TECNO Camon 19 Review; How does it stack up to similarly priced devices?

My experience:

I’ve been using the TECNO Camon 19 for two weeks, sort of. I’ve enjoyed my experience with it. I think I’ve mentioned this in most of my reviews that we are in a period where most devices provided you get good amount of storage, good amount of RAM and a pretty new processor, your experience will almost be the same at the mid-range sort segment.

I really like this phone’s design. I know some people have talked about the design being sort of weird and different, but I like it. That it is rectangular with the of smooth edges, very boxy and with a huge camera bump. The top cutout houses the main camera, while the extra cutout/bump houses the extra lenses.

TECNO describes the back finish as starry. I like that it’s is not a fingerprint magnet. It looks matte but it is smooth to the touch. I like the way the back cover plays with light. I don’t think you’ll want this phone in a case, though one’s included.

I like the placement of the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. I would have wanted to have the volume rockers to be on the opposite side. I also like the tinier bezels. At this price point, it has probably the tiniest bezels when compared to other devices in the price segment.

The cameras are good, but they’re exactly what you’d expect in the midrange segment. TECNO seems to have worked on their colour science to produce brighter and sharper images. Watch the video to see the image comparisons in a proper way. Also watch the unboxing video.

The phone also supports 18-watts fast charging, which I will say is slow because I’ve used faster charges but at this price point is very acceptable. It would have been nice though, to see something like 25W or 33W charging.

Important Specs:

The phone has a 64MP rear camera, a 16 megapixel front camera. It is powered by the Mediatek Helio G85 processor. You get 5000mAh battery with 18-watt fast charging. It supports 4G networks. The display is a 6.8 inch IPS display at 60Hz. However, it feels smooth when using it.

The device runs HiOS 8.6 based on Android 12. There’s a USB port at the bottom, a headphone jack, a speaker at the bottom and a earpiece at the top. The earpiece doesn’t double as a top speaker.

TECNO has highlighted a couple of features of the device you should take note of:

• The design – which is similar to the Camon 19 Pro – so a PRO design for a more affordable device. The twin camera look is also highlighted as being a premium look. TECNO has won the IF Design Awards and Muse Design Price for the design.
• The taller aspect ratio – which shows off the rectangular finish in a very bold way.
• Extra Warranty – you’ll get 24 Months + 1 warranty. You’ll also get 90-days screen repair warranty.
• Promised update – TECNO has promised the device will receive Android 13 by mid-2023. Which is a huge step-up for them, as they never promise updates, and have always lagged on updates.

Comparison with similarly priced phones:

The phone is available in the Kenyan market for 23,500/- shillings. At this price point there are a couple of devices that you would want to consider, for examples, you have the Galaxy A23 and the OPPO A57.

• The Galaxy A23 has a 6.58 inch display, it also supports 90 hertz refresh rate. It is powered by the Snapdragon 680 Processor. It has a 50MP main camera plus three extra lenses you may never use. It has a 5000mAh battery with up to 25W charging.
• The OPPO A57 has a 6.56 inch display. It’s also a 60Hz panel. its also 60hertz display and its powered by a slower processor. The phone is powered by the Helio G35 Processor, which is the weakest in the lineup. It has a 5000mAh battery and supports 33-Watt fast charging.

In the video above, I go in-depth on the specs and differences to help you understand each device, and make your purchase decision.

I also include photo samples from each of the cameras in different lighting modes and zones. Remember to let me know which of the devices’ cameras you prefer.

TECNO Camon 19 Specifications: