TECNO had quite the showing at MWC 2025. The company launched its new Camon 40 series with a ton of new AI features, unveiled new AI glasses set to take on the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and even has a new lightweight Snapdragon-powered PC. However, the company also has a number of concepts to show off that make our current phones look outright boring by comparison.
Of course, the most interesting concepts we saw from TECNO are devices like the multi-fold Phantom Ultimate 2 and the ultra-thin Spark Slim. These aren’t what I’m referring to, although they do give us a good idea of where TECNO wants to go. It’s the other concepts that got me excited about what our phones could look and feel like in the near future.
Alternative materials
On display were several dummy models made using various materials, with the idea being to use sustainable or renewable options for phone designs. Among them was a model with a back made using coconut core. This is the outer shell of a coconut that is usually used to make various products like floor mats, mattresses, and other things. It won’t smell like coconut, but it’s a firm alternative to glass that looks very clean and feels great in hand.
On the opposite end, TECNO had a model made with used coffee grounds. This actually makes sense because Transsion, TECNO’s parent company, has a coffee business in China, and what better way to bring the two together?
Design-wise, it’s perhaps not as attractive as the coconut coir, but it does look quite unique and could appeal to anyone who likes the more raw look. Furthermore, it actually smells quite good, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t like coffee. Imagine how nice it would be to get a bit of a pick-me-up from a quick whiff of your phone!
In addition, TECNO had a phone made with an industry-first multi-colored glass fiber. For this, TECNO used a Jacquard weaving technique, with the end result being a phone that looks like it’s studded out in diamonds. In fact, the company used what looks like a jewel in place of the red indicator light next to the cameras and the “o” in “Camon.” It’s a rather stunning design that can make any phone look premium.
Switching things up
TECNO’s concepts aren’t only about using alternative materials. The company also wants to give us the freedom to change the look of our phones. These proofs-of-concept were probably my favorite of the bunch, as they added a bit of a dynamic nature to the designs.
Among these devices were a series of phones that use photochromic cellulose acetate, which allows the back cover to change color when exposed to UV light. The company had three phones set up, all of which appeared fairly normal at first glance. But when a representative shined a UV light onto them, they all changed color: one blue, one pink, and one green.
While I wouldn’t expect anyone to carry a UV light around, I can only imagine how cool it could be to have my phone change color whenever I walked outside.
Even more interesting is the concept that uses Display Electronic Slurry (DES) technology, as seen above. It essentially turns a phone’s back panel into a video player with a high DPI and refresh rate, although it reminded me a lot of an E Ink display. Still, it was pretty cool seeing the phones flash with different images, and I imagine you could deck out your phone with whatever designs you want, switching things up to match your mood, outfit, and more.
And, of course, I can’t forget about TECNO’s Starry Optical Fiber. The company unveiled this at CES and integrated it into the Phantom V Flip 2, embedding ultra-fine optical fibers and LED lights in a smartphone back cover. The result is a very out-of-this-world effect that can change between four different modes, and TECNO claims it doesn’t impede battery life.
What’s next for phones?
Smartphone design has become pretty boring lately, with the best Android phones launching as variations of glass and aluminum slabs, and the only way to stand out is with a unique color selection or an outlandish camera design. Look no further than any Samsung phone if you want an indication of how some of the most popular phones have thrown in the design towel.
Fortunately, we are starting to see more companies switching things up with materials like vegan leather and ceramic. The TECNO Spark Slim has a stainless steel back that looks like it came out of a Nubian starship from Star Wars, with a camera bar that brings the entire package home with LED lights that run between the dual cameras on either side.
Unlike the days of dumb phones where companies like Nokia could launch the most ridiculous designs (Lipstick phone, anyone?), the modern smartphone era doesn’t have the luxury of particularly unique designs. Seeing how far TECNO is going to give our slab phones a new lease on life gives me hope that smartphone design can one day be exciting again.