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ZDNET Highlights
- Tecno’s magnetic modular phone is a proof of concept without a release date.
- It’s thin and light, and the modular battery design is great.
- The magnets aren’t strong enough, and the camera module needs some work.
techno A visit during MWC is always a pleasure, the brand has a history of coming up with interesting concepts. This year, there are a couple of them, including a tri-fold phone that I couldn’t check out, because a security device prevented me from even getting it off the showroom floor.
This concept is different from the Z-shaped foldable phone shown last year. Instead, it folds twice towards the center like the Samsung Trifold, with the outer screen occupying one wing. But another concept caught my attention: a magnetic modular phone.
Also: What to expect at MWC 2026: I’m expecting the best phones from Xiaomi, Honor and others
Modular phones seem to be a dream among phone enthusiasts. Who wouldn’t want to build their own phone? This phone starts off with a slight iPhone Air vibe. It is extremely thin and has magnets and pogo pins on the back to attach the modules. Right off the bat, I wish the magnets were a little stronger; The modules were a little wobbly.
Since the phone is a proof of concept, Tecno didn’t share any spec sheets, but I was able to glean a few things. First of all, it uses a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Also on board is a 3,000 mAh battery, which seems small, but don’t be worried, because now we can talk about modular components.
I’m sure it will come as no surprise that there is a battery module that you can add to the back. Each battery is also 3,000 mAh, and the company had three modules, and they’re stackable for a total of 12,000 mAh. This is very good in itself.
As for the rest of the modules, the most common one is the wallet mod. Even as a fan of MagSafe wallets, I found it hard to get on board with the idea. Given how weak the magnets are, this doesn’t feel safe.
Also: I tried out Honor’s ultra-thin foldable phone at MWC 2026, and it’s almost too powerful
There are two camera attachments. The first is an optical telephoto lens that snaps onto the camera to add 3x capability. Physics supports this, but I was surprised that the images were upside down. This is normal when using such a magnifying lens, but I would have thought Tecno could fix this in software. There’s also no ultrawide camera module, which surprised me.
The second camera lens is a 100x optical telephoto camera module that requires a Wi-Fi connection to the phone. By doing this the pictures are passed from the camera to the phone’s viewfinder. When I tested it on the show floor, there was a lot of lag. This may have been due to insufficient Wi-Fi signal on the show floor – or it may have been due to poor implementation. It is difficult to tell.
Finally, there’s also an action camera, which I didn’t get a chance to test as it wasn’t working properly on the show floor. However the rest of the modules honestly fall into the “accessories” category.
It has a lavalier mic with a wind screen, a ring light/mirror combo that you can use to take selfies or film yourself, and a Bluetooth speaker mod. None of these actually need to be attached to a phone to work, so it strains the definition of “modularity”.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
Although this is still a proof of concept, I would like to see Tecno make some improvements before I recommend the phone. The magnets need to be strengthened, and the camera attachments need some work. Still, I see this device as a spiritual successor to the older Moto Mods. But it faces the same problem: once modules become available, techno has to promise to stick to the form factor, lest they become paperweights.
Also: I tested Xiaomi’s matte-glass tablet for a month and it effectively replaced my iPad
When Motorola said it would support mods for four years (and, by the way, passed that figure) I believed it. However I don’t trust Tecno. Yes, there is the issue of importing, but Tecno doesn’t have the enviable reputation like Motorola. Still, I like the idea here, and there are some good ideas in the modules available, if Techno can push things further.
