While the camera may be impressive, there is still an entire phone attached to it.
And the Phantom X2 Pro does have some shortcomings.
The Phantom X2 Pro from Tecno packs some premium specifications and a unique portrait lens.
The unboxing experience makes you feel like you purchased a premium product.
Setting up the phone is as straightforward as any other Android smartphone.
For starters, it features a curved display, which is typically a polarising matter.
However, this curved display is a prime example of form over function.
A case might remedy this issue.
The back cover is made of plastic on the X2 Pro if you opt for Stardust Grey color.
There is an optional Eco-Friendly Edition with a back cover that is composed of recycled plastics.
One striking part of the design is how large the camera system is on the back of the phone.
The cameras reside in the center of the phone, presumably because of the system’s large size.
The design for the Phantom X2 Pro is passable.
However, it would be great if it had opted for a flat screen instead and an IP rating.
Many of Tecno’s smartphones have FHD+ displays.
The difference between a 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rate is more noticeable than the difference between FHD+ and QHD.
The regular consumer also doesnt commonly notice subtle differences in displays.
The only issue people might have with it is it’s curved.
How Does the Dimensity 9000 Perform?
The Phantom X2 series features MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000 chip.
In day-to-day use, the Phantom X2 Pro performs well.
The phone doesn’t lag when you open multiple applications or perform intense tasks.
The Dimensity 9000 scored 1232 on the Geekbench single-core and 3746 on the multi-core score.
We ran the same benchmark test on the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Pixel 7 Pro.
The vast majority of high-end flagship smartphones include triple camera set-ups.
The Phantom X2 Pro falls in line with this trend, but this phone has a unique trick.
The X2 Pro is the first phone to have a retractable portrait lens.
TECNO claims that the telephoto camera enables professional-looking portrait shots with a more natural optical bokeh.
However,megapixel count isn’t everything in a smartphone camera.
In the sample photos I took, the Phantom X2 Pro tends to produce warmer portrait photos overall.
No filters were enabled when taking the photos either.
Beyond the color temperature, the Phantom X2 Pro produces more natural portrait shots.
While some may prefer the look of photos from the Pixel, it isnt the most realistic.
Lastly, the Phantom X2 Pro does a little better job with bokeh around the subject’s edges.
The phone also features multiple software features for portrait mode shots, one of them being Face Retouching.
It’s as it sounds; you could retouch certain features of a persons face through software.
The phone also allows you to alter certain parts of a persons body for photos if one desires.
All in all, this phones flagship feature is the telephoto camera for a reason.
The Phantom X2 Pro is excellent for portrait photos.
The skin provides unique features and a design that focuses on simplicity.
HiOS 12 includes symmetrical icons and a variety of themes for your unit that you might choose.
However, there are some drawbacks to the Android skin, one being the animations.
Scrolling can feel sluggish at times on the Phantom X2 Pro.
I tested this by comparing it to Samsung’s animations in One UI 4.1.
Both phones only ran Chrome and had their adaptive refresh rate tweaks enabled.
Each phone was also on a table to prevent any interference from accidental touches.
The S22 Ultra’s animations were noticeably smoother and faster.
There is room for improvement regarding the animations' responsiveness and speed in HiOS 12.
If you find the animations annoying, it’s possible for you to disable them within the accessibility options.
The phone features a large 5160mAh battery.
Driving more pixels means more power, and the display is the biggest power draw in any smartphone.
The X2 Pro gets through a day of moderate usage relatively easily.
This leads us to the standby time.
The battery life on the X2 Pro is a surprisingly good part of this phone.
It wont leave you with much to complain about.
Should You Buy the Phantom X2 Pro?
