Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ Review

Highbee

Let me tell you something about the smartphone market in Nigeria: we’re tired of compromise. We want good cameras, we want decent performance, we want batteries that last, and we don’t want to sell a kidney to get it. Enter the Tecno Spark 20 Pro+, a phone that costs less than ₦150,000 but somehow feels like it should cost twice that. I’ve been using it as my main phone for three weeks now, and I’m both confused and impressed.

The Unboxing: When Budget Feels Anything But

When I first opened the box, I actually checked the price again. The Spark 20 Pro+ comes in packaging that feels premium—matte finish box, proper documentation, and even a clear case included. The phone itself? Stunning. The “Magic Skin” finish on my review unit (they call it “Neon Gold”) catches light in ways that phones three times the price would envy. It’s plastic, sure, but it’s the nicest plastic I’ve felt on any phone in recent memory.

The curved edges aren’t just for show—they make this 6.78-inch phone feel manageable in hand. At 190 grams, it has some heft, but it’s balanced. What surprised me most? No fingerprint smudges. Whatever coating Tecno used actually works.

Display: More Than You Paid For

Here’s where things get interesting. The Spark 20 Pro+ has a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. Let me repeat that: AMOLED. At this price. Most budget phones give you LCD and call it a day. Tecno gave us AMOLED, and it’s glorious.

Colors pop without looking unnatural. Blacks are actually black, not dark gray. And that 120Hz refresh rate? It’s smooth. Not “smooth for the price” but genuinely smooth. Scrolling through Twitter, reading articles, even just navigating the home screen—it all feels fluid.

Brightness is where you notice the price difference. In direct Nigerian sunlight, you’ll need to crank it to 80-90% for comfortable viewing. But indoors? It’s perfectly fine. And for Netflix or YouTube in bed, it’s honestly better than some mid-range phones I’ve tested.

Performance: The Surprise Package

The MediaTek Helio G99 Ultra processor isn’t going to win any benchmark wars, but you know what? It doesn’t need to. For everyday Nigerian use—WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, mobile banking—it’s more than enough.

I played Call of Duty Mobile on medium settings, and it held a steady 45-50fps. Not esports-level, but perfectly playable. More impressive was the thermal management. After 30 minutes of gaming, the phone was warm but not uncomfortable—something I can’t say about many phones in this price range.

Where it really shines is battery life. The 5,000mAh battery is no joke. My typical day:

7 AM: Unplug at 100%
Heavy WhatsApp and Instagram use
2 hours of YouTube during lunch
Some light gaming in the evening
10 PM: Still have 30-40% left

And when you do need to charge, the 33W fast charger (included!) gets you from empty to 50% in about 30 minutes. That’s a full evening’s use from half an hour of charging.

Camera: The Main Event

Tecno is calling this a “108MP” camera, and while that number is partly marketing, the results are genuinely impressive for the price.

Daylight photos: Detailed, vibrant, and surprisingly balanced. The AI sometimes over-sharpens, but you can turn that off. Portrait mode actually does a decent job with edge detection, even with Nigerian hairstyles.

Low-light: Here’s where expectations need managing. It’s fine for well-lit indoor spaces, but true darkness challenges it. Night mode helps, but it takes 2-3 seconds to process.

Selfie camera: The 32MP front camera is this phone’s secret weapon. In good light, it takes selfies that rival phones costing twice as much. The beauty mode is aggressive by default, but again, you can tone it down.

Software: The Love-Hate Relationship

HiOS 13 based on Android 13 is… fine. It’s heavily customized, which some will love and others will hate. There are lots of features—game mode, privacy features, customization options—but also some bloatware.

The good:

Nigerian-specific optimizations
Useful battery management
Regular security updates (so far)

The not-so-good:

Some pre-installed apps you’ll never use
Occasional UI lag
Aggressive RAM management

After a week, I disabled most of the bloatware and the experience improved significantly. Tecno’s software team clearly cares about features, but they could stand to simplify things.

Real-World Nigerian Experience

Here’s what matters: how does it hold up in actual Nigerian conditions?

Network performance: Excellent on MTN and Airtel. Full 4G support, VoLTE works perfectly, and call quality is clear.

Durability: The plastic build survived a drop from waist height onto tile with just a small scuff. The included screen protector (pre-applied!) saved the display.

Power efficiency: The phone intelligently manages power during Nigeria’s frequent outages. When battery gets low, it offers to switch to ultra-power-saving mode, giving you hours more use for just calls and messages.

Who Should Buy This Phone?

Perfect for:

Students on a budget
First-time smartphone buyers
Anyone needing a reliable secondary phone
Social media enthusiasts who care about selfies

Look elsewhere if:

You’re a heavy mobile gamer
You need the absolute best low-light camera
You prefer stock Android
You have ₦250,000+ to spend

The Competition

vs Infinix Hot 40 Pro (₦140,000): Very similar specs, comes down to which design you prefer and whether you want Infinix’s XOS or Tecno’s HiOS.

vs Samsung Galaxy A15 (₦160,000): Samsung has better software support, but the Spark 20 Pro+ has a better display and faster charging.

vs Xiaomi Redmi 13C (₦130,000): The Redmi wins on pure value, but the Spark 20 Pro+ feels more premium.

Final Thoughts: Redefining Value

The Tecno Spark 20 Pro+ shouldn’t be this good at ₦145,000. It breaks the rules of what budget phones are supposed to be. It gives you premium features (AMOLED, 120Hz, curved design) while keeping the price accessible.

Is it perfect? No. The software needs refinement, low-light photography could be better, and it won’t satisfy power users. But for what it costs, it delivers an experience that feels like cheating the system.

If you’re shopping in the ₦150,000 range, you need to try this phone. Hold it, use the display, take some photos. I think you’ll be as surprised as I was. Tecno has set a new standard for what budget phones can be, and honestly? The competition should be worried.

Highbee