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ZDNET's key takeaways
- 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 cool.
- The magnets aren't strong enough, and the camera modules need some work.
Tecno is always a delightful visit during MWC, the brand has a history of bringing interesting concepts to bear. This year, there are a pair of them, including a tri-fold phone I couldn't dive into, as a security device prevented me from even closing it on the showroom floor.
This concept is different from the Z-shaped foldable phone it showed last year. Instead, it folds twice to the center, like the Samsung Trifold, with the outside screen on one of the wings. But the other concept was the one that caught my attention: a magnetic modular phone.
Also: What to expect at MWC 2026: Best phones I'm anticipating from Xiaomi, Honor, and more
Modular phones are seemingly the dream among phone enthusiasts. Who wouldn't want to build their own phone? This phone starts off with a little bit of an iPhone Air vibe to it. It's extremely thin and it has magnets and pogo pins on the back to attach the modules. Right off the bat, I wish the magnets were a bit stronger; the modules were a tad wobbly.
Since the phone is a proof of concept, Tecno didn't share a spec sheet, but I was able to glean a few things. First, it uses a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor with 256GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM. Also on board is a 3,000 mAh battery, which sounds small, but don't be concerned, because now we can talk about the modular components.
I'm sure it'll come as no surprise that there is a battery module you can attach to the back. Each battery is also 3,000 mAh, and the company had three modules on hand, and they are stackable, for a total of 12,000 mAh. That's pretty cool by itself.
As for the rest of the modules, the most mundane is a wallet mod. Even as a fan of MagSafe wallets, I found it hard to get on board with this idea. Given how weak the magnets are, it just doesn't feel safe.
Also: I tried 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 adds 3x capability by snapping it over the camera. Physics supports this, but I was surprised that the images were inverted. This is normal when using a magnifying lens like this, but I would have thought that Tecno could fix it in the software. There's also no ultrawide camera module, which surprised me.
The other camera lens is a 100x optical telephoto camera module that requires a Wi-Fi connection to the phone. Doing so transmits the images from the camera to the phone's viewfinder. When I tested it on the show floor, there was a decent amount of lag. That might have been because inadequate Wi-Fi signals on the show floor — or it could be a poor implementation. It's hard to tell.
Finally, there's also an action camera, which I didn't have a chance to test because it wasn't working properly on the show floor. The rest of the modules honestly fall more under the category of “accessories” though.
There's a lavalier mic, with wind screen, a ring light/mirror combo you can use to take a selfie or film yourself, and a Bluetooth speaker mod. None of these actually have to be attached to the phone to work, so it strains the definition of “modularity.”
ZDNET's buying advice
Although it's still a proof of concept, I'd like to see Tecno make some improvements before I could recommend the phone. The magnets need to be stronger, and the camera attachments need some work. Still, I see this device as the spiritual successor to the Moto Mods of old. But it faces the same problem: once the modules become available, Tecno 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
I believed Motorola when it said it would support mods for four years (and exceeded that mark, by the way). I don't trust Tecno though. Yes, there's the issue of importing, but Tecno doesn't have the storied reputation that Motorola does. Still, I like the idea here, and the available modules have some good ideas, if Tecno could push things further.
