Tecno recently launched the Phantom X2 series in Kenya, that includes the Tecno Phantom X2 and the Tecno Phantom X2 Pro.
The Phantom sub-brand is Tecno’s attempt target the smartphone high end market. This is apparent in the design, screen and processor that the new Phantom series comes with. It is also reflected in the price.
Unboxing
Specifications
| Tecno Phantom X2 | Tecno Phantom X2 5G | |
| Screen | 6.8 inch AMOLED touchscreen, 1080 x 2400 pixels | 6.8 inch AMOLED touchscreen, 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| Dimensions | 6.48 x 2.86 x 0.35 inches | 6.48 x 2.86 x 0.35 inches |
| OS | Android 12, HIOS 12 | Android 12, HIOS 12 |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 9000 (4 nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 9000 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×3.05 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1×3.05 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| GPU | Mali-G710 MC10 | Mali-G710 MC10 |
| Memory | 256 GB, 8GB RAM | 256 GB, 12GB RAM |
| Main Camera (Triple) | 64 MP (wide)
13 MP (ultrawide) 2 MP |
50 MP (wide)
50 MP (telephoto) 13MP (ultrawide) |
| Selfie Camera (Single) | 32 MP | 32 MP |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Battery | Li-Po 5160 mAh, non-removable, 45W wired | Li-Po 5160 mAh, non-removable, 45W wired |
| Features | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Colours | Stardust Gray, Moonlight Silver | Stardust Gray, Mars Orange |
Screen and design
The Tecno Phantom X2 Pro comes with a large 6.8 inch AMOLED touchscreen that’s protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. The front camera is nestled at the top middle of the screen.
The back of the phone has a plastic back and a textured feel. with a raised ring design to protect the main camera lenses. The cameras are at the top within the ring.
On the right side of the device, there’s the power button plus the volume buttons. At the bottom, is the speaker, charging port, microphone and dual nanoSIM card port, while at the top, there’s the secondary microphone.
The colours the Phantom X2 Pro comes in are: Moonlight Silver and Mars Orange.
The screen is quite bright and it brings out colours very clearly and is visible in high light situations. The phone fits very well in your hand and the textured back makes for a good firm grip.
Performance and software
The phone comes with a Dimensity 9000 5G CPU and Mali G710 MC10 chipset plus 256 GB internal storage. It also comes with 12 GB RAM that can be expanded by up to 5GB of virtual RAM.
The phone performs quite well even with heavy use, be it multiple apps or gaming. The extra RAM comes in handy especially if you are gaming.
The Phantom X2 Pro comes with Android 12 and HiOS 12. According to the company, the operating system will be upgraded to Android 13 in coming months.
The phone comes with the usual Tecno, Transsion and Google apps. I feel that it is time to reduce the default apps the Phantom series comes with because it feels like bloatware and this messes up the phone experience.
HiOS 12 features include: Lightning Multi-Window, MemFusion to increase RAM, Social Turbo, Video Assistant, App Twin, Kids Mode, MOL translation assistant and Peek Proof.
The phone is 5G enabled and I had fun using it with 5G and I got speeds of around 200Mbps. With 4G, speeds were up to 50Mbps, depending on location.
Cameras
The Phantom X2 Pro comes with 50 MP main camera, 50 MP portrait and 3MP ultrawide at the back. It also comes with a 32 MP selfie camera.
The phone does quite well even in low light situations. I had fun trying the different features.
You can see some of the photos that I took below;
Battery
The Phantom X2 Pro comes with a large 5160mAh battery coupled with 45W fast charging. The phone takes roughly an hour to change from 0-100%.
The big battery is nice because you don’t have to worry about the phone going off even with heavy use. You can use the phone the whole day with heavy use, and one and a half days on medium use.
Conclusion
Tecno’s latest entry into the high end smartphone market is a good one. The Phantom X2 Pro is an amazing phone and Tecno has done well to pack premium features into the phone.
The Phantom X2 Pro is a definite buy for me.
The Tecno Phantom X2 series is available for sale from the official Tecno website and retail partners countrywide, including Safaricom Shops and Jumia. The Phantom X2 Pro is retailing at Ksh. 82,999 while the Tecno Phantom X2 is going for Ksh. 69,999.