In recent years, mobile photography has skyrocketed in popularity, standing confidently alongside traditional DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. What’s driving this development? The compact size, lightweight design, and unmatched practicality of smartphones have made them the go-to choice for many, including a growing number of professional photographers who are embracing mobile photography as their primary medium. Beyond their convenience, these devices have transformed into powerful platforms for AI applications, harnessing their mobility and extensive user base, comprehensive application ecosystem, and powerful processing capabilities.
Leading the charge in emerging markets is TECNO, a trailblazer in innovative technology recognized globally. With a presence in over 70 countries, TECNO is on a mission to revolutionize the digital landscape with professional-grade features - From smartphones to smart wearables, laptops, tablets, gaming gear, and smart home products. So whether you're a mobile photography enthusiast using smartphones for creative shots, a professional photographer leveraging advanced equipment, or a global consumer capturing everyday moments, TECNO's advanced mobile cameras empower you to capture the world in stunning detail.
This year, TECNO took a giant leap forward by establishing a joint AI Laboratory with MediaTek, focused on developing technologies that maximize their mobile camera photography and video experiences with AI-powered enhancements. By exploring large models, connectivity, AIGC imaging technologies, and AI voice assistants in various minority languages, TECNO aims to create practical AI that integrates smoothly in emerging markets.
This commitment fuels their drive to push boundaries and pursue excellence. At Future Lens 2024, TECNO made waves by unveiling three revolutionary AI-powered imaging innovations that set their mobile cameras apart:
1. TECNO Image Matrix (TIM): A fresh approach to imaging that redefines possibilities, blurring the lines between professional photography and mobile imaging
2. EVS Dynamic Shot Technology: For capturing vibrant moments with dynamic precision
3. Tap Any Zoom Dual Prism Telephoto: Experience zooming like never before, bringing distant subjects up close and personal without image quality compromises
What is TECNO Image Matrix—TIM?
The TECNO Image Matrix (TIM) is an advanced "brain" for AI-powered imaging, designed to enhance photo capturing, processing, and sharing through an innovative "1+N" strategy while fostering personalized creativity. At the heart of TIM lies its groundbreaking TECNO Algorithm Process Stack (TAPS), which serves as a core foundation for advanced imaging capabilities. TAPS facilitates swift and effective algorithm processing, enabling the seamless operation of the four major imaging engines.
AI RAW: Enhances clarity, sharpness, and color in low-light and backlit conditions by utilizing advanced RAW domain processing. Here TECNO stands out by excelling in multi-skin tone backlit scenarios. The AI RAW computational photography engine is designed to ensure maximum retention of RAW data, while the aid of AI NR boosts dynamic range. It achieves seamless end-to-end HDR output when combined with XDR displays.
AI SNAP: This feature allows customization for local snapshot scenarios, enabling extremely fast captures powered by AI-enhanced computing. The outcome is the ability to capture instant shots of fleeting moments without any delay. To achieve this, TECNO has redesigned pipelines to facilitate improved image processing.
AIGC Studio: The AI Creative engine sparks creativity by expertly breaking down image components and generating a large library of essential materials through advanced machine learning on extensive datasets. It utilizes generative algorithms that rely on robust AI models, which necessitate significant computing power, achieved through the optimization of the software architecture on the imaging platform.
AI UT: This feature automatically optimizes skin tones to capture true-to-life beauty by using the most comprehensive and precise multi-skin tone spectral database available in the industry. It focuses on restoring skin tones while allowing for customized settings tailored to specific scenarios. Additionally, it includes advanced portrait beautification, enhancing the authentic display of the rich diversity of human skin tones.
The synergy of TIM's four engines streamlines the image-processing workflow, enhancing both efficiency and quality in image capture and post-processing. This innovation simplifies the processes of shooting, editing, and sharing content, encouraging personalized creativity and expression. Image processing units, algorithms and AI-driven imaging engines enable new and optimized mobile imaging application functions: AI Shooting Quality, Portrait Master, Video Master, AI Snap and AI Image Studio. These applications, for example, allow for tailored multi-skin tone configurations that cater to local user preferences for hairstyles and makeup. Furthermore, AI-trained models for intelligent removal tasks are expertly designed to align with the unique characteristics of local architectural styles.
How hardware support enhances TIM and your image quality:
EVS Dynamic Snapshot
This AI-powered imaging technology revolutionizes mobile photography, particularly in action and sports genres. Unlike traditional cameras that capture pixels frame-by-frame, TECNO combines conventional CMOS sensors with DVS high-frequency circuits to capture the entire motion path of a subject.
This innovative EVS Dynamic Snapshot technology overcomes the limitations of traditional snapshot methods and the light intake constraints of compact cameras, enhancing the ability to capture motion. TECNO employs EVS pixels to record motion data and utilizes high dynamic tracking to intelligently lock onto moving subjects. By leveraging the motion data provided by EVS, the RGB camera effectively manages motion blur, enabling the creation of sharp, full-frame images of fast-moving subjects.
Tap Any Zoom Dual Prism Telephoto
Telephoto photography presents several challenges that need to be mastered, not only when using smart devices. TECNO has addressed issues such as focusing difficulties, frequent blurriness, and limited options for re-framing with their AI-powered imaging technology, which features a Tap Any Zoom Dual Prism Telephoto system. As the name suggests, this technology utilizes a dual prism design with a wide swing angle, intelligent AI algorithms, and lens-shift optical image stabilization. The stabilization is particularly crucial as it supports to balance of external vibrations, making handheld shooting with this telephoto system more convenient and effective in producing crisp and clear images.
By simply double-tapping on the subject of interest in the 1x/0.6x scene mode, the mobile camera instantly zooms to an optimal level of up to 30x. This allows for fast and precise framing, enabling you to follow your visual goals without needing to minimize your distance from the subject. In comparison, TECNO’s technology makes it possible to capture images with up to 14 times the zoom of a standard and often heavy 125mm lens, offering greater flexibility and perspective on the go. Additionally, the long-range scanning function combined with a 400MP pixel auto-assembly ensures high-resolution imagery, while the telephoto sweep function stitches full-frame shots together without causing optical distortion.
Redefine your mobile photography experience
The imaging innovations presented at TECNO Future Lens are transforming the way we experience mobile photography - whether you are a mobile photography enthusiast, professional photographer or global mobile imaging consumer. With the TECNO Image Matrix structure, you can now create stunning, high-quality images using a lightweight and flexible mobile camera. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for capturing diverse genres, subjects, and framing styles, making it easier than ever to blend professional and mobile photography.
As a result, it contributes to the democratization of photography, delivering fresh perspectives, enhanced creative freedom, and the opportunity to produce professional-grade photographs with a smartphone lens.
“Stop At Nothing” - TECNO’s vision of becoming a leading AI-driven technology brand
TECNO is a frontrunner in AI-driven technology with the recent introduction of its AI-powered imaging capabilities. This initiative is part of a broader vision to incorporate AI across multiple areas, ultimately enhancing everyday experiences and empowering users. During the Future Lens event, senior executives highlighted that this is merely the beginning of their journey, aiming to establish TECNO as a benchmark for intelligent technology that enhances daily living. TECNO’s goal is to create an ecosystem where technology, art, and life intersect, providing users with exceptional photography experiences and professional-grade outputs.
TECNO’s cutting-edge technologies are already empowering us to engage with mobile devices like true professionals. With exceptional customization and accuracy, they significantly enhance our imaging experience while expanding the array of photographic genres we can explore.
One of the standout features is the clarity achieved in low-light and backlit conditions through RAW domain processing and AI Noise Reduction (AI NR). Many conventional smartphones struggle with capturing vibrant images in these challenging lighting situations, often resulting in grainy or overexposed photos.
Additionally, the AI SNAP feature facilitates local snapshots for street photography, enabling lightning-fast captures. Standard mobile devices may experience delays, causing users to miss spontaneous moments. In contrast, TECNO's rapid capture technology ensures that every fleeting scene is preserved with minimal lag, making it ideal for dynamic environments.
The multi-skin tone configurations allow for a more inclusive photography experience, as they recognize and enhance various skin tones, something that many mobile photography devices overlook. TECNO's extensive multi-skin tone spectral database, combined with AI-driven models for intelligent removal tasks, elevates portrait photography.
Moreover, motion blur is a common issue in fast-paced photography, and many mobile devices struggle to perform well under these conditions. TECNO addresses this with an enhanced dynamic capture effect enabled by Electronic Video Stabilization (EVS), producing sharp, clear action shots. Finally, when it comes to zoom capabilities, the difference is evident. Many mobile devices exhibit poor zoom performance, resulting in unclear or pixelated images at increased distances. In contrast, TECNO's Tap Any Zoom Dual Prism Telephoto system offers a significantly enhanced zoom effect, allowing for crisp, detailed shots from afar.
