Tecno Spark 30C (KL5) Price, Review And Specifications.
Display: 6.67" HD+ (1600×720) Hole-Punch 120hz IPS-LCD Display.
Software: Android 14 (Go Edition) OS, HiOS 14.0 Skin.
CPU: Helio G81 (12nm).
RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GGB (And up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).
Storage: 128GB/256GB (expandable up to 1TB).
Rear Camera: Dual-lens (50MP+AI).
Front Camera: Single-lens (8MP).
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint reader, Face Unlock.
Port: USB Type-C.
Network: 4G.
Speaker: Dual.
Battery: 5,000mAh.
Charging Speed: 18W.
Starting Price:
₦155,000, KSh 13,900, GHc 1,660, UGX 425,200,
Despite its more affordable price, Tecno Spark 30C (KL5) has the looks and build quality of expensive budget phones. It also packs most of their selling points. For instance, the phone features stereo speakers and has an IP (Ingress Protection) rating. It also supports fast charging and presents the buyers with an Infrared port. The back of the phone is also mounted with a higher-megapixel camera. Also under the hood, the Spark 30C packs a competent entry-level chipset and it's running on a recent Android OS. The phone is also equipped with spacious inbuilt storage and it's available in various RAM options; to meet your needs.
Although the Spark 30C shares basic specs with the competition, it stands out with its all-encompassing features. However, selfies taken with the main contenders appear to have slightly better colour renditions, but clarities remain almost the same.
Meanwhile, compared to its predecessor, i.e., Tecno Spark 20C, the Spark 30C has a better design, a better build quality, and a slightly bigger display. It also comes with a bunch of improved and up-to-date features. For instance, in addition to its slightly bigger size, the display of the Spark 30 has a higher screen refresh rate and it's a little more vibrant. Also, as i said earlier, the new phone features an Infrared port; which Tecno calls Infrared Remote Control (it enables the phone to function as a TV remote control).
The earlier phone's CPU has also been replaced with a more robust one. The Spark 30C is also pre-installed with recent software and it's available in various RAM options. However, the internal storage configuration remain the same. The new phone also preserves the camera system, dual speaker, fast charging, battery capacity, and side-mounted fingerprinted reader of the earlier one.
Price And Design Colour:
Tecno Spark 30C is available in three colour options Orbit Black, Orbit White, and Magic Skin 3.0. And the current price of the phone is about 155,000 Naira.
The Competing Phones.
First on the list is the Xiaomi Redmi 14C. This Redmi phone has the same CPU, amount of RAM and storage configuration as the Spark 30C. It is also running on the same Android version. The Redmi phone's fast charging and primary back camera are also like those of the Tecno phone. Both of them also feature similar circular camera bumps. But the one on the Tecno phone looks more appealing and minimalistic. Also while the Tecno phone sports a hole-punch display, the Redmi 14C comes with a notched display.
Still, the Redmi phone features the same (higher) screen refresh rate as the Spark 30C, even the Redmi phone's display is bigger and more vibrant. Also while having the same primary camera as the Tecno phone, the Redmi 14C present the buyers with a Macro camera. It also has a higher-megapixel front-facing camera. And of all the competing phones, the Redmi 14C has the best-looking selfies. The phone also packs a slightly bigger battery than them. Unfortunately, the Redmi 14C lacks the Infrared port and dual speaker of the Tecno phone.
Although the Spark 30C shares basic specs with the competition, it stands out with its all-encompassing features. However, selfies taken with the main contenders appear to have slightly better colour renditions, but clarities remain almost the same.
Meanwhile, compared to its predecessor, i.e., Tecno Spark 20C, the Spark 30C has a better design, a better build quality, and a slightly bigger display. It also comes with a bunch of improved and up-to-date features. For instance, in addition to its slightly bigger size, the display of the Spark 30 has a higher screen refresh rate and it's a little more vibrant. Also, as i said earlier, the new phone features an Infrared port; which Tecno calls Infrared Remote Control (it enables the phone to function as a TV remote control).
The earlier phone's CPU has also been replaced with a more robust one. The Spark 30C is also pre-installed with recent software and it's available in various RAM options. However, the internal storage configuration remain the same. The new phone also preserves the camera system, dual speaker, fast charging, battery capacity, and side-mounted fingerprinted reader of the earlier one.
Price And Design Colour:
Tecno Spark 30C is available in three colour options Orbit Black, Orbit White, and Magic Skin 3.0. And the current price of the phone is about 155,000 Naira.
The Competing Phones.
First on the list is the Xiaomi Redmi 14C. This Redmi phone has the same CPU, amount of RAM and storage configuration as the Spark 30C. It is also running on the same Android version. The Redmi phone's fast charging and primary back camera are also like those of the Tecno phone. Both of them also feature similar circular camera bumps. But the one on the Tecno phone looks more appealing and minimalistic. Also while the Tecno phone sports a hole-punch display, the Redmi 14C comes with a notched display.
Still, the Redmi phone features the same (higher) screen refresh rate as the Spark 30C, even the Redmi phone's display is bigger and more vibrant. Also while having the same primary camera as the Tecno phone, the Redmi 14C present the buyers with a Macro camera. It also has a higher-megapixel front-facing camera. And of all the competing phones, the Redmi 14C has the best-looking selfies. The phone also packs a slightly bigger battery than them. Unfortunately, the Redmi 14C lacks the Infrared port and dual speaker of the Tecno phone.
Like the Redmi 14C, the Samsung Galaxy A06 has a notched display and a mono speaker. The Samsung phone also lacks the Infrared port or any other fancy features. Even, the base version of the A06 features half of inbuilt storage of the Redmi and Tecno phones. The Samsung phone display also lacks high refresh rate, unlike those of the two phones. Though the A06 display is more vibrant and looks nicer.
And the Samsung phone has the quickest charging speed. Also despite having the same main rear camera as the two phones, photos taken with the Samsung phone are more true-to-life. Selfies taken with the phone also look good. Still, the selfies fall short of the ones from the Redmi 14C. By the way, the Samsung phone's front-facing camera has the same megapixel as that of the Spark 30C.
Under the hood, the Galaxy A06 has the same amount of RAM and Android version as the Spark 30C and Redmi 14C. But the CPU that powered the Samsung phone is slightly older. Still, the CPU packs the same processing power as the one inside the two phones. Even in performance tests, the A06 outshines them a little.
In addition to the Redmi 14C and Galaxy A06, there's also the Infinix Hot 50i. Unfortunately, this Infinix phone shares everything with the Tecno Spark 30C. In short, except for its square-shaped camera bump, better main rear sensor and lack of Infrared port, the Hot 50i would have been the same phone as the Spark 30C.
Sleek Design:
Under the hood, the Galaxy A06 has the same amount of RAM and Android version as the Spark 30C and Redmi 14C. But the CPU that powered the Samsung phone is slightly older. Still, the CPU packs the same processing power as the one inside the two phones. Even in performance tests, the A06 outshines them a little.
In addition to the Redmi 14C and Galaxy A06, there's also the Infinix Hot 50i. Unfortunately, this Infinix phone shares everything with the Tecno Spark 30C. In short, except for its square-shaped camera bump, better main rear sensor and lack of Infrared port, the Hot 50i would have been the same phone as the Spark 30C.
Sleek Design:
Tecno Spark 30C has an appealing design. The phone has a flat rear, flat sides and a 6.67-inch hole-punch display. The back of the phone is also mounted with a big and nice-looking circular camera module (looks more like a circular ring though). Inside the circular module are what look like three cameras and an LED flash. But the phone has two cameras. What's inside the respective third and fourth spots is the Infrared port and an LED Flash.
The Tecno Spark 30C also has a good build quality. Though the build quality is what you get at this price point, but the phone is well put together. As i said before, the Spark 30C is IP54 (Dust and water splash resistance) certified. It's also on the light side (187g) and noticeably flat. Also despite that the phone has a slightly wider (20:9) aspect ratio, it is sizable. To me, the Tecno Spark 30C has a better design and looks more appealing than the other major contenders. And out of the phone's three design colours, i prefer Orbit White. It makes the back of the phone look classier and more premium.
Meanwhile, like those of the others, the Spark 30C volume keys and power button (which also serves as a fingerprint reader) are located on its right side. The phone's SIM tray; which can take two 4G nanoSIM cards and one microSD card, is located on its left side. On the phone's bottom side is a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a USB Type-C port and first speaker. The second speaker is the only thing on the top side of the phone.
120Hz Display:
The 6.67-inch display of the Tecno Spark 30C, as i said, has a 20:9 aspect ratio. And it features a 720p resolution of 1600-by-720 pixels (or a pixel density of 263ppi). By the way, the displays of the competing phones also have 720p resolutions. And it's what you get on most phones in this segment.
Also like the competition (except for the Galaxy A06), the Spark 30C also support high refresh rates of up to 120Hz (for smoother gaming, page swiping and scrolling).
However, in practice, the 120Hz refresh rate of the Spark 30C display still feels like a 90Hz refresh rate. In other words, the fluidity or extra smoothness that accompanies a typical 120Hz refresh rate display is missing.
In terms of picture quality, the display of the Tecno Spark 30C looks nice. It is clear and has decent colour reproduction. The display Colour temperature (or White balance) can also be adjusted (manually) to your taste. Also, the display is noticeably bright under most lighting conditions. However, with its maximum or peak brightness, it didn't perform well under direct sunlight. In other words, you'll struggle to see what's on the screen. If you want a slightly vibrant and better-looking display, i'd say you should go for either of the Galaxy A06 or Redmi 14C. But the mono speakers on the Samsung and Redmi phones don't sound as good as the stereo speakers of the Tecno phone.
Decent Camera:
The dual back camera of the Tecno Spark 30C is made up of a 50MP main sensor and 0.8MP auxiliary or AI sensor (which assist the main sensor in taking better-looking photos). And there's an 8MP camera on the front of the phone.
Basically, like those of others in this segment, photos taken with the Tecno Spark 30C won't wow you, but they look more than okay. Secondly, you need good lighting conditions to get the best result from this phone's camera.
That said, photos from the Spark 30C main rear camera are clear and sharp. And when the photos are zoomed in (which can go up to 10x), the level of detail is manageable. The colour rendition is also decent. The colours are moderately saturated and vibrant. HDR shots also look okay. Subject separation of Portrait shots also looks okay. But i noticed that the portrait shots have ting of magenta or warm colours.
Turning to the front. Selfies from the phone's 8MP front-facing camera are also clear and sharp. However, when it comes to colour rendition, the warm tinge (that affects the rear camera portrait shots) also persists. And it's more noticeable. In addition, the selfies are less vibrant or less bright, compared to the ones taken with the competition.
The 6.67-inch display of the Tecno Spark 30C, as i said, has a 20:9 aspect ratio. And it features a 720p resolution of 1600-by-720 pixels (or a pixel density of 263ppi). By the way, the displays of the competing phones also have 720p resolutions. And it's what you get on most phones in this segment.
Also like the competition (except for the Galaxy A06), the Spark 30C also support high refresh rates of up to 120Hz (for smoother gaming, page swiping and scrolling).
However, in practice, the 120Hz refresh rate of the Spark 30C display still feels like a 90Hz refresh rate. In other words, the fluidity or extra smoothness that accompanies a typical 120Hz refresh rate display is missing.
In terms of picture quality, the display of the Tecno Spark 30C looks nice. It is clear and has decent colour reproduction. The display Colour temperature (or White balance) can also be adjusted (manually) to your taste. Also, the display is noticeably bright under most lighting conditions. However, with its maximum or peak brightness, it didn't perform well under direct sunlight. In other words, you'll struggle to see what's on the screen. If you want a slightly vibrant and better-looking display, i'd say you should go for either of the Galaxy A06 or Redmi 14C. But the mono speakers on the Samsung and Redmi phones don't sound as good as the stereo speakers of the Tecno phone.
Decent Camera:
The dual back camera of the Tecno Spark 30C is made up of a 50MP main sensor and 0.8MP auxiliary or AI sensor (which assist the main sensor in taking better-looking photos). And there's an 8MP camera on the front of the phone.
Basically, like those of others in this segment, photos taken with the Tecno Spark 30C won't wow you, but they look more than okay. Secondly, you need good lighting conditions to get the best result from this phone's camera.
That said, photos from the Spark 30C main rear camera are clear and sharp. And when the photos are zoomed in (which can go up to 10x), the level of detail is manageable. The colour rendition is also decent. The colours are moderately saturated and vibrant. HDR shots also look okay. Subject separation of Portrait shots also looks okay. But i noticed that the portrait shots have ting of magenta or warm colours.
Turning to the front. Selfies from the phone's 8MP front-facing camera are also clear and sharp. However, when it comes to colour rendition, the warm tinge (that affects the rear camera portrait shots) also persists. And it's more noticeable. In addition, the selfies are less vibrant or less bright, compared to the ones taken with the competition.
Generally, photos taken with the Tecno Spark 30C are more than okay for most users. However, if you are someone that pays attention to photo details, especially colour rendition, i would say should go for the 14C. The Redmi phone was able to capture better-looking photos, especially selfies.
By the way, the Tecno Spark 30C can shoot videos up to 2K at 30fps (frame per second). However, the video recordings for the other two phones are capped at 1080p. There's no video stabilization for the Spark 30C and the rest though.
Recent CPU, Recent OS:
The Tecno Spark 30C is pre-installed with Tecno HiOS 14.0 skin; based on Android 14 Go Edition (light version) OS. Our review unit has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There's also 6GB of RAM and 8GB of RAM variants. Also in addition to the 128GB storage option, there's a 256GB option. Nonetheless, whichever storage option you choose, you can still expand it, via microSD card, up to 1TB.
The Tecno Spark 30C is powered by Helio G81 CPU; a recently unveiled entry-level processor from MediaTek. By the way, it should be noted that this is the same processor that's inside the competition (safe for the Galaxy A06 that comes with Helio G85). Ironically, the Helio G81 is just a modified version of the Helio G85. Because both of them are technically the same. In short, there are only two small differences between them. The Helio G81 supports Bluetooth 5.4 (compared to 5.0 of the earlier CPU). However, the new CPU has a slightly lower GPU clock speed of 950MHz, compared to 1000MHz of the Helio G85. And that's just all.
Meanwhile, as i mentioned earlier, the Helio G81 is an entry-level gaming processor. This means the CPU is designed to handle regular tasks and moderate gaming. In real situation, Tecno Spark 30C handles day-to-day tasks such as multitasking, internet browsing, and video streaming without issue. Notwithstanding, if you're the type of person who likes to open multiple apps and jum in between them quickly, i'd say you should go for the 6GB RAM version of the phone. To ensure consistency and smoothness.
Though the Spark 30C is not a gaming phone, yet due to its CPU gaming potentiality, the phone managed to play most of the demanding games fairly. But many of the games had to be played at medium Graphics and low Frame rate settings. To reduce lagging or stuttering.
Typical Battery, Typical Fast Charging:
The Tecno Spark 30C has a regular 5,000mAh battery and features 18W fast charging. By the way, all the competing phones have the same battery capacity and the same fast charging (safe for the Galaxy A06 phone that features 25W fast charging). The Tecno phone comes with an 18W fast charger in its box. And with the 18W charger, it will take you about two hours to fully charge the Tecno Spark 30C from zero percent.
Tecno Spark 30C (KL5) Full Specs:
GENERAL
Maker: Tecno Mobile.
Name: Spark 30C (kl5).
Year Released: September, 2024.
Dimensions: N/a.
Weight: 187g.
Build Resistance: IP54 (Water splash & dust resistance) certified.
Colour: Orbit Black, Orbit White, & Magic Skin 3.0.
DISPLAY
Screen Type: IPS-LCD Capcitive Touch-screen.
Screen Type: IPS-LCD Capcitive Touch-screen.
Size and Resolution: 6.67-inch, HD+, 1600-by-720 pixels, 120Hz (high) Refresh Rate.
Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 20:9, 263PPI.
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 G81, 12nm Octa-Core Processor, 2.0GHz.
GPU: Mali-G52 MP2.
RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GB (With up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).
Operating System: Android 14 Go Edition, HiOS 14.0.
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: Dual-lens; 50MP (Wide)+ 0.8MP (AI), Dual-Flash.
Front camera: Single-lens, 8MP.
VIDEO RECORDING:
Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p, 2K @ 30 fps.
Front Camera: 720p, 1080p @ 30 fps.
CONNECTIVITY:
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.4, HotSpots, USB-OTG, Infrared port.
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).
BATTERY
Battery Capacity: 5,000mAh.
Reverse (Wired) Charging: N/a
Qi Wireless-Charging: N/a.
Fast Charging: 18W (Wired).
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