In the era of flat screens and straight edges, it's at least interesting to get hands-on with a gadget that doesn't follow the generally accepted rules. That's exactly how the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra feels — a fresh flagship that seems specially made for those who have grown bored with the look of conventional smartphones. We tell you how successful the new device with the flair of "not like everyone else" turned out to be.

Thin, smooth, slippery

The shape of the body is the first thing you notice when you pick up the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra. And it's not about the 7.75-millimeter body thickness, but about its shape.

First, the display here is curved — that very "waterfall" screen that was especially popular in the late 2010s. Second, the smartphone combines rounded corners and narrowed edges. Because of this, the gadget seems very thin, and in the first few minutes you get the impression that it's about to jump out of your palm. But the situation can be remedied with the included case.

The body feels metallic, but in reality, under your fingers there's glass on the display and the back cover, and plastic on the edges. Only the buttons are made of metal here. There are three of them, by the way: the lock and volume buttons on the right side, and the AI assistant call button on the left. You can unlock the device using an under-screen fingerprint scanner.

What about the gadget's durability? There's information about certification to the MIL-STD-810H standard: it's reported that the smartphone can withstand 22,000 drops from a small height. We also had an unscheduled test: on the street, a journalist testing the Camon 50 Ultra's cameras collided with a distracted scooter rider. Everyone ended up alive, but the device landed on a curb from almost two meters high. The result — an intact screen, an unbroken back, and a scuff that formed on the bottom edge of the body.

Whether the gadget handled this stress test well or not — decide for yourself.

Unusual but solid screen

The smartphone features an AMOLED display with a 6.78-inch diagonal, 1208×2644 pixel resolution, and a peak screen refresh rate of 144 Hz. There's an oleophobic coating, the picture can be called smooth, and the display responsive.

Does the "waterfall" get in the way when watching videos and playing games? There's a slight feeling that the slanted edges of the screen seem to "eat up" part of the total area. But it disappears on its own after 10–15 minutes of using the smartphone. After that, you only pay attention to the contrast and richness of colors, and they are perfectly fine here.

Long-lasting and powerful, but with an intrusive AI

The Camon 50 Ultra boasts a 6500 mAh battery, which is paired with 45W fast charging. It is reported that in certain scenarios the device can last just over two days without recharging. For my part, I note that you can spend about a day and a half with the new device without visiting a power outlet.

Performance here is handled by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultimate processor, and the device runs on the HiOS skin. In terms of configuration, you can count on either 8 or 12 GB of RAM, and storage capacity ranging from 256 to 512 GB.

The smartphone runs briskly, with no issues with throttling or overheating. Yes, during sessions in, say, Call of Duty: Mobile, the device heats up, but it's tolerable, without the feeling of hot pebbles. And in simpler tasks, such as shooting photos or surfing between tabs, overheating was not observed at all.

The only thing worth picking at when talking about the system is Ella, an AI assistant that is summoned by pressing a single button. The problem is that this button is pressed too easily, a single press cannot be remapped, and the AI assistant can pop up at moments when no one expects it. A rare case where something manages to be more intrusive than Siri.

Cameras you won't be ashamed to shoot with

Within its budget, the Camon 50 Ultra can boast respectable photo capabilities. This refers to a triple camera module: a 50 MP main camera with a 1.56-inch Sony Lytia 700 °C sensor, a 50 MP 3x telephoto lens, and an 8 MP ultra-wide camera. All of this is rounded out by a 50 MP front camera, a flash with selectable modes, and a flicker sensor.

The device has no issues with either photos or video recording: in the latter case, the image remains quite sharp even with 10x zoom. As for photos, both the main camera and the telephoto lens deliver contrast-rich shots with good detail. At dusk and at night, of course, the situation is not as lively, but not fatal either: the main thing is to give the smartphone time to process the frame.

By the way, AI hasn't gone anywhere when it comes to photography either. With its help, you can crop an image as needed, use auto-zoom, and remove glare and reflections.

So, is it a worthy smartphone or a faceless release?

In short, the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra turned out to be balanced. It's a worthy option for those who want a smartphone with a bright AMOLED display, a battery that lasts at least a day, decent cameras, and a price tag not exceeding 1,500 rubles.

The only thing you could nitpick about the new device is the body materials and its shape. But here we enter the murky territory of personal taste — you either definitely like it or you don't at all. There seems to be no middle ground.

As an alternative to the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra, you could consider the powerful Infinix Hot 70 Pro with light elements on the back panel, the OnePlus Nord CE6 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 on board, the futuristic Nubia Neo 5 GT with active cooling, and the Realme 16 Pro with a 7000 mAh battery.