The feature of the Taiwanese brand TECNO, manufacturer of the SPARK smartphones, lies in its uniqueness. The company does not copy the legends of competitors but creates independent solutions. This is appreciated by a certain percentage of buyers. And the price of the phones is quite affordable. The SPARK 9 Pro Sport Edition smartphone is no exception. It cannot be called a flagship. But for its budget, the phone is very interesting for buyers in the mid-price segment.
Who is the SPARK 9 Pro Sport Edition aimed at
The target audience of the TECNO brand is people who want to get a full-fledged smartphone at the minimum allowable cost. In fact, the device is designed for buyers who understand technology. For example, they have an idea of photography. Where the number of megapixels does not matter if the optics and sensor are frankly low quality. The same applies to RAM volumes and the chipset. The SPARK 9 Pro Sport Edition smartphone is not for gaming. But for everyday tasks, lower specifications are sufficient. Instead, emphasis is placed on device protection. And there are no military standards for shock resistance. However, compared to competitors’ analogs, the smartphone will survive a fall or getting wet.
To diversify its product line, TECNO released 4 smartphone series: Camon, Spark, Pouvoir, and Pop. They differ in design and technical specifications:
- Camon – this is a camera phone. Focused on high-quality photography. Uses a decent sensor, not Leica of course. But the chipset is capable of taking good shots in various lighting conditions. The software is developed by TECNO. All this combines with hardware to demonstrate high results.
- Spark is aimed at active smartphone users. Suitable for athletes and people who prioritize durability and longevity of the device. The Spark series includes mobile phones for calls, email, social networks, and internet browsing.
- Pouvoir – a budget smartphone. Minimal performance hardware and affordable price. Often purchased by children for school and elderly parents. Large screen, capacious battery, all aimed at maximum convenience during use.
- Pop – super-budget smartphone. Usually equipped with an old, low-power chip. The price rarely exceeds $100. Designed solely for calls and messengers. Interestingly, despite the weak chip and small RAM and ROM, these smartphones have IPS screens.
Technical specifications of the SPARK 9 Pro Sport Edition smartphone
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G85, 12 nm, TDP 5 W |
| Processor | 2 Cortex-A75 cores at 2000 MHz
6 Cortex-A55 cores at 1800 MHz |
| Video | Mali-G52 MP2, 1000 MHz |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4X, 1800 MHz |
| Storage | 128 GB, eMMC 5.1, UFS 2.1 |
| Expandable storage | No |
| Display | IPS, 6.6 inches, 2400×1800, 60 Hz, 500 nits |
| Operating system | Android 12, HiOS 8.6 shell |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Wireless technologies | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou |
| Cameras | Main 50+2 MP, Selfie – 5 MP |
| Protection | Fingerprint scanner, FaceID |
| Wired interfaces | USB-C |
| Sensors | Proximity, light, compass, accelerometer |
| Price | $200 |
Review of the SPARK 9 Pro Sport Edition smartphone
The main advantage is the design. External appearance was developed with the participation of designers from BMW Designworks Group. This is not a collaboration. But the result is magnificent. Such a body, both in shape and color, is not available from competitors. Absolutely. And this is pleasing. Because, purely due to appearance, there is a high chance that the buyer will notice the smartphone on the store shelf. Or even buy it.
From its photographic capabilities, the Camon series smartphones received an AI module and software for it. The front camera can combine pixels, which increases sensitivity to light. This works well for night or low-light photography. However, this technology mainly works with portraits rather than backgrounds. But it’s an achievement. The selfie camera performs worse. The sensor handles the task only outdoors and in daylight.
The weak point is the small volumes of RAM and storage. 4/128 GB looks disappointing. Considering that Android 12 with the shell takes up about 1.5 GB of RAM. But the manufacturer does not specify that the smartphone is for gaming. Accordingly, it is a “workhorse” for simple tasks. Surfing the internet, social networks, messengers, reading books, watching videos, photography. A quite standard set.
The protection and durability of the SPARK 9 Pro Sport Edition smartphones meet the Blue Shield standards. At least, TECNO openly states this. The most demanded features of this standard include:
- Durability of wired interfaces. Connecting USB and AUDIO cables withstands 1000 or more contacts.
- In extreme temperatures (below -20 and above +50), the smartphone will last up to 2 hours, maintaining operability.
- The flashlight (with a fully charged battery) will work for at least 96 hours.
- Salt fog resistance – 24 hours.
Another declared parameter is the ability to withstand 14,000 drops to the ground. However, it is unclear from what height. Most likely – when falling out of a pocket.
