Tecno Pop 8 (BG6) Price, Review And Specifications.
Display: 6.56" HD+ (1612×720) Dot-In IPS-LCD 90Hz Display.
Software: Android 13 (Go Edition) OS, HiOS 13.5v.
CPU: Unisoc T606.
RAM: 3GB/4GB (Plus up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).
Storage: 64GB/128GB (Expandable to 1TB).
Rear Camera: Dual-lens (13MP+AI).
Front Camera: Single-lens (8MP).
Security: Face Unlock, Side-mounted fingerprint reader.
Port: USB Type-C.
Network: 4G.
Battery: 5,000mAh.
Starting Price:
₦106,500, GH₵ 962, KSh 13,500, UGX 343,400.
Basically, Tecno Pop 8 (BG6) shares looks, as well as features, with the competitions. In other words, there's not much difference between this phone and its main rivals.
Nonetheless, this phone still stands out among them. And it's mainly because some of its features have been optimized (or tweaked) to give better results. For instance, despite having the same camera set-up as the competitions, photos taken with the Pop 8 look more true to life. Its display is also more vivid. Another thing that distinguishes Tecno Pop 8 from its peers is stereo speakers.
By the way, Tecno Pop 8 is the direct successor to the Tecno Pop 7 Pro (BF7). And it maintains the looks, display, and some of the features of the earlier model. However, the latest phone looks slightly different and offers a few upgrades.
Starting from the cosmetics difference, the rear-mounted fingerprint reader on the earlier model has been replaced with a side-mounted one. The latest phone also sports a more stylish hole-punch display.
Some of the upgraded features on the Pop 8 includes an higher megapixel front-facing camera and high screen refresh rate. Under the hood also, Tecno Pop 8 is powered by a stronger CPU and it's running on the recent Android OS. The latest Pop is also available in higher storage option.
Briefly talking about its design. Tecno Pop 8 wears the same familiar sleek looks as the competitions. In other words, the phone has flat edges, flat back cover, and a premium looking rear camera bump. And on its front is a nice looking 6.56-inch hole-punch display. However, because the design is common among most of the recent phones, especially the entry-level ones, it's difficult to tell Tecno Pop 8 apart from its main rivals, namely Infinix Smart 8 (X6525) and Itel A70 (A665L).
However, because it's the only one among them (even in this segment) that offers dual speaker, the phone can be singled out by its second speaker; which is located on the top edge.
Nonetheless, if you prefer a more unique and refreshing design, and better build quality, Xiaomi Redmi A3 is the best choice.
There's a 13-megapixel dual camera on the back of the Pop 8 and an 8-megapixel single lens on its front (which is an upgrade from the 5-megapixel selfie lens on the Pop 7 Pro). Though the set-up is what you also get on others at this price point, yet photos taken with the Tecno Pop 8 have better colour representation (though the level of details remain the same). Also despite that the 6.56-inch screen (and its 720p resolution) is also what you get on most budget phones in this segment, the one on the Pop 8 looks more vibrant. But again, Redmi A3 was able to deliver slightly better looking shots than the Pop 8, and the screen of the Redmi phone also looks more appealing. But Pop 8 outshined A3 when it comes to performance.
Under the hood, Tecno Pop 8 is powered by Unisoc (Spreadtrum) T606 CPU. Which is a 12nm Octa-core processor; and an upgrade from the Helio A22 28nm Quad-core CPU that came with the Pop 7 Pro. The new phone is also pre-installed with the latest version of HiOS custom UI; running on top of the recent Android 13 (Go Edition) OS.
As a result of its better CPU, Tecno Pop 8 was able to move faster and handle demanding tasks, like gaming, much better than its predecessor (even despite running on the recent software).
And to further ensure consistence smooth performance, Tecno Pop 8 features MemFusion or RAM Virtualization, like its predecessor. Also, like its predecessor, the latest phone is available in 3GB of RAM and 4GB of RAM variants. But while the 3GB of RAM variant is paired with 64GB internal storage, the 4GB of RAM variant is paired with 128GB storage. There's also 4GB of RAM with 64GB storage variant.
As i said, and despite having similar hardware as the competitions, Pop 8 was able to move a little faster than all of them (including Redmi A3). But, A3 is the only one with the latest Android 14 OS.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Pop 8 features are exactly like those of the Pop 7 Pro and other budget phones. For instance, Tecno Pop 8 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and it doesn't support fast charging. The phone also maintain the USB Type-C port, NFC, and 3.5mm audio jack of its predecessor.
The Contenders:
Infinix Smart 8 is technically the same phone as the Pop 8. In other words, and from design to specs, these two phones have almost everything in common except for the fact that Pop 8 features dual speaker. Though, as i also said, some features of the Tecno, such as cameras and display, have been tweaked to give slightly better result than those of the Smart 8.
Also from the looks to specs, Itel A70 shares almost everything with the Tecno Pop 8 and Infinix Smart 8. But instead of camera cut-outs, the display of the Itel phone sports a tear-drop notch and it also lacks high refresh rate. A70 is also equipped with a little less beefier CPU than both of the phones. And i think it's the lack of those features that makes A70 attract a little lower price than the Smart 8 and Pop 8.
Compared to all the three phones above, Xiaomi Redmi A3 wears a more premium and refreshing looks. A3 also comes in a bigger body and has a better build quality. Though instead of camera cut-outs, A3 display has a tear-drop notch, yet apart from thee fact that it's bigger, the screen of the Redmi phone is also prettier and a little more vibrant than the ones on the three phones. Also despite that the A3 is fitted with a lower megapixel cameras, photos taken with the phone looks slightly better. However, as a result of its slightly different CPU, the performance of the Redmi phone falls a little below those of the Pop 8 and Smart 8. Nonetheless, Apart from the fact that it's the only one with latest OS, Redmi A3 is also the only one with the promise of future OS updates.
Price And Design Colours:
Tecno Pop 8 sports an appealing semi-glossy finish and it's available in different colour options of Mystery White, Alpenglow Gold, Magic Skin, and Gravity Black. Currently, the price of the base (3GB/64GB) model of the phone is around 106,500 naira.
Premium Design:
Tecno Pop 8 wears the same sleek looks as the main contenders, i.e., Infinix Smart 8 and Itel A70. The phone has the same flat edges and flat back cover. It also sports an identical square shaped, rear camera module; which resembles those of the iPhones. The dual rear camera and LED Flash (inside the module) are also arranged in a manner that's similar to those of the iPhones.
Despite wearing the same sleek looks as the competitions, the front of the Pop 8 still looks sleeker. Which is as a result of its hole-punch selfie camera, compared to the tear-drop notches on the Itel A70, Redmi A3, and virtually all other phones (except Smart 8) at this price point.
So, in addition to its stereo speakers, another selling point of the Pop 8 is its hole-punch selfie camera. Apart from the fact it makes the front of the phone to look sleeker, it's also hard to come across this feature on the low-end budget phones. In fact, Tecno Pop 8 and Infinix Smart 8 are the only two phones right now, at this price point, that offers hole-punch displays.
Still, in spite of its tear-drop notch, Redmi A3 is the only one at this price point with Corning Gorilla Glass on the front and glassy finish on the back. That, in addition to its premium design and better build quality.
Meanwhile, the positions of ports and buttons (and their arrangements) on the Tecno Pop 8 are exactly like those of the competitions. On the left side of the phone is dual 4G nano-SIM+microSD card slot (and tray), while the volume keys and power button (which also doubles as a fingerprint reader) are located on the right edge of the phone. On the bottom edge is the phone's 3.5mm audio jack, microphone, USB Type-C port and first speaker. The second speaker is placed on top edge. Except for second speaker, there's nothing else on the top edge of the Pop 8.
Same Screen Size And Resolution But Support 90Hz Refresh Rate:
Apart from the fact that the screen of the Pop 8 also has the same 6.56-inch size as the one on its predecessor, the screen also has the same 720p resolution of 1612-by-720 pixels (269ppi).
Though, as i mentioned earlier, this screen size (and resolution) is common among most of the recent budget phones, yet, apart from the fact that the screen of the Pop 8 is distinguished by its slightly more vibrant picture, it also supports 90hz (or high) refresh rate (for smoother page scrolling, swiping and gaming). Also as a result of its vibrancy, the screen of the Pop 8 is more visible under direct sunlight, compared to those of the Smart 8 and A70. Still, the colour reproduction and maximum brightness level of the Tecno screen is not up to that of the Redmi A3.
Same Camera Set-Up As Others, Yet Better Looking Photos:
In terms of detail and sharpness, there's no much difference between the shots taken with the Tecno Pop 8 and those of the competitions. And this is as a result of the fact that they all (except Redmi A3) feature 13-megapixel dual rear cameras. However, talking about vibrancy and colour representation, photos from this Tecno phone look much better the ones from the two main contenders, i.e., Smart 8 and Itel A70.
Also despite having an 8-megapixel selfie lens like those two phones, selfies from the Pop 8 have better colour representations. Even the selfies are little more detailed and have better skin tone.
But, as i said earlier, and with its lower megapixels cameras, Redmi A3 managed to capture slightly better looking photos than the Pop 8.
Nonetheless, like the rest, Tecno Pop 8 can shoot videos up to 1080p (max) at 30fps (frame per second), with both of its front and rear cameras.
Recent Software And Slightly Better Performance:
Tecno Pop 8 is running on the Tecno HiOS 13.0 Skin, based on the Android 13 (Go Edition) OS. Though the new HiOS custom UI comes with many interesting features, but the notable one among them is Dynamic Port. This feature mimics the Island Bar of the recent iPhones. In other words, and by toggle On the Dynamic Port in the phone settings, the circular camera cut-out will be transformed to a cylindrical or pill-shape cut-out; which looks like the one on the iPhones. And afterwards, some of your notifications will start to show inside the Port.
Meanwhile, apart from the fact that Tecno Pop 8 was able to deliver a more faster and smoother performance than its predecessor, the processing power of the phone is also on par with those of the more expensive entry-level phones. Because the phone's 12nm Unisoc T606 CPU (or its equivalents) is also what you get on the more expensive budget phones.
Meaning, Tecno Pop 8 packs enough processing power for more than basic tasks or day-to-day usage. Because when it comes to heavy internet browsing and high definition video streaming, Tecno Pop 8 is smooth and responsive. Even it's able to handle graphics-demanding gaming without much effort. Though to prevent occasionally lagging or stuttering, you need to play those demanding games at Low Graphics and Low Frame Rate settings. Also, just like the way its 3GB and 4GB default RAM can be increased up to 7GB/8GB through Virtual RAM, the 64GB/128GB inbuilt storage of the Tecno Pop 8 can also be expanded, via microSD card, up to 512GB.
Same Battery And Same Standard Charging:
Though the old Unisoc (Spreadtrum) processors were not as energy-siping as their MediaTek counterparts, but we've seen improvements over the years. Especially in the recent ones like the T606. In other words, like its competitions with MediaTek chipsets, the T606-powered Tecno Pop 8 also has good battery life. Also, like the competitions, Tecno Pop 8 doesn't support fast charging. And with its out-of-the-box 10W charger, it'll take you a little over three hours to fully charge this phone's battery from zero percent.
Full Specifications Of Tecno Pop (BG6):
GENERAL
Maker: Tecno Mobile.
Name: Pop 8 (BG6)).
Year Released: October, 2023.
Dimensions: 163.7x75.6x8.55mm
Weight: 192g.
Protection: N/a.
Colour: Gravity Black, Mystery White, Alpenglow Gold & Magic Skin.
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: Unisoc T606 12nm Octa-core Processor, 1.6GHz.
GPU: Mali-G57 MC1.
RAM: 3GB/4GB (With up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).
Operating System: Android 13 (Go Edition), HiOS 13.5v.
STORAGE
Internal Storage: 64GB/128GB.
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: Dual-lens; 13MP +AI, 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 5.3, HotSpots, USB-OTG.
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: 10W (Wired).
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