TECNO Partners with Koç University to Advance Mobile Imaging Aesthetics in Türkiye

BARCELONA, Spain and ISTANBUL, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TECNO, an AI-driven technology brand, is teaming up with Koç University in Türkiye, a leading research university located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, to explore the distinctive aesthetic preferences of Turkish consumers in smartphone photography.

This partnership, which extends TECNO's global research in multi-skin tone imaging technology, aims to enhance its Universal Tone technology and ensures a more customized and culturally attuned imaging experience that aligns with Turkish consumers' preferences.

Fanyi Zhou, Director of the Image Quality Testing & Assessment Department at TECNO Image Quality Testing lab, stated, "As a distinguished leader in smartphone imaging, we believe this collaboration will enable us to incorporate cutting-edge research insights into our technology. This allows us to customize our camera technology to provide stunning, true-to-life images that celebrate the rich diversity of beauty in Türkiye while staying authentic to individual identities."

Tailoring Imaging Technology for Turkish consumers

Led by Associate Professor Aykut Coşkun, an internationally renowned design researcher and the director of the KUAR research center, the project merges technology with user-centered design. With a specific focus on understanding Turkish consumers' aesthetic sensibilities and skin tone preferences, the study utilizing surveys, structured interviews, and field studies, the study will investigate Turkish consumers' portrait photography habits and preferences, the behaviors and decisions associated with typical photo taking, editing, and posting experience, problems they encountered during this process, and their portrait photography taking experience with TECNO smartphones.

Prof. Coşkun expressed his enthusiasm and commented, "This partnership is an exciting opportunity to bridge academic research with real-world technological innovation. Enabling the exploration and integration of user insights into development efforts in smartphone photography, it has the potential to redefine this process from a user-centered lens."

Delivering Fully Enhanced and Inclusive Portraits by AI-driven Universal Tone

Results from the studies will play a pivotal role in enhancing TECNO Universal Tone technology. Unveiled in 2023, Universal Tone is a comprehensive multi-skin tone imaging solution that has been continuously evolving and will be integrated into the latest CAMON 40 series.

This technology incorporates three key engines: The Multi-Skin Tone Restoration Engine, the Local Tuning Engine, and the AI-Powered Computational Portrait Engine. The Local-Tuning Engine adapts imaging solutions to diverse environmental factors, including lighting conditions, geomorphological landscapes, and color temperatures, to deliver outputs harmonized with local aesthetics. Meanwhile, the AI-Powered Computational Portrait Engine utilizes TECNO's self-developed algorithms to create personalized portrait imaging experiences, aligning with cultural and aesthetic preferences unique to each region. This partnership will provide users worldwide with imaging experiences that align with their preferences and local aesthetics.

TECNO's journey is marked by strategic partnerships with esteemed academic institutions, including the University of Leeds in the UK, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and Dar Al-Hekma University in Saudi Arabia. As part of TECNO's "Glocalization" strategy, these partnerships highlight the brand's commitment to adapting global innovations to meet the unique demands of local markets. These efforts have been crucial in refining TECNO's technology, enabling it to accurately depict a spectrum of skin colors and satisfy the aesthetic preferences of various regions.

With a mission to ensure that every consumer of diverse skin tone in emerging markets is accurately represented in our imagery, TECNO has been continuously enhancing imaging technologies and paving the way for a future, where every individual's beauty is captured with precision and respect.

About TECNO:

TECNO is an innovative, AI-driven technology brand with a presence in over 70 markets across five continents. Committed to transforming the digital experience in global emerging markets, TECNO relentlessly pursues the perfect integration of contemporary aesthetic design with the latest technologies and artificial intelligence. Today, TECNO offers a comprehensive ecosystem of AI-powered products, including smartphones, smart wearables, laptops, tablets, smart gaming devices, the HiOS operating system, and smart home products. Guided by its brand essence of "Stop At Nothing," TECNO continues to pioneer the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and AI-driven experiences for forward-looking individuals, inspiring them to never stop pursuing their best selves and brightest futures. For more information, please visit TECNO's official site: www.tecno-mobile.com.

About Koç University:

Founded in 1993 in İstanbul, Koç University is a non-profit research university supported by the resources of the internationally renowned Vehbi Koç Foundation. Since its establishment, Koç University has emerged as a center of global excellence in science and education and is uniquely positioned to explore the overlaps of Medicine, Engineering, Science, Social Sciences and Administrative Sciences to further pursue basic and applied research and attract the best students and faculty members. Through seven colleges and four graduate schools, Koç University offers 22 undergraduate, 44 masters and 30 PhD programs in English. With a student body of 9,000, Koç University has more than 20,000 alumni.