TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G Review: Worth The Chance, Worth The Purchase
INTRODUCTION:
In the swamped local smartphone market, it's a challenge to share the spotlight with technology giants. A brand has to have a clear understanding of the consumers and how to catch their attention. From what we're seeing, this is what Chinese smartphone brand TECNO is doing.
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| TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G Review: Worth The Chance, Worth The Purchase |
Three years after its Philippine entry, TECNO continues to push its efforts in bringing affordable yet capable devices fit for the masses. The latest of which is a 5G device priced at less than P10,000. Apart from 5G, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G has more surprises for the budget-savvy smartphone user. Find out more in this review.
DESIGN and DISPLAY:
The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G adds to the list of smartphones with an industrial design. Its back cover looks like it's mirroring the inside parts of the device while at the same time keeping that cool aesthetic. And while other smartphones have to keep a relatively higher price point for this kind of design, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G doesn't.
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| Turbo Light Mecha Design |
It even highlights an RGB ambient lighting on its back part that illuminates nine different colors, further adding to that futuristic, mechanical scheme. The back part of the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G lights up when there's a notification when the device needs to be charged and during gaming, calling, and listening to music. The colors can be tweaked via the backlight effects options on the smartphone's settings.
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| Bottom - 3.5mm audio jack, microphone, USB type-C port, loudspeaker; Top - secondary speaker; Left - card try; Right - volume key and power/fingerprint button. |
Another good thing about the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G – again, despite its relatively affordable price tag – is that it has a glass panel rear. While this kind of back cover is a smudge- and fingerprint-magnet, it makes the device look more stylish and premium.
Despite the glass panel, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G doesn't feel fragile at all. Its sturdy build promotes a good grip. However, at 214 grams, the device might be heavy for some users.
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| 6.78-inch FHD+ IPS 120Hz Display |
The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G is a gaming-centric device, and it's only fitting that it comes with an impressive screen. What we liked about this smartphone's 6.78-inch FHD+ LCD display is that even when used outdoors, the colors remain vivid and visible. With a 120Hz refresh rate, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G also gives a smooth and fluid screen.
Apart from the smartphone itself, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G package comes with a free clear case, 68W charger, USB Type-C cable, user manual, warranty card, and a SIM ejector tool.
See Also: TECNO Introduces "Level-up Gaming King" Garena Free Fire POVA 5 Series in the Philippines; Get Yours Now for Only Php6,399
PERFORMANCE:
Under the hood, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G runs on an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6080 5G SoC. According to MediaTek, this chipset is made for "improved everyday smartphone experiences" as it accelerates applications, boosts 5G, and promotes battery efficiency.
Based on our actual use, these claims are proven true. Multitasking is a breeze, and mobile gaming is stable. Even with the audio and graphics settings of popular mobile games set at high, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G performs effortlessly.
For users who are mindful about smartphones heating up after long hours of use, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G could be to your liking. Even with a glass panel with LED lights on it, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G keeps its cool.
With a generous 8GB RAM and storage options of 128GB and 256GB, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G has more than enough room to run background apps and to keep photos, videos, and files.
We played Garena Free Fire, and gameplay was simply a breeze. Other popular games, like Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile, and CODM, also went well with little to no stutter at medium settings.
Here are the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G benchmark results for reference.
- Antutu - 412,392
- Geekbench Single-Core - 775
- Geekbench Multi-Core - 2,098
- Geekbench Compute - 1,401
- PC Mark Work Performance 3.0 - 10,486
- PC Mark Work Storage 2.0 - 26,978
- 3D Mark Wild Life - 1,331
- 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test - 1,336
- 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme - 369
- 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test - 371
- 3D Mark Sling Shot - 3,803
- 3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme - 2,768
Outside the box, the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G comes equipped with Android 13 software with TECNO's HiOS 13 on the top with customization features for user convenience. Bloatware is present, but some apps can be easily and quickly uninstalled to free up more space.
CAMERA:
Expect to get decent photos with the 50-megapixel AI camera of the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G, especially when shooting in well-lit environments. While the pictures don't come with the sharpness and saturation some mobile photography enthusiasts might look for, casual mobile phone users might appreciate that the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G can produce photos that can be posted on social media without the need for further edits.
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| 50MP Dual-Rear Camera |
The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G struggles when it comes to night photography. Details on the photos appear washed and cloudy. This doesn't come as a surprise, though, as night photography is a challenge for most smartphones, even more expensive mid-range ones. Thankfully, the Super Night mode helps improve overall image quality on shots taken in challenging light conditions.
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| 16MP Front Camera |
Selfies look good, too, thanks to the 16MP front camera. The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G doesn't edit the skin tone of the subject too much. However, the smoothness of its bokeh effect could use a bit of improvement.
Videos taken using the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G are acceptable as well at 2K at 30 fps and Full HD at 60 fps. As expected, the smartphone doesn't have a built-in stabilization feature, given its lower price point.
Here are some camera samples from the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G.
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| Buildings, 1x Zoom |
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| Buildings, 2x Zoom |
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| Clubhouse |
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| Selfie, Normal |
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| Selfie, Portrait |
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| Pool, Normal |
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| Pool, Night Mode |
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| Night Selfie, Normal |
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| Night Selfie, Portrait |
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| Selfie, Night Mode |
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BATTERY:
A whole day of moderate to heavy use is not a problem with the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G, thanks to its 5,000mAh battery. As per TECNO, with a 68W fast-charging support, it can refuel the device's battery from 0% to 50% in just 15 minutes. Users won't even need to wait for an hour (only 45 minutes) to have the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G recharged to 100% again.
Based on our own test, we achieved the following:
- 10 minutes - 29%
- 20 minutes - 54%
- 30 minutes - 74%
- 40 minutes - 93%
- 45 minutes - 98%
- 47 minutes - 100%
This is quite impressive and almost near what TECNO advertised.
CONCLUSION:
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| TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G |
The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G proves that it's okay to take a chance with the unfamiliar. With its fair share of highs and lows, this device is a steal for only P9,999.
How much is the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G in the Philippines?
- The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G Price Philippines is Php10,999, with an early bird offer of just Php9,999.
- TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G on Lazada Philippines
- TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G on Shopee PH
When will be the TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G available in the Philippines?
- The TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G is now available in the Philippines.
TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G pecifications:
- Dual nano-SIM, dual standby, supports 5G connectivity.
- 6.78-inch FHD+ (2460 x 1080 pixels) IPS LCD, 120Hz refresh rate
- Turbo Light Mecha Design (LED light strip with 9-color RGB)
- Dimensions: 168.5mm x 76.5mm x 9mm
- Weight: 220 grams
- HiOS 13.1.0 based on Android 13
- Octa-core (2x2.4GHz Cortex-A76 + 6x2.0GHz Cortex-A55) CPU, ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, Mediatek Dimensity 6080 6nm 5G chipset
- 8GB physical RAM + 8GB dynamic RAM
- 256GB internal storage, expandable via MicroSD card via a dedicated slot
- 50MP PDAF main + 0.8MP depth dual rear cameras with LED flash, 2K video recording at 30fps
- 16MP f/2.0 front camera, 1080p video recording at 30fps
- Multimedia player
- FM Radio
- 3.5mm audio jack
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth v5.1
- NFC
- USB 2.0 Type-C with OTG function
- GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
- Sensors: fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, light, proximity, gyroscope
- Battery: 5,000mAh lithium-ion polymer, non-removable, 68W Ultra Charge fast wired charging
- Colors: Dark Illusion, Silver Fantasy, Free Fire Edition
- TECNO POVA 5 Pro 5G Price Philippines: Php10,999