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The TECNO Camon 40 Premier is likely one of the newest telephones from an organization you could not have heard of. It is the results of the corporate’s relentless pursuit to deliver high-end experiences to lower cost factors and markets, and it appears to hit the mark.
The telephone makes use of a more moderen MediaTek chip primed for AI efficiency, which is sensible as a result of the Camon 40 Premier comes with a number of AI options to benefit from. Past the software program, the telephone has a really succesful digicam system that includes the corporate’s newest imaging developments, and the battery life and charging specs far surpass these of many flagship telephones in North America.
The TECNO Camon 40 Premier 5G seems like a full bundle regardless of some shortcomings and questionable (but comprehensible) selections.
TECNO Camon 40 Premier: Worth, availability, and specs
The TECNO Camon 40 Premier was introduced alongside the remainder of the Camon 40 sequence throughout MWC 2025 on March 4, 2025.
The telephone encompasses a single configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It additionally is available in black and inexperienced colorways.
As for pricing and availability, TECNO hasn’t revealed an excessive amount of in the intervening time, however the telephone isn’t offered in North America. Nonetheless, will probably be out there in different areas, together with Africa, the Center East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
The Camon 30 Premier began at a value of round ₹29,499, which is slightly below $350, so it stands to purpose the Camon 40 Premier might price someplace in the identical ballpark and perhaps a bit extra.
|
Class |
TECNO Camon 40 Premier |
|---|---|
|
OS |
HiOS 15 (Android 15) |
|
Software program updates |
5 years, 3 OS variations |
|
Chipset |
MediaTek Dimensity 8520 Final |
|
RAM |
12GB |
|
Storage |
256GB (non expandable) |
|
Show |
6.67-inches, OLED, 1.5K (1260 x 2800), 144Hz |
|
Rear Digicam 1 |
50MP large, Sony LYT-701, OIS |
|
Rear Digicam 2 |
50MP ultrawide |
|
Rear Digicam 3 |
50MP periscope, 3X |
|
Entrance Digicam |
50MP large |
|
Battery |
5,100mAh |
|
Charging |
70W wired |
|
Safety |
Gorilla Glass 7i, IP68/69 |
|
Dimensions |
161 x 75 x 7.7mm |
|
Weight |
193g |
|
Colours |
Galaxy Black, Emerald Lake Inexperienced |
TECNO Camon 40 Premier: What I like
For a telephone that prices lower than $600, the TECNO Camon 40 Premier has so much going for it. It sits in a bizarre however compelling area of telephones that include flagship options and efficiency however sub-flagship costs. It is a area occupied by telephones just like the Pixel 9 and OnePlus 13R, and the Camon 40 Premier emulates this pretty effectively.
The {hardware} is an enormous a part of what makes this an ideal telephone. The show is a 6.67-inch AMOLED that appears nice, though it does not blow me away. It is loads vibrant, the colour profile is properly tuned in order that it is not oversaturated, and the 144Hz refresh charge makes scrolling and animations clean as butter.
A part of this has to do with the MediaTek Dimensity 8530 chip powering the telephone. Whereas it is an upper-midrange chipset, I’ve no complaints about efficiency. Practically every thing you do on this telephone is executed rapidly and effortlessly, which ought to come as no shock for a chip that falls slightly below the flagship 9000-series chips.
This extends to gaming as effectively. Considered one of my favourite video games to play Honkai: Star Rail, which may be fairly taxing on a telephone when performed on the increased settings. Often a telephone will default to the settings it thinks it could actually deal with, and the Camon 40 Premier was already set to “Excessive” once I began up the sport.
I made a decision that wasn’t sufficient, so I turned issues as much as the very best graphics settings and at 60fps as a substitute of the default 30fps. Surprisingly (or not), the telephone is ready to sustain simply nice, and I didn’t discover a lot in the way in which of stuttering or large body charge drops.
The software program expertise total is fairly stable, even when HiOS is not my favourite Android pores and skin. It runs Android 15 out of the field, and you will get a number of the extra frequent Android thrives that we see in telephones lately, such because the separated notification shade and fast panel.
The good panel is nice for multitasking, whereas the Dynamic Port provides you a Dynamic Island-like (albeit pretty restricted) expertise.
Nonetheless, I am unable to actually discuss a brand new telephone in 2025 with out mentioning AI, particularly as it is a huge focus for this telephone. TECNO lately introduced its grand plans for TECNO AI, its suite of options that it is bringing to its smartphone portfolio to assist bridge the hole between the $1000 telephones of the world and the extra inexpensive and accessible telephones. What’s nice is that TECNO makes its AI very current for individuals who need to use it.
While you first activate the Camon 40 Premier, you are taken by the setup course of by way of TECNO’s AI assistant, Ella. It is an early introduction to the telephone’s relationship with AI and will get you ready for what’s to come back.
As soon as arrange, swiping to the left of the house display will unveil an AI hub of types known as Zero Display, the place you’ll be able to entry a collection of TECNO AI options. Up high is Ella Briefing. To not be confused with Samsung’s Now Transient (though at the least a part of the concept is comparable), it is a useful “temporary” up high to summarize and remind you of calendar occasions, notifications, and extra.
TECNO match a ton of AI instruments into the Camon 40 Premier, that are fairly helpful.
There’s additionally fairly an abundance of AI instruments you’ve gotten entry to, and when you’ll simply discover a whole lot of them all through the UI, like AI Studio within the Gallery app, the Zero Display places all of them just about at your fingertips and makes it simple so that you can discover use instances for them.
This consists of creating AI-generated artwork utilizing texts or drawings, translating from photos or whereas in a dialog, summarizing paperwork or creating them from photographs, and extra.
For essentially the most half, these options are fairly well-baked, and TECNO’s AI seems like a reasonably mature providing. Accessing the settings for TECNO AI feels very similar to Galaxy AI on a Samsung telephone, and lots of options are fairly related.
Going again to the concept of easy accessibility, TECNO has applied an Motion Button of types known as the One-Faucet Button. Curiously, tapping it as soon as does not truly do something, however you’ll be able to customise the double-tap to open any app or carry out sure capabilities like muting the ringer.
An extended press of the button will evoke the Ella assistant, which is a pleasant different to utilizing the facility button, one thing that different Android OEMs (taking a look at you, Samsung) have defaulted to. I like the added performance of the button, and I hope to see one thing extra like this on different Android telephones.
AI additionally makes its method into the digicam, and the 50MP triple digicam system is surprisingly good. TECNO has tuned the digicam in order that it could actually take higher photos in low-light situations and in addition higher reproduce extra pores and skin tones. In my expertise, I have been capable of take loads of respectable photographs. It isn’t the very best, but it surely’s fairly good for this value vary, and I doubt anybody can be disillusioned within the digicam.
I like that the Camon 40 Premier has a telephoto digicam with 3x optical zoom, one thing I really feel continues to be fairly unusual at this value level. It does effectively through the day, with photographs taken at 6x popping out fairly crisp, though the sensor struggles a bit at evening.
You can even take photos at a second’s discover with FlashSnap, which might seize photographs with a really excessive shutter velocity whereas preserving the picture crisp with decreased noise. So not solely can it maintain you from lacking a second, however it could actually additionally seize moments mechanically based mostly on the scene, which is fairly helpful.
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Lastly, you will be blissful to know that battery life is excellent. The 5,100mAh battery retains the telephone going all day, and I have been capable of common about 7 hours or extra of screen-on time. The 70W charging may high up the telephone very quickly in any respect, with the telephone going from 1-100% in simply over half-hour. Take that, Samsung!
TECNO Camon 40 Premier: What I do not like
The TECNO Camon 40 Premier is a reasonably stable telephone, because of its IP68 and IP69 water and dirt resistance rankings. Sadly, it does not really feel as stable as it’s. The again panel, which has a reasonably uninspired design regardless of the brightly coloured inexperienced, feels fairly low-cost in hand. I typically simply persist with the included case, which is way grippier and nonetheless options the identical shade.
I additionally discovered myself a bit postpone by the quantity of bloatware on the telephone after setting it up. You will possible spend fairly a little bit of time uninstalling varied apps you could or might not have heard of or simply don’t desire in your telephone.
And talking of issues you could not need in your telephone, TECNO’s AI is usually fairly well-rounded, however Ella seems like a lesser model of Gemini. Do not get me mistaken, I feel it is commendable that Ella even exists, as one of many largest advantages of utilizing Ella over different assistants is that it makes use of extra native languages for higher accessibility amongst growing and developed areas.
That mentioned, regardless of Ella being built-in with Gemini, it simply feels slower and does not show info in the identical coherent method I might get with Gemini. For instance, I requested Ella and Gemini about measles signs and if I needs to be involved about contracting it because of the current outbreak. Ella slowly spat out the knowledge at me whereas Gemini relayed the knowledge in a really clear method, even creating clear lists inside the app.
Additionally, TECNO has determined to combine DeepSeek R1 into Ella, which is a curious resolution. As a Chinese language-based firm, it is smart to make use of the latest AI mannequin, particularly after it lately went fairly viral. Nonetheless, given the privateness issues, anybody outdoors of China might need to chorus from utilizing it.
Fortuitously, TECNO permits you to select when to make use of DeepSeek R1. When opening Ella, there is a very distinguished DeepSeek R1 button which you can press to toggle the mannequin on or off. It is good that the choice is there, even when I do not plan to make use of it.
Even higher, you continue to have the choice to make use of Gemini as a substitute of Ella should you desire. Sadly, that does not apply to the Ella One-Faucet Button shortcut, however you’ll be able to nonetheless set Gemini because the double-tap choice to open the app (though it does not mechanically allow voice enter).
A extra minor subject I’ve with the TECNO Camon 40 Premier is the dearth of wi-fi charging. It isn’t a very huge deal, as wi-fi charging continues to be not generally discovered on midrange telephones. Plus, the 70W charging greater than makes up for its absence, however it’s all the time good to have the choice.
Lastly, the in-display fingerprint sensor works rapidly, however just like the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 and Honor 200 Professional it is simply method too low on the show, making it a bit awkward to make use of until you are holding the telephone in a particular method. Not a deal breaker, however positively an annoyance.
TECNO Camon 40 Premier: Competitors
For a telephone at this value level, there are a variety of similarly-priced low-cost Android telephones. The Pixel 9a continues to be very a lot new and solely $499 regardless of its flagship-level Tensor G4 chipset. It’s able to most of the similar AI options because the flagship Pixel 9 sequence, simply at a fraction of the price. That mentioned, its {hardware} specs aren’t practically as strong, with slower charging, much less RAM, and a decrease refresh charge show. Plus, as of writing, the telephone is not on retailer cabinets but after it was delayed.
The Moto G Energy 2025 is one other contender in the same value bracket because the Camon 40 Premier. It provides nice worth for the worth and is a fantastically designed telephone that encompasses a vegan leather-based end, nice battery life, wi-fi charging, and an IP68/69 score for defense. Nonetheless, it has a much less spectacular MediaTek chip and is missing int he AI division, making this a a lot much less thrilling telephone than the Camon.
TECNO Camon 40 Premier: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if…
- You are on the lookout for an inexpensive telephone.
- You desire a telephone with quick charging.
- You desire a good digicam that may rapidly seize moments.
You should not purchase this if…
- You reside in North America.
- You want wi-fi charging.
- You do not need to take care of bloatware.
The Camon 40 Premier 5G is feels prefer it’s TECNO’s model of a Pixel. It is a implausible midrange telephone that has all of the makings of a great flagship. The MediaTek chip is greater than sufficient for what the telephone is attempting to perform, and the AI suite feels very complete, even when a few of its implementation could possibly be improved.
Regardless of the dearth of wi-fi charging and questionable decisions with fingerprint sensor placement and number of AI fashions, battery life and nice digicam high quality make up for any shortcomings the telephone might have, of which there are few. And whereas it is not offered in North America, the TECNO Camon 40 Premier 5G is a telephone you need to take into account shopping for if it is in your market.
TECNO Camon 40 Premier 5G
A premier expertise
The Camon 40 Premier 5G is a superb telephone that has a whole lot of flagship potential however at a fraction of the price. Spectacular specs and a ton of AI options make this an ideal telephone for anybody wanting to avoid wasting cash.
