Tecno bets on AI with new-generation phones, device line-up

As technology companies globally race to add artificial intelligence (AI) to products, Tecno on Monday unveiled an AI-boosted device line-up comprising foldable smartphones, laptops and smart assistants.

The Chinese phone manufacturer under the Transsion umbrella – the largest smartphone seller in Africa – introduced the flagship Phantom V Fold2 5G smartphone, Camon 30S, and Megabook T16 laptops.

Among the AI features in Tecno’s new devices is the Ella AI assistant built on Google Gemini to offer recommendations, real-time translation and text generation, similar to Apple’s Siri.

The devices get real-time speech-to-text translation during phone calls or face-to-face conversations, AI-powered writing support, image editing tools and video production such as subtitle generation.

“We are excited about the future of AI and how it can benefit consumers in Africa," Peter Shi, Tecno’s brand manager, said.

"Our goal is to make practical AI accessible to all, integrating these technologies into daily life to improve quality of life and simplify everyday tasks.”

The Phantom V Fold2 5G features a 6.42-inch outer screen and a 7.85-inch main screen, a 5750mAh battery and a 5-lens camera. Tecno has priced the device at Ksh.134,999.

Meanwhile, the V Flip2 will go for Ksh.81,999, the Spark 30 Series from Ksh.14,499, and the Camon 30S from Ksh. 24,999.

The company said prices are subject to change.

In addition to the Megabook T16 and T16 Pro laptops, Tecno also unveiled Pocket Go, a portable handheld gaming device that integrates AR glasses with 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD.

The tech company is also entering the world of robotics with the Dynamic 1 Robotic Dog for home interaction, a gaming mini PC dubbed the Mega Mini Gaming G1, the Megapad 10 tablet and Sonic 2 Earbuds with 50 hours of playtime.

Phones are the main devices tech companies are competing to incorporate AI – from Apple to Google, which in August announced several new AI features rolled out to the Android-based devices made by manufacturers like Tecno and Samsung.