TECNO SPARK 30 best features - Bumblebee design and beyond

Are you a Transformers fan? If yes, this is one of the must check phones especially if you like Bumblebee the best.

The box

The news? TECNO recently released the SPARK 30 Transformers Bumblebee Edition in the Philippines for PHP 6,999 SRP or as low as PHP 5,699 introductory price.

At this price point, it is one of the more interesting budget smartphones due to its design.

So, if you are a HUGE Bumblebee fan and you need a new affordable smartphone, read on.

TECNO SPARK 30 best features - Bumblebee theme and beyond

Everything inside the box

1. Mech Armor Texture Design - It's flashy, shiny, and has accents that will remind you of Bumblebee, a crowd-favorite robot that transforms into a yellow car. Collectors and fans of Transformers will definitely enjoy this.

Transformers fans will definitely enjoy this!

Aside from the Bumblebee Edition, it is also available in Stellar Shadow or Astral White colorway.

This handset is slim

The device also features an easy-to-hold boxy frame with semi-rounded corners at just 7.85mm thin. That's impressive as the device is packed with a fairly large 5,000mAh battery capacity.

Moreover, TECNO claims that this handset has a durable build. First, it has an IP64 dust and water jet resistance (from all angles).

Second, the company conducted a lot of tests to ensure that it would last for a long time. In particular, they conducted a Power Button Lifespan test 1,000,000 times, a Micro Drop Test 25,000 times, a USB Plug Test 20,000 times, and an Extreme Twist Test 2,000 times.

1080p, 90Hz smooth screen

2. Solid multimedia experience for less - This device is packed with a 6.78-inch LCD (IPS) screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ 2460 x 1080 resolution. 

Pretty good display for the price

Unlike some similarly priced phones, its screen resolution is 1080p with crisp enough details and nice overall colors. It can go quite bright for a budget device at 800 nits and is even TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certified.

Stereo speakers

Moreover, the company equipped this with a Dolby Atmos stereo speaker setup with up to 300 percent volume.

This display and speaker combination makes it a pretty good multimedia device for watching your favorite shows and clips. I definitely enjoyed using it for watching NBA recap on YouTube, anime like Bleach on Netflix, and even K-dramas on Viu.

The speaker is quite nice up to around 70 percent loudness. Moreover, TECNO even included a 3.5mm headphone jack slot for your favorite wired headphones.

The circular camera layout

3. It uses a good quality 64MP Sony IMX682 main camera - TECNO SPARK 30 is loaded with a 64MP f/1.8 Sony IMX682 main camera with PDAF focus. This is the same camera sensor found on more expensive mid-rangers a few years ago.

Daylight 1x

Daylight 2x

Indoor well-lit 2x

As expected, even if its chipset is not equipped with a higher-grade image signal processor (ISP), the photographs we took are considered quite good at this price point.

Good quality primary camera

It did well in most scenarios, especially in well-lit conditions where it delivered snaps with the sharpest details. Even for indoor photographs, the images are acceptable.

Night mode 1

Night mode 2

In the dark, using the Night mode is a must for non-moving subjects. If you got it right, the Night shots could look very impressive for a budget phone.

Selfie Portrait sample

For selfies, this handset uses an 8MP f/2.2 camera. If you take selfies in the dark, you can take advantage of its adjustable Dual Flash in front. This is a decent selfie shooter.

AIGC Portrait sample

It even has cool AI tricks for creative Portraits on the camera app.

AnTuTu and Geekbench score of the phone

4. Certified to stay smooth for a long time - Unlike other budget phones, the TECNO SPARK 30 is certified to have a "like new" smooth performance for several years.

In particular, the company claims that Germany's TÜV Rheinland awarded it with a 5-year Fluency Protection Certification.

To keep it simple, the handset will not slow down even after using it for around 60 months or 5 years.

Only time will tell if this claim is true, but the company said that it optimized its hardware and software to fulfill the above-mentioned promise.

Just note that lag might still be experienced if the user runs demanding tasks that its specs could not handle or if there are network issues.

Speaking of specs, the handset is powered by the 2.0GHz 12nm MediaTek Helio G91 octa-core processor with Mali-G52 MC2 graphics.

The good news is it has 8GB RAM that could be extended to 16GB with the help of its large 256GB internal storage. This means that its users may run a lot of apps in the background without making the main application slow for multitasking and can install a lot of apps and store plenty of files like photos, videos, documents, and more.

Low settings with Genshin Impact, but it is playable

In my experience, this is good enough to run most of the basic tasks like social media apps, video editing tools like CapCut, and photo editing. For games, it can play MLBB on default settings with no hiccups.

The battery is also large at 5,000mAh and can last up to two (2) days on a single charge. 

Speaking of battery, TECNO claims that it has up to 1,000+ charging cycles before its battery health degrades to around 80 percent. If true, that's equivalent to around 4 to 5 years of use.

Then, it could be charged with an 18W USB-C power brick that could provide aroud 60 percent battery in an hour of charge.

Other features of the phone include a responsive side-mounted fingerprint reader and a remote control function to control your supported home appliances.

It runs with HiOS skin on top

By the way, this device runs with Android 14 OS with HiOS skin on top. The HiOS skin has a Bumblebee theme by default. It is now cleaner than ever, mas konti na ung ads and bloats, and meron pang Apple Dynamic Island-like  effect sa top-center punch-hole selfie camera for notifications, charging details, and more.

TECNO SPARK 30 Specs

Display: 6.78-inch LCD (IPS) screen w/ 90Hz refresh rate, HD+ 2460 x 1080 resolution at 396 ppi

CPU: 2.0GHz 12nm MediaTek Helio G91 octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G52 MC2

RAM: 8GB

ROM: 256GB expandable 

Back Camera: 64MP f/1.8 Sony IMX682 w/ PDAF + Rear Four Flash

Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.2 + Dual Flash

Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 18W fast charging

OS: Android 14 w/ HiOS

Connectivity: WiFi (2.4GHz/5GHz), 4G LTE, Bluetooth, FM Radio, NFC, GPS, dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, proximity, magnetic

Others: Side fingerprint sensor, face unlock, IP64 dust and water resistance, IR Blaster, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Colors: Astral Ice, Stellar Shadow, Bumblebee Edition

Dimensions: 168 x 76.43 x 7.85 mm

Price: PHP 6,999

Quick thoughts

This is a nicely designed device for Transformers fans, pretty good multimedia capabilities thanks to its large 1080p 90Hz display, stereo speakers, large memory for the price, and a capable main shooter in its class.

While it has some weak points, the TECNO SPARK 30 is a fun smartphone especially if you will be able to purchase it for its introductory price.

Anyway, you may visit this link to check it on TikTok Shop. The device is also available on Lazada and Shopee online.

What do you guys think?