Ryan Haines / Android Authority
As a US-based tech reviewer, I might get access to a lot of different devices, but I often find myself changing between the same few companies because of the limited number of brands that launch here. I’ll jump from Samsung to Motorola to Google and back again, over and over, only sometimes getting lucky with a new launch from Nothing to spice things up.
So, when I was offered the chance to check out a few recent launches from TECNO — a company I’ve never explored before — I jumped. I waited (mostly patiently) for the TECNO Spark 40 Pro Plus and Pova 7 Ultra to arrive, and I’m glad I did. For less than $250 each, they’re more clever than I thought they’d be, and they live up to the old Android slogan, “Be together, not the same,” much better than I expected, even if there are some concessions to hit their low, low price tags.
The Spark 40 Pro Plus is a simple, smooth, cheap starting point
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
The tricky part about hopping into a pair of new TECNO launches is that I didn’t know what to expect. They showed up, I unboxed them, and I reached for what looked like the more familiar phone first. That turned out to be the TECNO Spark 40 Pro Plus — a 4G-only budget model with shades of everything from the Galaxy S25 to the Motorola Edge (2022) baked into its slim plastic shell and a software experience that reminds me of OxygenOS from just a few years back.
At a glance, none of those borrowed ideas might sound all that exciting, but hear me out — those phones all cost significantly more than the $150-180 Spark 40 Pro Plus (price depends on region). So, for TECNO to find ways to bring everything to a budget segment is exciting. The Spark 40 Pro Plus also brings back a waterfall display — a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a crisp 144Hz refresh rate — that’s almost good enough for me to question why everyone abandoned it in the first place. Just kidding, I still struggled with covering it in fingerprints and accidental presses until I put the phone in its included silicone case, but it adds what I remember of a flagship touch without a flagship price, as this one starts at the equivalent of about $150.
The Spark 40 Pro Plus looks a little bit like a lot of my favorite phones without the price tag.
I’m also perhaps slightly surprised by how many AI-powered features TECNO packed into its Spark 40 Pro Plus. It essentially has its own version of many of Google’s photo editing tools, from an AI Eraser 2.0 to an AI Extender, and supports Circle to Search, suggesting that it’s not just TECNO’s tools at play. I still prefer Google’s editing tools — they have more punch to work with from the recent Tensor chips — but I like that TECNO is trying to bring tools to a more accessible price point.
That said, there are a few bits of the Spark 40 Pro Plus that remind me that this is… well, a very cheap Android phone. Its 4G-only Helio G200 processor is only a slight upgrade over the previous Helio G100, and its single 50MP rear sensor feels like a dated choice, mainly because it’s flanked by two other rings that look like additional camera sensors, but don’t house anything. I would have loved even a simple ultrawide sensor for a bit more flexibility, but I’ve been pretty pleased by the results at 1x and 2x zoom.
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