TechBlet
TECNO Spark 9 Pro Review – King of Budget Phones?
The TECNO Spark 9 Pro is the latest addition to the spark family and this time it comes with some new interesting features. At Techblet, we will share all you need to know about the phone.
The Spark 9 Pro has a 32-megapixel selfie camera, and that is the first time we are having a high-end selfie camera on a Spark series device. TECNO also signed popular Nigerian musician Fireboy DML as their ambassador and it’s clear the brand is trying to appeal to the Gen Z. If you care about taking high-quality selfie images then the Spark 9 Pro might be a good buy.
The phone cost 99,000 Naira which is about $170 and for that, you are getting quite a package. The most important thing, however, is that you read through everything we put together here before making that final decision to buy. We will share everything including the pros and cons of the phone.
Without further ado, let’s get started with the contents of the box.
Design and Build Quality
The Spark 9 Pro is made of shiny plastic material at the back with a two-tone finish, the upper part has a smooth finish while the lower part has a matte finish. There are two rings for cameras at the back. The first houses the main 50MP camera, while the second ring housed the 2MP depth sensor and QVGA lens. We have the quad LED flashlight by the side of the rings, it is very bright. The frame is made of plastic, and on the right side of the frame, we have the fingerprint scanner, which also doubles as the unlock key.
It is very fast and accurate all the time, it is also placed in a convenient place to reach. We have the USB C charging port, headphone port, speaker, and microphone for calls at the bottom. The TECNO Spark 9 Pro is the first spark series phone with a USB C port, we have anticipated it for a while. On the left side of the frame, we have the sim card and SD card, holder.
The phone supports 2 4G sim cards and an SD card. The phone feels compact to hold even though it is big. You can also reach the top of the display with one hand, it depends on your palm size though. The matte finish at the bottom part makes me want to use the phone without a case because it’s not slippery. Overall, the design is refreshing, it stands out and differentiates itself from all the regular designs we are used to nowadays. If I’m to score the phone in terms of design I will give it a solid 8/10 it looks and feels new.
Read Also – TECNO Spark 8C – A Budget Phone with Memory Fusion
Display – TECNO Spark 9 Pro Review
The display panel is IPS LCD and it has a FullHD+ resolution. It is very sharp and colourful, I’m constantly in awe of the quality of LCD displays nowadays. The only downside though is that we only have a 60Hz refresh rate on the display. It might be a deal breaker for those accustomed to using a display with a high refresh rate. I personally think it shouldn’t stop you from buying the phone, no doubt though having at least a 90Hz refresh rate would have been better. Watching videos, and playing games using the display is enjoyable.
It peaks at 400 nits outdoors, and the display outdoors is still legible unless the sun is really bright. The bezel on the bottom is noticeable, and we have a teardrop notch housing the 32MP selfie camera. The display is a decent 6.6-incher that is responsive to touch.
Software and Performance
The Spark 9 Pro is the first Android 12 phone from TECNO, it runs on HiOs 8.6 which is the interface common to TECNO phones. It brings along some Android 12 features but we don’t have it in full capacity on the phone.
There are minimal changes to the UI in terms of HIOS but it still comes with loaded apps. You can remove the apps or disable them, but there are ads that pop up which can be annoying at times. The font and icons on the interface are a bit refined, and there are a lot of customizations available in the phone’s settings.
One of the best features present on the Spark 9 Pro is the presence of RAM expansion. TECNO calls it memory fusion and in the special functions tab in the settings you can increase the RAM by up to 3GB if you want to. The feature uses some storage space on the phone to increase the RAM virtually. By default, the Spark 9 Pro comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. Overall, the software feels heavy on the phone, but as long as you disable the apps pushing adverts on the interface you will enjoy using it.
The Helio G85 is the processor powering the device. There is hardly any device offering something better within this price category. Gaming performance is decent, but it is not suitable for power gaming. A casual task like scrolling around social media on the phone works superbly. I was also surprised by the number of apps that kept running in the background while I was using the phone. The only thing missing while using the phone was the lack of a high refresh rate on the display. In terms of performance, it is very okay for the price category.
Camera Aspect – TECNO Spark 9 Pro Review
The TECNO Spark 9 Pro comes with a 50MP main camera which is a lot for a spark series device. We also have two other cameras at the back that include a 2MP depth sensor, and a QVGA lens.
Up front, we have a 32MP selfie camera, which is one of the biggest selling points of the TECNO Spark 9 Pro.
Images taken from the selfie camera are well detailed, especially in well-lit environments.
The 50MP camera also does a great job when you use it in a well-lit environment. There are a lot of filters and fun features in the camera, we also have a super night mode that enhances pictures snapped in low light conditions.
The camera is one of the top priorities of the TECNO Spark 9 Pro and it does live up to expectations at this price point.
Battery Life
The phone has a 5000mAh battery, with an 18 watts fast charger included in the box. You will surely get a full day of usage when it is fully charged. Charging from zero to a hundred percent takes a little over two hours. Battery life is nothing to worry about as far as the TECNO Spark 9 pro is concerned. 5000mAh is more than enough to carry you a whole day. If you are not a heavy user it can last for two days.
The Final Take
The TECNO Spark 9 Pro is an all-around decent device. It has a big storage space, a fantastic design, and a great selfie camera. Though it lacks a high refresh rate, the 50MP and 32MP cameras take the Spark 9 Pro to a whole new level. For the price of N99,800, no doubt the Spark 9 Pro is the device to get at this price point.
TECNO Spark 9 Pro Review – King of Budget Phones?
Abubakar
