Intro
The Tecno brand, which has delighted millions of users with good budget smartphones like the Pop 2S Pro and Spark 3 Pro, has decided to try its hand in the more expensive segment, where the competition of perfect devices is not small. There are Samsung's A series, Huawei with its Honor and, of course, Xiaomi's top models. One day the Tecno Phantom 9 came to light. Here's what it represents.
Specifications
- Release date: 2019, July
- Colors: Lapland Aurora
- Dimensions: 158.5 x 75.3 x 7.9 mm.
- Weight: 164.4 g.
- Screen: 6.39" inc, 1080 x 2340, AMOLED
- Camera : Triple, 16MP
- Chipset: Mediatek MT6765 Helio P35 (12nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (4x2.3 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53)
- Memory: 128 GB, 6 GB RAM
- Battery: 3500, Non-removable Li-Ion
- Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
- Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
- Sensors: Fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
If you are curious to find out all the details before reading the full review, visit the page for Tecno Phantom 9 Specs, where you will find even the smallest detail about the phone.
Design
Tecno Phantom 9 has all the merits of the trends in 2019. For example, a notch in the screen, a vertical camera block in the upper left corner, a gradient coloring, etc. There are unusually thick bezels around the screen of the smartphone, which is good. The drop-shaped notch looks compact and doesn't bulge the eyes like it has on some competing models.
The back panel of the Tecno Phantom 9 is made of composite plastic. It is robust and lightweight. There is a protective layer on the front, but no oleophobic coating.
Display
The Tecno Phantom 9, unlike the manufacturer's more affordable smartphones, is equipped with an AMOLED screen. Its diagonal is 6.39 inches. The resolution is Full HD (2340×1080 pixels), the aspect ratio - 19.5:9, and the pixel density per inch - 403.
The picture is bright, juicy and contrasty. It may even seem a little oversaturated, but you quickly get used to that. On the street on a sunny day, the screen remains readable. Viewing angles are good, but as with most matrices of this type - at extreme angles, the white colour shifts to colour gradients. However, at such an angle, who looks at the smartphone screen?
In order to comfortably use the device Tecno have provided automatic brightness adjustment. Of course, the option of manual adjustment remains. Among the available adjustments there is a vision protection mode, which will please people who have the habit of reading from the smartphone or using it during the dark hours of the day. No Always-On mode is provided.
Performance
In the Tecno Phantom 9, we see a chipset developed by MediaTek, - MT6765 Helio P35. The platform consists of 8 cores: four Cortex-A53 with a maximum clock speed of up to 2.3 GHz and another four Cortex-A53 with a clock speed of up to 1.8 GHz. The graphics accelerator is a PowerVR Rogue GE8320. RAM is ample at 6 GB. Fully satisfies the needs of most users. The permanent memory is 128 GB, of which almost 110 GB are available. This is an excellent benchmark and definitely a prompt for those of you who like to keep a lot of photos and data on your phone. Or if you run out of space, use the memory card slot.
Cameras
The main camera unit of the Tecno Phantom 9 is represented by three modules. The first is a 16 MP shooter with f/1.8 aperture and PDAF focus. The second is an ultra-wide-angle 8 MP with f/2.4, autofocus and an equivalent focal length of 13 mm. The last module is 2 MP with f/2.8 and is designed for depth-of-frame metering.
The main camera is up to the task of taking good pictures even indoors.
With the Tecno Phantom 9, you'll be taking videos of average quality. The maximum resolution is only Full HD at 30 frames per second. 4K is absent and there is no electronic stabilization.
The front camera is a 32-megapixel camera with f/2.0. Selfies will be good enough with decent detail to share on social networks. The camera app will delight you with a variety of modes, AR effects, panorama and more.
Unlock
The smartphone offers several ways to unlock. The first is an optical scanner with a bright green backlight that turns on the moment you touch your finger to the designated area. The location of the scanner is also visible when the screen is off. In terms of speed and accuracy it is slightly inferior to analogues on the market. If you gently zoom in with your finger, unlocking will happen quite quickly.
The second method of identification is by facial recognition. We can praise technology for its speed. It performs almost flawlessly in all environmental conditions. If you try to unlock Tecno Phantom 9 in absolute darkness, the device will suggest you to turn on the front camera.
Autonomous operation
Tecno Phantom 9 has a battery with a capacity of 3500 mAh. In practice, you get one day of autonomous operation in moderate use.
Conclusion
This Tecno model definitely has its peculiarities. Some of them are unique, such as the autofocus in the ultra-wide-angle module. Among its merits are an AMOLED screen, ample RAM and persistent memory, and stylish looks.
Tecno Phantom 9 video review
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Tecno Phantom 9 and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Tecno.
