Last month, TECNO Nigeria launched its latest Spark series budget smartphone -TECNO Spark 9T. The phone is specifically built for Gen Z.

The phone has been the talk of the town since its launch, thanks to its upgraded specifications and the unveiling of popular Nigerian singer Fireboy DML as the Spark Series ambassador. Spark 9T offers specifications that should be expected for any budget phone in 2022, including a large battery, upgraded software, better screen display, virtual RAM, refreshed design, excellent camera and solid security. The 32MP clear selfie camera is the unique selling point of the Spark 9T.

Unboxing the Spark 9T

A simple white and orange box houses the Spark 9T; you will find different stickers with important information about the phone on the box.

Let’s take a quick look at what’s inside the box:

• The Spark 9T device
• 10 Watts Charging brick
• 12+1 Months Warranty Card
• USB Type-C cable
• Earphone
• SIM ejector tool
• Transparent phone case
• Free MTN 1GB + Double Data for 6 months

TECNO Spark 9T Key Specifications

• Display: 6.6 inches HD+ Dot Notch Screen, 720 x 1612 pixels, 90 HZ refresh rate
• Processor: Helio G37, Octa-Core
• Operating System: Android 12, HIOS 8.6
• Internal Storage: 128GB
• RAM: 4GB
• Rear Camera: 13 MP AI triple camera with quad flash
• Front Camera: 32 MP with dual flash
• Battery Capacity: 5000 mAh
• Fingerprint: Side-mounted
• Sensor: G-Sensor, accelerometer, Ambient light, proximity
• Network: 2G/3G/4G
• Connectivity: GPS, WIFI, BT, FM, OTG
• Speakers: Single down-firing speaker

TECNO Spark 9T Review

Spark 9T comes in four unique colours: Glacier white, Burano Bule, Quantum Black, and Hacker storm. We received the Burano blue colour for review.  Let’s take a deep dive into the Spark 9T to see what it has to offer.

Spark 9T Iconic Design and Build Quality

In terms of design, there is a teardrop notch for the 32MP selfie camera on the top middle area. The rear panel’s design is okay with its glossy plastic finish and reflective mirror-like design. You will have to clean the phone’s rear panel often, except if you plan to use a protective case. The TECNO motto “Stop at Nothing” is inscribed at the bottom, and the “TECNO SPARK” branding is at the top next to the camera.

You will find the power button, which also serves as the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and volume rockers on the right-hand side. The USB type C charging port, noise-cancelling microphone, 3.5mm audio jack and a speaker grille are placed at the bottom, while at the left side of the smartphone is the dual nano-sim card tray and a dedicated slot for an external microSD card.

Display

The Spark 9T has a 6.6 inches HD+ Dot Notch Screen with a 720 x 1612 pixel resolution. The large display screen offers a good level of brightness and contrast, making the Spark 9T a good companion for surfing the internet, watching movies, reading, scrolling through social media and many more. Watching movies indoors wasn’t very satisfying because of the 720P display.

The Spark 9T screen refresh rate can be adjusted from 90HZ to 60HZ and vice versa to save battery life. The smooth animation and gaming performance of the 90HZ is quite pleasing while browsing, scrolling or swiping through various social media apps.

Camera

The biggest talking point about the Spark 9T is its selfie camera. TECNO Spark 9T is equipped with a 13MP AI-Enhanced triple rear camera, 2MP bokeh, and 8W AI lens at the rear, while at the front, we have the 32MP super clear selfie camera with flashlight for night selfies. The Spark 9T main camera captures images with vibrant colours and adequate detail, even in low light conditions.

For selfie lovers, Spark 9T 32MP front-facing camera gives you results that are pleasing to the eyes. You will get some cool pictures with the selfie camera in daylight and at night.

Spark 9T allows you to shoot videos from both rear and front-facing camera in 720P and 1080P.

Camera Performance

There is so much fun you can have with the camera of the Spark 9T. We tested the Spark 9T camera performance in several conditions, locations, and different camera modes. Let’s take a look at some of the picture samples below.

Hardware Performance

The spark 9T combines beauty and brain to perform well. As for performance, it combines a Mediatek Helio G37 Octa-Core processor and 4GB of RAM, which is paired with a 256GB internal memory to achieve a smooth performance without any lag.

The smartphone runs smoothly while playing games and multitasking by switching between apps.  However, the Spark 9T faces slight heat issues while playing heavy games.

The phone also has the virtual RAM feature named MemFusion on the device. Its function is to convert a part of the storage space into virtual RAM. With the MemFusion feature, you can extend the 4GB RAM to 5GB, 6GB or 7GB. This feature is also present in the Spark 8C device named by TECNO as Memory Fusion.

I played Dream league soccer and Cover fire, and it was good without any hitch.

We ran some tests on Geekbench 5 and 3D mark for the Spark 9T, and below are the results.

Software

The TECNO Spark 9T runs on Android 12 based on TECNO’s HiOS 8.6 11 with the April 5, 2022 security update. The software is loaded with rich features, customizable design and better performance.

TECNO HiOS 8.6, which was officially released globally on June 8, 2022 comes with many features like a dark theme, Al assistant, Kids mode, Ella voice assistant, language master, digital wellbeing and parental controls, HiOS lab, peek proof, smart panel, social turbo, a game mode for the improved gaming experience, app twin to create dual Facebook and WhatsApp app, video assistant feature to improve the video viewing experience and more.

You can switch between light and dark themes or set the auto switch to schedule at sunset to sunrise on the HiOS 8.6. There are so many customizable options and features you can try out. Another interesting feature is the Super boost 2.0 dedicated to making your device cleaner and faster.

Battery

TECNO Spark 9T is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and delivers excellent battery life. It will get you through one day even with fairly heavy usage and last up to two days for moderate usage.

The Spark 9T and Spark 9 Pro is the first in the history of all spark series to have USB type-c. The charging is done via a USB Type C port using the 10W charger.  Charging from 0 – 100% took about 2 hours 30 minutes. You will find some power-saving options for longer battery life on the Spark 9T, including ultra-power saving, smart power saving scene, battery optimization, and battery saver.

Security

TECNO left no stone unturned and has greatly improved the security performance of the Spark series. The Spark 9T offers users very solid security. It features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and face unlock to prevent unauthorized access to your device. The fingerprint recognition positioning looks good and easy to access. I had to switch from fingerprint unlock because of its slow response to face unlock, which is very fast and reliable.

Another interesting feature is the “Find My Device” to help locate your phone when lost and keep your data safe. The phone also comes with App lock, theft alert and Emergency SOS that is useful when in danger. The emergency safety feature is commendable and very important to phone users considering the present security situation. You can add up to three (3) recipients to send an SOS in an emergency.

The improved security feature also extends to SIM card lock – it makes it possible to lock your SIM card such that a password would be required.

Comparing the Spark 9T and Spark 9 Pro

Final Thoughts

In my limited time using the TECNO Spark 9T, I can boldly say that it has an excellent battery life, impressive camera, and wonderful performance. After looking through the review, it is obvious that the main reason to purchase the Spark 9T is its impressive 32MP clear Selfie camera. While the processor isn’t bad, it isn’t great for playing high-intensity games. And sometimes struggles with high-end games.

Another limitation of this device is the charging speed. You get a good battery life but the phone takes time to charge. However, for a phone priced at 97,000 Naira, the Spark 9T is pretty good. If your daily activity requires taking photos and selfies, then the Spark 9T is highly recommended.

Pricing and Availability

The Spark 9T is available for purchase at all TECNO authorized retail stores across Nigeria and the phone is priced at 97,000 Naira for the 4GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant.

TECNO is Offering its Spark 9 Users up to 6 months Broken Screen Warranty and many more After Sales

Have you been waiting for the TECNO Camon 19 and Spark 9? Here is some good news. The long wait for the Spark 9 and Camon 19 is over. After months of waiting, TECNO has announced that the Spark 9 and Camon 19 are now available at authorized TECNO stores. When you buy the TECNO Spark 9 or Camon 19 you get:

• An instant gift (headset).
• 180 days broken screen warranty.
• 13 months’ phone warranty.
• Easybuy: Pay as low as N22,999 down payment and a daily payment of N399 for 6 months.
• And many more incentives.

Hurry now to the authorized TECNO store near you and get your TECNO Spark 9 or Camon 19 devices today.