Tecno Spark Go 3 Review: Last of the Sub-Rs. 10,000 Budget Phones?

Our smartphones have become an extension of our bodies, from being a luxury to a necessity. They are one of the most personal possessions one owns today. However, over the last year, phone prices have increased significantly, owing to an unprecedented rise in AI adoption, forcing memory and storage component manufacturers to redirect the supply of essential smartphone components. The industry as a whole has now entered a transitional phase, recalibrating price segments and redefining the meaning of a budget smartphone.

The Tecno Spark Go 3 is one such budget phone that was recently launched in India. Priced in India at Rs. 8,999 for the sole configuration offering 4GB of RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage, the handset is relatively more expensive than its predecessor. But does it also offer more value?

Tecno Spark Go 3 Design: A Step Backwards?

• Dimensions - 167.79x77.97x8.19mm
• Weight - 182.6g
• Ingress protection - IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance
• Colours - Aurora Purple, Galaxy Blue, Ink Black, and Titanium Grey

The first thing you notice when you pick up the Tecno Spark Go 3 is that it is surprisingly light, weighing slightly over 182g. It has caught on to the thin-and-light trend, measuring 8.19mm thick, making the phone one of the exceptions in the price bracket. However, it is not suitable for one-handed use, even if you have relatively large hands. Going from one corner of the display to another requires some gymnastics.

Tecno Spark Go 3 gets a dual-tone rear panel

With the power button and volume controls on the right side, the ergonomics of the Tecno Spark Go 3 are slightly off. While the power button is within the reach of your thumb, the volume rockers are not. However, thanks to its thin, light design, I never felt any discomfort while holding it for long hours while playing games or watching videos.

The plastic frame and the polycarbonate back panel feel cheap to the touch. However, that is acceptable for a budget handset. Moreover, the Tecno phone features a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port, and a microphone on the bottom, while the top gets a speaker grille. The Spark Go 3 is offered in three distinct colourways. Our review unit is the Ink Black option. However, in the marketing material, the Galaxy Blue option also looks pleasing to the eyes.

Coming to the front design, I was disappointed to find thick bezels surrounding the display. But that is something we also got with last year's Spark Go series phone. But this time, the company decided to equip the handset with a waterdrop-style notch for the selfie camera, which, in my view, is a step backwards from the hole-punch display cutout on the Spark Go 2. It appears to be from a time when hole-punch screen cutouts were synonymous with selfie cameras.

Tecno Spark Go 3's button layout

Meanwhile, the phone also tries its hand at offering a touch of modernity with a dual-tone back panel, as the pill-shaped camera module is surrounded by a slightly different shade. It appears to draw inspiration from the design of Apple's iPhone 17 Pro series, but without its raised camera plateau. This is just an aesthetic addition, which seemingly adds no other value.

To put it simply, the Tecno Spark Go 3 tells different stories through its front and back designs.

Tecno Spark Go 3 Display: Bright Enough

• Screen size - 6.75-inch HD+ (720x1,600 pixels) IPS display
• Refresh rate - Up to 120Hz of refresh rate

The display on the Tecno Spark Go 3 measures 6.75 inches diagonally, which is large enough for watching YouTube videos, movies, or playing games. However, during testing, I found the performance inconsistent at various points. While binging Modern Family on Jio Hotstar, I found that the colours often seemed washed out, while the edges of the subject in frame appeared hazy.

Similarly, on YouTube, videos just appeared bland. The colours never pop out, and you are left wanting more. Although the Tecno Spark Go 3 promises HD+ resolution, the clarity one would expect from that standard is missing. However, the story takes a turn for the better when using the UI or playing games.

Tecno Spark Go 3 features a large enough display

While playing Subway Surfers and Temple Run 2, I found the 120Hz adaptive refresh rate to be sufficient. The motion blur around the characters seemed decent, while image saturation levels appeared fine, too. The company also ships a pre-installed screen protector, which is a good thing.

Another major upside is its outdoor performance. While the tech firm does not officially reveal the peak brightness numbers, I found the phone's display to be bright enough, even under direct sunlight, which is impressive for a budget phone. However, the reflections do ruin the user experience by a tad bit, which is passable.

Although there are some inconsistencies, the display on the Tecno Spark Go 3 is decent for its price segment.

Tecno Spark Go 3 Performance: Games Remain Playable

• Chipset - Unisoc T7250
• RAM - 4GB of LPDDR4x
• Storage - 64GB

Now, let us talk about the performance. The Tecno Spark Go 3 is definitely a capable device for its price. In daily use, the handset seldom lagged. The Unisoc T7250 chipset can handle most tasks, whether browsing the internet, scrolling through Reels on Instagram, or playing games, including popular titles like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Asphalt Legends, as well as arcade titles like Subway Surfers and Temple Run 2.

Tecno Spark Go 3 offers smooth performance in day-to-day usage

In my testing, I was easily able to keep up to five to six apps running in the background before the Tecno Spark Go 3 started throwing hiccups. The 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM seems enough on most days, but when you have multiple tabs open in a browser, the phone could have used more memory. Fortunately, it does include a memory swap function, which allows the handset to use part of its 64GB of onboard storage when needed.

I also ran some benchmark tests and compared them to its primary rival, the Moto G06 Power, which also retails at the same price in India and has similar hardware. Tecno's phone outperformed the MediaTek Helio G81 Extreme chipset-powered Motorola handset on several benchmark tests, while getting surpassed by it on others.

Coming to its gaming performance, I barely experienced frame drops. However, the Tecno Spark Go 3 did struggle initially while running Asphalt Legends. The phone can run arcade games smoothly. I played BGMI for nearly 40 minutes and was impressed by the handset's thermal management. While it did become slightly warm on medium settings, the device never throttled. Hence, games remained playable throughout. Another thing to be kept in mind is that it is not positioned as a gaming device. It still offers decent performance.

Tecno Spark Go 3 Cameras: Lacks Clarity, but Still Decent

• Main Rear - 13-megapixel
• Selfie camera - 8-megapixel

The single 13-megapixel shooter on the Tecno Spark Go 3 fell short of my expectations. With the available real estate, the phone appears deserving of a larger sensor. However, the problem is not limited to the sensor size. The photos appear slightly undersaturated and lack clarity. Tecno's image processing does not make a case for the phone's imaging capabilities. With 2x digital zoom, things get even worse, as image pixels start getting torn apart.

Even for a budget handset, the performance seems below par. The edges of subjects in the image seem blunt. The images lack character, appearing mostly bland. However, prima facie, the images look good. Considering that people buying particularly in this price segment do not expect DSLR-level camera performance. Hence, for those looking to simply capture special moments to reminisce in the future, it would be enough.

Moreover, you can capture decent pictures with its 8-megapixel selfie camera. Up close, details remain clear, with even hair strands captured individually. However, other problems found with the rear camera persist. On the videography front, the recording appears stable, but microphones barely pick up any sound.

Overall, the front and rear cameras on the Tecno Spark Go 3 are good for capturing moments but not for “photography”.

Tecno Spark Go 3 Battery: The Redeeming Factor

• Capacity - 5,000mAh
• Fast charging - 15W
• Charger - Included

The Tecno Spark Go 3 really redeems itself in the battery department. On the PC Mark Work 3.0 Battery Life test, the handset lasted for about 16 hours and 51 minutes. Even in everyday use, its 5,000 mAh battery lasted a day and a half. However, you can drain the phone very quickly while playing games or scrolling through Instagram. During a 30-minute-long BGMI session, Tecno Spark Go 3's battery drained nearly 10 percent.

Tecno Spark Go 3 charges via a USB Type-C port

But there is a catch. The phone takes a very long time to charge from 0 to 100 percent. I charged the handset with the 15W charging adapter and the USB Type-C cable that Tecno includes in the box. In my testing, the Spark Go 3 went from 0 to 18 percent battery in 30 minutes and from 0 to 37 percent in an hour. However, it took a whopping 4 hours and 25 minutes for it to go from 0 percent battery to 100 percent.

Tecno Spark Go 3 Verdict

Coming back to whether it offers more value than its predecessor. I would say yes, it does, in most aspects. Given the rising prices of smartphones, the Tecno Spark Go 3, priced at Rs. 8,999 in India, is a decent offering. The long battery life, great gaming performance, and the overall experience would be enough for somebody looking for an entry-level smartphone. It might even be a good choice for the elderly in the family or somebody buying their first handset.

But it might not be the best choice if you click a lot of photos or do a lot of multitasking. In that case, you should increase your budget by a few thousand and get the Vivo T4x 5G. However, if you are looking for an alternative in the same price bracket, the Moto G06 Power offers similar features but a better user experience.