Tecno Camon 17 Pro review

Competition

The Camon 17 Pro is facing some strong opposition from bigger names despite Tecno's aggressive pricing. Both Xiaomi and Oppo have competent offerings for Camon money, and Samsung, too, has something to say.

The Redmi Note 10 Pro is the first one that springs to mind. Its 108MP camera is probably a bit better than the Camon's but the Tecno's ultrawide wins thanks to its autofocusing capability, while selfies are second to none on the 17 Pro. The Camon outlasts the Redmi in an endurance race, but loses for charging speed. All of these are hardly deciders, but what the Redmi has going for it is the 120Hz OLED display (hands down better than the Camon's 90Hz LCD), and the IP53-rated body. On the other hand, perhaps the 256GB storage could sway the right buyer in the Camon's direction.

Storage is what the Camon 17 Pro has going for it against the Oppo Reno5 F too, and the Tecno has stereo speakers, while the Reno doesn't. Oppo counters with an AMOLED display, albeit a 60Hz one. We haven't reviewed this particular Oppo, so we can't be entirely certain, but we gather the Camon's battery life is better, and we'd give it a nod for photo quality based on the specs as well.

The Galaxy A32 is cheaper than the Tecno Camon 17 Pro by a not-insignificant 12-15%. For less money, you'd be getting a much nicer 90Hz AMOLED, but for most other things, the Camon is as good or slightly better than the Galaxy. Well, there's also the Samsung brand that the A32 has going for it.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro • Oppo Reno5 F • Samsung Galaxy A32

Verdict

The Camon 17 Pro is not without its flaws - mostly small ones like the missing night mode for the ultrawide camera, or the unusual speaker behavior. However, a more critical deficiency stands out - the display is an LCD among OLEDs, and it's not even all that good of an LCD.

On the other hand, there's a lot to like about the Camon 17 Pro. It's got the best battery life in its class, and its 256GB storage is unmatched by its rivals. The selfie camera is particularly great and the rear cameras aren't half bad either.

Compromises are inevitable when needing to meet a budget, and with the Tecno Camon 17 Pro, it's the display quality that suffers. We can't wholeheartedly recommend it because of that, but we can see how the Camon can be a sensible choice if your priorities align with its strong points.

Pros

• Excellent battery life.
• Very loud speakers.
• Ample storage space.
• Overall likeable camera output, the autofocusing ultrawide is a nice touch.
• Great selfies, 4K selfie video too.

Cons

• The display is an LCD, and its maximum brightness is underwhelming.
• Slightly odd speaker behavior in terms of stereo handling.
• No night mode on the ultrawide camera.