Tecno Spark 50

The Tecno Spark 50 is a battery-and-design phone, and its value depends on what you pay. Its strengths are a 7000mAh battery that lasts up to two or three days, an eye-catching flagship-style design, IP64 splash resistance with an SGS drop rating, dual stereo speakers, an IR blaster, a headphone jack and a dedicated memory card slot.

The compromises are clear for the money:

• An entry-level Helio G81 chip and only 4G.
• An HD+ IPS LCD with a visible chin.
• Slow 18W charging, down from 45W on some earlier Spark models.
• Mostly incremental changes over the Spark 40.

The Itel Super 26 Ultra costs more but adds an AMOLED 144Hz screen, 8GB RAM and a 32MP selfie camera, with a smaller 6000mAh battery. The Motorola Moto G37 adds 5G on a Dimensity chip and 20W charging, but has a 5200mAh battery and 4GB RAM.

Verdict: worth it for buyers who want maximum battery life and a stylish, tough budget phone. If speed, screen quality or 5G matter more, the rivals are better picks.

The Spark 50 has a 6.78-inch IPS LCD with HD+ (720 x 1576) resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.

• Everyday viewing: colours look good for an LCD and scrolling is smooth at 120Hz. Brightness is about what you would expect at this price, and an Outdoor Booster mode raises it in sunlight.
• Extras: a 10-second always-on display and wet-touch support for use with damp hands.
• Video: YouTube offers high-resolution playback options, though the panel itself is HD+.

The limitations are typical of budget LCDs: HD+ looks soft on a screen this large, the bezels are noticeable, and there is a visible chin. The display experience is much the same as the Spark 40.

The Tecno Spark 50 uses the MediaTek Helio G81 (octa-core, up to 2.0GHz) with 6GB RAM in Pakistan, plus virtual RAM expansion, and scores around 350,000 to 360,000 in AnTuTu.

• Everyday use: HiOS 16 feels snappy for daily apps and social media.
• Gaming: PUBG Mobile offers Ultra frame rate at Smooth and Balanced graphics, and High frame rate at HD, because the game is well optimised for this popular chip.
• Network: Tecno improved the antenna design, which helps signal strength compared with rivals.

The limits: the G81 is an older entry-level chip, the phone is 4G only, and the screen can take a moment to wake. Phones with the Helio G99 at a similar price are faster. Heating was not tested.

The Spark 50 has a 50MP main camera with an auxiliary sensor on the back and an 8MP selfie camera with its own front flash.

• Photos: colours are good and Tecno's processing is strong; selfies get noticeable AI post-processing that can look slightly artificial but impressive for 8MP. Daylight shots from both cameras are decent.
• Low light: the camera struggles somewhat in dim conditions.
• Video: both cameras record up to 2K 30fps; a bokeh video mode records at 720p.
• Features: Flash Snap automatically catches fast-moving moments, plus live photos and three portrait focal lengths.

The camera is good enough for social media, but not for buyers who prioritise photography.

The 7000mAh battery is the Spark 50's main selling point. Expect around 9 to 10 hours of screen-on time with medium to heavy use, and about two to three days with normal use; heavier users should get one and a half to two days.

Charging is slow: the phone supports 18W charging with an 18W charger in the box, so a full charge takes about 2 to 2.5 hours.

Battery care features help long-term health: bypass charging, a battery health check, and a charging limit (80% or 90%) for overnight charging. Tecno says the battery is rated for 800 to 1,200 charge cycles. Reverse charging lets you top up small gadgets.

The phone runs Android 16 with HiOS 16, which feels smooth and offers plenty of customisation: icon sizes, a new Control Center and lock screen styles.

Useful features include:

• The Ella assistant, which also brings DeepSeek, ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI and Grok together in one place.
• Dynamic Port, which suggests quick actions such as saving an unknown caller's number or copying text.
• Circle to Search, AI writing, live translation and call noise reduction you can switch on or off.
• Free Link 2.0, for walkie-talkie-style calls up to 1.5km with Tecno, Infinix and Itel phones without a SIM signal.

The built-in camera app has no AI editing tools; the gallery hands photos to Google Photos for AI edits. Tecno has not published an update commitment for this model.