I recall my first hands-on experience with a Tecno smartphone was in 2018. From then till now, Tecno has significantly grown in India. I have had friends coming up to me talking about their Tecno smartphones. Today, we have one such promising smartphone from the brand, it’s their all-new Tecno Spark 7. For those who are unaware, Tecno Spark 7 was recently launched in India at introductory pricing of Rs 6,999 (2GB + 32GB) and is all set for sale on April 16 at 12 PM. In this story, I’ll walk you through my first impressions of the new Tecno smartphone. Let’s dive into details.
Security
Where I usually start with the design of the phone, today I’ll be spinning the wheel, and talk about biometric security first. Tecno takes care of biometric security by introducing a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor (FPS). You’ll find only select brands offering a Fingerprint sensor in this price segment. It’s considered a luxury at this price point. I’m happy to report, the FPS unlock is quite fast. And it has not failed for more even once.
Furthermore, Tecno has enabled a Face Unlock 2.0 feature, which takes extra safety measures so that your phone doesn’t get unlocked when your eyes are closed. Thus, ensuring your data protection. Overall, I found it’s a reliable smartphone as far as your data protection is concerned.
Design
Taking a cue from a young smartphone brand, Tecno has engraved a large brand text on the back of the device. Some would not like it, but I have no issue as long as the design is not ugly. I like the pattern that emerges on the back when you tilt it. The spruce green that we have is quite distinguishable, but at the same time, it’s not too shiny and looks elegant enough. I found the design in alignment with my liking.
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Speaking about the dimensions, it has a 9.52mm thickness, whereas the weight of the device is unknown. Talking about that, the weight distribution of the device is a little off as I found the bottom part slightly heavier than the top. The camera module sits on the top left corner and just close it in the centre is rear-mounted FPS, which we talked about in the first section.
I’m happy to report that the power button placement is perfect, and it’s below the volume rocker keys on the same side. The polycarbonate body is housed inside an aluminum frame. Overall, giving a solid sturdy in-hand feel. It feels solid, even better than most mid-range smartphones in India. Looks like Tecno is living up to its original standards as far as build quality is concerned.
Software
Taking full advantage of Android’s Go Edition platform, Spark 7’s software is based on Android 11 Go Edition. Dubbed as HiOS, Tecno Spark 7 is running the latest version, 7.5. Notably, without missing out on the core user experience of Android 11, the Go Edition promises better optimization for low-end hardware. The 2GB model is powered by the Helio A20 processor,while the 3GB model is powered by Helio A25. Both are Quad-core processors. Of course, they are relatively less powerful than some of its competition. But rest assured the software exper by ience seems excellent, with no complaints so far.
Further testimony of a good user experience is bloatware. I found only a handful of third-party apps pre-installed including Boomplay, AHA Games, and Facebook. Overall, a responsive UI with no major red flags to count.
Camera
In the age of triple and quadruple-camera arrays, people are bound to take a diss at a dual rear camera setup. But if you take the use case and pricing in point, the dual rear camera setup on Tecno Spark 7 is more than sufficient. I wouldn’t say it’s ideal to have dual cameras. But this is what you get on Spark 7. The primary lens is of 16MP resolution, sporting an f/1.8 aperture size, which should make it faster in focusing objects. The low aperture size means the sensor can capture more light. The secondary lens is supposed to assist the primary lens in portrait mode. That’s why it’s called the AI lens. Furthermore, the rear camera setup is supported by a quad flashlight. On the front end, you get an 8MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture size and dual flash on the top corners. For those low-light selfies, it works like a charm. You won’t find such a feature in any smartphone in any price range.
Since these are our first impressions, I’ll suggest you wait for our full camera review. Meanwhile here are some camera samples for you to judge the camera quality from both, rear and front cameras.
Battery
Sporting a massive 6000mAh battery, Tecno claims it has optimized the HiOS to last up to 40 days on standby. But of course, with smartphone usage increasing day by day, I would rather talk about the real-life battery capacity of this phone. For that, you would have to wait for my full review. But at this point, A 6000mAh battery and 10W charging speed are sufficient enough to make purchase decisions. It’s a combination you won’t find anywhere else. Most brands offer lesser battery capacity and lower charging speed to go along with.
Initial Thoughts/Impressions
For Rs 6999, Tecno Spark 7 brings a lot to the table in terms of features including the latest software, large battery backup, fingerprint sensor, and a sturdy build. Right out of the box, I could say this is a really good purchase for your parents or someone who is a first time Android smartphone user. You may find a lot of alternatives in this price segment from brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, etc. But you won’t find a handset from them that can offer impressive design elements like Spark 7. I will talk more about those design elements that make it an interesting pick among a sea of budget devices. Stay tuned for more awesome tech content from Cashify.
Vishal Toshiwal
Vishal is the Swiss-knife at Cashify, he takes pride at his behind the camera skills of shooting poor portraits. He’s a creative thinker who comes up with the weirdest ideas. You can find him posting on Instagram or tweeting his thoughts on south Indian music and cinema.