In Kenya, at the moment (late May 2017-early June 2017), these devices are the best that Tecno has to offer:
1. Tecno Camon CX
This is Tecno’s latest smartphone in the Kenyan market. It packs a pair of decent 16-megapixel shooters both at the front and the back with dual flash and ring flash respectively.
Fast-charging, LTE network access, the latest version of Tecno’s HiOS overlay based on Android 7.0 Nougat, a fingerprint sensor at the back and a large 5.5-inch display are the standout other features of the device. See all the specifications here.
Going for less than Kshs 18,000, the Tecno Camon CX is one of the best smartphone deals around.
Price: Kshs 17,000-18,000
2. Tecno Phantom 6 Plus
This is Tecno’s premier smartphone. Unveiled in Dubai in September last year, it packs the best features that Tecno Mobile could cram into a hand-held device.
The Tecno Phantom 6 Plus features a big 6-inch full HD display, one of the fastest deca-core processors in the market, a very fast fingerprint scanner at the back, a nice premium all-metal build, Tecno’s first ever USB Type-C implementation on a smartphone with support for its proprietary fast-charging technology (Light Speed Charge), lots of gimmicks to accompany the 21-megapixel main camera and lots of storage space (64GB).
That Tecno has been surprisingly quiet on the prospects of its best smartphone getting a bump to Android Nougat is one of the main reasons why, if you can, you should be wary of spending any serious amounts of money getting devices like the Phantom 6 Plus. That’s a terrible thing to say about the device since at Kshs 30,000 give or take it is such a good deal but it’s the truth.
Price: Kshs 29,000-30,000
3. Tecno Phantom 6
The Phantom 6 is not just a smaller Phantom 6 Plus. Far from it.
It is sizeable and feels nice in the hand albeit slippery, takes some very crisp photos with its dual-camera setup but has less memory, storage space and battery capacity.
At its price, the Tecno Phantom 6 still remains a likeable device that one should give a serious look.
Price: Kshs 24,000-26,000
Note: a single-SIM variant of the device, Phantom 6s, is also available in the market at the same retail price range.
4. Tecno Boom J8
Traditionally, Tecno has always started the year with a new Boom smartphone.
The Boom device range is where Tecno concentrates its audio engineering prowess in its quest to prove that better sound on a smartphone is not a preserve of the high-end smartphones. While it hasn’t done so, yet, its Boom smartphones are still worth looking at every year.
The Boom J8, which is now over a year old, was a hit in the Kenyan aided not just by its audio-centred features but its affordable pricing and the goodies that Tecno bundled with the device. You are unlikely to walk around Nairobi on any given day and not come across someone spotting those red-accented headsets the Boom J8 arrived with.
The battery life on the Tecno Boom J8, too, is very good.
Price: Kshs 12,000-13,000
5. Tecno L9 Plus
The battery on the Boom J8 may be good but it will never be as good as that on the Tecno L9 Plus. Tecno’s mid-range champ is unbeatable when it comes to endurance. With a 5,000mAh battery unit, the L9 Plus seeks to rid us of the powerbank menace once and for all and it seems to be winning in that regard.
The Tecno L9 Plus builds on the momentum built by the L8 Plus which had an even slightly bigger 5,050mAh unit. Tecno shrunk the bezels on the L8 Plus to add an extra inch to the device’s screen to produce the 6-inch panel that adorns the front of the L9 Plus.
That the L9 Plus not only features a 6-inch display like the Phantom 6 Plus but as one of the newer Tecno devices in the market (launched in March 2017), it already has Android 7.0 Nougat way ahead of Tecno’s flagship devices makes it a good candidate for the nickname, “Everyone’s Phantom”.
Its 720p display is a big disappointment, though.
The other problem is that in this day and age when we’ve become spoilt, you’re paying all that money (see below) for a device that won’t connect to Safaricom’s 4G network since it lacks LTE radios. Battery vs network choices. Sigh.
Price: Kshs 15,000-17,000
