Tecno’s Phantom X2 Pro phone has a pop-out portrait lens for ‘pure’ bokeh

Many smartphones today provide synthetic bokeh of their portrait pictures modes, however with the assistance of a retractable digital camera, you possibly can obtain true optical bokeh with out lacking any edges. Chinese language model Tecno is now bringing such a function to its newest flagship system, the Phantom X2 Professional 5G, which packs a “world-first” pop-out portrait lens. That is just a bit over two years after Xiaomi confirmed off a retractable 120mm-equivalent large aperture lens, however it by no means left the prototype stage.

Tecno’s intriguing portrait digital camera has a 50-megapixel decision with a comparatively massive 1/2.7-inch sensor and 1.28um pixel measurement. Optically, this 2.5x zoom lens gives an f/1.49 aperture, 65mm focal size and 18.9cm depth of subject. Once you swap to portrait mode within the digital camera app, you possibly can see (and listen to) the portrait lens bodily come out on the again of the cellphone. That is complemented with Tecno’s “self-developed” beautification mode with upgraded make-up settings — as much as three faces are supported in every picture. 

I had an opportunity to shoot some portraits with my Phantom X2 Professional 5G earlier right this moment, and except for the aggressive pores and skin smoothing, my topics had been fairly happy with the pure bokeh, optimized brightness and just about non-existent distortion.

There’s extra on this amusingly massive digital camera island. The 50-megapixel primary shooter makes use of Samsung’s 1/1.3-inch GNV ISOCELL 3.0 sensor, which gives 1.2um pixel measurement and is supported with an f/1.85 aperture. You may additionally discover a 13-megapixel ultra-wide angle digital camera close by, in addition to a 32-megapixel entrance digital camera on the opposite facet of the cellphone — within the type of a punch-hole close to the highest of the curved 6.8-inch AMOLED display (2,400 x 1,080 decision, 120Hz refresh fee; Gorilla Glass Victus).

The Phantom X2 Professional 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000, which is a 4nm octa-core processor — just like the sooner Dimensity 9000+ present in ASUS’ ROG Cellphone 6D collection. It additionally packs 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, together with a beneficiant 5,160mAh battery with 45W quick charging assist. Whereas this cellphone lacks an IP ranking, an organization rep claimed that the retractable portrait lens is waterproof and dustproof — the inside of the lens is seemingly sealed, and likewise with the connection between the lens and the physique. Nonetheless, it is in all probability finest to keep away from the water if you’re carrying this system.

Tecno’s new cellphone runs on a personalized Android 12 system dubbed HiOS 12, which options an AI gallery with face recognition and modifying features, together with some productiveness instruments (built-in translator, file scanner with textual content and PDF conversion and many others.) and a connection pace optimization engine. Tecno added that its system handed TÜV Rheinland’s fluency check over a 36-month simulation, which means its storage reminiscence efficiency should not deteriorate a lot (learn: fragmentation) throughout the identical interval in actual life; however we’ll take this declare with a pinch of salt for now.

Tecno will initially be launching the Phantom X2 Professional 5G in markets together with India, Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Turkey, and the Philippines from the top of December, and it will attain over 60 markets globally later (we’re ready for particular particulars on Western markets). The system might be obtainable in “Stardust Gray” and “Mars Orange,” with the latter that includes an eco-friendly again cowl composed of plastics recovered from the shores across the Indian Ocean. Tecno claims that this “Eco-Pleasant Version” reduces carbon emissions by roughly 38 p.c when in comparison with virgin plastics, “with every particular person cowl producing an estimated 2.4g fewer emissions on common.” 

When you handle to come back throughout a Phantom X2 Professional, the asking worth is round $930 (based mostly on the three,499 Riyal price ticket in Saudi Arabia), which might be troublesome to justify for simply some pure bokeh. There’s additionally the Phantom X2 which is round $215 cheaper and appears very related, however it solely has 8GB of RAM and lacks a retractable portrait digital camera; you may as an alternative get a 64-megapixel primary digital camera and a 2-megapixel depth digital camera, together with the identical 13-megapixel ultra-wide digital camera and 32-megapixel entrance digital camera because the Professional mannequin. The orange possibility can be changed by a “Moonlight White” design.