TECNO has been in the Nigerian market for over 15 years and in those years, the company has established itself as a hub for premium and innovative smartphone technology. Recently, the company launched the TECNO Spark 20 Pro+ as part of the Spark 20 series and an improvement on the SPARK 20 Pro.
The TECNO Spark 20 Pro Plus is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers some surprising features for its price point. It comes with a Mediatek G99 Processor, 256GB ROM, 8GB RAM (which can be extended to 16GB), a 108MP main rear camera, and a 32MP portrait camera.
What’s in the box?
- TECNO Spark 20 Pro+ phone
- 33W charger and Type-C USB
- Type-C earphones
- Tempered glass screen protector
- Plastic phone case
- MTN 1GB data voucher
Design and build:
The TECNO Spark 20 Pro+ is a sleek and elegant-looking device that fits snuggly into one’s palms. Smartphone designers have gone from trying to make the smallest device possible to now making phones so bulky you need two thumbs to type. The TECNO Spark 20 Pro+ stands out in this area because it manages to fit everything you need into a 7.55mm slim device weighing just 179g.
The body of the phone is made of sturdy plastic and glass and the curved screen is made of corning gorilla glass which makes it crease-resistant and less susceptible to breakage.
TECNO has let go of the bug-eyed back lenses of the SPARK 20 Pro, for a more compact and smaller-looking back camera in the SPARK 20 Pro+. This device also comes with dual stereo speakers located at the top and bottom of the phone.
It is available in the colours Temporal Orbits, Lunar Frost, Radiant Starstream, and the Magic Skin 2.0 Green which is a vegan leather back. The Lunar Frost which we got courtesy of the makers for review purposes, is a lovely bright white colour with an icy strip in the camera area.
Display:
For a budget-friendly smartphone, the on-screen display is great. This device has a 6.78-inch display with very thin bezels. With about 90% screen-to-body ratio you get a wide viewing area.
This device also has a 1080p AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate which gives you vivid colours, high contrast, and smooth usage as you navigate apps.
With 1000 nits peak brightness you get a clear view of your screen and can operate your phone clearly even under bright sunlight.
Software and performance:
The Tecno Spark 20 Plus comes with a dimensity 8050 chip and a G99 processor that enables powerful performance with no lags or latency when multitasking between multiple apps. It has a very responsive touch and offers smooth gameplay. I played a game for an hour to see how this device would handle it and it did not overheat or slow down.
This device also comes with the HiOS 13.6 software built on the latest Android 14 OS which makes the overall usage and experience smoother and better than previous Android versions.
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For security, this device comes with pattern, face, numeric/alphanumeric password, and fingerprint unlock features. The fingerprint unlock feature is on the screen which makes it very convenient but also adds to the overall beauty and premium feel of this device.
The charging speed and 500mAh battery make this great for the African market. Battery life is important in places like Nigeria with unstable power supply. It took about an hour to charge this device fully and with one charge a user can get a full day’s use out of it.
Sound-wise, this device is advertised as 400% big volume which is not an exaggeration as you get clear loud sounds from this phone. You’ll be able to feel vibrations rolling from the back of the phone to your fingertips while playing games or videos.
With an IP53 rating, your phone won’t get ruined from rain splashes or dust but I would not advise you to let this fall in water.
Camera
The camera quality is pretty great. The 32MP front camera captures good selfies but editing is required to tone down the exposure. In portrait mode, you get clear, focused pictures with accurate colouring in good lighting.
The 108Mp triple back camera is also great. In bright lights, the images are clear and colourful and you don’t lose too much detail when you zoom in. In low light the flash illuminates the camera focus well giving you clear pictures even at night.
You can capture videos in 2k/30fps, giving you vibrant and smooth videos. It also comes with a dual video which allows you to shoot with both the front and back cameras, capturing both angles at once. There is a setting that notifies you if your lens needs cleaning, which I liked, and video stabilisation allows you to capture your moments in an ultra-steady mode.
Final impression: I like a lot of things about this device, especially the feel in my hand. I didn’t want to put this device in a case because it looks high-end and stylish.
I also really enjoyed the sound quality and the loudness of the dual stereo speakers.
Curved screens often have dark areas in certain angles but the TECNO SPARK 20 PRO+ offers pretty clear viewing even when tilted. Combined with the curved AMOLED screen and thin bezels, watching videos on this device was an exhilarating experience.
The storage size of this phone makes it more suitable for everyday use rather than content creation but it is great for those looking for an upgraded digital experience on a budget.
Overall, compared to other devices in its price range, the TECNO Spark 20 pro+ gives users a more premium experience at a budget-friendly price.
