Tecno Pova 5 Pro Review: Powerful Features and Unique LED Lights, on a Budget

Tecno’s latest budget smartphone, the Pova 5 Pro differentiates itself from competitors with a unique design at the back. Tecno has added an almost transparent RGB design on the back along with the LED lights. The idea seems to be inspired by the Nothing Phone (1), but there’s no denying that it helps the device stand out from the deluge of options in the sub-Rs 15k segment. Besides that, the Pova 5 Pro is packed with a Dimensity 6080 chipset, 68W fast charging, 120Hz IPS LCD panel, and more.

So, does the RGB LED backlight combined with all the above-mentioned specifications make it a worthy purchase for consumers? We find that out in our Techno Pova 5 Pro review.

Tecno Pova 5 Pro Review: Design

1. The Pova 5 Pro has LED lights on the back which makes it look unique.
2. It comes in two colour variants – Silver Fantasy and Dark Illusion.

The Tecno Pova 5 Pro’s unique design makes it look different from the other devices in its price bracket. It has a boxy design with flat edges. Flip the device and you get to see its premium-looking ‘Arc Interface’ design. We got the Dark Illusion variant that has a deep blue shade, and ensures that the LED backlights draws your attention as soon as you take a look. You can also opt for the Silver Fantasy variant.

The cuts around the camera modules make the LEDs look aesthetically pleasing. You can set the backlight for your notifications, incoming calls, boot up, music, charging, low battery, and games. You also get to choose from different light effects like Soft, Racing, Dreamy, Breath, and Party. While we applaud Tecno’s decision to offer LED backlights in a budget phone, we still felt that its use cases are limited and there are no customisation options available, unlike the Nothing Phone (1).

Since it weighs around 212 grams and is 9mm thick, the Pova 5 Pro feels bulky in hand. It may become unwieldy at times if you keep it in your hands for a longer duration. Furthermore, the phone feels slippery and is a fingerprint magnet. The rest of the design elements are fairly standard, though we like the inclusion of a headphone jack available on the bottom frame.

Tecno Pova 5 Pro Review: Battery

1. The Tecno Pova 5 Pro is the fastest-charging phone in this segment.
2. The phone can easily provide a day-long battery life.

The Tecno Pova 5 Pro excels in this department with a 5,000mAh battery and 68W fast charging. In fact, it is the fastest-charging phone in the sub-Rs 15k segment. It charged from 1 to 100 percent in 48 minutes, which is impressive.

The phone can easily last a day and then some more. We used it to scroll Instagram reels, play BGMI, watch YouTube videos, etc and it managed to fetch a screen time of six and a half hours to seven hours. Do note that the LED backlight was kept turned on during our testing.

Tecno Pova 5 Pro Review: Display and Audio

1. Tecno has used an IPS LCD screen, which provides decent visuals.
2. The 580 nits of peak brightness is low when used in outdoor conditions, as the display is barely visible.

The Tecno Pova 5 Pro display reproduces sharp text and with the 120Hz refresh rate, ensures good responsiveness too. However, we missed the vibrancy and punchiness of OLED panels. That said, you can tweak the colour profile in Settings to suit your liking. Thanks to Widevine L1 certification, you can watch the OTT content in the best quality. We watched several Cricket World Cup matches on the device, including the blockbuster India vs Pakistan, and enjoyed the experience.

The display also has an impressive touch response, which helps during gaming.

The stereo speakers are decent but distort at high volume, so if you plan to watch a movie or listen to music, we advise that you plug in an earphone.

Tecno Pova 5 Pro Review: Performance and Software

1. The Tecno Pova 5 Pro can run casual games smoothly.
2. The RAM can be expanded up to 16GB using Virtual RAM technology.

The Dimensity 6080 5G seems to be one of the hottest choices among brands in the budget category. We have seen Infinix, itel, and a few other brands using this processor. The benchmarks are similar to the Infinix Note 30 5G that we reviewed months ago. The device was able to manage our daily tasks well, however we faced struggles while performing multiple tasks simultaneously. Call of Duty Mobile could run easily at Medium graphics and High rates. The phone does get warm, but after a long session of continuous gaming.

The Pova 5 Pro boots Android 13-based HiOS v13.1. The software experience is the same as it is on the Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G, so you can read its review to know more about HiOS. The phone is filled with bloatware like Carlcare, Ella, Visha Player, etc. Some of them can be uninstalled, while some can just be disabled.

Tecno Pova 5 Pro Review: Camera

1. The Tecno Pova 5 Pro has one primary sensor that does all the work.
2. The lack of an ultra-wide lens puts it at a disadvantage when compared to the competition.

In daylight conditions, the Pova 5 Pro’s main sensor captures crisp shots with ample amount of details and close-to-natural colours. The dynamic range was well controlled, something that many phones in this segment fail to do. The edge detection is on-point too. Check the picture that has Aloe Vera Gel leaves or the one that has a teacup.

Main Camera Samples

1 of 9

In low-light conditions, the picture quality deteriorates, and images start to look grainy. The Super Night mode helps the picture regain its lost details while minimising noise. However, it does look over-sharpened sometimes.

Low Light Samples

1 of 8

Coming to the front camera, the 16-megapixel sensor does a decent job of capturing selfies. The pictures have a natural skin tone in daylight and have captured other details quite well. However, for some reason, the front camera oversaturated our red t-shirt in all the selfies. In low-light conditions, the selfies were not up to the mark because of fewer details and capturing soft skin. Thankfully, the Super Night mode fixes that for you.

Tecno Pova 5 Pro Selfies

1 of 6

Tecno Pova 5 Pro Review: Verdict

For under Rs 15,000, the Tecno Pova 5 Pro is a great deal. Along with a unique back design and LED lights, you get a good gaming chipset, smoother display, fast charging, and long battery life. However, the photography experience remains a sore point because of the lack of a proper secondary sensor.

Overall, if camera is not a concern and you are looking for a device that is a conversation starter, then the Tecno Pova 5 Pro should definitely in your shortlist in this category. If camera is your priority, we recommend you check out the Samsung Galaxy M34, else you can also check the Redmi 12 5G as an ‘all-rounder’ phone.

The latest Lava Blaze 2 5G is another budget phone that features a ring light on the back but it’s entirely different from the Pova 5 Pro’s LED lights.