Tecno Spark 3 Pro Android 10 update (HiOS 6.0) with November security patch rolls out

I was surprised when Google revealed that the Tecno Spark 3 Pro would be part of its early Android Q beta testing program back in May at the I/O 2019. Indeed, I even went ahead to get one of these phones just to be sure.

A couple or so months later after installing the early Spark 3 Pro Android 10 update, you know, back when it was Android Q, I was contemplating leaving the beta program for a lack of updates and basically any notable progress.

Long story short, I eventually visited a Carlcare center in late October and got back to stable Android 9 Pie, currently on October security patch.

I wasted my entire day at a Carlcare center just to get my phone rolled back from Android Q Beta to Android Pie. This is something I should do on my own given that I did install Q by myself.

Unfortunately, someone sucks at their job @TECNOMobile254 @tecnomobile

— Himp Man (@keverenge98) October 26, 2019

But it seems this won’t be for a long time now that Tecno is rolling out a stable Spark 3 Pro Android 10 update with a newer November security patch.

Yep, you read that right. About two weeks ago, Tecno opened the doors to 2,000 owners of the Spark 3 Pro to grab a front seat aboard the Android 10 ship.

TECNO SPARK 3 Pro will be in the Android Q program, we will be in advance for 2000 users to upgrade to the official version of the Android Q. Click here or to apply！

As I write this, those who took their chances are now receiving the new OS with HiOS 6.0 on top. For some reason, I’m just getting to know about this, so I didn’t get an early chance to apply, but I still did anyway.

The new Spark 3 Pro Android 10 update is rolling out over the air and it seems like it just started arriving a day or so ago, at least going by some of the comments in the Tecno forums. If all turns out well with the update on the limited 2,000 units, the wider rollout should follow soon.

Considering its a major upgrade, the file size weighs in at 1539.1MB and when it comes your way, it will bear software version KB8-H624BNPQ-Q-191121V669, up from the current Pie-based build V253 that has HiOS 5.0.0 layered on top.

Below is a summary of the changelog attached to the new Spark 3 Pro Android 10 update as provided by Tecno.

Key Features

1. Released a stable version of HiOS 6.0 based on Android 10.
2. Added a system-wide Dark Theme to make it easier on your eyes and your phone battery too.
3. Added Social Turbo to get the most out of WhatsApp (Go to Settings > Social Turbo).
4. Added Game mode to meet the needs of broader users (Go to Settings > Game mode).
5. Added Ficool, Africa’s largest online reading app with books in bulk to catch your eyes.

System

1. Enable system-wide Dark Theme.
2. TLS 1.3 is supported for improved performance, privacy and security.

Social Turbo

New Social Turbo features are customized for WhatsApp, including video beautification, exclusive sticker packs, reading messages recalled by the sender, hiding message read receipts, and others. Be free to start chatting in a novel way.

Game mode

Newly added game mode comes with features like Do Not Disturb from notifications, Barrage notifications, Off-screen gaming, Parental control, etc, showing you the way how immersive gaming works.

Home screen, Wallpaper

1. Quick access to instant apps, recently uninstalled apps, residual cleanup reminder on the Home screen.
2. Magazine lock screen is removed.

Phone

1. Enjoy optimized call quality, newly added video shows for incoming calls, and use gesture to answer them in a smart way.
2. Swipe to delete a single call log in a quick way.
3. Intelligent Voice Broadcast is removed.

Settings, Security and Privacy

1. Share Wi-Fi via QR codes in an easy way.
2. Monitor auto-start apps to prevent them from starting in the background and from further pushing disturbing notifications.
3. Optimized gestures navigation enables returning to the previous level through swiping inwards from the edges of the screen. The two-button navigation option is removed.
4. As the tweak of Location permissions control, only when the app is in use can the location access be allowed, thus enhancing your privacy.
5. Restrict apps’ access to the device’s non-resettable identifiers, thus protecting your privacy.

Other

1. Count steps via the third-party apps
2. Customize the silent notifications feature
3. Downloads is replaced with Google Files.

As noted, if the initial Spark 3 Pro Android 10 update goes well and no major bugs are reported by the 2,000 early adopters, the OS will be pushed to more units globally. This should happen within this month.