Tecno Spark 30 Pro review: a low-cost smartphone with bright pluses
By ForGeeks Tecno Spark 30 Pro is positioned as one of the best budget smartphones on the market, aimed at a less demanding audience, but capable of surprising with its features and capabilities for its price category.
Tecno Spark 30 Pro specs
- Screen: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 2436×1080 (FHD+) resolution, ~393 ppi pixel density, 120Hz refresh rate
- Case Protection: IP54 (dust and splash proof)
- Dimensions: 166.6 × 77.0 × 7.4 mm
- Weight: 188 g (without case)
- Permanent memory: 128GB or 256GB (UFS 2.0 type) + separate microSD slot
- Operating memory: 8GB (LPDDR4X type, 2133MHz), virtually expandable
- Chipset (SoC): MediaTek Helio G100 (6nm, 8 cores: 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.2 GHz + 6x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0 GHz, Mali-G57 MP2 graphics)
- Main camera: 108MP (f/1.9, 1/1.52″ sensor, PDAF phase autofocus) + 0.2MP (secondary sensor for portraits)
- Front camera: 13 MP (with flash)
- Wireless interfaces: Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual band), NFC, GPS
- Additional features: Infrared port, stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos), 3.5mm audio jack (with 24-bit/192kHz support)
- OS: Android 14 with HiOS 14.5.0 shell
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- Charging: 33W fast charging (Pump Express), adapter included
Design and packaging of the Tecno Spark 30 Pro
The Tecno Spark 30 Pro comes with a surprisingly rich set of accessories. In the box, you’ll find a 33W charger, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a SIM card removal tool, several manuals, and a warranty card. Also included are a transparent silicone case and a wired headset with a 3.5mm jack, which is a nice bonus.
Tecno Spark 30 Pro comes in several color options: Obsidian Edge (with granite pattern), Arctic Glow (with marble pattern), Magic Skin 3.0 and a special Optimus Prime Edition created in collaboration with the Transformers brand.
Source: gsmarena.com
The device measures 166.6 × 77.0 × 7.4 mm and weighs approximately 188 grams, making it relatively compact and lightweight. The body of the smartphone is made of plastic, which is typical for devices in this price category. The back panel has a matte surface with a spectacular shimmer in different lighting conditions.
The Optimus Prime Edition stands out in particular, which is completely Transformers-inspired with red, blue, and silver accents. Tecno’s designers paid attention to every detail, creating a truly unique look. Despite the attractive design, the build quality isn’t the most ideal.
The plastic body feels quite flimsy, especially the back panel, which easily flexes when pressed. The smartphone has IP54 protection, which provides resistance to dust and water splashes.It’s a nice addition for a budget device.
A nice addition for a budget device.
Display of the Tecno Spark 30 Pro
One of the Tecno Spark 30 Pro’s biggest strengths is its display. The device features a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2436×1080 pixels (393 ppi) and a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen supports 1 billion colors and provides 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. Peak brightness reaches 1700 nits, making the display highly readable even in bright sunlight.
The refresh rate can adaptively switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz depending on the task at hand, which helps optimize power consumption.The display runs at 120Hz when scrolling through home screens and social media, and automatically drops to 60Hz when watching videos. The display is also equipped with eye protection technology and has a PWM frequency of 2 kHz, which reduces eye strain during prolonged use. Under the screen is an optical fingerprint scanner that works quickly and accurately.
The only drawback is the appearance of a bluish streak when viewed at an angle of about 45° on a white background, reminiscent of Samsung’s older AMOLED displays.
Performance of the Tecno Spark 30 Pro
Tecno Spark 30 Pro is powered by MediaTek Helio G100 processor manufactured using 6nm technology. The chipset includes 2 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 cores and 6 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 cores.
All the Cortex-A55 cores are now available on the device.
The Mali-G57 MC2 graphics processor, while not the latest, provides enough performance for everyday tasks and even some gaming. In AnTuTu, the smartphone scores around 437,000 points, which is not bad for a device in this price category. The device is equipped with 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB or 256GB of onboard UFS 2.0 storage. Memory expansion via microSD card is also supported.
In everyday use, the Spark 30 Pro’s performance can be characterized as satisfactory but not outstanding. Users may notice some lags when loading applications and occasional animation slowdowns. However, for basic tasks such as web browsing, social networking and multimedia, the device performs quite acceptably.
The Spark 30 Pro’s performance is quite good.
Gaming performance of the Tecno Spark 30 Pro
Despite its average specs, the Tecno Spark 30 Pro performs well in games. In PUBG Mobile, the smartphone supports HDR graphics at Ultra frame rate, though for smoother gameplay, we recommend using the Smooth setting at Extreme frame rate (60 FPS).
So far, it’s a good bet that the Tecno Spark 30 Pro’s gaming performance is quite good.
In more demanding games like Genshin Impact, the device can run at low graphics settings at 60 FPS, though there are occasional performance dips, especially when facing multiple opponents. After 30 minutes of play, the smartphone heats up a bit, but not to critical temperatures.
In less demanding games such as Mobile Legends, the Spark 30 Pro delivered a steady 120 FPS with no noticeable issues. An interesting feature is Bypass Charging, which is usually only found in gaming smartphones. It allows power to flow directly to the processor during gaming, bypassing the battery, which reduces heat and extends battery life.
Tecno Spark 30 Pro cameras
The Tecno Spark 30 Pro’s main camera features a 108-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.9 and measuring 1/1.52 inches. There is also a secondary 0.2-megapixel sensor that helps in shooting portraits. The front camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels and features dual LED flash.
The quality of photos from the main camera is pretty good for a device in this price category. The pictures have a nice contrast with well-defined shadows and highlights. The colors in the photos are usually warm, which gives them a nice look. Blue and green hues are also well balanced.
Detail in photos is quite good, allowing you to zoom in without noticeable loss of quality. Digital zoom ensures minimal loss of quality due to the high resolution of the sensor. In low-light conditions, photo quality predictably declines. Photos lose color and detail, which is typical for smartphones in this price segment.
Video shooting is supported at a maximum resolution of 1440p at 30fps, though digital stabilization is only available in Full HD mode. The front camera records 1080p video at 30 frames per second.
The front camera records video in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second.
Audio Tecno Spark 30 Pro
The Tecno Spark 30 Pro features Dolby Atmos-enabled stereo speakers for good audio clarity and immersive. The speaker volume is quite high, which is useful when used in noisy places, although there is considerable distortion at maximum volume. The smartphone also features a 3.5mm audio jack, which is becoming a rarity in modern devices. It supports high quality audio at 24-bit/192kHz resolution, which will please those who love quality audio when using wired headphones.
Tecno Spark 30 Pro Software
Tecno Spark 30 Pro runs on Android 14 with HiOS 14.5.0 proprietary shell.The interface looks modern and offers many customization options.
Specially interesting is the Optimus Prime Edition, which includes themed wallpapers, app icons, and other Transformers-inspired design elements. System apps get special icons, while third-party apps and folders get metal frames that match the overall aesthetic.
HiOS offers many useful features and gestures. For example, you can swipe up or down on the homescreen for quick actions, swipe down to open the notification panel and left to access quick settings. Various power saving modes, game mode, kids mode and app cloning feature are also available. It’s good to note that HiOS has relatively few pre-installed apps compared to some other manufacturers.
Autonomy and charging of the Tecno Spark 30 Pro
Tecno Spark 30 Pro has a 5000 mAh battery that offers good battery life. With moderate usage, the smartphone can last about a day and a half without charging. Even with heavy usage that includes watching videos, playing games, and using the camera, the device is able to make it to the end of the day with 20-30% charge remaining. In the PCMark Battery Test 3.0 at 50% screen brightness, the smartphone scores around 11 hours, which isn’t bad.
At the PCMark Battery Test 3.0, the device can run for around 11 hours, which isn’t bad.
The device supports 33W fast charging (Pump Express technology). A full charge from 0 to 100% takes about 65-69 minutes, and in 30 minutes the battery is charged to about 52%. A matching charger is included.
Tecno Spark 30 Pro Communication and Sensors
Tecno Spark 30 Pro supports 2G, 3G and 4G LTE networks, but does not have 5G support.The device features dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS, and an infrared port. NFC works from all angles (360 degrees), which is handy for digital payments and other contactless transactions. The infrared port allows the smartphone to be used as a remote control for TVs and other electronic devices. The smartphone also features a gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass. The gyroscope works smoothly, which is especially important for games that require precise motion control.
