TECNO Camon 30

The TECNO Camon 30 is the newest smartphone in this brand’s new line. It went on sale on May 14, 2024. We already wrote a review comparing two basic models, but we wanted to focus on the TECNO Camon 30 on its own because it has some great features: it charges very quickly, has a powerful camera with optical stabilization, and a screen that refreshes at 120 Hz. This review tells you what else is cool about the new product.

Specifications

The basic smartphones in this line have similar screen, RAM, camera, and battery specs. The only things that make them different are the processor, case colour, and size.

Screen

AMOLED, 6.8 inches, 2436 × 1080 px, 120 Hz, 394 ppi, peak brightness – 1300 nt

operating system

Android 14, HiOS 14

RAM

8/12 GB

Physical memory

256 GB

Dimensions

165.3 × 75.3 × 7.8 mm (eco-suede)
165.3 × 75.3 × 7.7 mm (glass)

Weight

197.5 g

CPU

8-core MediaTek Helio G99 Ultimate (6 nm)

Network and communication modules

3G, 4G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

Navigation

GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo

Memory card support

Up to 1 TB

Main camera

50 + 2 MP

Front-camera

50 MP

Battery

5000 mAh

Charger

Power 70 W

Equipment

There are directions, a guarantee card, a USB Type-C cord, a SIM card remove tool, and a 70W network adapter that come with the phone. There is also a normal plastic case and a protection film in the package. Extra extras are always fun.

Design

The basic smartphone comes in three colors: Black Basalt for models made of glass, White Pearl for models made of metal, and Orange Desert for models made of trendy eco-suede. Each device has its own feel.

TECNO always puts a lot of thought into how their gadgets look, and the Camon 30 is no different. The colors of the cases are named after places in the world. For example, “Black Basalt” is based on basalt rocks in Iceland, “White Pearl” on the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia, and “Orange Desert” on the famous Sahara.

The smartphone has features that make it look like an old camera, no matter what color the case is. For example, there is a smooth, curved line and a metal ring with ribs around the camera block, which is meant to look like professional photo lenses. On the back screen, there is another interesting thing: a red light. When you take a picture, it lights up, and when you record video, it blinks. It also blinks when the phone gets texts, calls, or is charged.

The phone’s edges are flat, but there is a small curve where the front and back parts meet. The power button and the volume button are on the right. A spot for two nanoSIMs and a memory card is on the left. There is enough room for everything at once. The top has an IR port, an extra microphone, and a speaker built in. At the bottom, you’ll find the main speaker and microphone, a charging port, and a normal 3.5 mm audio jack for wired headphones. These doesn’t come on top phones anymore, but you can find them on cheap and mid-range phones.

The phone is 7.7 mm thick and weighs less than 200 g. The eco-suede version is 8.8 mm thick. Even though the screen is almost 7 inches across, it feels small and light.

Sound and screen

The AMOLED screen on the phone is 6.8 inches across the width. The screen has a lot of brightness and shows colors accurately, even dark ones. There is a fingerprint reader at the bottom of the screen that works almost right away.

The brightness of the screen is just right for reading the picture outside in the sun. It’s also possible to turn on high light mode in the settings, but the battery will die faster. If you choose adaptable adjustment, the system will change the lighting based on how bright it is outside.

That’s how fast the screen changes. This kind of “hertz” isn’t found on all mid-range smartphones. You can tell the screen is smooth when you scroll, when the interface animations, and when you play games that support 120 Hz.

The PWM frequency is 2160 Hz, and unlike many other smartphones with AMOLED screens, this one doesn’t flash. The smartphone also has a certificate that says it has a low amount of blue light that is bad for you, so it doesn’t put too much strain on your eyes.

The sound from the two stereo speakers is clear and loud, and the Dolby Atmos surround sound technology lets you hear how far away things are when you play music. It will seem like the sound is all around you instead of coming from the speakers.

Performance

The MediaTek Helio G99 Ultimate processor powers the TECNO Camon 30 smartphone. This processor has been in phones since the beginning of 2024. With a frequency of up to 2.2 GHz, this 8-core chipset is made using a 6-nanometer process technology. The processor works quickly and uses little power. It also doesn’t get too hot, so it doesn’t sometimes need to lower its speeds to keep from getting too hot.

It is one of the best MediaTek chipsets and can handle any job, like running mobile games and multiple tasks at once. In games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile, you can get about 50 FPS at high graphics settings without any drops or freezes. In games like Fortnite, which are more demanding, things are different. At middle settings, you should get about 40 FPS. But this is a good sign for a smartphone that costs less than 30,000 rubles.

The smartphone comes with 8 or 12 GB of RAM, but permanent memory can be used to add 16 or 24 GB. In the mid-range market, this setup is like a bestseller.

Camera

The phone has a camera setup with a 50 MP main module and a 2 MP depth sensor for taking pictures of people with a bokeh effect.

Even though the 2MP sensor doesn’t play a big role in taking, the TECNO Camon 30’s main camera section is very good for a mid-range phone. These are its specs:

lens opening of f/1.88;
84 degrees of viewing angle;
zoom 23 mm lens length PDAF;
grid 1/1.57 inches;
focusing with phase detection;
Stabilization through electronics and optics.

The main camera grid is bigger than it was in the previous model, which makes it more sensitive to light. The pixels have been made 1 µm bigger, which has made the pictures brighter and cut down on digital noise when taking at night. With the new system, taking pictures at night now only takes 2 seconds.

At day, the photos are also good: they have a lot of contrast and a wide dynamic range, the colors are bright but not oversaturated, there is a lot of detail, and the white balance is fine. When you shoot with your hands, optical and computer correction devices let you get clear pictures.

It is possible to change the aperture number in the settings to make the defocus stronger or weaker. It has a picture mode with editing tools built in.

You can take selfies and make video calls with the 50 MP front camera that has eye autofocus. The dual flash has three temperature brightness modes that let it adapt to different lighting situations so that colors are shown correctly. One aspect of the smartphone is that both cameras can record video at the same time. This lets you record both yourself and what’s going on around you.

Both the back and front cameras on the phone can take 2K video at 30 frames per second.

operating system

The phone has the private HiOS 14 shell on top of Android 14. It’s simple to use and doesn’t have too many apps. You have the tools you need to change the layout, so you can set up the system however you like.

The company that made the computer said that patches for the operating system would be available for three years.

Battery life

The battery has a volume of 5000 mAh, which is typical for smartphones today. The battery can work for a day without needing to be charged again. When playing games and watching high-definition movies on the phone, it will need to be charged more often.

The model can charge quickly with 70 W of power, and the battery is fully charged in less than an hour. It is possible to charge even when it is -10 degrees outside.