The Tecno Camon 16 Premier is the latest version of the Camon series of phones that has been launched in the Kenyan market. The Camon series has been touted as a camera first phone since it was first launched something that has endeared to many a people over the years. The Camon 16 Premier does not disappoint in that it holds its own when it comes to photos and overall performance.
Here are my first impressions of the phone plus unboxing.
Out of the box
The phone comes with;
- Protective case
- Charger + Type C usb cable
- Earphones
- Sim ejector pin
- Warranty & user guide documents
Appearance
The Camon 16 Premier comes with a 6.9 inch touchscreen with a 19.5:9 ratio aspect ratio that offers 88.7% screen-to-body ratio. The screen is FHD+ with 1080 x 2460 pixels resolution that ensures that you get some crisp images. The display refreshes at 90 Hz, for those not in the know, refresh rate is a measure for the number of times a screens redraws an image. A higher refresh rate means lesser motion blur and considerably clearer image quality which is one of the things i have loved about this phone.
Unlike the Camon 15 Premier which uses a pop-up selfie, the 16 Premier has them punched in the display. The phone has a slim top bezel that houses the LED notification light and sensors for the face unlock as well as proximity and ambience. On the right side of the phone it has the power and volume buttons.
Camera
The phones comes with a dual camera setup at the front which comprises of a 48 MP main camera and a 8 MP ultra wide camera.
At the back, the phone features a Quad camera setup which are arranged on a square bump that comprises of a 64MP primary camera, 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP dedicated video camera and a 2MP depth sensor. I will give a detailed review later.
Performance
The phone comes with a 8GB RAM, 128 GB internal storage and is powered by an Mediatek MT6785 Helio G90T Processor and a Octa-core (2×2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) CPU. So far i can say that the phone handles all the activities thrown at it with ease and lag is totally unheard of.
The phone comes with Android 10 OS and HIOS 6.0 just like in the Camon 15 Premier which Tecno users will find familiar. The downside is the tendency of of Tecno to put in apps that one will likely never use and also the incessant ads which are quite frankly annoying. In as much as i understand that it could be their revenue model, it is something that one can do without.
Fingerprint Sensor
Fingerprint sensors have made unlocking phones that much easier, since one does not have to key in the PIN or password. The sensor on the Camon 16 Premier is interesting in that it also doubles up as the power button. The new location of the sensor takes some getting used to but once you get the hang of it, it is fun. It can save up to five fingerprints and it is fast and accurate.
Sound
The sound on the phone is actually better than on the Camon 15 Premier and it is something that one can work with. The mono speaker is conveniently located at the bottom so you can listen to your music whichever way you place the phone.
The earphones that come with the phone produce some good sound and you are sure to enjoy listening to music with them.
Storage
The phone comes with 128 GB internal storage which can be expanded using a Micro SD . The internal storage is in my opinion is adequate for day to day use but the option of expanding the memory works for those who might need more storage.
Battery
The phone comes with a 4500mAh battery that ensures that you can comfortably use the phone for about two days without one having to worry about it running out of juice.
The Type C charger finally makes a comeback on this phone to my delight. It also comes with a 33W charging brick in the box which enables you to get to 70% in 30 minutes with the device being fully charged before the one-hour mark.
Conclusion
The Camon series of phones have always stood out and the Camon 16 Premier has lived up to the hype. The things which have impressed the most are the screen, cameras and the battery size as well as the charging system. For a mid-range for which goes for Ksh. 28,500, it is a definite buy for me.