TECNO CAMON 40 Pro 5G. It has the appearance, the promise of intelligent photography, a vibrant display, and a price that asks you to take a second look. But can it possibly match the competition, or even battle above its weight.
A New Focus Cameras Meet AI
Always, the CAMON line did lean toward photography. This next generation expands that scope with much deeper integration of an AI assistant. Interestingly enough though, TECNO has somehow been able to price these new CAMON 40 models about 15-20% lower than their predecessors. How. By neatly trimming the more costly but less apparent technologies, all while attempting to be as high as possible performance-wise and in photo quality.
First Impressions Design and Feel
This phone definitely wants to be gazed at. The matte metallized plastic rear panel plays with light, revealing various aspects of its stone-textured outside. The shape of the camera island is nostalgic, as if a nod to vintage camera aesthetics. You can pick it in "Galactic Black," "Sea Green," or "Ice White" – our review unit was black, and the packaging even came with a useful protective cover.
Button and port placement is very standard: volume and power on the right. Up top, an IR port, microphone, and speaker. In the bottom, the Type-C port, second microphone, speaker, and dual nano-SIM slot. Nice touch is the "Dolby Atmos" inscription along the top edge, hinting at a more refined audio experience, with custom headphones and external speaker profiles to go. It won't substitute your Bluetooth speaker, but it's a nice touch.
There is no headphone jack or second memory card slot to be found here. But the left side of the phone features a tactile "One-Tap" action key. A long tap invokes the Ella voice assistant, and a double tap takes a quick photo. You may also remap this button to launch an app or perform an action such as screen recording.
That Big, Curved Display
The CAMON 40 Pro 5G features a pretty big 6.78-inch AMOLED screen as its mid-ranger. It's silky smooth with a 144Hz refresh rate and surprisingly bright (up to 1600 nits). Its cover glass is Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which should be music to one's ears when it comes to drops and scrapes. The phone might have a big screen, but it does not feel heavy or cumbersome at just 178 grams.
The flat edges and rounded corners, the sliver of metal frame, and that curved AMOLED screen give it an incredibly sleek, near-frameless look. It's stunning, but curved screens sometimes catch unwanted touches. Luckily, an optical fingerprint sensor is hidden under the screen, and it generally performs just fine even when your fingers are lightly damp.
About those accidental caresses on rounded screens – they're frustrating at times, sometimes opening up menus or closing apps by mistake, especially while taking photos in landscape mode. The best news is that there's a setting called "Prevent unintentional touching of the edges of the screen." Enabling it goes a considerable way toward eradicating those ghost inputs.
And breakability. Curved screens have an undeserved reputation. But TECNO still claims this phone is as tough as the others in its series, with a five-star SGS certificate for drop resistance. Plus, the screen comes with a factory-applied protector. It also comes with impressive IP68/IP69 protections, meaning it can resist dust, moisture, and even water jets heated to full blast. You can technically do a fast dive with it, but since the touchscreen won't work under water, this sturdy protection is actually more of a peace-of-mind solution against everyday mishaps.
A handy little hack to capture screenshots: a three-finger swipe down the middle of the screen. Quick and did the trick.
Cameras The Main Event for Creators
The camera hardware on offer here is great value for the price range, although strangely, not quite a giant leap from predecessor CAMON 30 Pro. Yes, the ultra-wide is slightly lower-res, and the depth sensor is no more, but TECNO seems to have endeavored immensely in software optimization and AI feature implementation to streamline shooting and editing.
Here are the cameras at the back:
- Main Camera: 50MP camera featuring a large Sony LYT-700C sensor (1/1.56-inch) and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).
- Ultra-Wide Camera: An 8MP camera with AI-assisted edge distortion correction.
There's no telephoto camera, but digital zoom will attempt to compensate for it. Though the ultra-wide's detail won't leave you breathless, its exposure and colors will be pleasant.
At the front, you get a 50MP selfie camera with eye-tracking autofocus. Its 91.6-degree field of view, combined with AI portrait distortion correction, makes it absolutely great for group selfies.
Photographing with the main camera, especially with the AI active, is an effortless affair. Even in dimly lit surroundings, images tend to have good, rich colors and well-balanced exposure. The detail is also fairly good, retaining textures quite well.
The ultra-wide, not that great, still delivers impressive results and lets you play around with different compositions. The AI distortion correction is a good touch.
Selfie takers will appreciate the front camera. The large sensor and good light sensitivity, along with some effects and AI enhancements, help yield some innovative shots.
The CAMON 40 Pro 5G is packed with AI-powered tools to enhance your photos and videos. The photo editor can remove unwanted objects or people. An "AI expander" can even smartly expand your picture 10-40% past its natural limit using AI that automatically decides what to add. The "Light and Shadow" AI tool in Auto mode can sharpen pictures, adjust colors, and help highlight for better overall image quality, especially in portraits. For portraits, you can even choose between 24mm, 35mm, or 50mm equivalent focal length.
TECNO has also focused on motion capture with "BestMoment" and "AutoSnap." BestMoment, when in FlashSnap preset, captures 15 frames per second and uses AI to choose the best shot desired (like the peak of a jump). AutoSnap automatically captures a snap when it detects sudden motion or a jump, trying to capture the most dynamic pose. This could be ideal for action photographs or capturing energetic children.
For video recording, the phone is able to shoot smooth 4K video from any of its cameras, even the front one. There is also a "Dual Video" mode that records simultaneously from both the main and selfie cameras – ideal for vloggers.
Under the Hood Performance and Software
Powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor. It's not as powerful as the Dimensity 8350 Ultimate in the flagship CAMON Premier 40 5G, but it consumes less power too (7W vs 10W TDP). TECNO has also increased the vapor chamber cooling area by 33% compared to the previous generation, so it should remain relatively cool while gaming or using AI services. Overall, it's a fast chip, outscoring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus in benchmarking tests and matching a HUAWEI Kirin 9000E.
The phone is silky smooth on mundane tasks. Under extended load, it reduces CPU performance by just barely about 14%, which is great. In AnTuTu v10.4.9, it scored 686,877 points. In Geekbench 6, it scored 907 (single) and 2794 (multi).
Battery Life Keeping You Going
A 5200 mAh battery illuminates the lights. Under normal usage (messaging, social media, videos, photos), it should easily last over a day. The charging adapter supplied is 45W, which can charge the phone from 0 to 50% in roughly 23 minutes and fully in about 43 minutes. No wireless charging, but with charging this quick using a wire, it matters less.
AI The Creative Partner
The AI on the CAMON 40 Pro 5G is genuinely amazing. The built-in Ella assistant, powered by TECNO AI, is handy from the very beginning. It even assists you with homework (grade 11 and some university problems) if you give it a picture or screen shot of the problem. You can even observe the AI "think" as it comes up with a solution.
Ella is voice-assisted, can find and organize information, generate text and wallpapers (even from imported photos). The AI further aids in photography, choosing the perfect moment, removing unwanted subjects, and improving video and photo quality. TECNO surprisingly allows you to switch the underlying neural engine for Ella to the DeepSeek-R1 model if you prefer.
There is an emphasis on voice and text interaction. The AI is able to transcribe voice interviews and interpret voice commands. In some places, it comes with local services (such as Yandex in Russia for hailing taxis or ordering food). This can be a lot quicker than going through menus by hand.
Voice calls also get AI-based upgrades: noise cancellation, call transcription, improved call quality, an AI-powered answer machine, and even an in-call translator. Screenshot-based or image-based text translation are also available.
Key Specifications at a Glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| DISPLAY | AMOLED, 144Hz, 6.78 inches, 2436x1080, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i |
| CHIPSET | CPU Octa-core (4x2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 + 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55), MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (4nm) |
| RAM AND STORAGE | 8/256 GB, 12/256 GB |
| BATTERY | 5200 mAh |
| CAMERAS | Main – 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS Ultra-wide - 8 MP Front - 50 MP, f/2.5, 24mm, 1/2.8", 0.64µm, PDAF |
| DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | 164.3 x 74.6 x 7.3 mm, 178 grams |
| FEATURES | One-Tap action button, Dolby Atmos stereo speakers, IP68/IP69 dust and water resistance, HDR |
Test Results Snapshot
- CPU Throttling Test: CPU performance reduced to 86% of its limit.
- ANTUTU v10.4.9: 686,877
- GEEKBENCH 6: Single-core – 907; Multi-core – 2794
- AUTONOMY: Up to 2 days in concurrent use. (e.g., 2% battery usage for 30 minutes YouTube video at highest brightness, silent with subtitles).
Pros
- Attractive design with a premium feel and choice of colors.
- Large, vibrant, and smooth 144Hz AMOLED display with good brightness.
- Durable build with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i and IP68/IP69 water/dust resistance.
- Impressive AI integration for photography, productivity (Ella assistant), and calls.
- Good main camera (50MP Sony LYT-700C with OIS) performance, especially with AI.
- High-resolution 50MP front camera with eye-tracking AF, great for group selfies.
- Numerous AI-powered camera features like BestMoment, AutoSnap, and AI Expander.
- Capable MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor offering good performance and efficiency.
- Excellent battery life (5200 mAh) and fast 45W charging.
- Competitive pricing, offering good value.
- Handy 'One-Tap' action key and Dolby Atmos audio.
- Included protective cover and factory-applied screen protector.
Cons
- No dedicated telephoto camera.
- Ultra-wide camera resolution (8MP) is modest and detail could be better.
- No 3.5mm headphone jack.
- No microSD card slot for storage expansion.
- Curved screen edges can occasionally lead to accidental touches (though mitigatable).
- No wireless charging.
- Processor not as powerful as flagship-tier chips (though good for its class).
| Technetbook Rating | |
|---|---|
| Rating Score | 8.5/10 |
| Stars | ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ |
| Description | The TECNO CAMON 40 Pro 5G offers a compelling package for its price range, excelling in AI-driven camera features, display quality, battery life, and durability. While it makes some compromises like the absence of a telephoto lens and wireless charging, its strengths, particularly the extensive AI integration and robust core experience, make it a very attractive option in the mid-range market, especially for content creators and users prioritizing smart features. |
Last Thoughts A Smart Move by TECNO
The CAMON line in the past was virtually all about cameras. This year, TECNO AI is a significant part of the equation. Compared to the last model from last year, the CAMON 40 Pro 5G has been streamlined somewhat but features many series pluses: a large, tough AMOLED screen, eye-catching looks, speedy charging, great battery life, and first-rate water/dust protection.
TECNO seems to have struck a good balance between smart cost-saving and delivering an engaging user experience. At its price point, it's proving to be one of the more interesting camera-focused phones with a solid AI base.
