Tecno Phantom X Review: Price Overkill

Tecno Phantom X Review

This is the first time a Tecno smartphone is having a Curved edge display.
This is the first time a Tecno smartphone is having a laser autofocus.
This is the first time a Tecno smartphone is having a telephoto lens which is good for zooming.
This is the first time a Tecno smartphone is protected by corning gorilla glass 5.

It is the first in so many things including the first overly priced Tecno smartphone.
The Phantom X is one of these smartphones that you really really would want to buy but only to be discouraged because of the high price.

228,000 naira (~550) for a smartphone that is powered by MediaTek helio G95 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage? That’s appalling!

Before you purchase the phone, first think of the high price and compare it to the value it offers. Is the Phantom X really worth $550? are there other smartphones in the market that offers better value at a budget price? Let’s find out.

Display & Design

First, is good to note that the display and design of the Phantom X, is one reason why it is expensive. Curved edge screen is usually more expensive than flat screens. The Phantom X Curved display is also protected by corning gorilla glass 5 while the screen is Amoled.

So here you have 6.7″ AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate enabled. The smartphone is also capable of playingback 4k videos. So judging by the display and design so far, Tecno went for quality.

Watch Review video on YouTube

Tecno Phantom X Review: Camera

When it comes to camera, this is the best camera smartphone from Tecno yet. It has triple rear cameras that are all versatile and useful. The main camera is 50MP, while the ultrawide is 8MP and the third lens is Telephoto with 13MP sensor. And for the first time on a Tecno phone, there is a laser autofocus which contributes immersely to the quality of photography.

Upfront there are dual selfie cameras, a 48MP + 8MP ultrawide lens. The 50MP main camera is crisp and it is better than the 64MP on Tecno Camon 17 Pro. For one thing I noticed, the Phantom X camera is not yellowish like the 64MP lens on the Camon 17 Pro. So it is easy to say this is the best camera smartphone Tecno has ever produced.

The Phantom X is their flagship, the best, but also the most expensive. So videography and Photography on the Phantom X, check!

Performance | RAM | Storage | Games

The Tecno Phantom X is powered by MediaTek helio G95 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. So you get similar performance from the Phantom X and Camon 17 Pro. Which is one area Tecno didn’t get right.

By default, since the Phantom X is a flagship device and also expensive, one would expect them to use superior processor (maybe Snapdragon or a MediaTek Dimensity). But sadly, that wasn’t the case here.

Athough, the MediaTek helio G95 chipset is capable of performing all the task you want. It can be compared to the likes of Snapdragon 720G and Snapdragon 732G chipsets.

For gamers in the house, yes the Phantom X is a good gaming phone to buy.

Tecno Phantom X Review: Software

Software wise, the phone runs Android 11 out of the box with little hope or maybe no hope of upgrading to Android 12. Whereas others competitors like the Samsung Galaxy A52 offers 3 years of software update at a more cheaper price. So what is Tecno excuse again?

“Ella” Voice Assistant

One impressive development on the Phantom X is the Ella Voice Assistant. Just like Siri and Google Assistant, Ella is a virtual assistant designed by Tecno. I’ll make a video to talk extensively about it. But for now, just know “Ella” is in developing stages.

Battery

The battery of the smartphone is 4,700 mAh capacity with 33W fast charge enabled. While rocking 90Hz refresh rate, it can give you a little more than 7 hours screen on time. And charging the battery from 0-100 is pretty fast as well.
The speaker of the smartphone rocks very well.

Where to Buy Tecno Phantom X

Buy Tecno Phantom X from Jumia using the link below. The price on Jumia is 250,000 Naira.

Buy Phantom X 256GB

Conclusion

Tecno Phantom X review Conclusion. The phone is a great smartphone that Tecno almost killed with high price. $550 is too much for a MediaTek helio G95 powered smartphone. In the market, you have Galaxy A52, Vivo V21, Poco F3, Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro etc. With better sophisticated specs. But even at that, their prices are still way cheaper.

Tecno has no excuses, Curved edge display is not enough reason to peak your price at $550. In this aggressive market where someone can get something better at a cheaper price.