Tecno announces two world first zoom concepts built to remove lens switching issues

Tecno just held its 5th Future Lens event and unveiled two new camera systems called Freeform Continuum Telephoto and Dual Mirror Reflect Telephoto. The two systems aim to fix common zoom problems you see on many phones today. When you zoom, you’ll often see a jump when the camera switches between lenses, and the colours sometimes shift as the phone moves from one lens to another. Tecno wants to fix this by rethinking how zoom hardware works.

Freeform Continuum Telephoto offers continuous optical zoom from 1x to 9x. It works as the main camera at 1x and then moves through the zoom range without the switch that causes the usual jump. This removes the need for a separate telephoto lens and could give you more even results when you frame your shots. Tecno says the system is still under development and will be featured in phones after about a year. Samsung and Largan will handle production once the design is final.

Dual Mirror Reflect Telephoto focuses on size as it uses two mirrors in a compact layout that makes the module about half the size of a normal telephoto unit. The design is similar to mirror lenses that have existed in dedicated cameras for years. It produces the well known ring-shaped bokeh and loses one stop of light. Tecno says this version is ready for phones next year as long as the testing teams approve it.

Tecno also talked about its imaging system called the Tecno Image Matrix (TIM). This is the company’s full camera pipeline that ties hardware, software, and processing into one setup. It handles how the phone reads detail, adjusts colours, and uses AI to understand what you want to capture. Xiaohan Huang, who leads the company’s Image R&D Center, says the goal is to move past simple light capture. “We’re transitioning from simply capturing light to intelligently understanding scenes. Our systems now analyze composition intent, subject characteristics, and even emotional tone to deliver images that are both technically precise and emotionally resonant,” he explained.