Recently, TECNO has been garnering attention in the market with its latest smartphone releases, offering impressive deals at competitive prices. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to review their newest addition, the TECNO Pova 5, which was announced on August 2, 2023 and this will be our first time to review a product from TECNO.
The TECNO Pova 5 is priced under Php 10,000 and, upon an initial glance at its specs sheet, it seems poised to establish itself as a noteworthy budget smartphone. In this full review, we aim to determine if it truly lives up to this expectation.
Table of Contents
TECNO Pova 5 Specifications
| OS: | HiOS v13 – Android 13 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | MediaTek Helio G99 |
| Display: | 6.78-inch 120Hz IPS |
| Wireless Connections: | 4G, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Memory: | 8GB+128GB 8GB+256GB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C, OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera: Main – 50MP Depth Front Camera: 8MP |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-Sim) MicroSD card slot shared |
| Battery: | 6,000mAh 45W Wired Charging |
| SRP: | 8GB+128GB – Php 7,999 8GB+256GB – Php 8,499 |
The Unboxing
Upon receiving the device, we were immediately struck by the innovative packaging design. The box takes on a triangular prism shape, enclosed by a sleeve adorned with a Garena Free Fire print, reflecting the collaborative effort between the two brands. Removing the sleeve reveals the TECNO Pova 5’s packaging.
Inside the package, we found the device itself, a clear silicone case, a set of Free Fire stickers, a POVA series x Free Fire Special Edition Gift Code, a 45W charging brick, a USB Type-C to Type-A cable, earphones, a user manual, and a warranty card. The generous assortment of items within the box was truly impressive.
The Design
Beyond its distinctive packaging, TECNO has also invested significantly in the design of the Pova 5. The device features a standout mecha-inspired design, complete with captivating 3D aesthetics and color patterns reminiscent of a mecha. The glossy finish adds to its appeal, albeit making it prone to fingerprints, even on the frame. Our unit sports the Mecha Black color variant, which, despite its name, actually boasts a deep blue hue. Additional options include Hurricane Blue and Amber Gold.
Ergonomically, the smartphone rests comfortably in hand due to its flat design. Notably, the rear camera portion is minimally raised, allowing the device to lay flat on surfaces.
Turning attention to the buttons and ports, the right side houses the volume rocker and power button (which also functions as a fingerprint reader). On the left side, the SIM tray accommodates either two nano SIM cards or a MicroSD card, shareable with the second SIM slot. The bottom section features a speaker grill, USB Type-C port, microphone hole, and a headphone jack. Another speaker grill is located on the top.
The Display and Speakers
The TECNO Pova 5 has a 6.78-inch 120Hz IPS display which is super impressive for its price. It is unbelievable that they are able to put a 120Hz IPS display as other brands offer only a 90Hz or 60Hz display.
In our experience when watching content on the Pova 5, it delivers a crisp and vibrant display. But you can see a slight blue hue and the blacks are not the same with an AMOLED display. Nevertheless, it is still a great deal of a display that has a 120Hz and uses an IPS for it.
For the speakers, another unexpected thing is a DTS dual speaker. As far as I know there is no smartphone that offers stereo speakers around its price range. Listening to it is loud and crisp. Besides that, if you want to listen privately you can easily connect a headphone to its headphone jack.
The Performance
Running the TECNO Pova 5 is still a MediaTek Helio G99 which is the same chipset that used in its predecessor. It is paired with a 8GB RAM plus additional up to 8GB MemFusion which is its virtual RAM added from internal storage, it is default set to 5GB. For storage we got a 256GB variant but there is also a 128GB option. Here are the benchmark results of the TECNO Pova 5.
Running HiOS v13 based on Android 13, the device comes preloaded with some inescapable bloatware. So far, the pre-installed bloatware didn’t give us annoying notification pop-out or any issue when using the unit.
Given its collaboration with Garena Free Fire, the unit greets users with a Free Fire theme upon startup. Wallpapers, alert sounds, notification sounds, and icons have been tailored accordingly.
Using the TECNO Pova 5 is smooth and has average speed when the app loads. Playing Mobile Legends at Ultra graphic setting with super refresh rate settings tend to have minor FPS drops when there is a big fight happening. You can step down its graphics setting to high or medium to avoid having FPS drops when playing. As for CODM, our only graphic quality option is only up to medium and high for refresh rate setting. The experience playing with its max setting is smooth and we didn’t encounter any problems.
Thermal performance of the Pova 5 is good. After a 15 mins CPU stress test, it resulted in a CPU throttle of 87% on its max performance. As for 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test, it scored 99.6% of stability. For the real life test, while playing genshin impact for 20 mins, the back of the Pova 5 gets hot but not to the point that it is hot to the hands.
The Camera
They didn’t forget to include a decent camera to the TECNO Pova 5. For its rear camera you have two camera which compose 50 megapixels main camera and depth camera but only the main camera is usable. On the flip side, the front camera is 8 megapixel and has a LED flash.
Surprisingly, given its price, the Pova 5 captures decent images. Well-lit environments yield detailed images, though occasional overprocessing, particularly in green elements like leaves or grass, can occur. In low-light scenarios, the Super Night mode increases brightness at the expense of detail.
Selfies taken with the front camera under decent lighting conditions appear satisfactory, albeit with noticeable post-processing. However, image quality deteriorates in low-light settings.
Video recording capabilities is up to 2K at 30fps. Autofocus may lag, and the absence of stabilization results in somewhat shaky footage and pictures. Despite this, color and contrast in videos remain acceptable.
The Battery
Equipped with a substantial 6,000mAh battery, the TECNO Pova 5 delivers all-day battery life on a single charge. Rapid charging is possible using the included 45W charger, reaching a full charge in just over an hour.
TECNO Pova 5 Verdict
The TECNO Pova 5 has surprised us with its ability to offer such a compelling smartphone at its price point. While marketed as a gaming device, it performs well across various tasks, including content consumption and photography. However, although its design evokes a gaming aesthetic, the build quality is noticeably plastic. For those who own its predecessor, the Pova 4, you might want to skip this as it received a modest upgrade.
Despite these limitations, the TECNO Pova 5 remains an excellent choice for gamers seeking an affordable smartphone, priced below Php 10,000.
The TECNO Pova 5 is available in two variants: 8GB+128GB for Php 7,999 and 8GB+256GB for Php 8,499. It can be purchased through TikTok Shop, Lazada, and Shopee.
