Tecno Camon 30 Pro Review

Tecno made waves with the introduction of the Camon 30 series at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and the anticipation for these devices has been palpable. Following the flagship Camon 30 Premier, we now turn our attention to the Camon 30 Pro.

The Tecno Camon 30 Pro is a robust smartphone powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate chipset. It features a sizeable 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, offering configurations up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Like its series counterparts, the Camon 30 Pro sports a distinctive design with a snowy texture and leather-like finish, complemented by an indicator light near the camera and flash.

This device is equipped with three 50MP cameras: a main and an ultrawide camera on the back and a selfie camera on the front, all with autofocus. It runs on a 5,000mAh battery with 70W fast charging, operating on the latest Android 14 OS with HiOS 14 skin.

Noteworthy features include Dolby Atmos-capable stereo speakers, an IR blaster, FM radio, and an under-display fingerprint scanner. However, the absence of any ingress protection is a notable drawback.

Inside the box

The Camon 30 Pro arrives in a sturdy paper box with several accessories. In addition to the phone, the package includes a USB cable, a 70W power adapter, a gray case with a leather-like texture, and a tempered glass protector. The phone also has a pre-applied plastic screen protector. Depending on the market, you might receive Tecno Buds 3 with deep bass and noise cancellation for calls.

Design

Tecno’s phones are renowned for their appealing designs, and the Camon 30 series continues this tradition with a blend of futuristic and traditional elements. The Camon 30 Pro features flat front and rear panels with a flat frame and rounded corners. The rear panel combines matte plastic and eco-leather with a unique texture, reminiscent of a lotus leaf, and a decorative metal zoom dial on the camera island.

The Alps Snowy Silver version we reviewed is complemented by an Island Basaltic Dark model with a glass back and volcanic stone-like texture. Despite its plastic construction, the phone provides an excellent grip due to its matte frame and leather-like back.

The front showcases the 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with thin bezels and a small punch-hole for the 50MP selfie camera. The back houses the primary and ultrawide 50MP cameras with autofocus and a 2MP depth sensor, along with a dual-LED flash and a red indicator light. The absence of water resistance is a drawback compared to the Camon 30 Premier, which offers IP54 protection.

Display

The Camon 30 Pro’s AMOLED display boasts a 1080p resolution, 8-bit color depth, and a 144Hz refresh rate. Though not as advanced as the Camon 30 Premier’s 1264p LTPO OLED, it offers excellent brightness levels. The screen achieves a maximum brightness of 534 nits in manual mode and up to 998 nits with Auto Brightness (Sunlight Boost).

The HiOS offers four refresh rate modes: 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, and Auto-switch. The automatic mode efficiently adjusts the refresh rate based on the content, providing a smooth experience, especially in high-frame-rate gaming.

Battery Life and Charging

Powered by a 5,000mAh battery, the Camon 30 Pro delivers impressive battery life, achieving an Active Use Score of 14:29 hours. It slightly outperforms most peers, especially in gaming and web usage.

The 70W fast charging, supported by the included power adapter and USB cable, refills the battery to 41% in 15 minutes and 72% in 30 minutes. A full charge takes 49 minutes, aligning with Tecno’s claims.

HiOS 14 on Android 14

The Camon 30 Pro runs HiOS 14 on Android 14, promising two major software updates and three years of security patches. HiOS 14, similar to HiOS 13, includes Dynamic Port 2.0, Tecno’s version of Apple’s Dynamic Island, providing contextual information and interactions with system apps. The system is snappy and responsive, ensuring a smooth user experience.

HDR and Streaming

The Camon 30 Pro supports Widevine L1 DRM, enabling high-quality video streaming on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Although it doesn’t officially support HDR, the screen is recognized as HDR10-capable by YouTube and other apps, but Netflix HDR streaming is not available.

Performance

The Camon 30 Pro features the Dimensity 8200 Ultimate SoC, a powerful mid-range chip that often outperforms its competitors. The 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB configurations offer generous storage options. Benchmark results suggest the storage is either fast UFS 2.2 or slower UFS 3.1.

The Dimensity 8200’s 1+3+4 core configuration and Mali-G610 MC6 GPU deliver strong performance, though the device struggles to maintain maximum CPU clock speeds under sustained load. However, GPU stability is commendable, maintaining 91% stability in stress tests.

Camera

The Tecno Camon 30 Pro features a robust triple-camera setup similar to its more expensive sibling, the Camon 30 Premier, with the notable exception of the telephoto lens. This setup comprises a main camera, an ultrawide camera, and a macro camera, supported by a depth sensor.

Detailed Camera Specifications:

Wide (Main): The primary camera is a 50 MP Sony IMX890 sensor, featuring a 1/1.56″ sensor size, 1.0µm pixel size, and an f/1.9 aperture. It has a 23mm focal length and is equipped with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and optical image stabilization (OIS). This camera supports video recording at 2160p@60fps.

Ultrawide: The ultrawide camera uses a 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, a 1/2.76″ sensor size, and 0.64µm pixel size. It offers a 14mm focal length and also features PDAF. It can capture video at 2160p@30fps.

Macro: The macro camera is a 2 MP Galaxycore GC02M3 sensor with an f/2.4 aperture, designed for close-up photography.

Front Camera: The front-facing camera is a 50 MP Hynix Hi5022Q sensor with an f/2.45 aperture, a 24mm focal length, and a 1/2.8″ sensor size with 0.64µm pixels. It includes PDAF and supports video recording at 2160p@30fps.

The 50 MP main camera, powered by the Sony IMX890 sensor, excels in capturing detailed and vibrant images. The inclusion of PDAF and OIS ensures that photos are sharp and stable, even in challenging conditions. This camera’s capability to record 4K video at 60fps adds to its versatility, making it suitable for both photography and videography enthusiasts.

The 50 MP ultrawide camera, featuring the Samsung ISOCELL JN1 sensor, provides a broader perspective, perfect for landscape shots and large group photos. Its PDAF feature ensures that images remain focused and clear.

The 2 MP macro camera, though modest in resolution, enables close-up shots, adding to the camera’s versatility by allowing detailed photos of small subjects.

A standout feature of the Camon 30 Pro is its 50 MP front camera with autofocus, a rarity in this price segment. This high-resolution sensor ensures crisp and well-focused selfies, making it an excellent choice for selfie enthusiasts.

The Tecno Camon 30 Pro’s camera setup is a strong offering in its price range, featuring high-resolution sensors and advanced focusing capabilities. While it lacks a telephoto lens, the impressive main and ultrawide cameras, combined with a powerful selfie camera, deliver a versatile and robust photography experience. The inclusion of PDAF and OIS on the main camera enhances stability and clarity, making the Camon 30 Pro a compelling choice for a wide range of photographic scenarios.

The Tecno Camon 30 Pro stands out with its distinctive design, impressive display, and robust performance. Despite the lack of water resistance, it offers great value with its powerful chipset, high refresh rate screen, and fast charging capabilities. For those seeking a well-rounded smartphone with unique aesthetics, the Camon 30 Pro is a compelling choice.

Key Specifications:

Body: 164.0×74.5×7.7mm, 189g; Glass front, glass back or silicone polymer back (eco leather).

Display: 6.78″ AMOLED, 144Hz, 1080x2436px resolution, 20.3:9 aspect ratio, 393ppi; Always-on display.

Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate (4 nm): Octa-core (1×3.1 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G610 MC6.

Memory: 256GB/12GB RAM, 512GB/12GB RAM.

OS/Software: Android 14, HiOS 14.

Rear Camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra-wide: 50 MP, PDAF; Depth: 2 MP.

Front Camera: 50 MP, AF.

Video Capture: Rear: 4K@60fps, 1080p@30fps, HDR; Front: Yes.

Battery: 5000mAh; 70W wired, 0-100% in 50 min.

Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.3; NFC; FM radio; Infrared port.