TECNO had fairly the displaying at MWC 2025. The firm launched its new Camon 40 collection with a ton of recent AI options, unveiled new AI glasses set to tackle the Ray-Ban Meta good glasses, and even has a brand new light-weight Snapdragon-powered PC. However, the corporate additionally has quite a lot of ideas to exhibit that make our present phones look outright boring by comparability.
Of course, essentially the most attention-grabbing ideas we noticed from TECNO are gadgets just like the multi-fold Phantom Ultimate 2 and the ultra-thin Spark Slim. These aren’t what I’m referring to, though they do give us a good suggestion of the place TECNO wants to go. It’s the opposite ideas that acquired me enthusiastic about what our phones might appear and feel like within the close to future.
Alternative supplies
On show had been a number of dummy fashions made utilizing numerous supplies, with the concept being to use sustainable or renewable choices for cellphone designs. Among them was a mannequin with a again made utilizing coconut core. This is the outer shell of a coconut that’s normally used to make numerous merchandise like ground mats, mattresses, and different issues. It will not scent like coconut, but it surely’s a agency different to glass that appears very clear and feels nice in hand.
On the other finish, TECNO had a mannequin made with used espresso grounds. This truly is sensible as a result of Transsion, TECNO’s dad or mum firm, has a espresso enterprise in China, and what higher means to deliver the 2 collectively?
Design-wise, it is maybe not as engaging because the coconut coir, but it surely does look fairly distinctive and will attraction to anybody who likes the extra uncooked look. Furthermore, it truly smells fairly good, and that is coming from somebody who would not like espresso. Imagine how good it might be to get a little bit of a pick-me-up from a fast whiff of your cellphone!
In addition, TECNO had a cellphone made with an industry-first multi-colored glass fiber. For this, TECNO used a Jacquard weaving approach, with the top outcome being a cellphone that appears prefer it’s studded out in diamonds. In reality, the corporate used what appears to be like like a jewel instead of the pink indicator mild subsequent to the cameras and the “o” in “Camon.” It’s a slightly beautiful design that may make any cellphone look premium.
Switching issues up
TECNO’s ideas aren’t solely about utilizing different supplies. The firm additionally wants to give us the liberty to change the look of our phones. These proofs-of-concept had been in all probability my favourite of the bunch, as they added a little bit of a dynamic nature to the designs.
Among these gadgets had been a collection of phones that use photochromic cellulose acetate, which permits the again cowl to change colour when uncovered to UV mild. The firm had three phones arrange, all of which appeared pretty regular at first look. But when a consultant shined a UV mild onto them, all of them modified colour: one blue, one pink, and one inexperienced.
While I would not anticipate anybody to carry a UV mild round, I can solely think about how cool it might be to have my cellphone change colour at any time when I walked outdoors.
Even extra attention-grabbing is the idea that makes use of Display Electronic Slurry (DES) know-how, as seen above. It primarily turns a cellphone’s again panel right into a video participant with a excessive DPI and refresh charge, though it jogged my memory plenty of an E Ink show. Still, it was fairly cool seeing the phones flash with totally different photos, and I think about you could possibly deck out your cellphone with no matter designs you need, switching issues up to match your temper, outfit, and extra.
And, in fact, I can not overlook about TECNO’s Starry Optical Fiber. The firm unveiled this at CES and built-in it into the Phantom V Flip 2, embedding ultra-fine optical fibers and LED lights in a smartphone again cowl. The result’s a really out-of-this-world impact that may change between 4 totally different modes, and TECNO claims it would not impede battery life.
What’s subsequent for phones?
Smartphone design has grow to be fairly boring these days, with one of the best Android phones launching as variations of glass and aluminum slabs, and the one means to stand out is with a novel colour choice or an outlandish digicam design. Look no additional than any Samsung cellphone if you’d like a sign of how a number of the hottest phones have thrown within the design towel.
Fortunately, we’re beginning to see extra corporations switching issues up with supplies like vegan leather-based and ceramic. The TECNO Spark Slim has a chrome steel again that appears prefer it got here out of a Nubian starship from Star Wars, with a digicam bar that brings the complete package deal residence with LED lights that run between the twin cameras on both facet.
Unlike the times of dumb phones the place corporations like Nokia might launch essentially the most ridiculous designs (Lipstick cellphone, anybody?), the fashionable smartphone period would not have the luxurious of notably distinctive designs. Seeing how far TECNO goes to give our slab phones a brand new lease on life offers me hope that smartphone design can sooner or later be thrilling once more.