TECNO Spark 8P Review: Improved design and Solid battery life

TECNO Spark 8P is yet to be officially launched in Nigeria but is already available at Slot stores nationwide. According to TECNO, the spark 8p will be launched on November 23rd by 2 pm via Facebook live. The spark series by the phone brand is targeted at mostly youths to provide a smooth Android experience. I bought the Spark 8P for a friend of mine last week at the retail price of 77.000 naira from the SLOT Computer Village outlet. This review will guide you through the specifications, price and performance.

TECNO Spark 8P Specifications

• 6.6” FHD+ Dot notch screen display, 1080 x 2408 pixels
• Android 11, based on HiOS v7.6.0
• CPU Helio G35 Octa-Core Processor
• 64 GB built-in storage with 4 GB RAM
• 50MP Triple rear camera
• 8MP front-facing camera with dual flash
• 5000mAh Long-lasting Battery
• 4G LTE Connectivity
• Height: 164.51 mm
• Width:76.05 mm
• Thickness: 8.85 mm
• Stereo sound effect
• Soplay Music Mixer
• SUPER BOOST System Optimization
• Network and Connectivity: 2G, 3G, 4G, GPS, WiFi, FM, BT and OTG
• Sensor: G-Sensor, Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, and Side fingerprint unlock sensor

Inside the Box and its Accessories

The box is similar in shape to that of the iPhone 12 box. At first, we thought the phone came with wireless charging instead of the usual power adapter, that would have been fantastic though. After unboxing, we found out that all the accessories were present in the box and it was nicely packaged. The box is similar to that of the Tecno Spark 8.

• TECNO Spark 8P
• Power adapter
• Micro USB 2.0
• 12 + 1-month Warranty card
• Earphone
• Silicon protective case
• User manual
• Ejector pin

PROS:

• Decent battery life
• Iconic design
• Fantastic display with a good screen
• An improved rear camera system
• Stereo sound effect

CONS

• Few upgrades compared to the Tecno Spark 7P
• A bit more expensive than expected
• Picture quality taken with the selfie camera is low

This review was done after one week of using the device and hopefully, after reading this article, you would know if the Spark 8P is worth the money and if it ticks all the right boxes for your next desired phone.

Design and Build Quality

TECNO Spark 8P is expected to come in four colour options; Turquoise Cyan, Atlantic Blue, iris Purple and Tahiti Gold colours. I bought the Cocoa Gold colour and it is beautiful. The mixture of two different colours makes it iconic. The phone comes with a super shiny and attractive back design which reflects light while facing the sun. Tecno Spark 8P is quite comfortable to use and fits into the hand easily.

Tecno really tried the back design of the Spark 8P. On one side is the slot for a SIM card featuring two Nano-SIMs and a microSD card while the other side has the volume button controls and power button which also serves as the side fingerprint unlock. At the bottom are the speaker grill, microphone, 3.5 m audio jack and the micro USB 2.0 port.

Display

Tecno Spark 8P display has a 6.6″ FHD+ Dot notch screen display and 1080 x 2408 pixels resolution for an immersive viewing experience. The smartphone has a punch-hole panel with an 8MP selfie camera.

Camera

The TECNO Spark 8P brings a 50MP triple rear camera system and a punch-hole panel with an 8MP front-facing camera with a Led flashlight which is very helpful for taking selfies at night. The triple rear camera system features a 50MP AI camera sensor, 2MP portrait lens and 0.8MP AI lens for clearer and sharper picture quality. It also features AI beauty 4.0, HDR mode to take clear pictures in places the light is not too good, portrait bokeh, 1080P time-lapse photography which creates a video that shows the movement towards your environment and 120FPS Slow Motion.

Camera Performance of the TECNO Spark 8P

I really liked the overall camera experience on the rear of the Tecno Spark 8P. It is an entry-level flagship and offers a 50MP AI camera sensor which shoots very good photos which were what my friend needed. But the selfie camera needs improvement as picture quality is low, and we all need the front-facing camera for video calls, group selfies with friends and so on.

Software

Spark 8P runs on Android 11 out of the box based on HiOS v7.6. The phone comes with the model number ‘TECNO KG7h’ as seen on the phone setting. The device also comes preinstalled with Google Apps and the dark mode feature. Other Apps preinstalled include, Soplay, film album, kids mode, peek proof, AR card, Vault 2.0 and so on.

Hardware Performance, Battery Life and Connectivity

Under the hood, Spark 8P is powered by Helio G35 Octa-Core Processor with 4 GB RAM. The device features 64 GB of built-in storage for your files. However, the storage space is small. After two days of phone usage, we were left with 42 GB. If you take pictures or videos often, you will need to use the microSD slot available so you can add a memory card for extra storage. Alternatively, the 128 GB+4 GB version is available. The phone features dual-nano-SIM support with 4G connectivity.

The device is fueled by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging support. As regards the charging time, you will need about 2 hours to charge from 0 to 100% but the battery can last all day.

The fingerprint scanner for security is fast and responsive. It comes with a speaker grill, microphone, 3.5 m audio jack and a DTS Stereo Sound Effect for the best cinematic audio experience whether you are watching video content or listening to your favourite music tracks.

Pricing and Availability

TECNO Spark 8P costs just 77,000 naira ($187) which is slightly expensive for an entry-level device but considering the specifications it packs, and other factors it is definitely worth it. It is available in Slot stores, AliExpress, and other accredited TECNO retailers across the country.

Verdict

If you need the best entry-level device with a fantastic display, good performance, long-lasting battery life and iconic design then we recommend the TECNO spark 8P. Like we said earlier, it is slightly expensive but with the specifications featured and comparing prices of other phones within this range then it is a must-have Android phone.