Smartphone usage has seen such exponential growth in the recent years that it is no surprise a lot more brands have sprung up. A majority of the market is run on Google’s Android OS, meaning a lot more brands are making use of their platform to develop their OS and interface. With production being as simple as finding a producer in China to slap on a brand name of your choice onto a smartphone and starting a line, one can imagine why so many new brands have come about.
A brand to watch
In all this, there are brands that have a more wide understanding of their products, with some research into what they are making. Not just getting an already seen product produced in a different colour. Tecno is one such brand, hot on the heels of competitors such as Oppo, Q-Mobile and the lower end Huawei smartphones. Owned by Transsio Holdings that is based out of Hong Kong, Tecno phones have a global presence in over 60 countries. It first succeded in Africa. After that initial success, it spread and made its way to South Asia, where it is also doing well.
Design and build
Tecno Moblies clearly cater to a younger generation, the colour of their bodies gives as much away. This is not to say they do not have more sober colours, but even those have some extra touch to them to make it a bit more ‘funky’. The brand has done some extra work on some of their models with embossed designs to make some extra light play on the back. The body is built from plastics, this may seem like a cut corner, but the quality is enough to handle regular usage and a few drops now and then. This is also a way to make sure the smartphone is within an accessible range.
Specs
The basic central point in internal specs is the processor and Tecno Mobiles make use of MediaTek chips. MediaTek is known for creating a lot of entry-level chips, this is a major factor in pricing as well. The RAM is anywhere from 1GB to 4GB. Combined with their processor it is enough to handle one’s regular usage.
Tecno is known for furnishing their smartphone with camera modules that are ahead of the class their smartphones are from. For instance, in 2019 they introduced the Spark Go in Pakistan, it was the cheapest smartphone in the market to have a dual-camera setup; coming in at just Rs. 12,999. Today they have smartphones that have a 4 camera module which are from the lower end of the mid-range, making it a bargain at about Rs 22,000.
The rest of the specs are more than ample to keep on connected to their digital self.
Who are Tecno Mobiles for
A brand that is making smartphones to fit within a price bracket does have limitations, but Tecno seems to keep pushing that limit. They are catering to people who need all the relevant features but cannot afford expensive smartphones to serve their needs.
One can find a Tecno smartphone that starts at about Rs. 8,000 and on till approx Rs. 22,000. The prices vary depending on the exact specifications, but this is one of the most budget-friendly smartphone brands there is. As mentioned earlier it is targeting a younger audience, people who are producing lots of small videos and snapping images for social media. Especially for the app TikTok, which has a large demographic of people in their early teens to their late 20s. Democratising technology to a new degree.
