TECNO is making a significant leap in mobile imaging with an upgraded Universal Tone technology designed to enhance skin tone accuracy and representation in smartphone photography. The update introduces a multi-skin tone color card featuring 372 patches, providing a scientifically advanced and more inclusive dataset. With these improvements, TECNO aims to set a new benchmark for real-world, natural skin tone reproduction across various lighting conditions and environments.
The latest advancements will debut in the TECNO CAMON 40 Series, which will be unveiled at MWC Barcelona 2025 in March. Attendees will have the opportunity to see firsthand how TECNO’s latest imaging technology is improving mobile photography for users of different skin tones and ethnic backgrounds.
Expanding the Skin Tone Database for More Realistic Photography
Accurate skin tone representation has been a long-standing challenge in smartphone photography. Many cameras struggle to authentically capture a wide range of tones, often over-brightening darker skin or giving an unnatural cast to lighter complexions. TECNO’s expanded 372-patch multi-skin tone color card directly addresses this issue by creating a more detailed dataset for its imaging algorithms, enabling cameras to render different skin tones with greater realism, depth, and consistency.
This improvement has been designed with global inclusivity in mind, ensuring more natural photography for users in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. At MWC 2025, TECNO will showcase two dedicated versions of this color card—one optimized for darker skin tones and another for lighter skin tones, demonstrating how the system can accurately adjust for different tones without unnatural oversaturation or desaturation.
Taking its approach a step further, TECNO has also developed a region-specific color card for Saudi Arabia, featuring 186 custom skin tone patches. Created in collaboration with the University of Leeds (UK) and Dar Al-Hekma University (Saudi Arabia) in late 2024, this dedicated dataset improves accuracy in local skin tone representation, lighting conditions, and imaging preferences. This regional focus ensures that users in Saudi Arabia get a more precise and culturally relevant photographic experience.
Enhanced Imaging Algorithms for Greater Precision and Accuracy
Beyond an expanded color database, TECNO has significantly upgraded its Multi-Skin Tone Color Restoration Engine to ensure these improvements translate into real-world benefits. This update incorporates:
CCM Skin Tone Calibration Algorithm improves color fidelity by ensuring that skin tones remain true to life and adjusting for color deviations often caused by artificial lighting, camera processing, or environmental factors.
Spectrum-Based Automatic White Balance (AWB) Algorithm—This algorithm prevents unnatural color shifts, especially in monochromatic settings or when multiple people with different skin tones appear in the same frame. It ensures better color accuracy, balance, and exposure consistency for all subjects in a photo.
Intelligent Skin-Tone Grading Exposure Algorithm—Adjusts brightness dynamically, ensuring skin tones remain well-lit without washing out highlights or darkening shadows. This is particularly useful in backlit conditions or when shooting against solid-color backgrounds, where traditional smartphone cameras often struggle.
The combined effect of these refinements results in a 50% improvement in skin tone accuracy, delivering more authentic, natural-looking portraits that retain detail and depth in all lighting environments.
What This Means for Real-World Mobile Photography
For everyday users, these advancements translate into a smoother, more accurate photography experience without the need for excessive manual adjustments or editing. With TECNO’s upgraded Universal Tone technology, smartphone cameras will now be able to:
Capture diverse skin tones naturally – Whether shooting a group photo with friends of different ethnicities or taking a selfie under harsh lighting, the camera will balance colors correctly without introducing unnatural tints or flattening out skin tones.
Prevent over-brightening or dulling—Many smartphone cameras overexpose lighter skin or underexpose darker skin, leading to inconsistent and unrealistic results. TECNO’s new skin-tone-aware algorithms correct these issues dynamically, ensuring true-to-life rendering.
Handle different lighting environments more effectively – Whether in bright daylight, indoor fluorescent light, or low-light conditions, the upgraded algorithms ensure more accurate skin tones without needing post-processing corrections.
Optimize color grading in video and photography – Skin tones often shift between photo and video modes, leading to inconsistencies. TECNO’s expanded dataset and improved AWB algorithm maintain accurate tones across different media formats, making it easier for users to capture professional-quality content straight from their phones.
TECNO’s Commitment to Inclusive Mobile Imaging
By continuously refining Universal Tone, TECNO is taking a firm stand in reducing bias in mobile imaging. Historically, many smartphone cameras have been calibrated primarily for lighter skin tones, resulting in color inaccuracies for darker complexions. TECNO’s approach ensures that every user gets an accurate and natural representation, no matter their skin tone.
With the launch of the CAMON 40 Series at MWC 2025, TECNO is setting a new standard in mobile photography. The combination of expanded skin tone datasets, refined color restoration algorithms, and region-specific calibration makes Universal Tone one of the most advanced smartphone imaging systems today. Whether capturing portraits, group shots, or candid moments, users can expect greater accuracy, consistency, and realism in every frame.
The post TECNO Expands Universal Tone with a More Inclusive Skin Tone Color Card, Bringing Real-World Accuracy to Mobile Photography first appeared on Yanko Design.