In partnership with TECNO
Leading smartphone maker, TECNO, is joining forces with the Asian Communication Research Centre (ACRC) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, to get a better understanding of skin tone and smartphone portrait imaging preferences among consumers in Southeast Asia.
Targeted surveys in Indonesia and the Philippines will be conducted to establish benchmarks for cultural preferences and develop precise definitions for the representation of skin tones in images taken in Southeast Asia. In its brand philosophy, TECNO celebrates diversity in skin colour, ethnicity, culture, and aesthetics.
Leading the research team is Professor Jack Qiu, Shaw Foundation Professor of Media Technology at NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI). Prof Qiu is also an advisor on Asian Skin Tone and Portrait Aesthetics for TECNO. Other team members include Professor May O. Lwin, Chair, WKWSCI, as well as Associate Professor Elison Lim and Associate Professor Lewis Lim from the Nanyang Business School.
‘Southeast Asia is home to a kaleidoscope of cultures, each with distinct aesthetics and preferences,’ Professor Qiu said. ‘Our research aims to understand the diverse aesthetic and imaging needs of Southeast Asian consumers.’
This collaboration marks TECNO’s second major academic collaboration following its partnership with the University of Leeds, and its results will be used to enhance TECNO’s Universal Tone technology. Last September, TECNO launched Universal Tone with the aim of championing inclusive multi-skin tone imaging on a global scale.
Collaborating with well-known academic institutions, TECNO set a new benchmark for multi-skin tone imaging with the industry’s largest and most accurate skin tone database.
TECNO Universal Tone technology has now been applied in the latest TECNO CAMON 30 Series, enabling the device’s cameras to authentically represent diverse skin tones and cultural aesthetics, fulfilling the brand’s aspiration to capture the universal colours and beauty of consumers from different cultures.
Further reading
Best camera phones for photography
TECNO Mobile pulls a hat-trick of innovations at its annual expo
AP partners with TECNO for Shot On CAMON Contest
