TECNO POVA Curve 5G Review - A balanced, affordable mid-range phone built for gaming

The TECNO POVA lineup has built quite a reputation for focusing on performance and long battery life, and the POVA Curve 5G is no exception.

TECNO POVA Curve 5G, an affordable mid-range gaming phone that doesn't play around

On paper, it looks like a gaming-ready mid-range phone with a fast refresh rate, large battery, and 5G support. But specs only tell part of the story. After spending hours gaming and testing the cameras, the real question is: how does it actually perform in real-world use?

Unboxing/Accessories

All the essentials you need

Inside the box, you get the essentials you'd expect:

• The TECNO POVA Curve 5G unit
• Sealing stickers
• 45W fast charger
• USB-C charging cable
• Free silicone phone case

No surprises here, but it’s good to see that TECNO still includes a fast charger and a case out of the box, two things that are slowly disappearing in this price segment.

Build Quality/Design/Multimedia Experience

The POVA Curve 5G's design is inspired by Interstellar Spaceships

The TECNO POVA Curve 5G features an interstellar spaceship-inspired design with a plastic frame and a fine matte-finished back that keeps fingerprints to a minimum while improving grip, which is especially noticeable during long gaming sessions.

Weighing 188.5 grams, it feels relatively lightweight for its size and battery capacity, making it comfortable to hold over extended playtime without feeling tiring or straining.

Nice build, specially for the price

At 7.45mm, the phone is slim, but TECNO still managed to fit a relatively large 5,500mAh battery.

An impressively large screen display for both gaming and multimedia entertainment

Up front is its 6.78-inch 144Hz Curved AMOLED display protected by Gorilla Glass 7i for better durability, which plays a big role in both aesthetics and usability. The curved edges make swipes and on-screen controls feel more natural, while the high refresh rate helps gameplay and animations feel smoother, especially in fast-paced titles when performance-focused settings are enabled.

The TECNO POVA Curve 5G also has an IP64 rating, meaning its screen can handle splashes of water (like rain or wet fingers). However, there might be some unintended touches on the display when it is wet.

A more immersive sound experience thanks to its stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos tech

Despite the large screen and battery, the phone remains comfortable to hold during long gaming sessions. It also comes with stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, delivering louder and fuller sound that adds to immersion, whether you're gaming or watching videos.

Gameplay Experience/Performance

AnTuTu and Geekbench of TECNO POVA Curve 5G

Thanks to its use of the 2.5GHz 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultimate octa-core processor and Mali-G615 MC2, a chip commonly found on more expensive phones, the TECNO POVA Curve 5G is one of the fastest under PHP 12K.

One of the fastest under PHP 12K

AND, rather than relying on just benchmarks, performance here is based on actual gameplay sessions across three popular titles, tested in both practical daily settings and more aggressive, stress-test scenarios.

Game #1: PUBG Mobile

Testing out PUBG Mobile on the POVA Curve 5G

Battery life:

Based on extended PUBG gameplay, the phone consumes roughly 10–11 percent battery per hour, translating to close to 9 hours of continuous play under similar settings, which is solid for a midrange gaming phone.

Graphics settings experience:

• Better Graphics (default) - Looks good visually, while gameplay feels slightly smooth even with lower frame rates.
• Balanced (default) - The sweet spot. Graphics still look good, and performance feels smoother and more consistent.
• Better Frame Rate (Super Smooth ON) - Visuals take a slight hit, but gameplay becomes noticeably smoother with better frame consistency.
• HDR enabled (Match + Lobby) - Visually appealing, but introduces stutters and input delay, making it less ideal for competitive play.

Overall, PUBG runs best when you prioritize frame rate or balanced settings, especially for longer sessions.

Game #2: Pokémon GO

Testing out Pokémon GO on the POVA Curve 5G

Battery life:

Based on extended Pokémon GO gameplay with the screen constantly on, the phone consumed around 17 percent battery per hour, translating to roughly 5 to 6 hours of continuous play, which is expected for a GPS- and display-intensive game.

Settings used:

• Enhanced graphics enabled
• Native refresh rate enabled

Despite being played continuously for hours, the performance remained stable throughout. The phone started warming up after around 30 minutes, but never reached an uncomfortable level. Frame rates stayed consistent even with the higher refresh rate enabled, making it reliable for long, screen-on gameplay.

Game #3: Genshin Impact

Testing out Genshin Impact on the POVA Curve 5G

Initial testing showed clear performance scaling depending on graphics settings:

• Lowest - Smooth performance load with a slight hit on visual quality
• Low - While the app warns that the performance load is overclocked, gameplay is still smooth with improved visual quality.
• Medium - Even with the overclocked warning on performance load, gameplay is still smooth with a much improved visual quality.

Genshin Impact is playable, but medium settings are the realistic recommendation if you want a smoother experience without excessive heat.

Pushing the Limits: Max Settings Stress Test

To test TECNO POVA Curve 5G’s tagline of "Power Beyond Limits," we ran a second round of gameplay where all three games were pushed to their maximum available settings.

Surprisingly, the phone managed to keep up better than expected:

• Gameplay remained playable without severe lag
• No sudden frame drops or crashes were encountered
• Battery drain stayed reasonable, considering the load
• Heat buildup was present, but remained controlled and did not escalate aggressively

While this isn't the most efficient way to play long-term, it shows that the POVA Curve 5G has extra headroom when pushed, which is something that casual and experimental gamers may appreciate.

Camera Samples

The POVA Curve 5G features a 64MP f/1.8 Sony main camera

Equipped with a 64MP f/1.8 Sony main camera with dual flash and a 13MP selfie camera, the TECNO POVA Curve 5G aims to deliver reliable everyday shots.

Let's check the real-world results.

Main Camera

Shot with POVA Curve 5G's Main Camera in low-light

The main camera delivers decent photos, even in low-light conditions, thanks to the built-in Super Night mode. It helps bring out details and keeps images usable when the lighting isn't ideal.

Zoom

Shot with POVA Curve 5G's Main Camera in low-light at 2x zoom

Zoom is not this phone's strong suit. Image quality drops noticeably when zooming in, making it less reliable for distant subjects.

Selfie Camera

Shot with POVA Curve 5G's Selfie Camera in low-light

The selfie camera is surprisingly good and should satisfy most casual users and content creators. The colors it can produce are definitely above its price point.

However, in low-light situations, the AI processing can sometimes be too aggressive, which makes faces look a little bit too smooth or "too polished." 

Notable Camera Feature: VLOG Mode

Useful for beginner content creators: VLOG Mode

One standout feature in the camera app is VLOG Mode. It offers guided shooting templates that walk beginners through basic vlog-style shots. For aspiring vloggers or new content creators, this mode is worth exploring as it lowers the barrier to getting started.

At the back, it can record up to 4K at 30fps.

Generally, for a gaming-focused smartphone, it has a fairly good camera performance, especially at this price point.

TECNO POVA Curve 5G Specs

Display: 6.78-inch Gorilla Glass 7i protected AMOLED screen w/ 144Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, FHD+ 2436 x 1080 resolution at 393 ppi

CPU: 2.5GHz 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultimate octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G615 MC2

RAM: 8GB

ROM: 256GB UFS 2.2

Back Camera: 64MP f/1.8 Sony sensor + dual flash

Selfie: 13MP

Battery: 5,500mAh battery w/ USB-C 45W fast charging

OS: Android 15 w/ HiOS 15

Connectivity: WiFi 6, 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.4, FM Radio, NFC, GPS, dual SIM (nano)

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, IP64 dust and water resistance, IR Blaster, stereo speakers, X-axis linear motor, Hyper Cooling System, USB-C, Colors: Neon Cyan, Magic Silver, Geek Black

Dimensions: 164.3 x 74.6 x 7.45 mm

Weight: 188.5 g

Price: PHP 11,999

Verdict

For just PHP 11,999 SRP, the TECNO POVA Curve 5G is a solid mid-range gaming phone that delivers smooth, stable performance when used the right way, and still holds up when pushed.

A very capable, affordable mid-range gaming phone

In daily use, the POVA Curve 5G delivers smooth and stable gaming on balanced or performance-focused settings, with battery life and thermals that hold up well over long sessions. What stands out is that even when pushed to maximum settings, games remained playable without aggressive overheating or sudden battery drain.

Overall, it’s a mid-range phone that performs best within its comfort zone, but still has enough headroom to back up its "Power Beyond Limits" claim. If you're on the lookout for a capable midrange gaming phone, consider getting the TECNO POVA Curve 5G.

Build/Design - 4.25

Multimedia Experience - 4.5

Cameras - 4.25

Performance - 4.5

Average - 4.375/5