Last Updated on June 12, 2021 by TM

The days of waiting are finally over, rumors are over, the leaks are done, the Tech is out and the specification is complete.

This is the Tecno Phantom 9, the newest upgrade to the Phantom series. The only device that was well crafted out for an average user in Nigeria.

I call the Phantom 9 a box of chocolate because everything on the inside and out is sweet. No wonder we had to wait that long for her arrival.

In case you don’t know, the Tecno Phantom 9 is considered the best Phantom ever, could you believe it came with an in-display fingerprint scanner?

What? You don’t mean it…

Just read and enjoy

Key features

Released date: July, 2019
Display: 6.4inch OLED
Resolution: 2340 x 1080p
O S: Android 9.0 pie
Front Camera: 32MP with flash
Rear AI Camera: 16MP + 2MP + 8MP
Battery: 3500mAh
RAM: 6GB
ROM: 128GB
Sim-Slot: Dual nano-sim
Connectivity: 4G LTE

Availability & Price

In Nigeria, the Tecno Phantom 9 is available in Aurora color. It is selling at a budget friendly price that is not that expensive.

See lowest price

Design

When you talk about design, the this particular phone is a pack of beauty. From top to bottom, this smartphone is just a summary of new invention.

We can all clearly see the tear drop notch at the top, this is where the front-facing camera is. There is also a receiver placed above it.

Around the bottom are micro USB-C port, microphone(one at the top) and speaker grill. You will also notice the tiny bezels around this region.

At the back of the Phone is an Aurora color which complement her vertically placed Triple AI camera shooter, Phantom and Tecno brand inscriptions.

There was surprisingly no fingerprint reader at the back, what we see now is an in-display fingerprint reader that is more convenient.

There is no need to stretch your fingers anymore. Just a single thumb placement on the screen is enough to unlock the phone.

At least a big smartphone brand like Tecno-mobile have finally set the pace for others to follow. We expect to see more of these in Nigeria.

Display

On the Tecno Phantom 9 is a 6.4-inch AMOLED otherwise called “OLED display” that fits in conveniently with her tear drop notch.

OLED displays are among the best in Nigeria, they appears much brighter and closer to natural colors than LCD displays. The picture quality here is very clear. 

The display also feature a 2340 x 1080p resolution, 403ppi, 100000:1 strong contrast ratio and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. All of these combined can deliver a cinema-like viewing experience.

According to Tecno, the Phantom 9 tries to broaden your viewing area to let you see more. The display can also filter out blue ray to protect your eye.

Camera

The Tecno Phantom 9 has an outstanding camera performance. With AI baked inside, is there anything more you can ask for?

Tecno even cliams her “Phantom 9 redefines what is called masterpiece photography experience by its remarkable AI triple camera”.

On the camera shooter are 3 vertically placed 16MP main camera, 2MP secondary and an 8MP secondary cameras with AI technology.

The 16MP main camera is the boss of all. It comes with AI scene recognition, AI HDR and focuses more on intelligent photography.

There is also an AI bokeh effect, a 120° ultra wide angle and 2.5cm extreme macro photography which is quite different from normal angle lens since it can capture more image contents.

The Triple AI cameras on the Tecno Phantom 9 also came with quad flash which can assist in taking clearer, brighter and more original photos even at night in Nigeria.

In front is a 32MP ultra pixel selfie camera with f/2.0 big aperture. It also boost a 1.6um pixels and has 18 facial dimensions.

There is even a new AI beauty mode on the selfie camera that gives you stunning selfie shots with the help of her front-facing flashlight.

Where is the flashlight?

At the Top of the Tecno Phantom 9, there are two hidden front-facing flashlight that is positioned at both sides of the receiver.

This Is the first of its kind, I don’t think I have seen any smartphone with this unique Tech in Nigeria. I must commend her maker for exhibiting that high level of brilliance.

Battery life

Expensive flagships like this should get the biggest battery right? Don’t you think so? Tecno in her own opinion don’t feel ok with that. Am also of the same opinion.

If you can afford to buy a smartphone that hit 5 figures, getting where to charge in Nigeria shouldn’t be a problem at all.

After all, the Phantom series wasn’t invented for battery lovers.

On the Tecno Phantom 9 is a 3500mAh battery that is non-removable. This battery can serve for a day with only one charge. This only applies for light user.

Software & Spec

The Tecno Phantom 9 was Unveiled with the latest HIOS 5.0 User Interface based on Android 9.0 pie Operating System. This is the first Tecno phone to grab this UI.

The new UI truly defines what intelligence means in a smartphone. On the Phantom 9, you will find new features like AI assistant, AI video beauty, smart panel and AI battery lab.

The AI assistant is Tecno newly backed Phantom 9 feature that does similar stuff like Google assistant. It infact plays a major role as an intelligent reminder.

The Tecno Phantom 9 comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM which now give room for more storage. It runs on a 2.35Ghz octa-core processor.

There is even an Helio P35 chipset inside that is fast, smooth and stable with rendering and multitasking.

AR Stickers, Animoji & More

Tecno installed some lovely stickers on the camera of her Phantom 9 which now have up to 75 key facial features and support 120° recognition.

You can use them on photos and video recording. ANIMOJI does a simple task of Animating your favorite emoji with real facial expressions.

The Tecno Phantom 9 now have smart panels on her display. This helps you gain access to all your favorite apps with ease. All thanks to her new UI.

Also not forgetting the sound quality of the Phantom 9. It’s a pleasure to your ear. You will enjoy it.

My Thoughts

If someone told me that Tecno didn’t map out time to set up the Phantom 9, I know it’s just a lie.

This is smartphone that is endowed in so many ways. Its gat some new record to set for the budget market in Nigeria.

For record sake, this is Tecno’s first smartphone with OLED screen, in-display fingerprint scanner, tear drop notch and…the list continues.

My biggest surprise about the Tecno Phantom 9 is not just her record breaking features, is the Price its selling at in Nigeria.

Am still finding hard to believe but Tecno isn’t giving me any reason to doubt. If you haven’t used a Tecno phone before, consider this your first.