TECNO Future Lens. Smartphone Photography.

News

Why TECNO is the next big thing in smartphone photography

Three new camera technologies that will break boundaries in imaging

Published

December 13, 2023

Vincenz

Most smartphone brands nowadays invest much of their R&D into professional smartphone photography. TECNO isn’t an exception in this list.

Not only are they bringing the best smartphone hardware they could provide for their wallet-friendly handsets, they’re also getting serious in delivering new camera technologies to the masses.

TECNO Phantom V Flip

These will open doors to a new world of imaging. It will also provide exceptional results that were not possible before due to hardware and/or software limitations.

TECNO Future Lens. Smartphone Photography.

Xiaohan Huang, TECNO’s Director for Image R&D Center, presented three main pain-points when it comes to shooting photos in a smartphone. Those could be addressed with TECNO’s latest innovations in mobile imaging.

Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens

The problem most brands encounter when producing smartphones is that telephoto zoom lens takes too much space. TECNO solves this with their headlining “liquid” telephoto macro lens.

This new type of telephoto shooter incorporates a liquid-filled lens into the actual telephoto module. It adapts a lens curvature depending on how close or far you are from a subject.

TECNO Future Lens. Smartphone Photography.

This unique liquid lens also ensures better macro shots. It can get to as close as 5cm that traditional periscope telephoto lens fail to provide. Those lenses rely on increasing the overall motor drive — which is also inefficient and expensive to make.

TECNO’s approach relies on adjusting and utilizing the voltage to adjust the lens curvature. This not only gives the best details in a shot possible, but also maintains the thinness and the compact form factor of the smartphone.

W-Shaped Adjustable Physical Aperture

Unlike usual flagship smartphone cameras with the traditional aperture opening, TECNO steps it up a notch with their very-own W-Shaped aperture. This was inspired from the eyes of a cuttlefish.

TECNO Future Lens. Smartphone Photography.

Much like a standard smartphone lens with dual variable aperture system, TECNO’s patented technology allows users to manually adjust the camera’s aperture. It also precisely manages light while eliminates that annoying glare. This is one of the biggest pain-points in smartphone cameras.

This new type of aperture also ensures better photographs even when challenged by scenarios with harsh backlight. No need to compromise between having poor/dark subjects or overexposed skies.

Universal Tone (UT) Technology

TECNO is among the few phone brands that connect its partners to its users. And ICYMI, TECNO is the leading phone brand in Africa as well as being a rising brand among Southeast Asian nations.

They say most AI algorithms that phone brands have do not deliver the true color of people in color.

But with TECNO’s plethora of R&D centers across the globe alongside leading global universities such as Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), they have more than enough sample sets to make Universal Tone (UT) technology a reality when taking picture-perfect and accurately-colored portraits.

With this, people of color will also feel they are respected and accepted. Something many smartphone manufacturers fail to deliver.

Sony x TECNO

While Computational Photography is becoming more prevalent, it would still not be possible to achieve a desirable image output without having a great image sensor. Phones still need hardware components in order to make smartphone photography even better. These are: image sensor, lens, back-end processor, camera module, and other necessary components.

Jun Zhang, the Director of Sony’s Semiconductor Mobile Engineering in China, told us that they constantly improve to make their sensors even better. And with TECNO stepping into the scene, they are teaming up with Sony in bringing the best camera tech possible. This results in a more seamless collaboration with one another.

And with the debut of Sony’s dual-layer stacked sensor “LYTIA”, Sony’s director also told us that they’re moving forward with that direction to ensure excellence in imaging quality without sacrificing the overall heft of a smartphone. Something we’ve encountered with 1-inch mobile sensors. No definite word though if TECNO plans on bringing us a smartphone with the latest LYTIA sensor just yet.

The Future of Lens

Nigel Atherton, the Editor in Chief of UK’s leading photography magazine Amateur Photographer is very thrilled with how the smartphone photography scene will look like in the next one to two years thanks to TECNO’s imaging innovation. As someone who has a culturally-diverse family, he told us that the UT technology would be further utilized when taking portraits and photos with family and friends.

TECNO Future Lens. Smartphone Photography.

For him, the two other camera technologies by TECNO together with Sony’s promised improvements in sensor also meant better dynamic range, reduced noise, and improved signal processing for faster imaging output.

TECNO Future Lens. Smartphone Photography.

We never witnessed how any of these new imaging technologies by TECNO work in real life. However, the ever-growing Chinese smartphone brand proudly says these three new technologies are compatible with one another and might be in a future (flagship) device soon (Clue: three letters?)

More so, TECNO has also kept video shooting in mind while they are working with these new camera innovations. As Universal Tone (UT) is software-based, it’s been continuously observed by TECNO. Meanwhile, the two other imaging innovations are hardware-based so TECNO said they could definitely be used for dynamic shooting as well.

Gaming

Switch 2 now lets you play old games in 1080p

It tricks old games into thinking that the console is docked.

Published

March 18, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The Switch 2’s popularity is astonishing, to say the least. Just recently, a single game, Pokémon Pokopia, was responsible for taking the free times of over two million players on the Switch 2. Now, Nintendo has released a new feature which should make the console much more playable, especially for those who already had the original Switch.

Today, the Switch 2 received the 22.0.0 system update. Though the update is mostly a variety of smaller updates, one feature, called the Handheld Mode Boost, stands out among the rest. As per the patch notes, “Handheld Mode Boost will cause compatible Nintendo Switch software to run as if the console is being played in TV mode.” Put simply, the feature will unlock 1080p resolution for older games.

For gamers who had the original Switch, game resolution was a huge problem. The first console lived on a 720p screen, so the early games supported only lower resolutions. The only exception is when the console was docked, which allows 1080p resolution.

Now, the Switch 2 supports backwards compatibility. Players can access their older Switch games on the new console. The catch, however, is that these games are still stuck in 720p. Some titles, at least, have released an update to increase resolution on the new console.

Handheld Mode Boost tricks the console into thinking that it’s hooked up to the dock. In effect, the game will play in 1080p. The catch, however, is that it also thinks that the Joy-Cons are a single Pro controller, so players might lose some game features. It’s still a decent price to pay, though.

In other news, the update has also updated the naming of the “Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea” to “Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea/Southeast Asia,” potentially hinting that Southeast Asia might finally get an online store.

News

OPPO Find N6 launches globally with near crease-free foldable display

‘Zero-Feel Crease’

Published

March 17, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

OPPO has officially unveiled the Find N6, its latest foldable flagship designed to push the category further with a near crease-free display, powerful hardware, and productivity features tailored for large screens.

The device introduces what OPPO calls a “Zero-Feel Crease,” a new hinge and display structure designed to minimize the visible fold line and deliver a flatter inner screen experience over time.

The foldable was introduced at OPPO’s Binhai Bay Campus in China and will become globally available starting March 20, 2026.

Design and durability upgrades

Left: OPPO Find N6. Right: Galaxy Z Fold7

The Find N6 continues OPPO’s push for thinner and more ergonomic foldables. Despite its book-style design, the company says the device maintains a comfortable grip comparable to conventional bar-style smartphones.

It comes in two colourways: Stellar Titanium and Blossom Orange. The latter stands out with genuine gold accents integrated into the hinge casing made of titanium alloy.

Underneath its premium exterior, the Find N6 also adds stronger durability credentials. It carries IP56, IP58, and IP59 ratings for dust and water resistance, allowing it to withstand everyday splashes as well as high-temperature and high-pressure water jets.

Multitasking powered by ColorOS 16

On the software side, the Find N6 runs ColorOS 16 optimized for foldables, designed to take advantage of its larger inner display.

One of the key features is Free-Flow Window, a multitasking tool that allows up to four apps to run simultaneously. Users can freely adjust window sizes and aspect ratios, enabling flexible workflows for productivity or content creation.

The feature integrates with OPPO’s Boundless View interface, allowing users to transition smoothly between intensive multitasking layouts and a focused single-app experience.

ColorOS 16 also brings a set of AI-driven tools, including AI Mind Space, AI Recording, and AI Motion Photo Popout.

For cross-device functionality, O+ Connect enables file transfers between the Find N6 and Mac or Windows computers. The system also supports screen mirroring and remote control functions.

AI Pen turns foldable into a workstation

Complementing the large display is the OPPO AI Pen, a stylus designed to enhance productivity on the foldable device.

The stylus supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and works on both the inner and outer displays.

OPPO positions it as more than a standard stylus. The AI Pen enables features like Quick Note and Global Annotation, while also functioning as a laser pointer for presentations.

It also supports AI-powered tools such as Circle to Capture, AI Chart, and AI Image. These tools can capture on-screen content, convert rough notes into structured tables, or transform hand-drawn sketches into polished artwork.

Flagship performance and imaging

Powering the Find N6 is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform paired with a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery.

The device supports 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging and 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging, designed to provide all-day endurance even with extended use of the foldable display.

For imaging, OPPO introduces its new Hasselblad Master Camera System on the Find N6.

The system is led by a 200MP Hasselblad Ultra-Clear main camera. It is joined by a 50MP ultra-wide camera capable of capturing 50 percent more light than the previous generation, and a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto lens with tele-macro capabilities.

The phone also includes a dedicated True Color Camera sensor, first introduced with the Find X9 series, designed to improve white balance accuracy and produce more natural color reproduction.

Camera features developed with Hasselblad include Hasselblad Portrait Mode for DSLR-style bokeh, Hasselblad Master Mode with manual controls tuned to match the Hasselblad X2D camera, and XPAN mode that captures cinematic photos in a wide 65:24 aspect ratio.

The Find N6 also supports professional-grade video features. All three rear cameras can record 4K video at 60fps in Dolby Vision, while the main camera can capture 4K 120fps Dolby Vision footage. Log video support is also included for advanced color grading workflows.

Price and availability

OPPO Find N6 will be globally available starting March 20, 2026 through official OPPO stores, authorized retailers, and partner carriers worldwide.

The foldable will be available in two colourways: Stellar Titanium and Blossom Orange.

Pricing in China is as follows:

12GB + 256GB: ¥9,999
16GB + 512GB: ¥10,999
16GB + 1TB: ¥11,999

The OPPO AI Pen Kit will retail for ¥499.

For regional pricing and availability, OPPO advises consumers to check with their respective regional teams or official OPPO channels.

News

POCO X8 Pro Series launches in Singapore with early bird prices

Starts at SGD 439

Published

March 17, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

POCO has announced the Singapore pricing and availability of the newly launched POCO X8 Pro Series. It includes the POCO X8 Pro Max and POCO X8 Pro.

In Singapore, the lineup will be available with early bird pricing from March 17 to April 5. They offer discounts across all configurations.

Price and availability

The POCO X8 Pro Max (12GB + 256GB) carries a recommended retail price of SGD 589. However, will be available at an early bird price of SGD 559 during the promotional period. Meanwhile, the 12GB + 512GB variant is priced at SGD 619, discounted to SGD 599 for early buyers.

For the standard model, the POCO X8 Pro (8GB + 256GB) is priced at SGD 469, with an early bird price of SGD 439. The 12GB + 512GB configuration retails for SGD 519 and will be available at SGD 489 during the launch promo.

The POCO X8 Pro Max will be available in Black, Blue, and White, while the POCO X8 Pro comes in Black, Mint Green, and White.

Performance-focused X Pro series

The POCO X8 Pro Series marks the brand’s shift from the traditional X Series to the new X Pro Series, positioning the lineup around stronger performance and improved endurance.

Leading the series is the POCO X8 Pro Max, which debuts globally with the Dimensity 9500s flagship chipset. Built on a 3nm process, the chip uses a 4+4 all-big-core CPU design with clock speeds of up to 3.73GHz.

POCO says the device can achieve an AnTuTu score of over 3 million, positioning it among the most powerful smartphones in its segment.

Meanwhile, the POCO X8 Pro is powered by the Dimensity 8500-Ultra platform, delivering improved GPU performance and better power efficiency compared to the previous generation.

Both devices also support hardware-level ray tracing and POCO’s WildBoost Optimization, which helps stabilize frame rates during demanding gameplay.

Large batteries and fast charging

Battery capacity is another highlight of the lineup.

The POCO X8 Pro Max packs an 8,500mAh battery, which the company says can deliver up to two days of battery life on a single charge.

Meanwhile, the POCO X8 Pro features a 6,500mAh silicon-carbon battery, designed to provide strong endurance while maintaining a relatively compact device size.

Both phones support 100W HyperCharge as well as 27W reverse charging, allowing them to charge other devices when needed.

Displays and cameras

The POCO X8 Pro Max features a 6.83-inch display, while the POCO X8 Pro uses a 6.59-inch panel.

Both displays can reach 3,500 nits peak brightness across 25 percent of the screen, improving visibility outdoors.

On the camera side, both devices feature a 50MP main camera and a 20MP front camera. The Pro Max uses a Light Fusion 600 sensor, while the X8 Pro uses a Sony IMX882 sensor.

Additional features include UltraSnap, Dynamic shots, and AI-powered editing tools designed to simplify image enhancement.