TECNO CAMON Slim 5G Review: This Thin Phone Is Better Than I Expected

Thin phones are back, but I still have mixed feelings about them. Making a phone thinner usually means giving something up, and battery life is often the first thing to suffer. The TECNO CAMON Slim 5G takes a very different approach. It's only 6.39mm thick, yet somehow has a 6,000mAh battery inside.

I've been using the CAMON Slim 5G, and the thin body isn't actually the part that surprised me most. TECNO has also fitted a 144Hz AMOLED display, Dimensity 7300e, two useful rear cameras and IP69K protection into this thing. There are compromises, of course, but far fewer than I expected.

Let's start with the obvious part. At 6.39mm, the CAMON Slim 5G feels very different from most phones the moment you pick it up. It doesn't feel like someone simply shaved a little off a normal phone. You notice the difference right away.

I also prefer the flat display on this model. The frame is a little thicker than on the 4G CAMON Slim, but that actually makes the phone easier to hold. With a device this thin, having something for your fingers to grip is a good thing.

My Gossamer White unit also looks great. The clean white finish works especially well with such a thin phone, giving it a simple and more premium look without trying too hard. The handwritten CAMON logo next to the cameras adds a little character to the back. TECNO also sells it in Neo Mondrian, Matisse Black, Rebel Pink, Van Gogh Blue and Burgundy Red, so there's no shortage of choice.

One thing missing from the 4G model is the LED matrix on the back. The 5G version replaces it with a much smaller light for notifications and phone status. I don't really miss the matrix. It looked cool, but after the first few days I doubt I would use it much anyway.

The vertical camera module does make the phone wobble when it's lying on a desk. That's annoying, but hardly unusual these days.

A 6.39mm phone naturally makes you wonder how easily it will bend. TECNO seems to have thought about that.

The CAMON Slim 5G comes with IP68 and IP69K protection, so water and dust shouldn't be much of a concern. It also has military-grade drop certification, and the body feels much stronger than its size suggests.

That's important because I don't want a thin phone that needs to live inside a huge protective case. That would defeat the whole point.

TECNO does include a case in the box, along with a screen protector and an installation kit. The case even has a magnetic ring on the back. You also get the USB cable and 45W charger, which is becoming a rare sight with more expensive phones.

The front is covered by a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. It's a very good panel for this type of phone.

Colors look strong without going completely over the top, text is sharp and everything feels very smooth. The 144Hz refresh rate also makes scrolling through HiOS and websites feel fast, although I don't think most people will notice a huge difference between 120Hz and 144Hz.

TECNO has also added 2160Hz PWM dimming, which should make the display easier on the eyes at lower brightness.

The bezels aren't the thinnest I've seen, but they're even around the screen. I actually prefer that to having three tiny bezels and a big chin at the bottom.

Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos are included too. They get loud enough for YouTube and games, although you'll still want headphones if sound quality really matters to you.

This is where the CAMON Slim 5G becomes much more interesting than the 4G version.

Inside is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300e, paired with 8GB of RAM. TECNO also advertises up to 24GB through virtual memory, but I wouldn't pay much attention to that number. You have 8GB of real RAM, and that's enough for normal use.

Performance has been smooth during my time with the phone. Apps open quickly, moving around HiOS feels fast and multitasking hasn't caused any real problems.

You can game on it too. Heavier 3D games will need some graphics settings turned down if you want a smooth frame rate, but that's fine for this class of phone. This isn't trying to replace a gaming flagship.

More importantly, you get 5G. That may sound obvious in 2026, but it's one of the main upgrades over the regular CAMON Slim.

The phone runs HiOS 16 based on Android 16. TECNO's software has come a long way, and the interface feels clean and quick on the 144Hz screen.

There's also a dedicated One-Tap button on the side. A long press can be set to open different functions, while a single press launches FlashMemo.

FlashMemo is actually quite useful. If you're reading something you want to keep, pressing the button can save and summarize it inside MindHub. I normally lose interest in dedicated AI buttons quite quickly, but having a physical shortcut for saving something I'm already looking at makes more sense.

TECNO promises three major Android upgrades and five years of support. That's not class-leading, but it's a decent promise and much better than what we used to get from phones in this part of the market.

This is probably my favorite part of the CAMON Slim 5G.

Despite being only 6.39mm thick, TECNO has managed to fit a 6,000mAh battery inside. That's larger than the batteries in many phones that are much thicker.

In normal use, getting through a full day isn't a problem. With lighter use, you can easily push into the next day. That's exactly what I want from a thin phone. I shouldn't have to trade battery life just because the body looks better.

Charging is limited to 45W, which is slower than the 60W charging on the 4G CAMON Slim. Still, I don't think this is a big issue. I'd take the larger battery over slightly faster charging every time.

The rear camera setup has a 50MP Sony main sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide camera with autofocus. The main camera is the star here. In daylight, photos have plenty of detail and good colors, while 2x shots still hold up well. It's also better than I expected at night.

The larger 1/1.56-inch sensor helps when the light drops. Night photos look cleaner, and the faster shutter makes it easier to get a sharp image without standing completely still.

The 8MP ultrawide isn't as impressive. Detail drops and the image isn't as clean as what you get from the main camera. But I'm still glad it's here. I'd rather have a usable ultrawide than another pointless 2MP sensor added just to make up the numbers.

There's also a 32MP selfie camera, which does a good job with faces and video calls.

My biggest complaint is video. Recording tops out at 2K at 30fps. Stabilization is good and the footage itself looks fine, but I really think a phone like this should offer 4K. Even 2K at 60fps would have been a welcome option.

The CAMON Slim 5G could easily have been one of those phones built around a single marketing trick. Make it very thin, put "Slim" in the name and hope people ignore everything else.

That's not what TECNO has done.

The 6.39mm body is impressive, but I'm more impressed that the company didn't destroy the rest of the phone to get there. You still have a 6,000mAh battery, a very good 144Hz AMOLED display, solid everyday performance, 5G, OIS, an ultrawide camera and proper IP68/IP69K protection.

There are things I would change. I want 4K video, the ultrawide could be better and 45W charging isn't especially fast anymore. The Dimensity 7300e also makes it clear that this isn't a flagship hiding inside a thin body.

But that's fine.

After using it, I don't really think of the CAMON Slim 5G as a thin phone with decent specs. I think of it as a good mid-range phone that just happens to be incredibly thin. And that's probably the best compliment I can give it.