A Fresh Take on Affordable Innovation
When I first tried the Tecno Spark 5 Pro, I immediately noticed how this Chinese smartphone brand continues its tradition of delivering feature-rich phones for the entry-level market. The company’s strategy clearly focuses on balancing budget and performance, and this new mobile device perfectly reflects that. Available in Pakistan, it stands out not only because of its sleek design but also because of its quad-camera setup, a trending feature usually seen in mid-range devices.
As someone who enjoys exploring brands that offer more value than price tags suggest, I found the Tecno Spark 5 Pro quite worthy of attention. With its powerful 5000mAh battery, it easily lasts through a busy daily life, and at just PKR 19,999, it’s rare to find such a specs-rich device. After spending time using it, I can confidently say that Tecno has launched a smartphone that’s not only affordable but also smart enough to test the limits of what an entry-level phone can do. It’s a price point that makes sense, and a feature set that feels beyond expectations.
Design and Display
The Tecno Spark 5 Pro is a smartphone that blends style with practicality, offering an impressive look and feel for its price range. It’s designed to appeal to users who want something attractive yet affordable, making it a strong contender in the entry-level market.
Eye-Catching Look and Build
The multi-colored design, especially in the seabed color, makes this device truly stand out. In my review unit, the shades of blue across the phone’s back looked elegant and modern, giving off a powerful impression at first glance. It’s one of the flashiest smartphones in its entry-level segment, and when you hold it in your hand, it feels surprisingly premium for its lower price. The formation of the quad-camera setup, arranged in a rectangular array of lenses, gives the phone a high-end touch that’s easily recognized by design enthusiasts.
Vivid Screen and Display Quality
On the display side, the smartphone features a 6.6 inches HD+ display with 720 x 1600 pixels screen resolution, producing crisp visuals and clear colors. The maximum brightness of 480 nits works well indoors, though during my tests, I noticed the screen of the itel Vision 1 Plus was slightly brighter. However, the color contrast on the Tecno Spark 5 Pro was clearly better, making videos and photos pop with vibrancy. The dark theme option is great for users who prefer a sleek interface, though I wish there were extra tools to tweak the display and color settings for even more personalization.
Performance
The Tecno Spark 5 Pro offers a well-balanced mix of speed, power, and reliability for those who want a capable smartphone without spending too much. It’s built to handle your daily tasks smoothly while still performing decently for casual gaming and multitasking.
Hardware and Everyday Use
Powered by the MediaTek 6762 (Helio P22) chipset, this budget phone first seen in 2018 delivers stable performance. The company has equipped it with PowerVR GE8230 graphics, 4GB RAM, and 64GB internal storage, which are more than enough for normal use like social media, messaging, and streaming. Running on Android 10 with the HiOS 6.1.0 skin, the interface feels simple, organized, and much less complex or aggressive than earlier versions.
In my testing, the device ran lighter apps like TikTok without noticeable lag, and on the Antutu benchmark, it scored 96634 — ahead of the itel Vision 1 Plus (93047) and just behind the Huawei Y6s (98230) that uses the Helio P35. Compared to the Redmi Note 8A with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 scoring 88821, the Tecno performs admirably within its price category.
Gaming and Real-World Experience
During gaming sessions, the operating system (HiOS) felt optimized but not immune to slowdowns. Online games like PUBG and Asphalt 9 do put a toll on this entry-level chipset, especially when using mobile data or wifi. The graphic settings stay limited to HD display quality, and although frame drops occur, they don’t ruin the gaming experience. However, you might notice some heating issues during a longer gaming session or a minor lag when switching apps. These are small trade-offs for a budget device, and with a bit of margin of error, the Tecno Spark 5 Pro still delivers a satisfying and steady performance for everyday users.
Battery
Long-Lasting Power for Everyday Use
The Tecno Spark 5 Pro truly impresses when it comes to battery life. In my experience, this smartphone can easily last an entire day without needing a recharge. During a video loop battery drain test, the battery was discharged in around 15 hours and 2 mins, which is quite strong performance for a budget device. In a 4-hour social media test, the phone drained only 33%, showing a satisfactory consumption rate. Playing PUBG consumed about 10%, while watching videos on YouTube used just 3% of the phone’s battery. Overall, this balance between power and performance makes the phone reliable for daily use, whether you’re scrolling through feeds or streaming content.
Slow Charging but Reliable Endurance
The only area where the Tecno Spark 5 Pro falls short is its charging time. It takes around 4 hours and 24 mins to charge from 0 to 100%, which feels quite slow in today’s fast-charging era. In fact, it recorded the longest charging time I’ve seen during my tests. Even the Tecno Pouvoir 4, known for its big battery, managed a full charge in 3 hours and 56 mins, making it the second-longest I’ve tested. Still, once the battery is full, you can bank on this smartphone to stay connected and powered up for a long stretch — perfect for users who value endurance over speed.
Camera
Capturing Every Moment with Clarity
The Tecno Spark 5 Pro impresses with its quad-camera setup on the back, combining a 16MP main sensor, 2MP bokeh lens, 2MP macro lens, and an AI lens that together deliver a dynamic photography experience. The AI Camera 3.0, powered by an internal algorithm, captures exposed images during both day and night without needing a dedicated Night Mode. From my experience, this feature enhances sharpness by making every picture appear crisp and balanced.
Though the result can feel slightly exaggerated, especially when compared with other smartphones in the market, the device, priced around Rs. 19,999, still provides colorful and detailed shots with near-natural color reproduction. The AI detection, covering 10 scenarios, is useful but not always error-free, especially in strong sunlight or when the light source faces the lens.
Real-World Camera Experience
The HDR mode adds a lively touch to photos, enhancing contrast and detail, though sometimes shots appear a bit overexposed. In night photography, the AI Cam mode occasionally struggles, but the HDR mode compensates well, producing better images in low-light scenes. I was pleased to notice the absence of lens glare even when shooting against a source of light, which is rare in many pricey phones. For selfies, the 8MP front shooter produces natural-looking results, while the beauty mode offers a beauty-inspired outlook through preset options that allow you to change the look of your face.
The smartphone also supports 1080p video recording from both rear cameras, providing good exposure, rich colors, and decent voice recording, though the sound could be slightly louder.
Verdict: A Balanced Performer with Great Value
When I first used the Tecno Spark 5 Pro, I was surprised by how good-looking this smartphone is for its price range. It feels modern and stylish, easily competing with phones like the Huawei Y6p, itel Vision 1 Plus, and Tecno Pouvoir 4. In daily use, its performance feels average, but for casual users, it gets the job done without much lag.
The camera results are quite decent, offering sharp and bright photos under good lighting.What really stands out, though, is the battery life — it easily lasts through a full day of use, making it perfect for those who need long-lasting power. Compared to rivals like the Infinix Note 10 Pro, the Spark 5 Pro delivers solid value for money, especially if you’re after a reliable, stylish, and practical phone for everyday use.
