TECNO, the global, AI-driven, technology brand, has unveiled its new AI investment strategies at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2026); which is currently happening in Barcelona, Spain; alongside the fully upgraded TECNO Ella AI assistant.
Both announcements reflect TECNO’s long-term vision of “Practical AI” and its ongoing commitment to serving emerging markets.
First introduced in 2024, “Practical AI” reflects TECNO’s belief that artificial intelligence should enhance productivity, provide more practical value and offer easier, creative fun. TECNO also emphasises that this strategy must be executed through hyper-localised efforts tailored to real-world conditions in markets.
This approach has already produced strong results, with TECNO processing over 500 million user requests in 2025, including about 100 million image-processing tasks. More than half of all interactions were conducted in non-English languages.
At MWC 2026, TECNO outlined how it will advance this vision with continued investment, while also presenting the next-generation Ella – the beloved AI assistant that serves as a gateway to a growing suite of AI features developed under the Practical AI philosophy.
Advancing Hyper-Localisation AI for Everyday Life
To build reliable, trustworthy AI that consumers will use daily, TECNO will continue investing in localisation at both the language and cultural levels, deeper integration with local digital ecosystems, and areas where AI can create significant social impact – including health and education.
These investments are already paying off. TECNO has become the industry’s first mover in supporting Hausa, while also significantly improving recognition accuracy for African-accented English and French. Offline capabilities for English and French have been introduced to ensure strong AI performance across varying network conditions.
At the TECNO AI Zone during MWC 2026, the company is showcasing expanded multilingual intelligence, including mixed Hindi-English recognition and support for both Standard Arabic and the Iraqi dialect – developed in collaboration with regional partners. Continued investment will further broaden language availability and extend optimised AI capabilities across more device tiers.
Beyond language, TECNO’s AI is designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday behaviors. In selected markets, users can purchase mobile data plans directly through TECNO AI, while integrations in other regions support taxi-hailing and food ordering. These localised services position AI as a practical companion in daily routines. At MWC 2026, TECNO also debuted its experimental GUI Agent, which autonomously completes tasks like a human user based on simple prompts.
TECNO is also bringing a range of health and education features to its AI-powered devices. On the latest CAMON 50 Series, users can perform non-contact facial scans to monitor aspects of their health. Newly upgraded AI Problem Solving features include two distinct modes: one to support independent student learning, and another to assist parents in tutoring their children. The industry-exclusive One-Tap FlashMemo and AI MindHub provide powerful tools for organising information and enhancing research and learning. Meanwhile, the AI English Coach makes language learning easier, more accessible, and more stress‑free.
TECNO Ella AI Assistant: A Smarter Gateway to AI
At MWC 2026, TECNO unveiled the latest HiOS 16 operating system and the fully upgraded Ella AI assistant. The upgrade introduces a refreshed “superfluidity” design language and a newly structured “Minus One” screen that consolidates productivity tools, smart living services, AIGC features, and translation capabilities into a unified interface – just one swipe away. This redesigned interface greatly improves feature discoverability and streamlines user interaction.
Beyond UI improvements, Ella AI Assistant has evolved into a more context-aware and proactive AI companion. With enhanced contextual understanding, it now provides a dynamic island experience offering smarter suggestions to help organise daily tasks, WhatsApp assistance that reads aloud and replies to messages, YouTube video summaries, and much more – becoming an increasingly intuitive presence in users’ everyday lives.
As global adoption of AI accelerates, TECNO remains committed to ensuring AI experiences that are accessible, relevant, and grounded in real‑world conditions. For markets, the priority is not only innovation but meaningful relevance across languages, infrastructures, and daily needs.
