Tecno Spark 10 5G Smartphone Review: Dazzling mid-ranger without PWM flickering

Tecno Mobile? While someone from Germany may not have heard of this smartphone OEM, things are likely different with people in Asia, and especially in Africa. The Chinese company is one of the largest manufacturers there at all. With inexpensive phones and adaptations to local scripts and languages, Tecno has built up a name for itself and a very large customer base. Now the devices are also available in the global West for the first time, which is reason enough for us to take them for a test drive.

The first such Tecno smartphone in our test labs is the Tecno Spark 10 5G, a phone for around €200 with fast mobile communications and a fairly light plastic casing. It is particularly noticeable for its somewhat angular design with rounded corners and the three-dimensional surfaces on the back, which shimmer differently depending on the incidence of light. The camera module is also cleverly fitted here. The case is not quite as pressure-resistant, but it is neatly manufactured. Weight and dimensions are roughly on par with other devices in the price range.

Besides the USB Type-C port, which transfers data according to the USB 2.0 standard, a 3.5 mm audio port is also installed. Our test device is equipped with 4 GB of working memory and 64 GB of mass storage, but models with 128 and 256 GB of data storage are also available internationally.

Tecno Mobile always states the RAM size including virtual working memory for its models. Thus, the actual RAM is smaller, but it is expanded via a swap file in the data storage. This is quite helpful from time to time to get apps with a lot of RAM consumption running, but the mass storage works much slower and is thus not a full-fledged replacement for dedicated working memory.

Unfortunately, the device does not come with NFC, so you cannot use mobile payment services.

A microSD can be inserted in the SIM tray at the front, while two SIM cards can be inserted at the back. We tested the reader with our microSD Angelbird V60 and achieved decent speeds, so you do not have to wait too long for data transfers.

The 5G modem works with enough frequencies that you can often access the mobile Internet even abroad. However, the Tecno smartphone is not a real world phone that can be used everywhere. The reception is quite good during our approximately 2-week test phase due to the pure plastic casing, but it doesn't quite reach the level of high-end phones.

With its Wi-Fi module, the Tecno Spark 10 achieves Wi-Fi speeds, which are typical for Wi-Fi 5 — this is actually the fastest standard that the phone can handle. The transmission speeds are also relatively constant in our test with the reference Asus ROG Rapture AXE 11000 router. Overall, however, they are slightly below what other phones in this price range achieve.

Android 13 is preinstalled on the phone, and the manufacturer's own software interface HiOS is on top. It adapts the operating system in many areas and also offers extensions: For example, a voice distorter for messaging services, a blackout function for private areas or a multi-window mode. Aphorisms are displayed on the standby screen. The security patches are from June 2023, which is older at the time of testing. Updates are delivered once every 3 months at the moment.

The touchscreen is very sensitive and can still be used precisely even in corners. Thanks to the 90 Hz technology, it feels even more responsive. The fingerprint sensor is found on the right in the standby button. It recognizes a learned impression very accurately and unlocks the phone quickly. Face recognition can also be used, but it is based on the recognition of two-dimensional images and is thus susceptible to manipulation.

Tecno relies on a fairly new but an already well-known SoC for the Spark 10 5G. The MediaTek Dimensity 6020 is actually a Dimensity 700 in a new packaging. Our review sample achieves quite respectable performance rates for its price range and is usually ahead in the benchmarks compared to the comparison devices.

There are small latencies in everyday use from time to time, but the system runs quite smoothly overall and does not have any problems with more complex apps. Of course, you should not expect high-end functionality at this price, but the phone is sufficiently equipped for basic tasks. The fast UFS 2.2 storage, which is not yet standard in all devices, also helps here.

With a maximum of 42.7 °C at the back, the smartphone heats up noticeably under longer load, but it does not reach critical values. The processor's performance is also not or only very slightly limited after longer work, as the 3DMark stress tests show.

The mono speaker in the phone sounds a bit treble-heavy and presents voices clearly but quickly becomes shrill in high tones. Listening to music is more fun when headphones or speakers are connected. This works via the 3.5 mm audio port or via Bluetooth. SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC V3 and V5 are available as wireless codecs.

The 5,000 mAh battery can be charged with a maximum of 18 W, so it takes up to 2:30 hours until the battery shows 100% again. You can then surf for up to 16 hours on the WLAN, which should easily get you through the day, and 2 days of battery life seems realistic with moderate use.

The Tecno Spark 10 5G is available for just under €200 Euros at amazon.de and cyberport.de at the time of testing. Some retailers, such as saturn.de can get you even cheaper prices.