Tecno Spark 10 (ki5q) Price, Review And Specifications.

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Tecno Spark 10 (ki5q) Quick Specs:

6.56" HD+ (1612×720) IPS-LCD Drop-notched 90hz Display.

269ppi, 20.15:9 Aspect Ratio.

Android 13 OS, HiOS 12.

Helio G37 Chipset.

8GB of RAM (Up to 16GB through Virtual RAM).

128GB Internal Storage.

Dual-lens (50MP+AI) Rear Camera.

Single-lens (8MP) Front Camera.

Face Unlock.

Fingerprint reader (Side-mounted).

USB Type-C Port:

4G (LTE) Network.

5000mAh Battery (18W Charging).

Starting Price:

₦120,990, GH₵ 1,546.00, KSh 18,299

Though, most of the features of the Tecno Spark 10 can also be found on other phones at this price point, but, the phone still present the buyers with a few remarkable features that make it stands out among its peers. For instance, Tecno Spark 10 wear a more premium looks and sports attractive 90hz display. The phone also features an higher megapixel rear camera, higher RAM, and latest Android OS.

By the way, Tecno Spark 10 (ki5q) is the successor to the Tecno Spark 9 (kg5p). It's also the standard variant in the recently unveiled Tecno Spark 10 series. There's also the least equipped Tecno Spark 10C and the better equipped Tecno Spark 10 Pro (ki7). Basically, all the three variants have an identical premium looks and the same screen size. But the screen of the Pro model has a hole-punch camera and features 1080p resolution, while the screens of the other two have tear-drop notches and feature 720p resolutions. Still, all three screens support 90hz refresh rate.

Also compared to the standard Tecno Spark 10, Tecno Spark 10 Pro is equipped with a stronger CPU, higher megapixel front camera, and higher storage option. Except for those ones (mentioned), all other features of the Spark 10 Pro remain as those of the standard Spark 10.

On the other hand, and compared to the least equipped Tecno Spark 10C, Tecno Spark 10 is equipped with a better CPU, recent Android, higher RAM, and higher megapixel rear camera. Also, despite that the two have an identical 720p displays, the screen of the standard variant looks more vibrant.

Except for those ones, there is no other major difference between the standard variant Spark 10 and Spark 10C.

Meanwhile, Tecno Spark 10 comes in size and form factor of the earlier Tecno Spark 9, and it also has an identical 6.6-inch 720p 90hz display. The screen also retain the vivid picture and nice colours of the earlier one. Even, the latest screen is more brighter; which makes it to look more punchy and vibrant than the earlier one. Apart from being brighter than the one on its predecessor, the display of the Spark 10 is also among the few nice-looking ones in this category.

Also despite having the same shape and size as its predecessor, Tecno Spark 10 wear a more sleeker and elegant looks. Which is a result of few modifications. Firstly, there's no camera bump on the back of the Spark 10, what you have is a pair of vertically arranged circular camera module and an LED Flash (which also look like camera sensor). The phone also sports a flat and plain-looking back cover. The rear-mounted fingerprint reader on the earlier model has also been replaced with a side-mounted one. It is these little changes that cause Spark 10 to look more attractive and sleeker than its predecessor. Even, despite that this design is common among the recent budget phones. Still, Tecno Spark 10 looks slightly better than many of them.

Concerning its camera. Tecno Spark 10 is fitted with a 50-megapixel dual rear camera; which is an impressive leap from the 13-megapixel dual rear sensor on its predecessor. But the phone still has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

As a result of its higher megapixel rear camera, Tecno Spark 10 was able to take a clearer and more detailed photos than its predecessor. Also, it was able to take clearer photos than many at this price point.

Photos from the rear sensor are sharp, clear, and look vivid. Colour representation also look nice. But for a 50-megapixel rear camera, the level of details falls below expectations. On the other hand, selfies from the front-facing camera of the Spark 10 are also clear and sharp. Colours and skin tone are also passable.

Under the hood, Tecno Spark 10 retain the MediaTek Helio G37 CPU of its predecessor. But the CPU is paired with an higher RAM of 8GB; another notable upgrade from the 3GB/4GB of RAM of its predecessor. The latest phone is also pre-installed with the recent Android 13 OS.

And due to its higher RAM, Spark 10 was able to maintain smooth performance of its predecessor, especially while running the latest Tecno HiOS skin on top of the latest Android OS.

And to ensure consistent smooth performance, Tecno Spark 10 features RAM Virtualization or MemFusion, like its predecessor. The feature that enables you to boost the performance of this phone by converting certain amount of the phone's inbuilt storage to Virtual RAM. The higher RAM of the Spark 10 is also paired with an higher inbuilt storage space of 128GB.

Also unlike the two earlier models of the standard Tecno Spark, i.e., Tecno Spark 9 and Tecno Spark 8 (kg6), Tecno Spark 10 support 18W quick charging. In addition to that, the latest phone also has a side-mounted fingerprint reader and NFC. However, the rest of the Spark 10 features remain as those of its predecessor. For instance, the phone also has a USB Type-C port, 5,000mAh battery and a single bottom firing speaker.

Price And Design Colours:

Currently, the price of the Tecno Spark 10 is around 120,990 Naira. And it's available in three different colour options of META Black, META Blue and META White.

VERDICT: As the time of this write-up.

Though, there are others in this segment that have the same (or similar) CPU, same storage capacity and similar screen quality as the Tecno Spark 10, but very few of them comes with 8GB of RAM and Android 13 OS (out of the box). Tecno phone is also among the few ones that feature 50-megapixel main rear cameras.

But, photos from the Tecno phone are slightly less detailed, especially when you compared the shots to those of the mid-range or more expensive phones that have similar 50-megapixel rear cameras.

The level of details, of the Spark 10 rear camera, is also similar to that of the less expensive (depending on the variant) Xiaomi Redmi 12C. Which also features a 50-megapixel rear camera. But photos from the Redmi phone looks cleaner and have slightly better qualities than those of the Spark 10.

Yet, compared to those of the Redmi 12C and the Tecno phone, photos from the Samsung Galaxy A04S (which also has the same megapixel rear camera) are slightly more detailed.

Furthermore, selfies from the front-facing cameras of both of the Samsung and Redmi phones also look more better than the ones from the Spark 10.

But, neither the Galaxy A04s nor Redmi 12C has 8GB of RAM, or all encompassing features and classy looks of the Tecno Spark 10, Though the Redmi phone has a better CPU than all of them. Another contender in this segment is the Infinix Hot 30 Play (x6835b). The Infinix phone has the looks and almost all the features of the Spark 10. It even has a bigger battery and bigger screen. But, it's fitted with a lower megapixel rear camera, compared to the Tecno Spark 10.

DESIGN: Simple But Classy Looks:

For an entry-level android phone, Tecno Spark 10 wear a classy looks. Though the phone is made of plastics and has flat edges and flat back cover like many other recent budget phones, yet it looks more simple and elegant than most of them.

Firstly, despite having a flat back cover like many of them, the entire back of the Spark 10 still appear flatter. Which is as a result of the phone's sharp edges and plain back cover. The plain back cover also has a simple matte finish.

Also, instead of protruding rear camera bump, what you have on the spot (of the camera bump) is a flat, square-shape glossy space. The glossy space houses a pair of neatly placed camera sensor. The phone's dual LED Flash is also placed inside the glossy space, alongside the two cameras.

It's these physical attributes (glossy space, circular cameras, plain back cover and sharp edges) that caused Tecno Spark 10 to look simple yet classier than most of its competitions. The phone also has an unusual thickness of 8.4mm and an average weight of about 191g. 

Though the latest phone doesn't have a rear-mounted fingerprint reader like the Spark 9, yet the arrangements of other buttons and ports remain as those of the earlier phone and most of other budget phones. You have the volume keys and power button (which doubles as a fingerprint reader) on the right edge of the phone, while its 4G Dual Nano-SIM+microSD Card slot is located on the left edge. The phone's microphone, 3.5mm audio jack and mono speaker, are placed on its bottom edge, alongside USB Type-C port. It should also be noted that the phone also comes with dual LED flash on its front, just like its back.

CAMERA: Upgraded Rear Camera:

The 50-megapixel dual rear camera of the Tecno Spark 10 is made up a 50-megapixel main sensor and an AI sensor (which assist the main rear camera in delivering clearer shots).

As a result of its high megapixel sensor, the rear camera of the Spark 10 was able to take a clearer and better-looking photos than its predecessor. The shots also look better than those of many at this price point. Photos are sharp, clear and have vibrant and solid colours. Dynamic Range also looks nice.

Though, as i stated before, and compared to those of other more expensive phones that have similar 50-megapixel rear cameras, photos from the Spark 10 are less detailed. But this doesn't erase the fact the photos are clearer and more detailed than those of its competitions that feature lower megapixel rear cameras

Also i said earlier, the front-facing camera of the Spark 10 was able to take a nice-looking shots. For an 8-megapixel front camera, selfies are sharp and moderately detailed. Colour representation and skin tone also look okay. 

Basically, for an entry-level phone, especially the one at this price point, photos from the front and rear cameras of the Spark 10 look quite okay. But if you still prefer a phone that can deliver a slightly more detailed photos, then you should check out the Samsung Galaxy A04S.

By the way, both the front and rear cameras of the Tecno Spark 10 are capable of shooting videos up to 1080p at 30fps (frame per second).

6.6-inch 720p 90Hz Vibrant Display:

Besides having the same 6.6-inch size as the Spark 9, the screen of the Tecno Spark 10 also features the same 1612x720 resolution. The screen also maintain the clarity and nice colours of the earlier one. Even, unlike that of the earlier phone that's not bright enough, Spark 10 screen brightness is on the high side. This makes the screen fo the latest phone to look more vivid and vibrant than that of the earlier model. And it also makes the screen to be usable outdoors and under direct sunlight.

Although the 720p screen of the Spark 10, with its 269ppi pixel density (sharpness), is not as sharp, or as clear, as that of the Tecno Spark 10 Pro which features 1080p resolution, yet the screen is clear and look nice. Not to forget that the screen also support high or 90hz screen refresh rate like that of the Pro model. High screen refresh rate brings about smoother gaming, page scrolling and swiping.

And just in case the screen doesn't look impressive enough for you, you need to check out the one on the Infinix Hot 30 Play.

Decent Performance:

Though Tecno Spark 10 retain the Helio G37 MediaTek chipset of its predecessor, but the latest phone is running on the recent Android 13 OS with the latest Tecno HiOS 12.6 custom UI on top. And to ensure efficient performance, Spark 10 is also equipped with an higher RAM of 8GB.

Helio G37 is a 12nm octa-core gaming processor, and it has a maximum clock speed of 2.3GHz. The processor is also fitted with the PowerVR-GE8322 GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Though this CPU is still categorized as an entry-level gaming chipset because it doesn't pack enough graphics power, but it has enough processing power to handle more than regular tasks such as day-to-day usage and casual internet browsing. In other words, when it comes to a more demanding tasks such as quick multitasking and heavy internet browsing, Spark 10 was able to maintain lag-free performance. Even at medium graphics and medium frame rate settings, Spark 10 was able to handle some graphics demanding games.

And as i mentioned before, the performance of the Tecno Spark 10 can still be boosted through RAM Virtualization or MemFusion. MemFusion enables you to convert, up to 8GB, out of the phone's inbuilt storage space to virtual RAM. Thereby increasing the default 8GB of RAM of the Spark 10 up to 16GB. Also the 128GB inbuilt storage of the Spark 10 can also be expanded, via microSD card, up to 1TB (One Terabyte).

Same Battery But Quick Charging:

Like its predecessor, Tecno Spark 10 is fitted with a 5000mAh battery and USB Type-C port. But unlike the earlier phone that featured 10W standard charging, Spark 10 support 18W Quick charging. As a result, it took the latest phone about one hour forty five minutes to fully charge its battery from zero percent. While it took the earlier Spark 9 over two hours thirty minutes to do so.

Full Specifications Of Tecno Spark 10 (ki5q):

GENERAL

Maker: Tecno Mobile.

Name: Spark 10 (ki5q).

Year Announced: March, 2023.

Dimensions: 163.9x75.4x8.4mm

Weight: N/a.   

Colour: META White, META Blue & META Black.

DISPLAY
Screen Type: IPS-LCD capacitive Touchscreen.

Size and Resolution: 6.56-inch, HD+, 1612-by-720 pixels, 90Hz (high) Refresh Rate.

Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 20.15:9, 269PPI.

Protection N/a.

PORTS:

3.5mm Audio Jack: Yes.

USB Type-C Port: Yes.

MicroUSB port: No.

Lightning Connector: No.

Google Assistant Button: No.

PERFORMANCE

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

GPU: PowerVR-GE8322.

RAM: 8GB (can be increased, up to 16GB).

Operating System: Android 13, HiOS 12.6.

STORAGE

Internal Storage: 128GB.

Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 1TB.

SIM AND NETWORK

SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.

Network:  GSM, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE.

CAMERA

Rear camera: Dual-lens; 50MP (Main) +AI, With Dual-Flash.

Front camera: Single-lens, 8MP+ Dual 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, NFC.

BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION: 

Security: Face Unlock, Side-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: 18W.

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