted by the Essential Phone and popularized by the iPhone X has gone so mainstream that even gets support from Google’s Android Pie OS. Looks like both sides of the smartphone ecosystem have embraced it, so if you can’t beat them, join them.
Putting the notch issues aside, let’s get to what the phone offers. The TECNO Camon 11 comes in a nicely packaged box that also has:
- Wall adapter
- Earphones
- USB cable
- Device
- Faux kevlar case
- User guide
The TECNO Camon 11 comes packed with a pretty decent spec sheet for a Ksh 14,999 phone:
- 6.2” 720p HD display in a 19:9 aspect ratio
- Android 8.1 Oreo
- MediaTek Helio A22 processor
- 3GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage
- Dual 13MP and 5MP camera on the back
- 16MP selfie camera
- 3750mAh battery
Design and Build
From my first impressions, the device looks like it could hold its own. The TECNO Camon 11 comes in various colours from Midnight Black, Aqua Blue and like our review unit – Bordeaux Red. It has a glossy back that makes it slippery and also a fingerprint magnet so you’ll need to get a cover to get a firm grip and avoid smudges – a faux kevlar case is provided in the box to help with grip. The phone’s back is slightly curved for easy handling but its tall size will be tough to use with one hand – TECNO offers a solution to this with its one-hand mode setting in the notification panel.
Cameras
The TECNO Camon 11’s three cameras are AI-powered and come with the usual modes including Wide selfie, Portrait, Panorama and Beauty. The photos taken are decent enough for social media sharing. The cameras struggle with bokeh for objects with no straight edges. Nothing to worry about though, it’s called portrait because its intention was to photograph people. I’ll have to continue playing around with it to give a conclusive argument in my final review. Here are some samples:
Software and Performance
The 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage pack enough power to enable you to multitask without lag. The TECNO Camon 11 comes with Android 8.1 Oreo with HiOS 4.1 on top of it. You also get the usual TECNO bloatware which you can now uninstall.
Price and Availability
The TECNO Camon 11 is already in stores both online and offline. You can get it for Ksh 14,999 at Telkom outlets and TECNO partner shops. In the meantime, keep it Techweez for the full review.
