Tecno Camon 30 Premier Review

Introduction and specs

Tecno’s Camon 30 Premier offers some high-tier features that punch above the price range. Above all, the Camon 30 Premier is marketed as a cameraphone.

And indeed, the specs sheet suggests the Camon 30 Premier’s centerpiece feature is the camera hardware. The device features a potent triple 50MP camera setup on the back, along with an AF-enabled 50MP selfie camera.

The main 50MP camera uses a respectable 1/1.56-inch sensor, but the 50MP, 2.76″ periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom is arguably more impressive. The two cameras are complemented with another 50MP ultrawide unit, while the front offers a rare find – 50MP selfie unit with AF capability.

Tecno Camon 30 Premier specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.7×76.2×7.9mm, 210g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame, aluminum back with silicone polymer finish (eco leather); IP54, dust and splash resistant.
• Display: 6.77″ LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR, 1400 nits (HBM), 1264x2780px resolution, 19.79:9 aspect ratio, 451ppi; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate (4 nm): Octa-core (1×3.1 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) CPU; Mali-G610 MC6 GPU.
• Memory: 512GB 12GB RAM.
• OS/Software: Android 14, HIOS 14.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.2, 70mm, 1/2.76″, 0.64µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 114˚, 1/2.76″, 0.64µm, PDAF.
• Front camera: 50 MP, f/2.5, 24mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.64µm, PDAF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps (HDR), 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 70W wired, 100% in 45 min (advertised).
• Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.3; NFC; FM radio; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers.

The display department isn’t overlooked either. In fact, some flagship offerings don’t get LTPO OLED panels, but the Camon 30 Premier surprises with one. It has a higher resolution than usual, supports HDR and can go up to 120Hz refresh rate. The Dimensity 8200, a nice upper-mid-range solution, is tasked with driving all those pixels. The only available memory configuration is 12GB/512GB, so we can overlook the missing microSD card slot.

And as for the battery, it’s business as usual – 5,000 mAh with fast 70W charging, which we expect to be quite competitive.

Before we continue, the design and build deserve a brief mention too. The Camon 30 Premier may not have the highest ingress protection (just IP54) but it offers a robust design with a Gorilla Glass 5 front sheet and aluminum chassis with a touch of vegan leather.

Unboxing the Tecno Camon 30 Premier

The handset comes in a standard retail box containing the usual user manuals along with the appropriate USB-A to USB-C cable and 70W-rated charger.

Tecno also gifts a protective silicone case with a seemingly metallic ring around the camera island.

Our review unit arrived with Tecno TWS Buds 3, allegedly part of the retail package and not sold separately. Tecno advertises that the headphones have a cool extra feature allowing you to use them as a camera remote – a double tap snaps an image.

Design and handling

The Camon 30 Premier is aiming for a high-end feel and build and we think Tecno has nailed it with this one. Sure, the handset is graded with just IP54 ingress protection and the Gorilla Glass 5 sheet on the front isn’t the latest, but the overall build and materials are pretty solid.

The side frame, along with a small portion of the back, is made of aluminum, while the rest of the back panel is vegan leather. But the eco leather feels different than usual. It has a fine, soft-touch texture, which feels exceptionally nice but isn’t very grippy.

The available colors are Alps Snowy Silver and Hawaii Lava Black. As evident from the photos, we have the former.

Despite the handset’s understandably higher weight, it doesn’t feel hefty in hand. It’s also somewhat thinner than expected – 7.9mm without the camera bulge. The flat side frame is slightly curved toward the edges and creates a seamless transition with the back and front panels.

 
 
Tecno Camon 30 Premier

We also liked the buttons and their placement. In contrast to most Android smartphones, the Camon 30 Premier has its volume keys on the left and the power key on the right. All buttons are conveniently placed, but the power could require some finger gymnastics for people with small hands. Good thing the button itself is relatively big and easy to distinguish.

 
Tecno Camon 30 Premier

The same cannot be said about the under-display fingerprint reader. It works well – snappy, responsive and accurate, but it’s placed a bit too close to the bottom edge, which isn’t ideal.

In any case, the design is memorable and the overall build feels extra nice to the touch, albeit being a bit on the slippery side.