Over a month ago, TECNO Mobile introduced a new member to its Spark series of smartphone. Dubbed the TECNO Spark 5, the device packs features that resonates exactly what the entry-level Spark series represents: youthfulness.
We got our hands on a unit of the TECNO Spark 5 to examine what the device is made of and its capabilities. We shall release a full, in-depth review of the device in the coming days but first, lets see what’s in the box.
Let’s get the device unwrapped.
What’s in the Box?
- 1 x TECNO Spark 5
- 1 x Power adapter and USB cable
- 1 x Earphones
- 1 x Transparent Protective Case
- 1 x SIM car ejector
- Warranty card
The device comes in a compact rectangular box with a black ‘Spark 5’ inscription neatly centered on the box’s frontal. Although the box’s Blue-Yellow color looks a little basic, the packaging is quite ‘catchy’.
Moving to the rear, the device’s key specifications are neatly scribbled at the top — and on the right side of the box. As a refresher, let’s run you through the basic specs of the device once again.
TECNO Spark 5 Key Specs
- Display: 6.6-inch HD+ (720 * 1600 px) Dot-in screen
- Dimension: 164.7mm * 76.3 mm * 8.75mm
- Network: GSM/WCDMA/LTE
- OS: Android Q / Android 10
- Processor: 2.0 GHz Quad-core
- Rear camera: 13 MP Quad AI camera with Quad Flash
- Front camera: 8MP lens with Dual Flash
- Battery: 5,000 mAh
- Sensors: Fingerprint, Ambient light, Proximity, and G-Sensor.
Storage and memory-wise, the TECNO Spark 5 is only available in the 2GB RAM/32GB ROM version. Interestingly, in addition to the double Nano SIM card slot, the device also comes with a dedicated micro SD card slot. This allows you to raise the device’s internal storage to about 256GB.
Overall Design
Despite the large-sized nature of the TECNO Spark 5 (thanks to its 6.6-inch display), the device was surprisingly lightweight — at least when compared to my daily driver, the iPhone 11. And I really loved that about the device. The Nokia 6.1 Plus was way lighter and slimmer, though.
We got the ‘Vacation Blue’ unit of the TECNO Spark 5 for review but it is also available in three other color variants — Ice Jadeite, Spark Orange, and Misty Grey. The blue-green gradient color combination is shiny/glossy but generally looks cool and gentle on the eye. One thing I disliked about the glossy form of the device’s rear covering, however, is that it tends to pack a bunch of fingerprints during usage.
The fingerprint smears dampen the beauty that the combination of the glossiness + gradient coloring exudes. To prevent this, however, you can adorn the TECNO Spark 5 with the transparent protective case that comes in the box.
In addition to the protective case, other accessories you’d find in the TECNO Spark 5 box include the 3.5mm wired earphones, an EU Type Power adapter, and a micro USB cable.
Ports
Speaking of USB, its quite disappointing to see that in 2020, TECNO is yet to adopt the USB Type-C interface for its mid-range smartphones. You’ll only find USB-C ports on some premium TECNO flagship phones.
You’d find the speaker grills, micro-USB port, microphone port, and 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the TECNO Spark 5. And on the left-hand side, the SIM cards and micro SD card slot.
On the right-hand side, the volume controller and power/lock button. The buttons are conspicuous and feel really clicky.
Cameras
As you might already know, the TECNO Spark 5 boasts of four(4) camera lenses on the rear, and they are configured as follow:
- 13MP Primary lens with F/1.8 aperture and AI effects.
- 2MP Macro lens — in charge of close-up shots.
- 2MP Depth lens — for Bokeh effects.
- A QVGA lens
These lenses are arranged vertically on a black rectangular dashboard that protrudes just a little bit at the top-left corner. To the right of the camera sensor is the device’s Quad-LED setup. The fingerprint sensor is also in close proximity with the rear camera. As expected, the LED shone really bright. We’ll give more details on the camera quality in the full review of this device.
Moving to the front, the TECNO Spark 5’s 8MP AI selfie camera occupies the top-left corner of the device’s display. The sensor is a punch-hole cut-out, i.e., the camera is within the display. If you don’t turn on the device’s display, the front camera is almost unnoticeable.
Fun Tip: Swiping down the cutout on the device’s lock screen will automatically launch the selfie camera.
The front-facing speakers (earpiece) is also very tiny and blends smoothly along the bezels of the display. Next to the speaker are the dual front flash that doubles as the notification LED and charging indicator.
Display
The device’s 6.6-inch display comes on bright when powered on. Boasting of a high screen-to-body ratio, the Spark 5’s screen extends greatly to the edges of the device. This allows for more display room without having to increase the device’s size.
Colors also came out on great on the device, thanks to its 720 x 1600 pixels display resolution and ~266 ppi display density. On the face of it, the display looks good. However, we’ll be subjecting the display to some tests in the next couple of days to determine its quality. Stay tuned.
Wrap Off
With a bigger display, Quad-camera setup, Dot-in selfie camera, and a bigger battery, the Spark 5 truly seem to be an improvement of the Spark 4. Asides the design, however, we cannot be so sure about the internals. We’ve had a cursory take on whether or not TECNO Spark 4 users should upgrade to the TECNO Spark 5. We’ll subject the TECNO Spark 5 to thorough testing for a minimum of 2 days and give a detailed report about its performance in our full review.
Pricing & Availability
The TECNO Spark 5 has been launched in major African and international markets and is readily available for purchase globally. Depending on factors like location, exchange rates, etc, the device will set you back by about $125 — $135. This unit was purchased for NGN 56,000 — see prices here on Jumia.
