Tecno introduces Universal Tone for perfect skin tones in every photo

Tecno announced a new imaging technology called Universal Tone. Leveraging AI, it promises to enhance skin tones in photos so people from all colors are correctly captured.

The essence of Tecno Universal Tone is recognizing multiple faces in one photo, along with their facial complexities, and then applying appropriate filters that encompass a vast range of skin tones in order to eliminate bias within the image processing.

The technology combines three engines, according to the press release. The first is the Multi-Skin Tone Restoration Engine, which works with a database of frequently overlooked skin colors, and with a methodology, it creates an inclusive skin tone scale for precise representation. Then comes the local tuning engine, which considers the environment, lighting conditions, color temperature, and even geomorphological landscape to achieve a harmonious output with the surroundings.

The final step of the process is an “AI-powered computational portrait engine” that creates a personalized and localized portrait imaging experience, taking into consideration some localized aesthetic and cultural preferences. Simply put, the Tecno phone will know how people in its markets prefer to look in their photos, applying the correct color processing.

The end goal of Tecno is to have all people in a photo to be accurately identified and “beautifully optimized”. The technology is said to allow users to feel truly represented and is a celebration of individuality and diversity. The company also said Universal Tone would deliver “true-to-life portraits,” but we do have our doubts about how this would translate in real life with so much AI tinkering happening in the background.