“From your experience, how would you rate the phone?” A comment I got when we uploaded our video of TECNO POVA, TECNO Mobile’s latest offering.

Rating a phone would definitely be hard, like rating other things like a movie, a food, or an experience in a theme park. But what matters the most with reviewing things like smartphones is to really use it as if it’s your daily phone.

So, what’s good about the new TECNO POVA? When I first opened the phone, I thought the display was impressive, especially knowing that screen resolution is just 720 x 1640 Pixels. The display looks vibrant, the colors pop up and the screen size is really for content consumption especially for gaming.

KEY SPECIFICATIONS

• Height: 171.23mm
• Width:77.57mm
• Thickness: 9.4mm
• 6.8″ HD
• 720*1640 Display
• Helio G80 Processor
• 64GB ROM
• 4GB RAM
• Octa-Core
• 6000mAh(typ)

Network and Connectivity:

• GSM
• GPRS
• FULL EDGE
• WCDMA
• HSPA+
• TDD LTE
• FDD LTE
• WiFi
• BT
• GPS
• FM
• OTG

Camera and Interface:

• 8MP Front Camera with Dual Flash
• 13MP Quad Rear Camera with Quad Flash

Sensor:

• G-Sensor
• Ambient Light Sensor
• Proximity Sensor
• Fingerprint Sensor
• Electronic Compass

BUILD

While at some point, you can feel that the phone is quite heavy but it’s mostly because of its battery which is 6000mAh. So, it’s kinda like you’re also carrying a powerbank but it’s attached to your phone. So, the added weight felt more like an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

I got the magic blue variant which feels very Christmas-y. The back of the phone sparkles, while the front looks sharp enough for all the details I need.

Like the TECNO Pouvoir 4, the phone has a Google Assistant button and the Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual standby) and microSD card slot on the left side, the power and volume rocker are located at the right side. Nothing on top but the speaker, and the 8MP dot front camera. Under the phone is the microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go port, the 3.55mm jack and the mic.

PERFORMANCE

I actually had no problem navigating the phone so far. No lags, the UI is simple and responsive. The face unlock, fingerprint unlock are reasonably responsive as well.

And while the phone literally takes days to drain even with heavy use, the charging doesn’t take as long as you would expect it because of its 18W dual C flash charging.

GAMING

And now to the main event. With the Helio G80 processor, the 6000mAh battery and the HyperEngine Game Technology to support gaming, heavy gaming with the TECNO POVA, considering its price, is splendid. No problems with stirring the wheel in Asphalt 9: Legends, no problem with controlling and firing in Call of Duty, Genshin Impact and State of Survival.

TECNO POVA being dubbed as a gaming phone is no joke. It really is as impressive as other mid-range and even high-end phones when it comes to gaming.

Watch our gameplay experience video of the TECNO POVA below:

See? For an entry-level phone, you get that kind of performance on heavy gaming. A smartphone less than P7,000 gets you smooth gaming of popular games, from car racing, to first-person shooter video game, to action role-playing game. All of which uses the phone’s memory heavily.

The 6000mAh is very useful, really. It comes with less charging and longer usage of the phone. But it also makes the phone heavier. So, the gaming takes a toll faster for some. Or you could get your hands and arms exercise?

CAMERA

Sample shots using TECNO POVA’s 13MP Quad Rear Camera

Sample shots using TECNO POVA’s 13MP Quad Rear Camera (without flash, with flash)

Sample shots using TECNO POVA’s 8MP Front Camera (without flash, with flash)

Sample video using TECNO POVA’s 13MP Quad Camera video

The phone’s camera clearly isn’t the best out there. The details may not be as sharp as you could have hoped for, but for an entry-level phone, the results are pretty decent.

TECNO POVA packs enough worthy features for its price. The gaming is impeccable and the battery just surprises you with how long it can stay on even with heavy usage of gaming and internet browsing. And charging the phone doesn’t take the same amount of time draining it.

Available in Magic Blue, Speed Purple, Dazzle Black for only P6,999. Check out the TECNO Mobile PH Official Store in Shopee Mall (https://shopee.ph/tecnoph) to see the latest offerings. For updates and other information, visit www.tecno-mobile.com/ph.

Join the conversation, use the hashtags #TECNO, #PovaGamingPhone and #G80Processor in your social media posts.