Tecno Spark 20 (KJ5) Price, Review And Specifications.
Tecno Spark 20 (kj5) Quick Specs:
Display: 6.56" HD+ (1612×720) Dot-In IPS-LCD Display.
Software: Android 13 OS, HiOS 13.5v.
CPU: MediaTek Helio G85.
RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GB (Plus up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).
Storage: 128GB/256GB (Expandable to 1TB).
Rear Camera: Dual-lens (50MP+AI).
Front Camera: Single-lens (32MP).
Security: Face Unlock, Side-mounted fingerprint reader.
Port: USB Type-C.
Network: 4G.
Battery: 5,000mAh.
Charging Speed: 18W.
Starting Price:
₦149,000, GH₵ 1,241, KSh 17,650, UGX 425,000.
Tecno Spark 20 (kj5) is one of the few budget phones (especially at this price point) that's splash and dust resistant certified. Also compared to its main contenders, the phone is equipped with two speakers and offers higher megapixel front-facing camera. Despite having the same CPU as the competitions, Spark 20 also moves a little faster and comes in higher RAM and higher storage options.
Yet, in spite of these remarkable attributes, Spark 20 retain other selling features of the competitions. For instance, the phone support quick charging and features high screen refresh rate. In short, Tecno Spark 20 can be regarded as an affordable phone with all-round of essential features. However, compared to the contenders, the phone comes in a slightly smaller form factor. Which also implies that it has a slightly smaller screen size than the competitors. The screen is a little less vibrant too.
Tecno Spark 20 is the regular model of the recently unveiled Tecno Spark 20 series. And it's also the successor to the Tecno Spark 10 (ki5q). Though the phone wears similar looks and has the same footprint (even the same screen size) as its predecessor, still, it sports two cosmetic differences. Firstly, the drop notch on the earlier phone's display has been replaced with a hole-punch on the Spark 20. Also despite having similar triple rear camera ring, the latest model comes with an elevated (or bumpy) camera space. Which makes the back of the phone to look more like that of an iPhone. And lastly, the single speaker on the earlier model has been upgraded to a dual speaker on the Spark 20.
Therefore, it's the dual speaker, selfie camera cut-out, and elevated back camera bump that caused the latest phone to looks different from the Spark 10, otherwise the phone would've looked exactly like the earlier one. But despite that the front of the Spark 20 looks classier than that of the Spark 10, many competitions wear the same looks. Even the main contenders wear a more premium looks than this Tecno phone. However, none of them is IP53 (splash and dust resistant) certified like the Spark 20.
There's a 50-megapixel dual camera on the back of the Spark 20. Which is also what you got on the earlier Spark 10. And most of the Spark 20 contenders also have the same camera set-up. But the 8-megapixel selfie lens on the earlier phone has been upgraded to a 32-megapixel lens on the Spark 20. Also none of the competitions offer such high megapixel selfie lens, instead, they all have 8-megapixel front cameras.
As result of its higher megapixel front-facing camera, Spark 20 was able to take clearer and more detailed selfies than the competitions. But, as expected, the shots from the phone's rear camera have the same level of sharpness and detail. However, the colour accuracy of the Tecno photos fall slightly below those of the the main contenders. Regardless, the colour representation still looks nice. In short, the colour representation is more better than those of the Spark 10, even Spark 10 Pro (ki7) (which has the same camera set-up as the Spark 20).
In spite of its hole-punch camera, Tecno Spark 20 has the same 6.6-inch screen size and features the same 720p resolution as its predecessor. It also support 90hz refresh rate. The screen also maintain the clarity, pleasant colours and decent brightness level of the earlier one. However, the latest screen seems to be a little less vibrant than the earlier one. Also, the screen is a little less vivid than those of the main contenders, despite having IPS-LCD panel like them.
Tecno Spark 20 is powered by MediaTek Helio G85 CPU. Though this is a significant upgrade from the Helio G37 that's inside the Spark 10, yet it's still an entry-level processor. And most of the competitions are fitted with the same CPU. Yey like the competitions and its predecessor, Spark 20 is pre-installed with Android 13 OS. Even while the main contenders come with assurances of future OS upgrades, Spark 20 didn't come with such promise. Nonetheless, the phone is likely to get the latest version of the Android OS.
Also like the rest, the base model of the Spark 20 comes with 4GB of RAM. And there's also 6GB of RAM variant. Yet, both of them have 128GB internal storage space. However, only few contenders have 8GB of RAM variant like the Tecno Spark 20. Although virtually all of them have higher storage option of 256GB.
Tecno Spark 20 packs more than enough processing power for day-to-day usage. And when it comes to demanding tasks like high definition video streaming and multitasking, the phone didn't lag or slow down. Even, and surprisingly, despite having the same configurations as the main competitions, Spark 20 is more responsive and moves slightly faster than most of them (both in day-to-day usage and performance tests). Nonetheless Spark 20 is still a budget phone, meaning its performance is limited; especially when it comes to gaming.
Besides having the same CPU, amount of RAM and Android version as the contenders, Spark 20 also shares the rest of the features with them. For instance, the phone is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery and support 18W fast charging. It also features USB Type-C port and has a side-mounted fingerprint reader. Still, unlike most of the competitions, Spark 20 comes with complete accessories in its box. This is one of the reasons i called it a budget phone with all-round of essential features.
Inside the box of the phone is an 18W fast charger, USB to Type-C cable, earphone and a TPU casing. But the main contender, Xiaomi Redmi 13C, lacks both the TPU casing and earphone. Also despite supporting 18W fast charging like the Tecno, Redmi 13C comes with 10W charger in the box.
Design Colours:
Currently, the price of the Tecno Spark 20 is around 149,000 Naira. And it's available in different colour options of Gravity Black, Cyber Blue, Neon Gold Blue and Skin 2.0 (Blue).
Design:
There's not much difference between the Tecno Spark 20 and most of other recent budget phones. Because the phone sports a familiar flat edges and flat back cover. The only refreshing thing about the Spark 20 design is its premium looking rear camera bump. The rectangular-shape glossy bump (which resembles that of an iPhone) looks distinct on the back of the phone. And it houses the 50-megapixel dual rear sensor (and LED Flash) of the phone in an iPhone style manner.
Furthermore, and besides having dual speaker, Tecno Spark 20 also has a better build quality than many budget phones. As i mentioned before, it's IP53 (dust and splash resistance) rated; something you don't usually get at this price point. Although the main contenders, Redmi 13C and Samsung Galaxy A05, also have better build quality, in fact the Samsung phone is well put together than the Spark 20. Still none of the two contenders is IP53 certified. None of them also has stereo speakers. Notwithstanding, those two phones, especially Galaxy A05, look and feel more premium than the Spark 20. They also come in a slightly bigger footprint. Which also implies that they offer slightly bigger displays. In addition to that, the screen of the Redmi 13C is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass.
Meanwhile, the arrangement of ports and buttons on the Tecno Spark 20 are similar to those of other budget phones. The phone features a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port and a microphone. And all of them, including the phone's primary speaker, are concentrated on the bottom edge. The only thing on the top edge of the Spark 20 is second speaker.
On the phone's right edge is power button and volume keys. While its dual nano-SIM+microSD card slot (and tray) are located on its left edge.
Familiar Display:
As i said earlier, and in spite of its camera cut-out, the screen of the Tecno Spark 20 is of the same size (6.56") as that of its predecessor. It also features the same 720p resolution of 1612-by-720 pixels. Not to forget that the screen also support 90hz refresh rate (for smoother gaming, page scrolling and swiping). The picture quality is almost the same too. The screen is clear, moderately bright and have nice colours. Still, in spites of its decent brightness level, the screen of the latest phone has lower contrast, in comparison to the earlier one. And this makes the latest phone display to look a little less vibrant.
The bigger displays of the Redmi 13C and Galaxy A05 have slightly better colour reproduction and they are more vibrant than that of the Spark 20. However, out of the two contenders, it's only the Redmi 13C screen that support high refresh rate (like the Tecno).
Furthermore, under normal lighting conditions, the screen of the Spark 20 gives an impression of being brighter; which as a result of its low contrast. But the screen struggles under direct sunlight. Although the screens of the two contenders also didn't do well under direct sunlight, they are more clearer.
For a budget phone, especially the one at this price point, photos taken with the Tecno Spark 20 look quite good. Photos from the 50-megapixel rear camera are clear, detailed and have good colour representation. They are devoid of warm tone and saturated colours that affected the photos from the earlier Spark 10 series.
When compared the Spark 20 photos to the ones taken with the Xiaomi Redmi 13C. At a glance, they look almost alike. But on a closer look, i noticed that the Redmi shots have slightly better colour representation, or the colours are more true-to-life. I also noticed similar things, when compared the photos from the Tecno phone to those of the Galaxy A05. However, unlike the ones from the Redmi and the Tecno phone, the human subjects from the Samsung photos seem to have reddish/purplish tinge.
Also despite that the shorts from the Spark 20 appear brighter, yet as i mentioned before, they are not as vivid as those of the Redmi and Samsung phone. And i think it's because the shots from the Tecno phone lack good contrast, unlike those of the two phones.
However, the HDR shots from the Tecno phone look better. Also the portrait shots seem to have better edge detection than those of the two contenders. Yet, Night Mode shots from the Spark 20 has the same level of detail and clarity as those of the two phones.
But where the Tecno Spark 20 really outshines the two competitors is in area selfie. Apart from the fact that the selfie camera of the Tecno phone has an higher megapixel sensor, which enable it to take clearer and more detailed selfies, the camera also has ability to capture selfies in wider FoV (Field of View). The selfies' dynamic range and portrait shots also look better. Again, in spite of those remarkable photos attributes, colour representation, especially skin tone, of the Tecno selfies are not as good as those of the Redmi 13C. Still, i prefer the colour representation of the Tecno selfies to those of the Galaxy A05.
Also while the video recordings for both of the Redmi 13C and Galaxy A05 are capped at 1080p, Tecno Spark 20 front and rear cameras can shoot videos up to 2K at 30fps (frame per second). However, there's no Image Stabilization for the Tecno phone and the other two.
Processing Power, Software and Battery Life:
As i previously mentioned, despite featuring the same Helio G85 CPU and running on the same Android 13 OS like the competitions, Spark 20 delivered slightly faster and smoother performance than them. And i think the slightly better performance is a result of the phone well optimized custom UI, i.e., the latest Tecno HiOS 13.5.0.
However, as i also mentioned, don't expect amazing performance from the Spark 20, especially when it comes to graphics demanding gaming. Though the phone still managed to play many of those games without lagging, but at low frame rates and low graphics settings.
Furthermore, apart from bringing about a smoother performance, the new HiOS custom UI also packs some interesting features; which include but not limited to App Twins, Social Turbo, AI Tips, and Dynamic Port. But Dynamic Port is the notable one among them. Dynamic Port mimics the recent iPhones "Dynamic Island" by transforming the camera cut-out on the Spark 20 display to a pill or cylindrical shape cut-out. Dynamic Port can be toggled On in the settings. Afterwards, some of your notifications will start to show inside the Port.
Because Tecno Spark 20 has the same battery capacity and the same CPU as the competitions, the battery life is also similar. But, the phone has a slightly better battery life than its predecessor. And with its out-of-the-box 18W fast charger, it'll take you a little over two hours to fully charge Tecno Spark 20 battery from one percent.
Tecno Spark 20 (kj5) Full Specs:
GENERAL
Maker: Tecno Mobile.
Name: Spark 20 (kj5).
Year Released: October, 2023.
Dimensions: 163.7x75.6x8.45mm
Weight: 192g.
Protection: N/a.
Colour: Gravity Black, Cyber White, Neon Gold & Skin 2.0 (Blue).
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 Hello G85 12nm Octa-core Processor, 2.0GHz.
GPU: Mali-G52 MC2.
RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GB (With up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).
Operating System: Android 13, HiOS 13.5v.
STORAGE
Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB.
Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 1TB (One Terabyte).
SIM AND NETWORK
SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.
Network: GSM, HSPA+,& LTE.
CAMERA
Rear camera: Triple-lens; 50MP (Wide)+AI, LED-Flash.
Front camera: Single-lens, 32MP.
VIDEO RECORDING:
Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p, & 2K @ 30 fps.
Front Camera: 720p, 1080p, & 2K @ 30 fps.
CONNECTIVITY:
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, HotSpots, USB-OTG, NFC.
BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION:
Security: Face Unlock, Side-mounted fingerprint reader.
Sensors: Ambient light, Virtual Proximity, G-sensor, Accelerometer And
Barometer.
Others: GPS, Location (Geo, Glonass), Beidou.
BATTERY
Battery Capacity: 5,000mAh.
Qi Wireless-Charging: N/a.
Fast Charging: 18W (Wired).
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