From September 28th, Aldi Nord is offering a smartphone for 99.99 euros that looks quite similar to the iPhone. Of course, it is not an Apple device, but the Tecno Spark Go (2023) from China. TECHBOOK has taken a closer look at the low-budget smartphone and reveals whether it is worth buying.
You can occasionally find cheap smartphones at discount stores, sometimes from unknown brands. This could also apply to the Tecno Spark Go (2023), which is currently available at Aldi Nord for around 100 euros. Manufacturer Tecno belongs to the Transsion Group, which is based in China and markets primarily in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. You can also find devices of this brand in Eastern Europe – but almost not in Germany. TECHBOOK therefore takes a closer look at the bargain and assesses whether other smartphones in this price range are more recommendable.
Tecno Spark Go (2023) in a package at Aldi Nord
Before checking your smartphone, first give an overview of the Aldi offer. At the discounter you can also get a starter set from Aldi Talk with a starting credit of ten euros for free with the Tecno Spark Go (2023). There are various bookable packages that cost between 8.99 euros and 19.99 euros. The price changes depending on the data volume, flat rate, etc.
Low-budget smartphone in check
If you don’t want to spend a lot on a smartphone, you’ll want to look in the lower price segment. You can also find a lot of devices there, some for less than 100 euros. First of all: You can’t expect much from the Tecno Spark Go (2023), as some of the specs are outdated and the memory isn’t particularly large. And why an iPhone clone? Quite simply: If you look at the design of the smartphone, you can see many parallels, especially with the Pro model of the iPhone. The back in particular with the large camera module is very much based on the Apple device. Otherwise, the specs have little to do with an iPhone.
The display of the Tecno Sparc Go (2023) has a screen diagonal of 6.6 inches – the smartphone is therefore quite large. In addition, the resolution is 1600 x 720 pixels (HD+), which gives a pixel density (ppi) of 267 based on the size. That’s not a particularly good value. The brightness may still be okay indoors, but readability is no longer possible outside and in sunlight. The smartphone also has a 13 megapixel camera and an unspecified 2 MP sensor on the back. The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels. A little more could have been done here too.
Things look even bleaker inside the Tecno Spark Go (2023). First the memory: The RAM is 3 GB and the internal memory is only 64 GB. Due to the RAM, the already weak Mediatek chip can quickly reach its limits. Especially when you open multiple apps and perform more computationally intensive tasks. If you like to take a lot of photos and videos, you can quickly have problems with storage capacity.
The built-in Mediatek Helios A22 comes with a quad-core CPU that offers just enough performance for everyday tasks. However, you can already find devices with an octa-core chip in this price range. The Bluetooth standard is also somewhat outdated with version 5.0 – as is the HiOS 12 operating system, which is still based on Android 12 from 2021. An update guarantee? Doesn’t exist.
However, there are also some points that should be emphasized positively. Among other things, the smartphone has two unlocking options. On the one hand you can unlock it on the back with a fingerprint, but on the other hand you can also use facial recognition. In addition, the battery capacity is very strong at 5000 milliamp hours and can ideally last for almost two days. What is also surprising for a smartphone in this price range is that NFC has been integrated.
What expensive premium smartphones also lack can be found in the Tecno Spark Go. Not only does the device have a 3.5 mm audio jack, but it even has expandable memory. The slow internal memory can at least be increased using a microSD card.
Also interesting: an overview of the 11 best smartphones up to 150 euros
Features of the Tecno Spark Go (2023)
- Display: 6.6 inch HD+ display, 1600 x 720 pixels
- Processor: Mediatek Helio A22, quad core
- Storage: 64 GB expandable via microSD, 3 GB RAM
- Front camera: 5MP
- Main camera: 13MP
- Links: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS
- Battery pack: 5000mAh
- System: HiOS 12, based on Android 12
- Miscellaneous: Jack socket, fingerprint sensor on the back, facial recognition, NFC
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Hardly known in this country, but very present worldwide
Even if the Chinese company Transsion is hardly known in this country, it has a global market share of almost ten percent, according to the market research and consulting company IDC (Internation Data Corporation). This puts it in fifth place worldwide, just behind Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and Oppo. The company recently even introduced the world’s cheapest folding smartphone to date: the Tecno Phantom V Flip.
It is difficult to predict whether Transsion smartphones will be able to establish themselves in Germany. Nevertheless, one can see from the IDC trend that global sales have increased in recent years. In addition, smartphones from the BBK Group (Oppo, Oneplus, etc.) had to be withdrawn in this country due to a patent dispute with Nokia.
That’s what TECHBOOK means
There are better smartphones
“The offer at Aldi Nord could be interesting for those who have few demands and don’t use their smartphone all the time. But if you don’t want to spend that much, still use social media or want to use other apps without any problems, you should use a different smartphone. Because there are definitely better ones in this price range, some of which also use newer standards. The Tecno Spark Go (2023) is an entry-level device that comes with outdated standards and offers little apart from a few plus points.” – Isa Kabakci, editor
Stay away from this iPhone clone!
“Sure, it’s not easy to offer a smartphone for less than 100 euros. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the Tecno Spark Go (2023) is not much more than electronic waste. Anyone who buys the device will find that neither the performance, the camera nor the operation as a whole are usable in any way. In addition, Tecno is trying to win customers with the design, which is closely based on the iPhone Pro. I actually thought that the days of “copycats” were over and that most Android manufacturers were now going their own way.” – Adrian Mühlroth, editor