The latest flagship smartphone from Tecno to launch in Kenya is the Camon 19 Pro. This phone was launched recently and is available in stores for Ksh 33,799. I have been using this as my main phone and in this review, I will share my experience on that and recommend if this is a smartphone you may want to consider.
The Tecno Camon 19 series is made up of three main devices, the standard Camon 19 available for Ksh 23,500, the Camon 19 Pro 5G is available for Ksh 41,599 and the Camon 19 Pro 4G variant which is the one I will be reviewing today. These devices target different buyers but they all come with very good and powerful cameras that will not disappoint.
The Tecno Camon 19 series is the successor to the Camon 18 from last year.
Before we get to the full review, let us first look at the key Tecno Camon 18 Specifications.
- Display: 6.8-inch; 1080 x 2460 pixels
- Chipset: MediaTek Helio G96
- RAM: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 128/256GB
- Rear cameras: 64MP + 50MP + 2MP
- Front camera: 32MP
- Battery: 5,000mAh
Design and Build Quality
I will first start by focusing on the design and the build quality of the Tecno Camon19 Pro. The Camon 19 Pro feels well built and worth the money. It does look modern and quite an improvement from previous Camon devices. The back is flat and I normally prefer this overall design over the one with curved edges.
The back is made of plastic but does not feel cheap. This back cover has a matte finish with the triple cameras housed in two circular modules at the top left corner. On the right side of the phone we do get the volume buttons and the power button which also has the fingerprint scanner embedded on it.
The dual SIM tool with microSD card slot is on the left of the phone with the USB C port, speaker grille and headphone jack at the bottom.
The weight balance of the phone is quite good and overall the design is good.
Display
The Tecno Camon 19 Pro has a 6.8-inch display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. This display is quite good, vibrant with sharp colours. It is also very responsive to touch and I have not had any issues during the review period.
This display has a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling animations. This is quite an improvement from the Camon 18 series that had 90Hz refresh rate. If you do not want this high refresh rate that can consume more battery, you can lower that to 60Hz through the settings menu.
The display is big enough for those who like working on the go and can even be excellent for gaming. The refresh rate offers a good experience when playing most games. With good colour accuracy and reproduction, you will enjoy using this phone.
This display gets bright enough to use under direct sunlight and its auto brightness option does a good job in adjusting to the ambient light around you.
Read: Top 5 things I love about the Tecno Camon 19 Pro
Performance and Software
The Tecno Camon 19 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Helio G96 processor that has been paired with 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB of internal storage space. The Helio G96 processor is capable of handling most tasks with ease. This processor is still good but I would have preferred the company to use the Dimensity series for this phone. The G96 is an overused processor at this point. It still gets the job done but the phone could have been much better with a more powerful processor.
During my review period, I did not experience any performance issues with the Camon 19 Pro. The processor seems capable when it comes to simple tasks or even with demanding applications and games. It does a pretty good job as expected for a phone within its price range.
The 8GB of RAM was also enough as multitasking did not present any serious issues. I could easily switch between apps without any problems.
For the software, the Camon 19 Pro comes with Android 12 out of the box with HiOS 8.6 custom UI. This custom UI is not that different from previous versions as it has some subtle aesthetic changes.
Cameras
Tecno Camon devices are all about their cameras and the Camon 19 Pro is not different. It does have a triple camera system at the back made up of a 64MP main sensor that takes really good shots. The dynamic range is really good. This is one of the best camera phones Tecno has made and I am very impressed. It beats any other phone within this price range in my opinion.
Night mode on the Camon 19 Pro lets you take shots with enough details even when the lighting is not so good. I was really impressed with this as the shots I got were much better than I expected. The shots are detailed and sharp even with poor lighting.
The selfie camera is a 32MP one that also takes good shots during the day. It also does a good job with night shots and will not disappoint you.
Battery
With a 5,000 battery, the Tecno Camon 19 Pro will easily last you an entire day. Tecno has always done a good job when it comes to battery management and that is exactly what you get with the Camon 19 Pro. Most days I could go to be without even charging the phone and on days when I was not actively using my phone that much, I could have close to 50% battery remaining by the end of the day.
The Camon 19 Pro supports 33W fast charging that can speed up the charging process which is key considering the size of the battery. It can fully charge the phone in a little over an hour.
Conclusion
The Tecno Camon 19 Pro is honestly good value for money. The phone does a good job when it comes to performance. The phone handles all you throw at it and that is what you expect when buying it. Its processor does a very good job with daily tasks and even gaming. The camera performance is also good and I was especially impressed with the night mode.
Its design and build is also good and very modern. Tecno did take time to build this phone and it clearly shows.
Lastly, the battery is something you will love. It will last an entire day even with heavy usage.
Read: Tecno Camon 19 Pro vs. Tecno Camon 19- Which One Should you buy?