TECNO brought to light its first 2021 smartphone just six months after its predecessor, introducing the CAMON 15 series in April. The CAMON 15 brought a lot to the table, talk of its new innovative design, camera sensor, battery, software, and more. It's not quite long after that they launched the SPARK 5 series. As usual, one thing people want to know is if they should go for the more premium CAMON 15, or just settle for the SPARK 5. In the light of that, let's take a look at what differentiate the two phones, as well as what they have in common. Here we go!
TECNO CAMON 15 vs TECNO SPARK 5 SPECIFICATIONS
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Specifications |
TECNO CAMON 15 |
TECNO SPARK 5 |
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Dimensions |
164.08 x 76.35 x 8.75mm |
164.7 x 76.3 x 8.75mm |
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Display & Resolution |
6.6" HD+ Dot-in display 720*1600px |
6.6" HD+ Dot-in display 720*1600px |
|
Processor |
MediaTek Helio P22 2.0GHz Quad-Core |
MediaTek Helio A22 2.0GHz Quad-Core |
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Storage & RAM |
64GB ROM + 4GB RAM |
32GB ROM + 2GB RAM |
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Battery |
5,000mAh |
5,000mAh |
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Software |
HiOS 6 based on Android 10 |
HiOS 6 based on Android 10 |
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Cameras |
Rear Cameras 48MP main lens 2MP macro lens 2MP depth sensor AI lens powered by TAIVOS, and a quad-rear flash. Front Camera 16MP selfie camera with dual flash |
Rear Cameras 13MP main camera 2MP macro 2MP depth sensor QVGA and quad-rear flash Front Camera 8MP selfie camera with dual flash |
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Connectivity |
4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS |
4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS |
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Sensors |
G-Sensor Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Fingerprint Sensor (rear-mounted) |
G-Sensor Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Fingerprint Sensor (rear-mounted) |
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Other Features |
Face Unlock |
Face Unlock |
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Colors |
Shoal Gold, Fascinating Purple, Dark Jade |
Ice Jadeite, Spark Orange, Vacation Blue, Misty Grey |
DESIGN & HARDWARE
The year 2020 opened a new window of innovation for TECNO mobile, and we saw the impact starting from phone designs generally. TECNO started the year by launching the CAMON 15 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that didn't stop it from attaining its now-iconic design, spotlighting a rectangular-shaped camera bump and a physical fingerprint sensor on the back. The CAMON 15 didn't come with a gradient finish only but adds some line strips that's makes it look beautiful and improve comfortable grip.
The SPARK 5, and many TECNO devices launched in 2020 follow suit the design language of the CAMON 15. A few striking changes are usually found in the rear cover finishes, the configuration of the cameras, and some other little changes.
Turning over to the front, both the CAMON 15 and the SPARK 5 features a 6.6" HD+ display, with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera at the top-left corner of the display. Both devices used the same IPS LCD panel, a 6.6" HD+ screen with a max resolution of 720*1600 pixels. They look quite sharp and excellent for consuming contents on the screen. Other than that, the SPARK 5 and CAMON 15 place their buttons, port, speaker grille, mic, SIM card tray, and others in the same position.
PERFORMANCE & SOFTWARE
As usual, a budget/mid-range device opts for a budget/mid-range chipset to cut costs and make it affordable for the consumers - the same applies for the SPARK 5 and CAMON 15. To start with, the MediaTek Helio P22 chipset powers the CAMON 15, with a Quad-Core CPU maxed out at 2.0GHz frequency. However, you get a slighter MediaTek Helio A22 processor on the SPARK 5 - it's still a 2.0GHz Quad-Core CPU, nonetheless.
You get a similar software experience and features on both devices, as the SPARK 5 followed CAMON 15 in the software game with HiOS 6 based on Android 10. We could remember vividly that CAMON 15 was the first TECNO device to run Android 10 out of the box (SPARK 3 had it earlier via software update), and it brings to the table all Android 10 has to offer, excluding Live Transcribe. HiOS 6, on its own, comes with some new features and improved some existing ones. You get better Game Mode, Social Turbo, Wi-Fi Share, Smart Panel, and more.
STORAGE AND RAM
This is where the CAMON 15 came to show its proficiency over the SPARK 5. While SPARK 5 maintains the same memory configuration found on its predecessor, you get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage on the CAMON 15. A 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage on the SPARK 5 is becoming diminutive on Android phones, but you couldn't have gotten more than that, considering its price point. However, the storage option might not be an issue for you since you could expand the storage with a microSD card.
BATTERY
Besides the new beautiful, trendy design, TECNO also decided to pack in larger batteries on the devices in 2020. If not the POUVOIR series, you hardly could find a TECNO device with a 5000mAh+ battery in 2019. Even CAMON 12 and SPARK 4: the predecessors of the CAMON 15 and SPARK 5 featured a 4000mAh battery.
That is to say, TECNO bountifully packed in a 5000mAh battery on the SPARK 5 and CAMON 15. On normal usage, the battery on these devices performs excellently as expected. Although battery consumption is mostly determined by how you use your phone, you get up to 8-hours of screen time in most cases.
CAMERA
The entire TECNO CAMON series has always been about the cameras, and that's where the major contraster lies between both phone - so it's not idealistic for the SPARK 5 to take the crown here. The CAMON 15 spotlight a 48MP primary shooter, and supports it with a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. An AI lens powered by TAIVOS Technology also shows up to perform its job in low-light photography and videography. In contrast, the SPARK 5 opts for a 13MP main sensor and pair it with the same macro, depth sensor, and QVGA lens, except that it's not boosted by TAIVOS Technology.
For the selfie lovers, you'll get a 16MP camera on the CAMON 15, while it's an 8MP camera on the SPARK 5. Both phones provide you with a dual-LED flash for low-light shots.
VERDICT
As seen in this comparison, both phones offer nice features at their affordable price point. The CAMON 15 takes the edge in almost every aspect where it's not a draw for the two. You get better cameras, performance, and memory on the CAMON 15, the SPARK 5 is not bad, however - it's just shown clearly in the price point. If you have enough bucks, the CAMON 15 is the better option here.
