Tecno Spark 50 Pro

The Tecno Spark 50 Pro is sold in Pakistan in one version, 8GB + 128GB. Its value depends on what you need most: it is one of the toughest phones in its class, but its screen and chip are a step behind rivals.

What you pay for:

• IP68 and IP69 protection, rated to 6 metres of water for 30 minutes, plus SGS five-star drop resistance
• A 6000 mAh battery with 60W charging and the charger in the box
• A 50 MP Sony LYT-600 main camera with natural colours
• NFC, stereo speakers, a dedicated microSD slot and 3 years of Android updates

What you give up:

• A 720p IPS LCD instead of a Full HD AMOLED screen
• A 4G-only chip and slower eMMC storage
• A side-mounted fingerprint sensor, no 3.5mm headphone jack and no ultrawide camera

The Itel Super 26 Ultra (Rs. 47,499) is much cheaper and has a curved AMOLED screen, but charges at only 18W. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 (Rs. 68,999) has an AMOLED screen and a 108 MP camera, with 33W charging and weaker IP64 protection.

Verdict: a good buy for people who work outdoors or are hard on their phones and want quick charging. Buyers who mainly watch videos should choose a phone with an AMOLED screen instead.

The Spark 50 Pro has a 6.78-inch IPS LCD with 720 x 1600 resolution (HD+) and a 120Hz refresh rate, with a centred punch-hole camera.

In everyday use:

• Brightness is good, and the screen stays readable outdoors in direct sunlight
• Scrolling at 120Hz feels smooth
• Colours are decent for an IPS panel, though they lack the punch and deep blacks of AMOLED
• YouTube plays at up to 1440p, but the screen itself only shows 720p, so videos and text look softer than on Full HD phones
• Wet touch keeps the screen working when your fingers or the screen are slightly wet

The Always-On Display only lasts a few seconds after you wake it. The low resolution is the biggest complaint from buyers, since Full HD AMOLED screens are available at this price.

The phone runs on the MediaTek Helio G100 Ultimate, a 6 nm 4G chip, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Memory Fusion can add virtual RAM, up to 24GB in total, though virtual RAM is much slower than real RAM.

Real-world findings:

• Day-to-day use, scrolling and app switching were smooth during a week of use as a second phone
• PUBG ran at 60fps without noticeable lag or stutter
• It handles casual gaming well, but it is not built for heavy, high-setting games

Limits:

• It is 4G only, so it will not use 5G when networks expand
• The storage is reported as eMMC, which is slower than UFS for installing apps and moving large files
• Heat and long gaming sessions have not been tested yet

The Redmi Note 15 uses a very similar Helio G100 Ultra chip, so everyday speed will feel about the same on both phones.

The back has one real camera: a 50 MP Sony LYT-600 sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and PDAF. The two extra rings on the back are only design; next to the camera there is an IR sensor and an LED flash. There is no ultrawide lens. The front has an 8 MP selfie camera with its own flash.

Real-world findings:

• Photos show good detail and natural colours that are only slightly boosted
• Detail holds up when zooming to 2x, and portrait background blur looks good
• The selfie camera is decent, but lacks fine detail
• Live Photo records a short clip around each shot, and FlashSnap helps catch fast moments

Video: reports differ on the limits. Some list up to 2K 30fps on both cameras and 1080p 60fps on the rear, with portrait video at 720p 30fps; others find 1080p 30fps as the limit and no video stabilisation. Either way, it is not a phone for smooth walking videos.

For photos in good light it is one of the better cameras among 4G phones in this class, but selfie lovers will get more from the Itel Super 26 Ultra's 32 MP front camera.

In Pakistan the Spark 50 Pro comes with a 6000 mAh battery and 60W charging, and the 60W charger and a USB-A to Type-C cable come in the box.

Real-world results:

• With medium to heavy use, it gave about 9 hours of screen-on time in a week of testing
• A full charge from 0 to 100% took about 1 to 1.25 hours; Tecno claims 55 minutes
• Bypass charging is supported, which runs the phone directly from the charger while gaming to reduce battery heat
• Tecno says the battery is built to last 6 years

There is no wireless charging. Charging speed is a clear advantage over both rivals: the Itel Super 26 Ultra has the same battery size but only 18W charging, and the Redmi Note 15 charges at 33W.

The phone ships with HiOS 16 on Android 16. Reports point to 3 years of major Android updates and 5 years of security updates, which is good for a phone in this class, though the Redmi Note 15 is listed with up to 4 Android upgrades.

Useful features:

• Free Link: Bluetooth calling between Tecno phones with no SIM signal or Wi-Fi, now with a range of up to 1.5 km
• Ella, Tecno's AI assistant, which also gives access to ChatGPT and Grok in one place
• AI Erase and AI Extender in the gallery, plus FlashMemo, MindHub and AI Writing
• NFC for tap-to-pay and quick pairing

Check the app list for ads and pre-installed apps after setting up the phone.