This is the third time in the last quarter that we have come across a smartphone that “lasts the longest.” No, we don't
8/10Rated by FerraTECNO POVA Neo 2
Table of contents
- Specifications
- Appearance
- Screen
- Performance
- Battery
- Cameras
- What else is worth knowing?
- Competitors and Conclusions
Recently, the smartphone market has been like this:a new manufacturer appears and begins to make either better or cheaper than the old ones. Selling rod, everyone likes it. You don’t have to go far for examples, there is already a classic of this approach in the form of Xiaomi, there are realme that followed them.
I expected about the same approach from TECNO, but theyact a little differently. That is, until they get into confrontation in expensive smartphones (well, or at least in the category of smartphones from 30 thousand rubles and more), while releasing models that no one else produces - it releases inexpensive smartphones in thin cases with fucking healthy batteries.
Everyone is already used to the fact that the most popular sizebattery - 5000 mAh. And sometimes even less. Moreover, if it is less (4500 mAh, 4200 mAh, etc.), then sometimes for a completely stupid reason - for the sake of beautiful numbers, charging time from zero to half or up to a hundred. But TECNO went in the opposite direction and installed 7000 mAh in some smartphones. Plus, the appearance of these smartphones was made pretty. Not like everyone else.
It is clear that TECNO produce not onlysmartphones with large batteries. They have both standard budget models and a couple of smartphones with an emphasis on camera quality. But they still have not tried to release something record-breaking powerful or noticeably expensive.
On the other hand, expensive models of even seemingly modest Chinese manufacturers in Russia are officially sold at brutal prices. Well, that is, something likerealme gt 2 pro, which in China costs 40 thousand rubles, but in Russia for some reason it’s already 80 thousand…
In any case, inexpensive mobile phones will always be more popular than expensive ones in sales, so in August TECNO took fourth place in sales - iPhones are bought less often than their products, for example.
Xiaomi and realme have a competitor, where notwaited, and did what Oppo, vivo, Alcatel, Motorola and the rest have not been able to do for many years. After the death of the mobile division of LG (with its DAC for high-quality sound, good maintainability, etc.) and budget smartphones from ASUS (still regret that the ZenFone Pro Max M1 / M2 concept with large batteries, Snapdragon and "pure" Android is not began to develop) there are very few smartphone manufacturers that can produce something different from the standard “50 MP, 5000 mAh” that are littered with all store shelves.
Okay, we need to fantasize less about the future and focus on the present.
I have already tested TECNO with a huge battery: in August it wasPOVA 3with a huge Full HD screen, Helio G88, 6+128 GBmemory and 7000 mAh. This time - POVA Neo 2, which is simpler in terms of technical equipment. An excellent option for those who need a smartphone with increased survivability, but the basic characteristics are enough.
Specifications
TECNO POVA Neo 2 Operating systemAndroid 12,HiOS 8.6 Screen6.82 inches, IPS, 720 x 1640 pixels (263 ppi) 20:9, 90 Hz Processor Octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 (12 nm): 2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 + 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 Graphics Mali -G52 MC2RAM 4+3/6+5 GB Storage 64/128 GB + MicroSD (separate slot) Communications LTE, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC Cameras Main dual 50 MP + 2 MP; video quality: up to 1080@30 FPS Front: 8 MP Battery 7000 mAh, charging 18 W Dimensions 170.9 x 77.8 x 9.6 mm Weight 200 g
Appearance
TECNO POVA Neo 2 looks like it was painteddesigner of gaming laptops: camera platform of complex shape, lines along the back, gloss, bright colors. It feels like when you turn it on, colored lighting will appear from all the cracks. And the cooler will make noise. In general, the style is like super-expensive onesgaming smartphones.
I can't resist comparisons to POVA 3 (and whatstill compare, how many smartphones with 7000 mAh do you know?) and if there was a bold hint of an aggressive gaming design, then in POVA Neo 2 this aspect was further exacerbated. There are pros and cons to this. Depending on which side to look.
If you take POVA Neo 2 to a schoolboy or student,hit in CA is perfect. But smartphones with good autonomy and a large screen are also willingly bought by the older generation, people of respectable age can be confused by these aerodynamic strokes on the case. Not every adult will like it. However, there are plenty of the same type of plastic mobile phones with a camera block that parodies the iPhone in stores, but you have to try hard to meet something unusual.
Visually, the smartphone looks expensive, but there isnuances. First, it is worth considering the mirror-gloss body. It looks impressive in the first minutes after purchase, but gets dirty very quickly. Plus all the scratches are clearly visible. You will definitely have to pull on the complete silicone case, even if you usually don’t like to use protective accessories.
The second point is pretty cheap plastic.POVA Neo 2 looks great from the outside, but in your hands you still understand that you are holding a state employee. The back flexes noticeably when pressed. However, there are no backlashes and squeaks, in general, the build quality is good.
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What surprised me was the lack of a protectivefilms on the screen. One can only guess about the reasons (whether it was savings on assembly matches, or they forgot at first and then corrected it), but the fact is that the film is in the box separately. What is the problem then? Well, even with all the diligence, I can hardly compete with the automation on the conveyor in the accuracy of gluing.
Otherwise, a smartphone is like a smartphone:the fingerprint scanner is in the power button, the volume rocker is higher, on the opposite side there is a tray for two SIM cards and a microSD, the upper end is empty, the bottom is a speaker, a microphone, a type-c connector and a headphone jack. Despite the powerful battery, the body thickness is acceptable, I have no quibbles about ease of use.
Screen
POVA Neo 2 has a 6-inch IPS screen.82 inches. Yes, the size is almost like that of compact tablets 5 years ago, but here the proportions of 20:9 decide. With the old aspect ratio of 16:9 or even worse 4:3, it would be problematic to shove a smartphone into your pocket, but here it already works out quite well. Of course, the size is felt, but without discomfort.
The quality of the screen is average - about the same as you andCan you imagine the picture quality in smartphones cheaper than 15 thousand rubles. With such a large HD+ diagonal, the resolution (720×1640 pixels) and density of 263 ppi are not impressive. But if you don’t look closely, it will do. In the end, the manufacturer does not give ultimatums: if you want FullHD and brighter, there is a slightly more expensive POVA 3 on sale.
But the increased refresh rate has now become the norm even in inexpensive smartphones. In this case, 90 Hz with the ability to force turn on, turn off or set to "Auto".
TECNO POVA Neo 2 displayMaximum levelBrightness 397 cd/m2 Contrast (higher = better) 1300:1 Color gamut (sRGB) (90-100% ideal) 99% DeltaE (less = better) 6.4 Gamma (ideal 2.2) 1.9 Color temperature (ideal = 6500K ) over 9000K
The brightness is even not very high (the same was inXiaomi Poco M3, I remember) - it seems to be enough, but back to back. The contrast is more or less the same as for IPS displays. But the white balance furiously, mercilessly gives blue.
However, we write this about almost every smartphone.TECNO and Infinix. Apparently not a bug, but a feature. The picture in cold tones is seen by our eye as brighter than in warm tones. So even if the screen doesn't live up to 400 nits, compared to a brighter display calibrated to the ideal 6500K, it still feels good.
The white balance of the Pova 2 Neo is somewhere between 9000K and 10000K. And it's tough, to be honest.
This is the case where we would advise firstgo to some store and see the screen of this smartphone in person before making a purchase - what if you are confused by the glow of the screen in the style of “lamps in a clinic/garage”? Well, or just buy a 6500K lamp for your home and screw it into the socket - this is approximately how the light from the TECNO smartphone screen from our review will be perceived by the eye (taking into account errors, etc.). If you are “normal”, buy it and you will be satisfied. If “somehow it’s too bluish”, wait for new firmware, where this will be corrected, or… choose some other model.
But if you do not compare mobile phones weekly, as wewe’re doing it here, maybe the current picture won’t bother you a bit, in the bottom line we have the main thing - a huge diagonal for entertainment. Movies, series, social networks, games - this is the order if you were looking for a smartphone in which you won’t need to peer and strain your eye “autofocus” to read or video.
Performance
The processor in POVA Neo 2 is normal.MediaTek Helio G85 cannot be called a full-fledged “stone” of the middle class, but, as you can see, the newfangled Unisoc T600 series, typical for smartphones for 12-18 thousand rubles, are no faster (and they sometimes have problems with GPS). And the best processors in smartphones for 15-18 thousand are the same Snapdragon 680, which, yes, is 17% faster, but in return you will have standard 5000 mAh instead of 7000 mAh in your smartphone without any special advantages in return.
There is an opportunity to buy on Aliexpressradically more powerful smartphones in this budget, but… you will have to update them to European firmware from Chinese; most likely, NFC will not work for you and bank applications will glitch (due to non-standard firmware). Let’s not dive into this dregs just yet; we’ll need to make a separate selection of such super-powerful exotics.
In short, in TECNO POVA Neo 2 you will have everythingwork at a normal average speed, but without much power, so it's better not to install a huge number of useless applications (which you use every six months) running in the background, but stop at the main ones, and you will be happy.
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If you are thinking of taking a smartphone with 7000 mAh forgames, here are real examples for you: TECNO POVA Neo 2 pulls Call of Duty, PUBG, Wild Rift, World of Tanks Blitz games at medium settings. Fortnite and Genshin Impact are below average. You can play almost everything, just the graphics will not be very colorful and not very clear.
Memory configuration to choose from: 4/64 or 6/128 GB.In the first case, you can pinch off another 3 GB from the drive in favor of the RAM, in the second - 5 GB. And you can compensate for this loss with a microSD card. The slot for it is separate, you won’t have to lose the opportunity to put a second SIM card.
However, it is worth remembering that such an extension is notpulls on a full-fledged RAM, since the speed of the drive is slower. It's more of an option for more reliable multitasking without throwing apps out of the background than it is for boosting system performance.
Battery
But in terms of autonomy, POVA Neo 2 did it outrightin general, all smartphones of 2022 and noticeably outperformed even the older brother - TECNO POVA 3 - because the diagonal of the Neo 2 is slightly smaller, the display is HD + instead of FHD +. And yes, in second place is a smartphone with 5000 mAh - like a French (actually Chinese) Wiko, but for the most part the merit of a very dead performance. It works for a very long time, but it slows down terribly. And at TECNO, at least you can use your smartphone at a normal pace without suffering.
Undemanding users have a smartphone easilywill last a couple of days. Ideal for those who like to fall asleep abruptly in the evenings and do not put the phone on charge. Given the autonomy, POVA Neo 2 easily forgives such tricks.
The only negative is that the smartphone is not only longdischarged, but also takes a long time to charge. Complete power adapter for only 18 watts. Such power is already considered the Quick Charge standard, but if you are spoiled for 60+ W chargers, it’s a little tiring to wait for 7000 mAh to feed at the outlet.
Cameras
TECNO POVA Neo 2 pretends to be three-chambersmartphone, but this is only a cursory and very inattentive look. Next to the main sensor, there is an auxiliary 2-megapixel cap without much use, and the third eye is generally simply drawn on the camera platform.
Apparently, in order to be nice outwardly and to balance the imagination of the case designer with a decorative element.
The main sensor of the old generation is 16 MP withautofocus. Now in inexpensive smartphones, 50 megapixels from Samsung are more common. However, we all know that megapixels have a very conditional effect on the quality of images, so happiness is not in numbers.
How does it shoot? During the day is quite normal.Of course, the photos lack saturation and contrast, a narrow dynamic range is noticeable, and when zoomed in, there is a lack of detail. But in general, for a budget smartphone, the pictures are not shameful.
A normal photo editor like VSCO and at leasta little interest in editing pictures will hide most of the sensor flaws and get a good result for social networks. Obviously not a camera phone to show off on the forbidden Instagram, but in general it is quite possible to live with such a camera - I have seen worse.
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But shooting at night is difficult and painful.The camera works slowly, it takes a long time to focus, for each photo you have to “fight” with your smartphone and “force” it normally. Sometimes not on the first take. In short, up to 15 thousand rubles, smartphones are divided into those that take photos tolerably at night, those that take photos tolerably “under duress” and those that take pictures terribly in any case. TECNO Pova Neo 2 is a standard smartphone of the second category.
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The most common 8 megapixel sensor is installed in front. I thought that selfies would be generally loose and not presentable, but no - the Chinese pay attention to self-portraits even in inexpensive smartphones
And in terms of clarity, and in color reproduction, and inBrightness/contrast is fine. The hairs and wrinkles in the pictures do not merge into mush, the sky in the background is distinguishable, and does not turn into a white fill. In general, if you like to show off your face in the pictures, the TECNO front camera is not bad. For video communication, of course, it is also suitable.
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What else is worth knowing?
Android fresh, version 12. On top is HiOS 8.6 is a rather convenient and original shell with a bunch of settings and options. There is no protection against water and dust, but there is a mini-jack for wired headphones and stereo speakers. NFC for MirPay and other local payment systems is also available.
Competitors and Conclusions
At the time of publication for TECNO POVA Neo 2 in DNSthey ask for 9,700 rubles (so cheap because of the discount in honor of the start of sales). We are talking about version 6/128, and not the minimum amount of memory. The price itself is awesome. Few budget employees are able to offer such a configuration and performance, a large screen, normal shooting quality.
However, on average in the market of cheap smartphonesenough, and it's not interesting to compare POVA Neo 2 with them. It is better to look at its specialization - long-lived smartphones. The two closest competitors with this parameter are TECNO POVA 3 and Wiko T3. True, the first one costs one and a half times more expensive (but the characteristics are also better), the second one works for a long time simply because it did not get any powerful stuffing.
I won’t retell the texts, but if you’re interested, here it isTECNO POVA 3 review, and at this linkWiko T3 review.
But in general, Neo 2 left the impression of a smartphone withcool but very impractical design, good performance and autonomy for games, a huge (but with strange colors and not very bright) screen and acceptable image quality.
Like a smartphone, where the best is at the forefrontAutonomy is the best option possible with normal (taking into account autonomy) cameras and operating speed. If you need significantly better cameras, you can go for smartphones for 18-25 thousand rubles. If the display is of better quality, take some realme or Xiaomi, they are tuned closer to the reference color rendition. True, these will no longer be such durable smartphones…