The TECNO Spark 8C is one of the most unique and affordable budget phones that offer virtual memory, fantastic design, performance, and great battery life. Welcome to our TECNO Spark 8C review.
In this review, I will be sharing all you need to know about the device. The Spark 8C is not a new phone, it was released a couple of months ago and it comes in two variants, we have one with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage and the second variant has 3GB RAM and 64GB Storage which is the one I will be reviewing. The good thing about the Spark 8c is the fact that you can expand the RAM through variant memory extension which TECNO calls memory Fusion.
The Spark 8C also has a high refresh rate, that is 90Hz and it is the cheapest phone with that feature.
Memory fusion lets you use some free storage space on the phone and use it as additional RAM. The Spark 8 series by TECNO is one of the most affordable Android phones, you can buy with good specs-the Spark 8C took us by surprise and after going through the phone we have some important things to share especially for those that are interested in buying the device.
After reading this article to the end you will be able to decide if you should buy it or not.
TECNO Spark 8C Quick Specs:
- Display – 6.6 inch IPS LCD 90Hz refresh rate & 720p resolution
- OS – Android 11, HiOS 7
- Chipset – Unisoc T606
- Camera – 13MP + QVGA
- Selfie – 8MP
- Battery – 5000mAh (10W fast charging)
- Storage – 64 or 32 GB
- RAM – 2 or 3 GB
TECNO Spark 8C Review
Design & Build Quality
The design of the Spark 8C is attractive, we have some textured finish on the right side of the phone and at the bottom, we have the “Stop at nothing Slogan” write-up. It comes with curved edges at the back that makes it comfortable to hold. Since the phone is sized at 6.6 inches it was comfortable for me to hold and use with a single hand.
We have a fingerprint scanner at the back engraved in the camera part. It was fast and easy to reach, and there wasn’t any problem throughout my usage. At the back, we have two cameras with a flashlight sitting beside them.
There are different colour options but we have the Turquoise colour option with us here. It is just a touch of light green and I like it. It is wrapped in plastic at the back and as we know plastic is more durable. My colour option also does a good job of hiding stains. The TPU case also adds a bit of protection to the phone. It charges through a micro USB port, we also have a down-firing mono speaker at the bottom and a microphone for calls.
There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom. We have the unlock key and volume rockers on the right. The sim card and SD card holder are positioned on the left side. It accepts two sim cards and a memory card of up to 256GB. At the front, we have a water drop notch and a flat display. It weighs less than 200 grams and it was very comfortable in the hand.
Display Aspect – TECNO spark 8c review
Interestingly there are some expensive phones that don’t have a high refresh on their display but this affordable phone comes with that feature. A high refresh rate is common on midrange and flagship phones, but TECNO decided to add it to a budget phone. The feature lets you enjoy using your display. It makes it faster in the eye. The display is 6.6 inches, and it also has a resolution of 720p and a 90Hz refresh rate. It is an IPS LCD but it was quite visible under direct sunlight. The display has a peak brightness of 300 nits, as expected of a phone within its price category.
The chin and bezels on the phone are noticeable, especially the one at the bottom. Scrolling through the display it was responsive and there were no issues at all. Having a 90Hz refresh rate made it even better. Watching content and playing games was also incredible using the display. The display is one of the most outstanding features of the TECNO Spark 8C.
Performance Aspect
In this aspect, TECNO used the Unisoc T606 as the chipset. As far as toggling through social media goes it handles that aspect quite well, but the chipset is not suitable for gaming. I play games like altos odyssey and subway surfer and the lag was evident even with the additional RAM using memory fusion. The phone is not a gaming phone but rather a budget phone with the ability to expand the RAM.
I was able to open multiple apps and they were running in the background fine that is where the memory fusion showcases its powers. We extended the RAM from 3 to 6GB courtesy of memory fusion. There is no phone in this price category that comes with 6GB RAM. It is one of the stand-out features of the Spark 8C.
Software Aspect – TECNO Spark 8C review
The phone runs on Android 11 and HiOs 7.6 is the user interface. It comes with some pre-installed apps and annoying push notifications from the apps. There are also occasional ads on the phone if you power on the internet. Some of the apps can be removed or stopped from pushing notifications. There are also a lot of features that let you customize the look of the interface. We have game mode, peek proof for hiding your display from prying eyes, and a lot of other features. The software is not the best, but TECNO keeps improving it with every iteration.
TECNO Spark 8C Camera
At the back of the Spark 8C, we have dual cameras, we also have an 8MP selfie camera at the front. Here are some images to help you see what photos look like.
TECNO Spark 8C Battery
The phone comes with a 5000 milliampere battery, even though I am a heavy user I couldn’t kill the battery in a day even with the 90Hz refresh rate turned on. You can get two days of battery or more if you are a light or casual user. Charging takes slightly more than two hours and I feel a 15W charger would have been more efficient for the Spark 8C. Battery life is exceptional, and it holds up in a fantastic way
Important Features of the TECNO Spark 8C
- It comes with an FM Radio
- Supports 2G, 3G, and 4G network
- Headphone Jack
- NFC in some regions
- Proximity Sensors
The Final Thought
For a price of 66,000 Naira, I think the TECNO Spark 8C is one of the best phones for its price. It offers some really great features and there isn’t much that you can point at and say it’s bad. The camera is decent in well-lit environments and you’re getting a taste of some flagship features on a budget. This wraps up our TECNO spark 8c review and if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comment section below.
