TECNO Spark Review: Meet Minimal Power With Great Camera

The TECNO Spark may not be the ultimate budget smartphone but certainly a good starter for a first-timer.

Budget or affordable phones exist because not everyone can afford a premium smartphone or truly needs it. Before you consider buying a budget phone, you should know that it will not be as sophisticated and extra fast in performance as compared to flagship premium phones. However, these budget phones try to give somewhat similar features but not at the ultimate performance to flagship phones.

This is my first detailed written review on a budget phone, do well to leave your comment or send me an email if you feel I did not mention some key areas you may be interested in.

TECNO Spark is the latest series of budget smartphones targeted at the youth who want a good phone with a standard camera for capturing some moments. It is selling at a retail price of GHS 415.

Once you unbox the TECNO Spark; you will find:

• A unit of power cable
• USB cable
• Lovely transparent case
• User guide
• Pair of earphones
• The Spark phone

Before I dive into the review, let’s first look at the specs of the TECNO Spark.

TECNO Spark Specs

• Internal Memory:  16GB, 1GB
• Card slot: microSD, up to 32 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
• Front Camera: 5 megapixels with soft flash
• Rear Camera: 13 megapixels with LED flash
• Colour: Phantom Black, Metallic Red, Champagne Gold, Coral Blue
• SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
• OS: Android v7.0 Nougat with HiOS 2.0
• Battery: Non-removable Lithium-ion  3000mAh battery
• Network: 2G, 3G
• Features: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass, Light

Performance

The 1.3GHz Quad-Core processor is paired with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expansion running on Android v7.0 Nougat with HiOS 2.0 did not disappoint as its user experience was fast. However, I was not happy to discover that once the phone is running you only have like 333MB or less of the 1GB RAM free. The big question is how fast will the Spark be when running 3 or 4 apps or after a few months of use.

The pre-installed apps take so much of the internal storage of 16GB, leaving you with just 7GB. However, you can’t blame TECNO as they are trying their best to keep the cost of the device low.

One of the features I practically enjoyed using the Spark was the Fingerprint scanner. It’s a game-changer and obviously one of the coolest features on the phone. It was not only fun but also added another layer of security to the phone.

Screen

The 5.5” HD touchscreen is ideal for people who want to watch videos on the go; big enough to enjoy HD videos with clear, bright pictures with a resolution of 1280*720

Battery

The Spark does not support fast charging, which is unfortunate because in an era where we have lots of power-draining apps; how quickly can the 3000mAh battery be charged to continue the fun. Comparing other budget phones in this category, the Spark seems to have a smaller battery power; however, it was able to take me a day on average usage.

To extend the lifespan of your battery, try to keep it between 30% to 80%. Don’t overcharge it above 80% and don’t also allow it to run down below 30%. Thank me later.

Camera

The camera is undoubtedly the selling point of this device. The TECNO Spark has a 13-megapixel main camera with an f/2.0 aperture, beautification effect, low light capture and a mixed flash system. It’s designed to be easy to use; just point and shoot and more often than not, you’ll get a pleasing photo. I tried it out in a variety of different lighting conditions, indoor and out, and can confidently say it takes great shots.

Sample pictures were taken with the TECNO Spark

Our Verdict

There might not be any one thing that’s overly exciting about the new TECNO Spark. However, I have enjoyed using the fingerprint scanner and onscreen home button.

This beautiful-looking phone with a great body build and beautiful aesthetics, may not be fun to use after six months mostly.

The TECNO Spark is a good pick over the Infinix Hot 5 and itel P51 in terms of camera. Personally feel TECNO should put an end to releasing good-looking phones with 1GB RAM, they can do better.

Is there a better alternative?
Yes, if your decision is to buy a TECNO phone, then you should check out the Camon CX Air. It is a cheap variant of Camon CX with a 5.0-inch HD display, a 13MP camera both front and back, and a 3200mAh battery.

How long will it last?
This entirely depends on how you handle it but I must mention that TECNO does not give software support to their phones after it is released. So, don’t expect any updates.

Who should buy this?
Is ideal for a first-timer or someone who needs a cool second phone as a backup for their premium phone

Should you buy it?
Yes, for the price of GHS 415. You won’t find any with similar camera specs and screen size for this price.