Those new Intel Core Ultra chips are Intel’s first to include dedicated Neural Processing Units (or NPUs) alongside the CPU and onboard GPU, so Tecno is naturally touting the Megabook T16 Pro Ultra’s AI performance. The Megabook uses the NPU in part for some AI-assisted video chat features, including “eye gaze correction,” some kind of teleprompter mode, and background blurring (presumably of a higher quality than what everyone was already capable of). As is becoming common, the NPU is also being used for “intelligent” AI noise reduction on the voice/audio side of remote chats.
As for generative AI, Tecno claims it can handle AI image generation in just one second for a 512×512 image or six seconds for a higher resolution image measuring 1024×768. It’s not clear what AI model is being used here for the on-device image generation, but on the ground at MWC, our own Dave McQuilling got some odd results, like the above image for “Hulk Hogan surfing on a lake of chocolate mousse.” It definitely does not depict surfing, for starters. It can best be described as an oil painting-style rendition of a Hogan-like creature attempting to pilot an overflowing life raft in said lake of chocolate mousse. (In Dave’s MWC day one round-up, he said it worked better with a “carefully crafted prompt.”)
Tecno has not provided a release date or range of MSRPs for the Megabook T16 Pro Ultra as of yet. But if it can truly deliver on the combination of performance, portability, and battery life that Tecno is aiming for, then it’s likely to sustain its SlashGear nomination for being one of the best products unveiled at MWC Barcelona 2024. While it’s one of our favorites from the event, there are others announced that are worth checking out, such as the Dell Latitude and Lenovo Transparent laptop.
