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The TECNO Camon 40 Premier is without doubt one of the newest telephones from an organization chances are you’ll not have heard of. It is the results of the corporate’s relentless pursuit to convey high-end experiences to cheaper price 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 wise as a result of the Camon 40 Premier comes with a number of AI options to make the most of. Past the software program, the telephone has a really succesful digital camera system that comes with 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 package deal regardless of some shortcomings and questionable (but comprehensible) selections.
TECNO Camon 40 Premier: Value, 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 contains 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 for the time being, however the telephone shouldn’t be bought in North America. Nonetheless, it is going to be accessible in different areas, together with Africa, the Center East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
The Camon 30 Premier began at a worth of round ₹29,499, which is just below $350, so it stands to motive the Camon 40 Premier may 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 broad, Sony LYT-701, OIS |
Rear Digicam 2 | 50MP ultrawide |
Rear Digicam 3 | 50MP periscope, 3X |
Entrance Digicam | 50MP broad |
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 excellent telephone. The show is a 6.67-inch AMOLED that appears nice, though it would not blow me away. It is a lot shiny, the colour profile is properly tuned in order that it isn’t 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 shortly and effortlessly, which ought to come as no shock for a chip that falls just below the flagship 9000-series chips.
This extends to gaming as effectively. One in every of my favourite video games to play Honkai: Star Rail, which might be fairly taxing on a telephone when performed on the greater settings. Normally a telephone will default to the settings it thinks it will possibly 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 an alternative of the default 30fps. Surprisingly (or not), the telephone is ready to sustain simply tremendous, and I didn’t discover a lot in the way in which of stuttering or huge body charge drops.
The software program expertise general is fairly strong, even when HiOS is not my favourite Android pores and skin. It runs Android 15 out of the field, and you will get a few of the extra widespread Android thrives that we see in telephones today, such because the separated notification shade and fast panel.
The sensible panel is nice for multitasking, whereas the Dynamic Port provides you a Dynamic Island-like (albeit pretty restricted) expertise.
Nonetheless, I can not actually discuss a brand new telephone in 2025 with out mentioning AI, particularly as it is a massive focus for this telephone. TECNO not too long ago 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 reasonably priced 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 way of 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 screen will unveil an AI hub of types referred to as Zero Display screen, the place you’ll be able to entry a set of TECNO AI options. Up high is Ella Briefing. To not be confused with Samsung’s Now Transient (though not less than a part of the thought is comparable), it is a useful “transient” 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 could have entry to, and when you’ll simply discover lots of them all through the UI, like AI Studio within the Gallery app, the Zero Display screen places all of them just about at your fingertips and makes it simple so that you can discover use circumstances for them.
This contains creating AI-generated artwork utilizing texts or drawings, translating from photos or whereas in a dialog, summarizing paperwork or creating them from pictures, and extra.
For probably the most half, these options are fairly well-baked, and TECNO’s AI seems like a fairly mature providing. Accessing the settings for TECNO AI feels very akin to Galaxy AI on a Samsung telephone, and plenty of options are fairly comparable.
Going again to the thought of quick access, TECNO has applied an Motion Button of types referred to as the One-Faucet Button. Curiously, tapping it as soon as would 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 really 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 digital camera, and the 50MP triple digital camera system is surprisingly good. TECNO has tuned the digital camera in order that it will possibly take higher photos in low-light situations and likewise higher reproduce extra pores and skin tones. In my expertise, I have been in a position to take loads of respectable pictures. It isn’t one of the best, but it surely’s fairly good for this worth vary, and I doubt anybody could be dissatisfied within the digital camera.
I really like that the Camon 40 Premier has a telephoto digital camera with 3x optical zoom, one thing I really feel remains to be fairly unusual at this worth level. It does effectively in the course of the day, with pictures taken at 6x popping out fairly crisp, though the sensor struggles a bit at evening.
You can too take photos at a second’s discover with FlashSnap, which might seize pictures with a really excessive shutter pace whereas protecting the picture crisp with decreased noise. So not solely can it maintain you from lacking a second, however it will possibly additionally seize moments routinely based mostly on the scene, which is fairly helpful.
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Lastly, you will be completely satisfied to know that battery life is excellent. The 5,100mAh battery retains the telephone going all day, and I have been in a position to common about 7 hours or extra of screen-on time. The 70W charging may also 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 fairly strong telephone, due to its IP68 and IP69 water and mud resistance rankings. Sadly, it would not really feel as strong 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 colour.
I additionally discovered myself a bit delay by the quantity of bloatware on the telephone after setting it up. You may probably spend fairly a little bit of time uninstalling varied apps chances are you’ll or might not have heard of or simply don’t need in your telephone.
And talking of issues chances are you’ll 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 incorrect, I believe 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 creating and developed areas.
That stated, regardless of Ella being built-in with Gemini, it simply feels slower and would not show data in the identical coherent method I might get with Gemini. For instance, I requested Ella and Gemini about measles signs and if I must be involved about contracting it as a result of 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 determination. As a Chinese language-based firm, it is sensible to make use of the most recent AI mannequin, particularly after it not too long ago went fairly viral. Nonetheless, given the privateness considerations, anybody outdoors of China might need to chorus from utilizing it.
Luckily, TECNO allows you to select when to make use of DeepSeek R1. When opening Ella, there is a very outstanding DeepSeek R1 button that you would be able to 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 an alternative of Ella when you want. 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 would not routinely allow voice enter).
A extra minor subject I’ve with the TECNO Camon 40 Premier is the shortage of wi-fi charging. It isn’t a very massive deal, as wi-fi charging remains to be not generally discovered on midrange telephones. Plus, the 70W charging greater than makes up for its absence, however it’s at all times good to have the choice.
Lastly, the in-display fingerprint sensor works shortly, 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 except you are holding the telephone in a particular method. Not a deal breaker, however undoubtedly an annoyance.
TECNO Camon 40 Premier: Competitors
For a telephone at this worth level, there are a selection of similarly-priced low-cost Android telephones. The Pixel 9a remains to be very a lot new and solely $499 regardless of its flagship-level Tensor G4 chipset. It’s able to most of the identical AI options because the flagship Pixel 9 sequence, simply at a fraction of the associated fee. That stated, its {hardware} specs aren’t almost as sturdy, 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 an analogous worth bracket because the Camon 40 Premier. It presents nice worth for the worth and is a superbly designed telephone that contains a vegan leather-based end, nice battery life, wi-fi charging, and an IP68/69 ranking for cover. 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: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase this if…
- You are searching for an reasonably priced telephone.
- You desire a telephone with quick charging.
- You desire a good digital camera that may shortly 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 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 may very well be improved.
Regardless of the shortage of wi-fi charging and questionable selections with fingerprint sensor placement and number of AI fashions, battery life and nice digital camera high quality make up for any shortcomings the telephone might have, of which there are few. And whereas it isn’t bought 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 good telephone that has lots of flagship potential however at a fraction of the associated fee. Spectacular specs and a ton of AI options make this an excellent telephone for anybody trying to avoid wasting cash.
