TECNO Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition is the latest of the Spark 9 series with great specifications in terms of the processor with Octa Core MediaTek Helio G85 Gaming processor and the latest Android 12, HiOS 8.6 system, 6.6″ 1080P Full HD large screen, 50MP triple rear camera and a 32MP front-facing camera with dual LED flash and 5000 mAh battery capacity. What really catches our attention is the phone design.
According to TECNO, the global premium smartphone and smart device brand, the brand-new SPARK 9 Pro Sport Edition were launched for passionate Gen Z and Designworks, a BMW group company is responsible for the colour, material and finish design of the smartphone.
The next question on your mind is if the smartphone is worth it. How is the overall performance? We’ll find out, but first, let’s unbox and dive into the review. Here’s what you will find inside the box after purchasing the TECNO Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition:
- Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition device
- A Screen Protector
- A USB type -C cable
- A 18W power adapter
- A Protective case
- A pair of earphones
- A SIM ejector pin
- A Free MTN 1GB + Double Data for 6 months
- A 12+1 Months Warranty Card
TECNO Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition Features
- OS: Android 12, HiOS 8.6
- CPU: MediaTek Helio G85
- GPU: Mali-G52 2EEMC2
- RAM: 4GB
- ROM: 128GB with microSD for additional storage
- Display: 6.6-inch, Full HD+ LCD screen, 1080 x 2460 pixels
- Front-Facing Camera: 32MP with dual LED flash
- Triple Rear Cameras: 50MP + 2MP + 2MP, Dual LED flash
- Battery: 5000mAh with 18W charger
- Dual Nano SIM 4G Network
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Premium Design Looking Good
If there’s anything I love about the Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition, it’s the design. The phone is the prettiest Android smartphone in the market right now. One look at the phone design and you will agree with me that they killed it.
On The Front
On the front of the device, you have a full LCD screen 6.6-inch with a water drop hole that houses the 32MP front-facing camera for taking selfies and video calls.
On The Back
The phone’s rear design is made of an unparalleled triangular texture design in a blue and white colour scheme, a camera bump with LED flash and there is a TECNO SPARK logo. The design of the camera bump on the rear makes the Spark 9 Pro Sport edition feels a lot more premium.
On The Sides of the TECNO Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition
The phone comes with USB type C port at the bottom, a 3.5mm audio jack, a speaker grille and a noise-cancelling microphone.
On the right side is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, volume controls and the power on button while the left side has dual Nano SIM cards with the MicroSD card slot.
Display
The 6.6-inch screen, Full HD+ LCD screen gives you bright, sharp colours and wide viewing angles that are more than great for consuming video content and scrolling through social media. It offers the best screen for watching videos, playing games or surfing the internet.
Camera
TECNO opted for a triple rear camera setup similar to what you would find on the Spark 9 Pro and Spark 9T. The TECNO Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition is equipped with a 50MP main camera, a 2MP depth lens, and a 2MP with dual LED flash at the rear while at the front, we have the 32MP selfie camera with dual LED flash for taking night selfies.
The cameras can take really good pictures with good lighting during the day but rear images captured at night, lack quality with that. Nevertheless, the Spark 9 Pro sport edition is still a good camera device considering the price. Also, the 32MP selfie camera captures a lot of details with beautiful colour saturation and delivers some impressive photos in both daylight and at night. You can shoot 2k videos from both front and back cameras without any lag.
Performance
Regarding performance, I don’t think I need to tell you there is much difference in the performance compared with the Spark 9 Pro. The Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition ships with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and comes with a MediaTek Helio G85 processor. You also get the option to expand the 4GB of RAM with additional 3GB of virtual RAM using the Memory fusion feature. An ultra-large 128GB ROM provides enough internal storage space for storing a wide collection of favourite movies, music and photos.
The phone is equipped with the Android 12 HiOS8.6, offering a wonderful UI experience with powerful features, controls, a dark theme and Google services that optimize daily usage experience.
The temperature on the device was normal during heavy use, there is a slight rise in temperature which is moderate and felt only at the back panel when playing high-end games.
A combination of the processor, RAM, ROM and operating system provides a relatively smooth user experience on this phone. Multitasking, scrolling through menus, launching and browsing between applications was smooth and responsive without any stutter and we didn’t experience any performance lag so far except when playing high-end games. For an Android device in this price range, the Spark 9 Pro sport edition is a steal in the performance department.
The sound quality on the Spark 9 Pro Sport edition is good for playing games and watching movies in high quality. The only noticeable downside is that it lacks bass and the volume doesn’t go as high as you would expect when it comes to loudness but it is acceptable considering the price.
In terms of connectivity, there is a SIM slot that houses dual 4G nano-sim cards and the phone supports Wi-Fi networks, 4G and 3G connections which provide wide coverage and good signal quality for making phone calls and accessing the Internet easily.
That’s not all, there is also Bluetooth 5.0, a MicroSD card slot, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, GPS, and USB Type-C port for better connectivity. Connecting the phone Bluetooth with my Oraimo Freepods 3 worked perfectly okay.
Battery Life
Onboard the Spark 9 Pro Sport edition is a massive 5000mAh battery with an 18W charger. The only disappointment with the Spark 9 Pro Sport edition is the fact that it doesn’t come with a fast charger.
On a full charge, this phone battery allows 24 hours of continuous use for surfing the internet, Google, YouTube, and browsing social media without needing a top-up. For moderate usage, it can go beyond a day. It mostly takes about 3 hours to charge this device to 100% using the USB type-C charger. The charging time seems long because the 18W fast charging is not very fast.
You should note that playing heavy games resulted in battery loss. However, we can say that the 5000mAh battery was not bad and performed okay.
Comparing the TECNO Spark 9T, Spark 9 Pro and Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition
| Specifications | Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition | Spark 9 Pro | Spark 9T |
| Display and Resolution | 6.6-inch, Full HD+ LCD screen, 1080 x 2460 pixels | 6.6 inches 1080P FHD+ Dot Notch Screen | 6.6 inches HD+ Dot Notch Screen, 720 x 1612 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 60 HZ | 90 HZ | |
| Processor | Octa Core MediaTek Helio G85 12nm Gaming processor | Mediatek Helio G85 | Helio G37 Octa-Core Processor |
| Software | Android 12, HiOS 8.6 | Android 12, HiOS 8.6 | Android 12, HiOS 8.6 |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 18W | 5000mAh, 18W | 5000mAh, 10W |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB/6GB | 4GB |
| Internal Memory | 128GB | 128GB | 64GB/128GB |
| MemFusion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Camera | 50MP main camera + 2MP + 2MP, Dual LED flash | 50MP main camera, 2MP depth lens and an AI camera | 13 MP AI main camera, 2MP bokeh and 8W AI lens with quad flash |
| Front-Facing Camera | 32MP with dual LED flash | 32MP selfie camera | 32 MP selfie camera with dual flash |
| Fingerprint Scanner | Side-mounted | Side-mounted | Side-mounted |
| Available Colours | Special Edition: Kyanite blue | Quantum black, Burano blue, Snow white and Hacker storm | Quantum black, Burano blue, Vitality green and Particle silver |
| Price | 113,700 naira | 109,500 naira | 97,000 Naira |
Conclusion
Should you buy the TECNO Spark 9 Pro Sport edition? After reading through this review, I am sure you know the answer. For me, I would say yes, if you need a smartphone with a stylish design, good performance and budget-friendly.
But considering the fact that there are few other budget smartphones recently launched that fall within the phone price range with decent specifications in terms of the screen, cameras, processor and even the battery, then it is a No for me. However, if you decide to purchase the Spark 9 Pro Sport edition then it will not disappoint you. The phone will handle pretty much everything you throw at it which makes it an excellent device that does everything you should expect an Android smartphone to do.
Kindly note that the TECNO Spark 9 Pro edition is not waterproof or water-resistant, so it should not be exposed to any water source or dipped into the water. We hope the review of the phone which revealed the good and bad will help you make an informed buying decision.
Pricing
The TECNO Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition which is the latest of the Spark 9 series retails for 113,700 naira in Nigeria. If you live in Kenya, it is available for KES 21,500 from Tecno branded shops or online through e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress, Jumia and Kilimall. That’s a fair price for both countries, in my opinion, when you consider the key specifications of this smartphone.
Where to Buy the Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition in Nigeria?
The Smartphone is currently available on Jumia, Konga and at any authorized TECNO stores across Nigeria. It is also available across key regions including Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Pricing varies by region.
