At the end of March, Tecno Mobile officially started selling its latest budget smartphone, the Tecno Spark 3 Pro, in Kenya. The Pro is set to be joined in the market by a standard variant that is set to go on sale in a little over a fortnight.
I have been using the Spark 3 Pro since then and I have come to the conclusion that the following 3 features, which you can simply refer to as “CBD”, stand out for me and can be a big reason why you may be interested in the device:
1. Camera
Without the Camon moniker, a budget Tecno smartphone is not really camera-centric and, as such, its camera credentials can be questioned. That is true of the Tecno Spark 3 Pro which belongs to the entry-level Spark series. However, that it is meant for those willing to spend as little as possible on a Tecno device is also its biggest advantage.
For the money (Kshs 12,500), the results one gets with the device’s main camera, which is in a dual configuration, and its accompanying selfie camera, are satisfactory, to say the least. At this price, you are expecting just about anything. Hits and misses; works at one point, doesn’t work at another. While that is the case here as well, it is not as often as you’re likely to predict. The camera delivers on its end of the bargain even though any hyped “AI” features may be just that, hype.
Here is a sample photo (compressed, of course) taken with default settings on the AI camera:
2. Battery
At this point in time, we are well acquainted with the various customizations that Tecno makes to the software that runs on its devices to enable them to fare much better endurance-wise. Add to the usual economic sensor situation and the combination of a HD+ display panel and the efficient Helio A22 chipset and you have a good idea that a battery champ is in the making.
Two-day battery life on a single charge is very possible. I averaged over a day with constant use – always on 4G – and couldn’t have been happier.
3. Design
While the long battery life and average camera are a nice touch, they are not exactly new. They are better iterations of what we encountered last year with the Spark 2 and pretty much in line with what others in the industry may be able to offer and match.
What is unmatched, though, is the Spark 3 Pro’s design. It is a breath of fresh air from last year’s and quite the looker. I liked the design of the Sapphire Blue Huawei Y6 Prime 2019 that I reviewed but in order to be able to compete with its Amber Brown colour model which features some faux leather look at the back complete with fake stitching, everyone else needed to excite. Tecno’s Spark 3 Pro does a good job providing that alternative that, presented with various options at about the same price range, may be a dealbreaker.
Just look at it:
Make no mistake. This is just a short summary of the much that one is able to get on the Tecno Spark 3 Pro. That it runs on Android 9, Pie, means that there are even more features to look forward to as it enriches the standard Android experience which, in this case, is buried deep inside Tecno’s own customizations which bring to the fore features like face unlock which are getting expanded support in the new Android Q.
Which is your favourite Tecno Spark 3 Pro feature?