Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian Review Very Stylish, But Lacks 5G Support
price and availability
Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian is available in one specification. It costs £17,999 and comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. You can buy the Camon 19 Pro Mondrian on Amazon India.
Design and build quality
Tecno relies heavily on the Camon 19 Pro Mondrian's design, specifically its color scheme. So let's talk about that first. The back of the smartphone is divided into separate squares that can change color in the sun. We've seen a similar trick on the Vivo V25 Pro, but the performance here is more interesting.
Now let's talk about usability and form. Camon 19 Pro Mondrian has a sleek shape with smooth edges. The phone feels premium when you hold it. Here too, the weight distribution is favorable at 200 grams and it feels lighter in the hand.
Other design elements include the volume rocker and power button on the right side of the phone. The buttons are also tactile and easy to reach. This is where the power button houses the fingerprint reader. Fast and even unlock device with light touch.
Here we also see a 3.5mm headphone jack. A rare sight these days, it's always nice to have the option of using wired headphones. Right next to the headphone jack is the USB Type-C charging port and speaker grille.
In the Camon 19 Pro Mondrian we have a dual SIM card slot. The smartphone supports 4G connectivity but lacks the main component, 5G. To be clear here, these are the main drawbacks of the device.
advertisementThe Tecno Camon 19 Pro features a 6.8-inch FHD+ LTPS display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. These specs are consistent with devices we've seen in the price segment. What makes the display interesting is the 120Hz refresh rate. So far I have seen this feature on the Galaxy F23 and OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G.
The console is smooth and easy to use, and it doesn't lose my commands. As you'd expect, the 120Hz refresh rate comes in handy when gaming. I've had a few enjoyable COD Mobile sessions on the Camon 19 Pro Mondrian and the display works great.
To my surprise, we have auto refresh rate disabling feature here. This allows the display to change the refresh rate between 60 and 120 Hz depending on the content being displayed. It's a bit intense. There is a noticeable screen lag when switching between the website and homepage on the smartphone. I chose to keep 120Hz as the default setting to fight this battle. There's a slight battery drain, but nothing to affect your productivity.
Viewing content on the screen is also satisfying. I noticed that the tone is cooler with the default settings. But when I change it manually in settings, there is no problem.
I watched She-Hulk on Disney+ Hotstar on my phone and the experience was priceless. The rendering of the CGI heavy event looks good. Yes, the black levels on the panels vary slightly, but it's not distracting.
The screen is also quite bright, and if you watch content on it, you won't be complaining. However, it's a bit loud outside and you need to keep it on maximum brightness all day long.
The event ended with a unique loudspeaker setup. It is quite loud and offers good sound quality. However, as expected, the speaker is blocked by your palm when holding the phone in landscape mode. Also, considering the price, Tecno should have provided a stereo speaker setup.
software
Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian runs Android 12 with HiOS Skin. I've also tinkered with the Spark 9 operating system, but the experience here is more consistent.
This is due to the superior SoC.
The essence of the HiOS skin remains the same. The smartphone comes with ready-to-use bloatware which can be uninstalled. But some apps are here to stay forever, like Hi Translate and Carlcare.
Hi Translate is a Tecno shortcut to Google Translate that can translate speech to text from multiple languages. It's a good concept, and when speech is slower, it recognizes words more accurately. Otherwise, it's a bit difficult to understand.
Carlcare is another app that I'm confused about. App UI and animations are outdated. It's designed to help you identify a service center near you, and it is. But the experience could be better.
Apart from that, the operating system is quite intuitive. The animation is different from what we are used to seeing from the competition. Again, you get lots of customization options. Change the theme, background and text color individually. I prefer prints, but you can make them here if you want to give your own flavour.
I also like the swipe up app drawer which organizes apps alphabetically. It's different from what you usually see on smartphones.
Google features like Assistant and Chromecast also work flawlessly on the device. And it takes full advantage of the Android 12 operating system.
Overall, the Mondrian 19 Pro user experience is pleasant, with minor flaws. It won't disappoint if you're ready to adapt to the new interface. However, if you like casual look, you can skip this one.
show
The Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian is powered by the MediaTek Helio G96 SoC. The processor is now available in smartphones for under ₹15,000. Like Realme Narzo 50 and Poco M4 Pro. At this price, Tecno could offer a more efficient chip. Maybe a 5G capable one.
At the time of writing, 5G technology is available in several cities from major carriers in India. And if predictions hold true, we could see full 5G coverage by the end of 2023. This is probably my biggest problem with Tecno, which is why Mondrian's Camon 19 Pro is so hard to recommend. Regardless of its potential and performance. However, let me highlight what works for this device.
Although a 4G SoC can offer more than basic computing power on a device. I tried playing Mondrian with Camon 19 Pro. On COD Mobile, the phone gave me HD graphics settings and minimal lag. It took some time to work on connectivity but once it was done the experience was good.
However, the phone heats up a bit after a half hour gaming session. And you may have to put it aside for a few minutes before moving on to the next fight. However, I've only experienced this with COD Mobile, and with no less demanding games like Temple Run.The phone's 8GB RAM can easily support lighter apps for long periods of time. However, with apps like Instagram or COD Mobile, the feed is fully updated.
Common tasks like email, surfing the web, and making phone calls.
I also ran a Geekbench performance evaluation test on the device. The results were good, with a single-core score of 514 and a multi-core score of 1,726.
It has 128GB of storage. While this may be enough for some, users who have heavy games on their phones or want to record videos or click lots of pictures have no other choice. An alternative is inserting an SD card, which can expand the storage up to 512 GB. Still, I think 256GB should be standard at this price point, especially if there's only one storage option.
It has a huge 5000mAh battery. Within a week of using it, I charge the device every other day. This was after several long sessions on Youtube and an hour of gaming. If you're a light user, there's a good chance you can stretch the battery by up to 24 hours.
The phone supports 33W fast charging, which can be done with the brick in the box. It takes about an hour and a half to charge from 0 to 100%, which is acceptable considering the performance.
camera
The Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian has a triple camera setup and I was quite surprised by its daily performance.
The main camera is a 64 MP sensor with phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilization and laser autofocus. Overall, these features make for a great picture.
The camera tone is closer to the source and the images are clear and detailed.
I clicked a few photos of cars in motion and the shutter speed was impressive, taking pictures fast.
The 2MP depth sensor camera weakens a bit in portraits. Dead edge detection, especially in low light. However, pictures can turn out great if you consciously try. In the camera application there are also special filters for portraits. There aren't as many of them as high-end smartphones, but you can get creative with them.
I prefer to click pictures without AI because the resulting images look artificial and unnatural.
Then there's the 50-megapixel telephoto sensor. It does its job well and you can shoot distant subjects. But in this case, the camera loses detail and we also see discoloration.
The camera records 1080P video at 30 FPS, which is perfect for casual shots and Instagram stories. However, if you are a content creator, there are more options.
The selfie situation is favorable here. The 32 MP sensor is capable of clicking decent pictures. Again, this applies when AI is disabled.
The AI filters are quite sophisticated here. You can work your entire face, from your cheeks to your jawline. However, I state in all my reviews that I don't like it. But if you do, you won't be disappointed. Video from the selfie camera is also recorded in 1080P resolution at 30fps. I'm trying to make a video with it. While it's great for sharing with your colleagues, it's not the best quality for social media.
indictment
The Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian offers everything we expect from a smartphone. It looks good, works well and the camera settings will please many buyers. What makes a tough recommendation is the lack of 5G compatibility.
This is a good compromise for most young and discerning users looking to buy a new device. So who should go? The answer is simple. Our family members need powerful devices with healthy functions. If you can do without 5G, all you need is a stylish phone.
