Verdict
At just 5.95 mm, the Tecno Slim 5G is one of the thinnest smartphones available and costs only about €250 (approx. $288). Technically, it sits in the mid-range, but still includes a few premium features such as a bright AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass, and an optical fingerprint sensor.
The build quality isn’t convincing in all areas, with uneven gaps and occasional creaking in the casing. The large 5,160 mAh battery and solid battery life are positives, though more efficient competitors achieve better results. The camera performs well in daylight but loses quality in low light. The SoC is not particularly fast, and the update support is limited.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The Tecno Slim 5G is not officially available in Europe and can currently be purchased only through imports or eBay.
- $5.67FZZSZS (2-Pack for Tecno Pova Slim 5G Tempered Glass Screen Protector, Anti Scratch 9H Hardness Protective Film HD Anti-fingerprint Bubble Free Screen Protector for Tecno Pova Slim 5G (6.78")
- $11.32HGJTFANY [5 Pcs] Screen Protector for Tecno Pova Slim 5G (6.78 Inch), 9H Hardness Tempered Glass Screen Film, Highly Clear, Anti-Scratch, Bubble Free, for Tecno Pova Slim 5G Protective Film
Table of Contents
- Verdict
- Specifications: Tecno Slim 5G
- Case and features - The Tecno Slim uses Gorilla Glass and a fiberglass back
- Communication and operation - Slim 5G becomes a walkie-talkie with FreeLink
- Software and sustainability - Limited updates for the Tecno smartphone
- Cameras - Dual optics and 2k video
- Display - Very bright AMOLED in Tecno Slim
- Performance, emissions and battery life - Low flame with the Dimensity 6400
- Notebookcheck overall rating
- Possible alternatives in comparison
Tecno released its slim smartphone before Samsung and Apple, and at under 6 mm it’s similarly thin. However, at around €250 (approx. $288), it sits in a completely different price category and looks like a bargain compared to those two premium devices.
Technically, it’s more of a mid-range phone with a handful of truly premium features. In Asia, it belongs to the Pova lineup and is sold as the Pova Slim 5G. A closely related model, the Spark Slim 5G, is also available, though it comes with weaker specifications.
Specifications: Tecno Slim 5G
Case and features - The Tecno Slim uses Gorilla Glass and a fiberglass back
The Tecno Slim 5G has a nominal height of just 5.95 millimeters, we measure 6.2 mm (camera hump: +2.8 mm). Its rounded edges make it appear slimmer and it also fits well in the hand.
The gaps on the back are a little too wide for our taste and not quite even. The frame is made of painted metal, the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i and the back is made of fiberglass. When twisted, the Tecno phone seems stable, but it does creak a little.
The features include an analog radio receiver, an IR blaster and a so-called mood light in the form of an LED strip in the camera hump. This is not only used for decorative purposes, but also as a notification light for calls and app notifications.
Communication and operation - Slim 5G becomes a walkie-talkie with FreeLink
With only Wi-Fi ac, the Tecno Slim 5G doesn’t exactly impress. The phone supports all major mobile standards, including 5G Sub-6, but Tecno provides no details about the supported frequency bands. In practice, we didn’t encounter any issues in major Central European cities.
Voice quality is acceptable, and both VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling are available. However, noise suppression is weak, and the device lacks eSIM support.
When mobile reception is unavailable, the Tecno Slim can switch to FreeLink, a Bluetooth-based system similar to the one found in the Xiaomi 15T series. Unfortunately, Tecno gives no information about the range, and it isn’t compatible with Xiaomi devices.
The touchscreen works reliably, as does the integrated optical fingerprint sensor. Face recognition via the front camera is also available. The ERM vibration motor, however, feels a bit mushy.
| Networking | |
| Tecno Slim 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Motorola Moto G86 Power | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Software and sustainability - Limited updates for the Tecno smartphone
The Tecno Slim 5G ships with Android 15 and Tecno’s HiOS interface, which includes a few AI features for image editing and translation. An update to Android 16 is planned, but that’s the end of major upgrades. Security patches are promised for only two years.
The packaging is loaded with plastic, and Tecno provides no sustainability information. Spare parts were not available at the time of testing.
Cameras - Dual optics and 2k video
The front camera delivers decent daylight selfies. On the back, there are two lenses, though the 2-MP secondary sensor likely serves only as support for the main camera.
The main camera uses pixel binning and produces acceptable daylight shots, though some areas are noticeably oversharpened. In low light, image quality drops sharply, and Live View reveals little detail of the scene.
Video recording is available in 2K at 30 FPS on both the front and rear cameras. Full HD at 60 FPS is also supported. Both cameras can record simultaneously, but this mode is limited to 1080p at 30 FPS.
Image comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
HauptkameraHauptkamera5-facher ZoomLow-Light
Display - Very bright AMOLED in Tecno Slim
The Tecno Slim 5G’s large AMOLED display impresses with its high brightness, though it reaches peak luminosity only during HDR content. Without relying on the ambient light sensor, manual brightness tops out at 686 cd/m².
As expected from an OLED panel, low-frequency flicker at just 60 Hz appears under the oscilloscope. Tecno mitigates this with a shallow amplitude curve and high-frequency PWM dimming. At minimum brightness, we measured 2,000 Hz. While sensitivity issues can’t be ruled out completely, they’re unlikely.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 1600 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 2 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.78}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 3.2 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5}
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.27
CCT: 6851 K
| Tecno Slim 5G AMOLED, 2720x1224, 6.8" | Apple iPhone Air OLED, 2736x1260, 6.5" | Motorola Moto G86 Power OLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3120x1440, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 7% | 10% | -23% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 1600 | 1060 -34% | 1429 -11% | 1399 -13% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 1594 | 1064 -33% | 1357 -15% | 1371 -14% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 94 | 98 4% | 91 -3% | 94 0% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2 | 1.3 35% | 1.4 30% | 3.9 -95% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.2 | 3 29% | 3.21 24% | 6.3 -50% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.2 | 1.9 41% | 2 37% | 2.1 34% |
| Gamma | 2.27 97% | 2.2 100% | 2.251 98% | 2.01 109% |
| CCT | 6851 95% | 6519 100% | 6364 102% | 6506 100% |
* ... smaller is better
| Display / APL18 Peak Brightness | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
| Tecno Slim 5G | |
| Display / HDR Peak Brightness | |
| Tecno Slim 5G | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 60 Hz Amplitude: 15 % Secondary Frequency: 2000 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 60 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 60 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8149 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (The amplitude curve at minimum brightness looks flat, but this is due to the scaling. The info box shows the enlarged version of the amplitude at minimum brightness)
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.19 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.592 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.595 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 5 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.54 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.6455 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.8925 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 6 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.7 ms). | ||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Low flame with the Dimensity 6400
The Tecno Slim 5G uses MediaTek Dimensity 6400 paired with 8 GB of RAM. Everyday performance is fine, though occasional stutters do appear, especially when an update is running in the background.
Temperatures remain harmless, and the SoC stays stable even under stress testing. The mono speaker won’t impress any audiophiles, but it’s adequate for everyday use.
The 5,160 mAh battery is generously sized, and runtimes are solid. Still, compared to other ultra-slim competitors, better efficiency could have delivered noticeably longer endurance. Wired charging takes about 111 minutes to reach a full charge.
| Tecno Slim 5G | Motorola Moto G86 Power | Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | Average 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 44% | 287% | 38% | 177% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 521.64 | 982.2 88% | 3907.51 649% | 901 ? 73% | 2222 ? 326% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 479.91 | 701.2 46% | 2285.66 376% | 723 ? 51% | 1838 ? 283% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 185.08 | 218.4 18% | 431.86 133% | 228 ? 23% | 295 ? 59% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 237.54 | 289.9 22% | 210.99 -11% | 249 ? 5% | 336 ? 41% |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.7 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35.2 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.3 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.1 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.9 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Stress Tests
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| Tecno Slim 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Motorola Moto G86 Power | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
| Solar Bay Stress Test Stability | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Tecno Slim 5G | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
Tecno Slim 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 29% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 63% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple iPhone Air audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 7% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 28% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 65% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
| Battery runtime - WiFi v1.3 | |
| Tecno Slim 5G | |
| Apple iPhone Air | |
| Motorola Moto G86 Power | |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | |
Notebookcheck overall rating
The Tecno Slim 5G features a bright 6.78-inch AMOLED display and a large 5,160 mAh battery in an ultra-slim body, but it requires compromises in several other areas. Given the low price, that’s hardly unexpected.
Tecno Slim 5G
- 11/21/2025 v8
Daniel Schmidt
Total Sustainability Score: Possible alternatives in comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 75.7%  | Tecno Slim 5G Mediatek Dimensity 6400 ⎘ ARM Mali-G57 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $8.32 HGJTFANY [2 Pcs] Screen Prot... 2. $5.67 FZZSZS (2-Pack for Tecno Pov... 3. $11.32 HGJTFANY [5 Pcs] Screen Prot... List Price: 250€ | 158 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.78" 2720x1224 440 PPI AMOLED |
2. 86.8%  | Apple iPhone Air Apple A19 Pro ⎘ Apple A19 Pro 5-Core GPU ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $37.00 Apple iPhone Air Case with M... 2. $99.00 Apple iPhone Air MagSafe Bat... 3. $37.00 Apple iPhone Air Case with M... List Price: 1449€ | 165 g | Apple 512GB NVMe | 6.50" 2736x1260 463 PPI OLED |
3. 76.3%  | Motorola Moto G86 Power MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $309.50 Motorola Moto G86 Dual-SIM 2... 2. $129.99 Motorola Moto G Power 5G | 2... 3. $3.47 Mr.Shield Screen Protector c... List Price: 330€ | 198 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2712x1220 446 PPI OLED |
4. 88.3%  | Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 830 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $11.99 firtstnow 3 Pack Glass Scree... 2. $7.99 amFilm Auto-Alignment OneTou... 3. $9.99 for Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge ... List Price: 1249€ | 163 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.70" 3120x1440 395 PPI Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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