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- For some smartphone users, the way the phone looks is just as important as what the phone can do.
- Younger consumers are looking for phones that look like flagship devices without the associated price tag.
- The Tecno Spark 10, which comes with a 32MP selfie camera, is the perfect device for them.
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.
The first thing you notice about the Tecno Spark 10 Pro is that this mid-range phone looks a lot like a flagship device, thanks to its iridescent glass back design and what looks like a triple camera.
Quite a few critics have compared the look of the Tecno Spark10 Pro to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has a similar triple camera configuration on the back.
But does this budget device function as well as it looks?
Getting started
Setting up the phone can be quite a schlep.
The Tecno Spark 10 Pro takes users through quite a few steps before setup is complete, and the process can take even longer if you're using your Google email address to import your profile and settings from another device.
Set aside a leisurely afternoon or evening to complete the setup.
After setting up the phone, you start with a brightly coloured 6.8 inch, 1080p, 90Hz display. The large display provides a lot of real estate for getting through your daily tasks and watching content.
I do not care much about the refresh rate on phones, so I can't say much about that; however, a week or so of using the phone went smoothly with no apparent glitches.
Downsides
The colour display on this device could be better, but it looks okay for a device in this budget class.
One thing that annoyed me about the phone was its inconsistent brightness, which would often adjust itself, even when the adaptive brightness feature was not activated.
I felt like I was imagining things for some time until I checked online reviews for the device, and others reported experiencing the same issue.
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Another frustrating aspect is the bloatware on the device. This also opens you up to experiencing a lot of push notifications promoting the phone's built-in apps and other affiliated apps.
There are several apps on the phone that you cannot delete, but you can limit what notifications you get and how often they pop up in the phone's notification centre.
This budget device, launched in mid-May 2023, is the big sister to the Tecno Spark 10c, and it boasts far more onboard storage than most devices in this class with 256GB.
That kind of feature is a potential drawcard for people who must delete apps or media files to save space on their devices. Especially if the device comes preloaded with apps you cannot delete.
And the camera?
The device appears to have three lenses; however, the 50MP primary camera only has two lenses, as the third ring is a flashlight. The back camera has no video stabilisation, but it still captures clear video in good light conditions.
The Tecno Spark 10 Pro also boasts a 32MP selfie cam that produces clear selfies with an excellent, strong focus on the photo's subject.
The front selfie camera also shoots in 2K at 30FPS, which could be a good drawcard for people who create content or want to venture into that space.
Under certain light conditions, the phone does seem to lighten skin tones slightly, but a slight tweak of the brightness settings can fix that.
Other notable features to be excited about include:
- The phone's power button fingerprint sensor.
- The peek-proof feature to hide a portion of your screen from preying eyes.
- The built-in call-recording option.
Who would it be perfect for?
This kind of phone, with its screen size and cameras, would be ideal for young people who would like the look and feel of a flagship device but cannot break the bank to get one.
Recommended retail price: R6 999.
