Tecno Spark 9 (KG5P) Price, Review And Specifications.

 

Tecno Spark 9 (kg5p) Quick Specs:

6.6" HD+ (1612×720) 90Hz IPS-LCD Drop-Notched Display.

268ppi, 20.15:9 Aspect Ratio.

MediaTek Helio G37 Chipset.

Android 12, HiOS 8.6.

Dual-lens (13MP+QVGA) Back Camera.

Single-lens (8MP) Front Camera.

3GB/4GB/6GB of RAM (plus up to 3GB extra).

64GB/128GB Internal Storage.

Face Unlock.

Fingerprint reader (Rear-Mounted).

MicroUSB Port:

4G (LTE) Network.

5000mAh Battery (No Fast Charging).

Price:

3GB/64GB: 79,000 naira.

4GB/64GB: 83,000 naira, GHc 1,259, KSh 15,000.

Putting them side by side, it's hard to tell apart Tecno Spark 9 from the Tecno Spark 8 (kg6).

Firstly, the 6.6-inch screen of the Spark 9 is just an hair's bigger than the 6.52-inch of the earlier model. The notch on the latest phone's display also looks like that of the earlier phone.

The back camera bump on the Spark 9 also looks exactly like one on the Spark 8. The camera sensors and fingerprint reader are also arranged in a similar manner inside the bump. 

These make the front and back of the Tecno Spark 9 to look exactly like those of the Spark 8.

Yet, in spite of their identical looks, you can still, physically, spot few differences between the two phones. But the glaring ones lies in their back covers. For example, the huge Stop At Nothing inscription on the back of the Spark 8 is missing on the Tecno Spark 9. Tecno Spark 9 also has a matte (or non-reflective) finish, compared to the glossy (or reflective) finish of the earlier phone.

By the way, Tecno Spark 9 or kg5p is the standard variant of the recently unveiled Tecno Spark 9 series. Others in the series are Tecno Spark 9T (kh6) and Tecno Spark 9 Pro (kh7). But Unlike the standard variant (Spark 9) that shares looks with the earlier model, Spark 9T and Spark 9 Pro sports a unique, classy, and all-flat appearance.

As the name suggested, Tecno Spark 9 Pro is the most equipped one in the latest series, and it's the successor to the Tecno Spark 8P (kg7h). Tecno Spark 9T, on the other hand, is more or less an hybrid variant, because it shares properties with both the Spark 9 and Spark 9 Pro.

Besides having the same looks as the Spark 9 Pro, Spark 9T also features a USB Type-C port, side-mounted fingerprint reader, and 32-megapixel front-facing camera, as the most equipped variant. However, the display and other features of the Spark 9T are exactly like those of the Spark 9. The phone also has the same primary rear camera.

It should be noted that the Spark 9 Pro display does not support 90hz or higher screen refresh rate, like those of the Spark 9 and Spark 9T. Yet it is only the display of the Pro variant that features a Full-HD or 1080p resolution.

Meanwhile, and despite having the same looks as the Spark 8, some of the features of the Spark 9 are different from those of the earlier phone. For instance, and in addition to its minute bigger 6.6-inch size, the screen of the Tecno Spark 9 support 90hz refresh rate, and it also features a slightly different HD+ resolution. Videos and pictures also look more vivid on this screen.

Also, the camera set-up on the latest phone is slightly different from the one on the earlier model. Though Tecno Spark 9 also features a single lens front camera and a dual-lens rear camera, but the 16-megapixel primary rear camera of the earlier phone has been downgraded to 13-megapixel on the latest phone. But the 8-megapixel front-facing camera of the earlier phone is still present on the Spark 9.

Things have also changed under the hood. Though the processing power of the Spark 9 is still similar to that of Spark 8, yet Spark 9 is equipped with a more newer components and also features higher RAM. The phone also runs on the recent Android OS.

In details, and while the earlier phone was running on the Android 11 Go Edition, Tecno Spark 9 was pre-installed with Android 12.

And to make sure that the recent Android OS is running effectively, Tecno equipped Spark 9 with an higher RAM of 3GB or 4GB (compared to the 2GB of RAM of the earlier model). Even the 3GB RAM of the latest phone can still be increased, up to 6GB, through the recently introduced memory expansion feature called MemFusion.

Also compared to the Helio P22 CPU of the Spark 8, Spark 9 is powered by the Helio G37. Though the processing power of the Helio G37 is similar to that of the earlier one, yet the latest phone's CPU is more recent and it also has a slightly higher clock speed.

Nonetheless, Tecno Spark 9 still has the same 64GB internal storage space as the earlier phone. In short the rest of the features of the Spark 9 are like those of the Spark 8. For instance, this phone also features 5000mAh battery and MicroUSB port. It also lack support for fast charging.

Price And Colour Design:

Tecno Spark 9 is available in various colour options of Sky Mirror, Infinity Black, Glacier White, and Vitality Green. Currently, the price of the phone is about 79,000 naira, and that is for the 3GB/64GB variant. The 4GB/64GB variant attracts a little higher price of about 83,000 naira.

Note: Depending on the region, Tecno Spark 9 is available in various RAM options of 3GB, 4GB and 6GB. And it's also available in an higher storage option of 128GB, besides the 64GB option.

DESIGN: Tecno Spark 9 Shares Looks With Its Predecessor:

Not only the 6.6-inch screen of the Spark 9 is almost the same with the 6.52-inch screen of the Spark 8, the latest phone's 20:15 aspect ratio is also similar to the 20:5 aspect ratio of the earlier one. Both of these phones also wear an identical looks. The shape of their camera bumps, and arrangements of camera sensors (inside their bumps), are also identical. 

As a result, it's hard to tell difference between the Spark 9 and Spark 8. Yet, as i mentioned before, you can still tell them apart by their back covers.

Apart from its matte finish, and the absence of Stop At Nothing inscription, the back cover of the Spark 9 also has a diamond shape patterns, unlike that of the earlier phone that is plain and smooth.

You can also differentiate between the two phones by the positions of their LED Flash. While the Quad LED Flash of the earlier is placed below the camera sensor, the Dual LED Flash on the latest phone is found at the top centre of the bump, right beside the first camera.

Except for those few ones, every other visible attributes of the Tecno Spark 9, including keys and buttons, are still like those of the Tecno Spark 8.

The power button and the volume keys are still on the right edge of this phone, while its dual nano SIM+SD card slot (and tray) is also located on the left edge.

Also, there is nothing on the top edge of the phone, because the 3.5mm audio jack, microphone, MicroUSB port, and its single speaker, are placed on the bottom edge.

Clear And Colourful 6.6-inch Display:

The 6.6-inch screen of the Tecno Spark 9 also has an IPS-LCD panel like the one on the earlier model, and it also features a 720p or HD+ resolution.

However, while the HD+ resolution of the earlier phone's display is made up of 1600-by-720 pixels, the HD+ of the Spark 9 display is made up of 1612-by-720 pixels.

It should be recalled that Tecno Spark 8C has the same screen attributes. In other words, the screen of the Tecno Spark 8C has the same size, resolution, and aspect ratio as that of the Spark 9. But the one on the Spark 9 has a better white balance. The picture also look better.

Even, and despite that the pixel density (268ppi) or sharpness of the Spark 9 display is almost the same with that (269ppi) of the earlier Spark 8, the pictures and videos on the Spark 9 display seem to be clearer. Colours also appear more saturated or richer.

Also unlike that of the earlier phone that has a regular 60hz refresh rate, the screen of the Tecno Spark 9 support an higher refresh rate of 90Hz; which ensures smoother scrolling and animations.

As a said earlier, and beside sporting an identical tear-drop notches, the 6.6-inch display of the Spark 9T is of almost the same size with the 6.52-inch display. This screen also has an IPS-LCD panel.

However, and inspite of its good contrast, the brightness level (on this screen) is not really on the high side (about 300nits). As a result, the screen of the Tecno Spark 9 struggles to cope under direct sunlight.

The same can be said of the Tecno Spark 9T and Infinix Note 12 displays; which share the same size, aspect ratio and resolution with that of the Spark 9.

Decent Camera:

The 13-megapixel dual rear camera of the Tecno Spark 9 is made up of a 13-megapixel main sensor and a QVGA sensor (which assists the main camera in taking clearer pictures in low-light environments).

Though, the pictures from the 13-megapixel rear camera of the Tecno Spark 9 are not that sharp or detail, but they are really clear. And colours also look good and solid, not over-blown or saturated.

On the other hand, the shots from the 8-megapixel front-facing cameras of the Spark 9 are less sharper than those from its rear camera, and colours also seem to be slightly on the saturated side. But they still look quite okay and satisfactory.

Meanwhile, like its predecessor, the video recordings, for both the front and rear cameras of this phone, are capped at 1080p at 30fps (frame per second). There is no image stabilization (OIS).

Better Chipset, RAM Expansion, Android 12:

To a large extent, the strength of the Spark 9's performance lies in its higher RAM (and possibility of RAM increment). Because the Helio G37 CPU of the latest phone has almost the same processing power as the Helio P22 of the Spark 8.

Though Helio G37 is a recent chipset, and it also has a slightly faster maximum clock speed of 2.3Ghz (compared to the 2.0Ghz of the Helio P22). However, both of these CPUs are 12nm Cortex-A55 octa-core processors.

Helio G37 also features the same PowerVR-GE8322 GPU as the earlier processor. Because this GPU doesn't pack enough power for graphics demanding games, you have to put high-graphics games on medium (or low) graphics settings before you can enjoy them on the Tecno Spark 9.

However, as i stated earlier, one of the selling points of the Tecno Spark 9 is the MemFusion. Firstly introduced in Tecno Spark 8C, MemFusion enables you to convert certain amount of your phone's internal storage space to Virtual RAM. In other words, and in case of Tecno Spark 9, MemFusion enables you to convert up to 3GB of free space (out of the phone's inbuilt storage) to RAM. Therefore, allowing you to extend, let's say 4GB of RAM, of Tecno Spark 9 up to 7GB.

This will ensure continuous smooth-running of this phone for long period of time, especially after many files and apps have been added to it.

Another feature that distinguishes Tecno Spark 9 from its predecessor is Tecno HiOS 8.6 Skin (which is running on top of the Android 12 OS). One of the interesting features of the HiOS UI (User Interface) is its prettier Quick-Menu panel. To display this Quick Menu, you'll have to swap down from the top-right corner of the screen. And if you swap down from the top-left corner (of the screen), your Notifications will be displayed.

Features like Ella (Voice Assistance); which were once restricted to the premium Tecno phones has also found it ways into Spark 9.

Same Battery & Still No Fast Charging:

Unlike the Spark 9T and Spark 9 Pro that come with USB Type-C port, Tecno Spark 9 retain the MicroUSB port of its predecessors. The phone also retain the 5000mAh battery and 10W charging of the earlier phones. Therefore, it'll take you about three and half hours to fully charge this phone battery (with its out-of-the-box standard 10W charger) when it dropped to one per cent.

Full Specifications Of Tecno Spark 9 (kg5p):

GENERAL

Maker: Tecno Mobile.

Name: Spark 9 (kg5p).

Year Announced: July, 2022.

Dimensions: 164.57x76x8.95mm

Weight: 194g.   

Colour: Sky Mirror, Vitality Green, Infinity Black & Glacier White.

DISPLAY
Screen Type: IPS-LCD capacitive Touchscreen.

Size and Resolution: 6.6-inch, HD+, 1612x720 pixels, 90Hz Refresh Rate.

Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 20.15:9, 268PPI.

Protection N/a.

PORTS:

3.5mm Audio Jack: Yes.

USB Type-C Port: N/a.

MicroUSB port: Yes.

Lightning Connector: No.

Google Assistant Button: No.

PERFORMANCE

Chipsept: MediaTek Helio G37 Octa-core Processor, 2.3GHz.

GPU: PowerVR-GE8320.

RAM: 3GB/4GB/6GB (4GB can be increased, up to 7GB).

Operating System: Android 12, HiOS 8.6

STORAGE

Internal Storage: 64GB/128GB.

Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 512GB.

SIM AND NETWORK

SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.

Network:  GSM, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE.

CAMERA

Rear camera: Dual-lens; 13MP+QVGA, Dual-Flash.

Front camera: Single-lens, 8MP+ Front Flash.

VIDEO RECORDING:

Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p @ 30 fps.

Front Camera: 720p, 1080p @ 30 fps.

CONNECTIVITY:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, HotSpots, USB-OTG.

BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION: 

Security: Face Unlock, Rear-mounted Fingerprint Reader.

Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, G-sensor, Accelerometer And

Barometer sensor

Others: GPS, Location (Geo, Glonass), Radio.

BATTERY

Battery Capacity: 5000mAh.

Qi Wireless-Charging: N/a.

Fast Charging: No, 10W.