The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | Patricia AKANKWATSA | Tecno launched its Camon 50 smartphone series at Skyz Naguru yesterday, unveiling a suite of camera, display and artificialintelligence features the company says move the longrunning Camon line closer to flagship territory while remaining pricecompetitive.
Speaking at the event, Bruce Dickson, the product consultant at Tecno Uganda described the new phones as an evolution of the brand’s design and performance.
“With the Camon 50 series, we have maintained, we have upgraded,” he said
“Camon series have a distinctive look. When you look at the Camon 50 series, you will be amazed”.
He repeatedly invoked the device’s curved, symmetrical aesthetic “inspired by what is called the swan neck dance” and highlighted a glass construction protected by Gorilla Glass Victus II on both front and back.
Durability and display Tecno emphasised durability and viewability as selling points. According to company statements at the launch, the Camon 50 series carries Gorilla Glass Victus II on both faces and has undergone SGS testing that the firm says certifies the handset can survive drops of up to 2.5 metres. Tecno also claimed IP68/IP69/IP69K ratings for water and dust resistance and demoed an “Aqua Mode” for underwater photography.
The Camon 50 Pro features what Tecno calls a 3D curved 1.5K display with a peak brightness of up to 4,500 nits and a 144Hz refresh rate, which the company said is currently “the highest in the market” for the segment. Tecno stressed the screen’s 48degree curve as designed to improve grip and ergonomics.
Camera and imaging “Camon is camera on,” Dickson said, as he outlined the series’ imaging hardware and software. The line retains a 50megapixel main sensor described at the launch as a Sony MYT700C with a 1.56inch sensing area and 1.12µm pixels intended to boost lowlight performance. Secondary sensors across the range include an 8MP ultrawide lens, an infrared sensor and an antistroboscopic (flicker) sensor Tecno says aids stability and motion capture.
The Pro model reportedly adds a second 50MP ISOCELL telephoto module supporting 3x and 5x optical zoom and up to 60x digital zoom, alongside optical image stabilisation. Tecno also introduced a “Flash Snap” feature it described as optimised for capturing fast action a capability Dickson said has particular appeal for sports and children’s play.
Artificial intelligence and software Tecno framed the Camon 50 series as a “360 AI smartphone,” with an ondevice AI ecosystem powering photography, productivity and assistant features.
Builtin tools demonstrated at the launch included an AI art generator that converts photos into stylised images, an “Ella” voice assistant that handles scheduling and simple tasks, an AI Health Assistant and a “One Dark Flash Memo” for saving webpages or screen content quickly.
Dickson said the company’s AI delivers image processing that enhances zoom and clarity and argued that such features were previously confined to expensive flagship phones.
“Our Tecno Camon 50 series is really available at an affordable price, userfriendly price, but with all the advanced artificial intelligence features,” he told attendees.
Hardware, battery and connectivity Under the hood, Tecno announced MediaTek’s G200 chipset as the platform for the series, a gamingoriented processor with an up to 2.4GHz clock and an eightcore cluster. The firm highlighted an upgraded siliconanode battery with a stated capacity of around 6,150mAh and claimed runtime of up to 48 hours for heavy users and up to 72 hours for moderate users; Tecno also asserted the battery should retain 80% capacity after five years of use.
Other features promoted at the launch included “Freelink” a devicetodevice communication function allowing free calls and messages between Tecno handsets without SIM or WiFi over limited distances (announced ranges of around 1.5 kilometres outdoors and 60 metres indoors) and an offline devicetracking and antitheft mechanism Tecno described as an automatic cloudnetwork fallback.
Design and market positioning Tecno displayed multiple colour finishes for the Camon 50 line, including Moonshadow Black, Malachite Green, Galaxy Titanium, Monet Purple, Fair Green and Creepy Mint.
Dickson framed the phones as not only tools for photography and productivity but also lifestyle devices.
“You can hold a phone to show off to the crowd. Because with the Camon, you will be a shining star wherever you are,” he said.
The company repeatedly framed the series as delivering flagship features highend glass, hardened durability, advanced multicamera systems and AI workflows at midrange prices.
Specific pricing and local availability details were not released at the Skyz Naguru event; Tecno representatives said those would be announced in coming days.
Sceptics and next steps Industry analysts and consumers will likely test Tecno’s claims in independent reviews and drop, waterproofing and camera performance tests. While the specifications announced are competitive for the midrange market, independent certification of claimed IP ratings and realworld camera and battery longevity will be key to buyers’ assessment.
Tecno said regional preorders would open following the Kampala launch and pledged local aftersales support and partner promotions. The company positioned the Camon 50 series as a strategic move to consolidate its market share in Africa and other emerging markets by offering advanced features at accessible prices.
At Skyz Naguru, the launch drew media, tech influencers and local partners, with Tecno staff running handson demos. For consumers watching the midrange smartphone space, the Camon 50 series promises to test how much highend functionality can be democratised without the price tag of conventional flagships.
