As expected, Tecno sub-brand Phantom has officially launched its latest smartphone series, the Phantom X2, in Kenya.
The series comprises the Phantom X2 5G and the Phantom X2 Pro 5G.
The Phantom X2 Pro is the hero of the series and comprises the series’ famed retracted portrait camera, a world first, according to Tecno.
“A milestone in the brand’s premium product offering, both the Phantom X2 Pro 5G and the Phantom X2 5G are powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000 4nm chip. The series also features a unique unibody double-curved build and a 3.5D lunar crater design in three mysterious, space-inspired colours, resulting in an eye-catching look and a comfortable feel,” we learned when the series was unveiled globally last year.
The pair of 50-megapixel cameras at the back of the X2 Pro is accompanied by a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens. A 32-megapixel Clear Selfie camera is on the front.
The standard X2 packs a 64-megapixel main sensor accompanied by 13 (wide-angle) and 2-megapixel shooters. Like the Pro, it also packs a 32-megapixel front-facing camera.
The X2 Pro rocks 12GB RAM and 256GB onboard storage, something it shares with the standard variant which has 8GB RAM.
As the names suggest, both devices are 5G-ready.
Both devices are powered by a 5,160mAh battery unit and run on Android 12 with a touch of Tecno’s HiOS which has an upgraded version of the brand’s voice assistant, Ella and several new security features in addition to a horde of optic-centred features to backup the camera hardware. There’s a promise to upgrade the Android 12 the Phantom X2 smartphones come with to at least Android 14.
Tecno has had both devices up for pre-order in the run-up to today’s launch in Nairobi.
The Phantom X2 is going for Kshs 68,000 while its Pro sibling costs Kshs 83,000.
The pricing is a remarkable markup over that of the first generation X series Phantom smartphone which went for Kshs 50,000 when it launched in Kenya in 2021.
Having expanded its tentacles far beyond its traditional markets of Africa and Asia, Tecno is using the Phantom sub-brand to court new consumers in Europe as well as hope to tap into the existing upper market clientele in places like Kenya that have traditionally been courted by other smartphone brands. The brand is also hoping to have grown to match the needs and aspirations of some of the users they started out with over a decade ago who may have also grown in their own right and could afford to pay a premium.
