Tecno Spark 40 Pro+ review
Display
Democratizing display tech is an amazing ongoing trend we can definitely get behind. Even in that context, we think that Tecno has taken things to the next level.
Not only does the Spark 40 Pro+ have a spacious 6.78-inch AMOLED panel, but it also has 10-bit color, a 144Hz refresh rate and a sharp 1224 x 2720 pixel resolution, which at that diagonal works out to around 440 ppi of density.
There is a caveat here, however, the official specs of the Helio G200 state that the chip can only support up to 1080p@120Hz output. Hence, both the resolution and refresh rate advertised by Tecno are impossible to achieve natively. Digging a bit deeper, indeed, the phone's UI seems to be rendering everything at 1080x2400 pixels. As per Tecno's kind of cryptic website, there is an internal upscaler chip that pushes the resolution up to 1224 x 2720 pixels.
We did our standardized testing, and indeed, the Spark 40 Pro+ is a chart-topper among its peers. Using it outdoors is perfectly comfortable even in bright sunlight, which is truly great for a budget device.
Max display brightness test
White test pattern, 75% fill (nits)
- Manual mode
- Auto mode
Tecno Spark 40 Pro+
Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G
Infinix Note 50 Pro 4G
Tecno Camon 40 Pro 5G
Galaxy A26
Tecno Camon 40 Premier
Tecno Spark 20 Pro+
The Spark 40 Pro+ reports support for a total of four refresh rate modes: 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz and 144Hz. In terms of refresh rate settings, there are three modes: Auto-Switch, Standard and High. Standard just locks the refresh rate to 60Hz. Auto-Switch and High both have a similar auto-switching behavior, which is dependent mainly on interacting with the phone.
The only difference is that the Auto-Switch mode switches between 60Hz and 90Hz, while the High mode stretches its legs a bit more and goes up to 120Hz and sometimes uses 90Hz as well.
The High mode also has the benefit of a per-app refresh rate selector interface. It is a really nifty feature to have. However, it only offers 60Hz, 90Hz and 120Hz as options for each app and game.
Frankly, we aren't quite sure how to force the phone into 144Hz mode. It seems to support it as per system reporting (even though we have our doubts given the resolution situation), but in our testing with known high refresh rate games, we never got past the 120Hz mark. Even launching games through the dedicated Game Space doesn't seem to offer the option. Still, thanks to the per-app menu, we did consistently get 120Hz in-game, which we count as a major win.
The Spark 40 Pro+ lacks any HDR support. However, it does have the highest possible Google Widevine L1 DRM certification, allowing apps like Netflix to offer up FullHD streams.
Battery life
The Tecno Spark 40 Pro+ has a pretty big 5,200 mAh battery. Frankly, it is kind of shocking that such a thin and light device managed to fit so much capacity. Unfortunately, the large capacity does not translate to particularly good battery life in practice.
We did out standardized testing and got just under 11 hours of Active Use Score. The individual scores are quite low across the board.
Charging speed
The Tecno Spark 40 Pro+ is a pretty fast-charging device, especially considering its budget nature. It supports 45W wired fast charging with the provided proprietary charger and advertises 100% charge in 55 minutes, which is pretty much what we measured.
Charging speed
- in 15 min
- in 30 min
- Time to full charge (from 0%)
Infinix Note 50 Pro 4G
Tecno Camon 40 Pro
Tecno Spark 20 Pro+
Tecno Spark 40 Pro+
Galaxy A16 4G
Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G
Infinix Note 50 Pro 4G (20W wireless)
But things only get more impressive from here. The phone also supports 30W wireless charging, which is very impressive in this segment. There is also reverse charging, both wired at 10W and wireless at 5W.
The Spark 40 Pro+ even supports Bypass charging, so you can avoid heating up from the charging process during, say, prolonged gaming or multimedia sessions while the phone sits plugged in.
Tecno also offers Charging Protection. You can set a custom upper charging limit yourself or use the AI option, which promises to monitor your usage patterns and charge the phone to 100% only when you need it and otherwise keep it charged to 80%.
Speakers - loudness and quality
The Tecno Spark 40 Pro+ has a stereo speaker setup. It is of the hybrid variety with an amplified earpiece acting as the second channel. As already mentioned, there is a speaker hole on the top bezel, which greatly helps with output balance, symmetry and stereo separation.
In terms of loudness, the Spark 40 Pro+ nearly missed the cutoff point for a "GOOD" grade and ended up in "AVERAGE". Frankly, we feel that is more representative anyway. It does not get particularly loud. Nor is the quality anything to phone home about. Voices come through clear enough, though a bit muffled. There is a clear lack of definition, and the sound stage is narrow. Bass is practically non-existent.
The phone does have Dolby Atmos support, but it seems to be for headphones only.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
Connectivity
The Tecno Spark 40 Pro+ is a 4G device. It supports simultaneous LTE connectivity on both of its Nano-SIM slots. Unfortunately, there is no eSIM support.
Naturally, there is GPS support for positioning. Local connectivity is handled by dual-band Wi-Fi ac. There is also Bluetooth 5.3 on board with LE support. Also on board are an NFC module (market dependent), an IR blaster and an FM radio receiver. No 3.5mm audio jack and no SD card slot, though.
The Type-C port is backed up by a simple USB 2.0 data connection. This means a theoretical max transfer rate of 480 Mbps. There is OTG/Host support, but nothing fancier like video output over Alt mode.
The Spark 40 Pro+ has a pretty full set of onboard sensors. There is an ST LSM6DSO accelerometer and gyroscope combo. A MEMSIC MMC5603 magnetometer and compass combo and an EMINENT MN79911 light and hardware proximity combo. Yes, even with its low price tag, the Spark 40 Pro+ has an actual hardware proximity sensor and not a virtual one. There is no barometer onboard, however.
Reader comments
- David
- 01 Jan 2026
- 7$i
It's too much money 💵
- ferdinandqueen0349
- 05 Nov 2025
- 8Gy
The Spark 40 Pro Plus seems like an excellent phone for its price range. It features a curved, FHD+ screen with vibrant colors, IP64 water and dust resistance, 30W wireless charging, 45W fast charging, 5W reverse wireless charging, and Gorilla Glass ...
- Islislite
- 01 Nov 2025
- NwL
You said in the review that the phone doesn't support any major os update, but you indicated in the specs that it has 3 major os updates