2018 has blessed us with a sea of affordable bezel-less smartphones. Almost every brand seems to be in a rush to launch its own bezel-less device. Adding to its full display tally, Tecno has given a bezel-less treat to its Spark series with the Spark 2.
The Tecno Spark 2 is an update to the original Spark devices in every sense of the word. The device has 13MP rear and 8MP selfie bright cameras– one of its highlights – and on paper most of the other specifications look like they mean business. With a price tag of UGX 453,000, is it a smartphone that is worth buying? Read our Tecno Spark 2 review to find out…
Tecno is a household name in the African market which has a product portfolio spread across several price segments. The new offering from the company is the Spark 2, tapping the selfie-obsessed, the fashionistas and the budget conscious. Whereas it’s aimed at the 18-28 year olds, the Tecno Spark 2 still appeals to a wide rage of age brackets.
What to like
- Brilliant 18:9 6″ HD+ display
- Strong 3500mAh battery
- Front camera portrait mode
- Affordable price
What not to like
- No LED notifications light
- Single speaker for sound output
- Audio jack at the bottom
- 3G only
Key Specs of Tecno Spark 2.
Model: TECNO Spark KA7
Dimensions: 159.4*76.2*7.8mm
Display: 6″ bezel-less HD+ full display
Resolution: 1440×720
Platform: Android 8.1 Go Edition with HiOS v3.3
Processor: Quad core MediaTek MT6580 at 1.3GHz
RAM: 1GB/2GB RAM
Storage: 16GB storage expandable via microSD up to 32GB
Battery: Non-Removeable 3500mAh Li-Polymer battery
Sensors: Ambient Light, Proximity and Accelerometer sensors
Rear Camera: 13MP AF with Tripple LED
Selfie camera: 8MP FF shooter with dual LED, Face Unlock, Portrait
Connectivity: 2G/3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2
Sim Count: Dual Nano Sim
Display.
Large displays are becoming the norm these days. With bezels disappearing, today’s 6 inchers are almost the same size as 5 inchers of the days of old. The Tecno Spark 2 has a 6 inch HD+ full display with a resolution of 1440*720 that is beautiful and vivid.
The colours get a bit saturated but overall, it’s consistent at different viewing angles. Using the smartphone under direct sunlight isn’t a problem either when the display is at full brightness.
Tecno Spark 2 comes with 18:9 aspect ratio which makes watching videos and other multimedia a good experience. The Spark 2 has a bigger display than phomes like Nokia 2 and Huawei Y3II which have the same price tag. This means you will see more content on the screen compared to competing devices.
The display dims better in dark environments and hence you will not find trouble reading for long at night. Eye-Care mode for total filtration of blueray has been refined to promote comfort when reading from the screen.
The on-screen navigation keys on the display work fine as well. The display of the Spark 2 is certainly satisfactory and decent. However, the on screen navigation keys only disappear when using full screen apps or when using the gallery. This reduces the screen estate to some extent.
Build and feel.
Tecno Spark 2 is made of plastic and the front panel is dominated by the bezel-less full display. The ruduced chin and edge-to-edge display gives the Spark 2’s front a futuristic look. However, we were more impressed with its design than we were with its build quality.
Tecno spark 2 body slim body curves towards the edges
The device measures 159.4*76.2*7.8mm. It has a 5.7mm visual slim profile which makes competing decices like the Samsung J2 Pro 2018 and Nokia 2 look chunky
The Spark 2 is a beautiful piece of art and its thin profile gives it a premium feel in the hands. If you like flashy looking gadgets though, then you may want to look beyond the Tecno Spark 2. It offers a minimalistic plastic look that wouldn’t make you ditch your glass sandwich smartphone anyday.
We can’t fault Tecno for using plastic in crafting the smartphone’s design since the low price tag makes up for this. However, the end result somehow is rather mundane. This is not to say that Tecno hasn’t got things right with the design and look. The Spark 2 is impressive and a lot better than some competing devices.
The bottom edge of the smartphone houses a 3.5mm jack, charging slot, loud speaker and a microphone. The right edge houses the power and volume rocker buttons while the SIM tray is kept on the left. The top edge is kept clean.
The front panel is mainly dominated by the 6-inch HD+ bezel-less full display of the smartphone. The ear piece, selfie camera, and sensors inhabit the forehead of the display.
Bright Cameras
The phone is manufactured with bright photography in mind thus it pack a 13MP back and 8MP front bright cameras. The photos taken by the Spark 2 live up to the #LightUp slogan satisfactorily.
The 13MP F/2.0 blue glass filter 5P lens rear camera is assisted by a tripple LED flash light to light up dark environment so you don’t miss any moment. The rear camera app has four Video, Normal, Beauty and Night shooting modes. The Spark 2 is no match for the Camera centric Camon X Pro, but its photo quality is enough to excite your social media followers.
The Spark 2 doesn’t have panaroma and portrait modes at the rear camera. It shoots at a maximum resolution of 4160*3120 and captures 1080p videos. It clicks images with accurate colors but sometimes looks oversaturated. Both bright light and low light shots are good thanks to the tripple LED rear flash. But motion blur can be seen when you see them at full size.
The selfie shooter is spectacular. With an 8MP bright camera, portrait mode, dual flash and mixed flash 2.0, you should be smiling. The selfie game is a daunting quest after dusk, but the Spark 2 brings night selfies to life.
The dual flash and Mixed flash 2.0 make it possible to take beautiful images with vibrant colours and details. Mixed Flash is a combination of dual LED flash an the screen light. This makes the Tecno Spark 2 a king of the night selfies. The 8MP camera records 1080p videos. Overall both cameras are good to capture beautiful images.
Performance and Storage
Tecno Spark 2 internals are not compromised either. The phone packs a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6580 processor combined with 1GB of RAM. What makes the device powerful is the optimised Android Oreo Go Edition.
Android Go Edition is a powerful operating system for devices with 1GB of RAM or less. The Spark 2 makes up the absence of extra animations with snappy performance. However, the device starts to lag when pushed to the limit with high end games such as Asphalt 8: Airborne, WWE, Mortal Combat and NFS.
While the Spark 2’s performance is no match to flagship devices like the iPhone X, it completes daily tasks without breaking a sweat. The device is available in 2 RAM variants, that is 1GB/2GB and has 16GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card.
Android Oreo Go Edition and HiOS
Tecno Spark 2 runs Android Go Edition which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo with HiOS v3.3 on top. The software forsakes many animations to have a snappy performance on a single GB of RAM.
The phone comes preloaded with re-imagined Google Go apps like YouTube Go, Gmail Go, Maps Go etc that are memory and data friendly. Android Go Edition is a reminder that Android devices can be fast, reliable and secure, and the Spark 2 stays try to the cause.
Tecno Spark 2 features in house HiOS v3.3 flavour on top of Android 8.1. The recent version of the skin was optimised for full display phones and it really looks beautiful on the Spark 2.
Fingerprint and Face ID
Tecno continues to make use of a rear mounted fingerprint reader on its devices. Of course, why would they change a perfect formula? The Spark 2 features a fast fingerprint scanner in a more natural place for your index finger to reach.
The fingerprint sensor is quite fast and accurate, when it works. There were moments when it didn’t recognize my fingers and I had to resort to the PIN. However, fingerprints cannot be used to launch specific apps after unlocking like we saw on the Infinix S3. They are only limited to unlocking the phone, taking pics and recording calls (when you long press). You can add up to 5 finger prints.
Face ID is present on the Spark 2 just like we saw on the Camon X and Camon X Pro. It is faster than the fingerprint method, although the later is more secure. Face Unlock gives the Spark a futuristic way to unlock. This is absent on phones like the Nokia 3, Honor 5A, Samsung J2 which cost about the same price.
Battery
The Spark 2 has 3500mAh Li-Polymer battery and supports Xcharge. It can be charged 40% in only 20 minutes. Although the Xcharge isn’t the fastest we’ve seen in a phone, it comes in handy when you are in hurry. Fully charged battery can last for the most part of the day with moderate usage, net surfing, videos, games, music etc. With extreme usage, you get about 8 hours of battery.
Verdict
Tecno has actually done well with the Spark 2. While the smartphone doesn’t offer anything spectacular in the design department, it still manages to feel premium. Tecno’s claim of bright photography on both cameras get a thumbs up.
Overall performance is good enough and at par with other smartphones at a similar price range. The Tecno Spark 2 will be directly competing with the Infinix Hot 6 which is just alittle more expensive than the Spark. Other comparable devices are the Nokia 2, Nokia 3, Honor 5A, Samsung J2 Pro 2018 which it beats in many ways.
The plastic profile, poor quality loud speaker and lack of 4G LTE on the Tecno Spark 2 may be the turn offs. However, at UGX 435,000, it’s hard to find an option better than the Tecno Spark 2.
If you are looking for a smartphone that is good on battery, has good cameras at both ends, nice looking and affordable, then the Spark 2 is just what you are looking for.
