TECNO enters the Philippine smartphone market earlier this year. Since its inception in the country, it has been delivering great value smartphones that's easy on the pockets. Its latest release, the Tecno Pouvoir 4 is making some noise in the sub Php 5K segment with its feature-packed specs sheet that gives competitors a run for their money. Join us as we take a good look at the smartphone in this Tecno Pouvoir 4 review.
Tecno Pouvoir 4 Review
The Tecno Pouvoir 4 is a 7-incher smartphone. Several years before, we called these big phones "phablets," but that is already a defunct terminology. Or to say the least, most reviewers do not use it anymore since most of the smartphones are going to the big-screen trend. Many phones now achieve bigger screen-to-body ratio by shrinking the bezels. And I think TECNO did a good job in making a large smartphone with minimal footprint. The Tecno Pouvoir 4 may be a 7-incher but it does not feel like one.
Review Summary
Pros
- Super wide 7-inch display
- Juicy 6000 mAh battery
- Rear quad-camera in a budget segment
Cons
- Processor needs more punch
Design
The Pouvoir 4 comes in a polycarbonate plastic build. The backing may have a smooth plastic finish but it features an intricately spray-painted design which reflects light in multiple diagonals. The build is quite solid for a sub Php 5K smartphone; I tried squeezing the phone but failed to get any squeaking areas. The back also features the fingerprint sensor which could be difficult to reach with one hand especially if you have small ones. There's a TECNO branding at the bottom center and another branding for the "Pouvoir" at the middle.
The quad-camera module and LED flash are situated at the upper left corner. Both are framed in a chamfered rectangular module which gives the handset a 2020-ish appeal. The power button and the volume rocker are on the right side; while the SIM tray and dedicated Google Assistant button are on the left side. The bottom side is a home to the microphone, 3.5-mm audio jack, speaker grill, and the microUSB port.
Display
The front panel houses the 7-inch IPS HD+ LCD display with 720 x 1640p resolution. It is framed by a Drop Display with acceptable bezels on the sides. The chin is quite sizeable but you won't notice it due to the large display. The TECNO Pouvoir 4 is very generous when it comes to the screen real estate.
Due to its bigger display, the handset may not be as pixel-packed as other phones in this segment; but I think the color accuracy and contrast of the panel are quite decent. Viewing angles are also okay; this means that it is ideal for sharing videos with friends and family.
Read also: TECNO Pouvoir 4: 7-inch Smartphone with 6000 mAh battery at Php 4,590
Performance
The Tecno Pouvoir 4 is powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset. The chipset has enough power to handle your basic tasks. Coupled with 3GB of RAM, it could also offer better multitasking activities and faster loading of apps.
In our day to day of use, the chipset is not shabby at all. The handset could do all the necessary apps we need to navigate thru our day. Social media apps run smoothly, as well as casual games. Running Mobile Legends in medium settings could also give a pleasurable gaming experience. However, there's no denying the fact that there are some hiccups along the way but it's still playable.
What's even more exciting is the fact that it comes with a good set of speakers, so running Spotify and streaming videos in Netflix are very ideal in this smartphone. Plus, the very generous screen real estate is definitely its main turf. The bigger screen is also essential for e-learning activities and video conferencing.
Software
The Tecno Pouvoir 4 boots with HiOS based on Android 10. For starters, it's quite similar to other Android skins we've used before. Icons are flat and circular which reminds me of OPPO's ColorOS and the realme UI. Toggle controls are also integrated on the Notification shade, and there are also some unnecessary apps that come pre-installed. Some of them you can uninstall, some you should live with.
HiOS also features the GameMode which is still running on Beta. However, this feature is quite promising given that you can have more controls to your notifications, network speed, memory, etc., after loading a gaming app.
All in all, the interface is quite zippy. Apart from the default rotating transition in the homescreen, this Android skin is quite a breath of fresh air to use.
Camera
The TECNO Pouvoir 4 boasts a rear quad-camera set-up which highlights the 13MP f/1.8 main camera. There's also a 2MP f/2.4 macro sensor; another 2MP for the depth sensor, and a QVGA camera.
For its price, I am quite surprised that Tecno has pulled off this camera module. For a budget smartphone, Pouvoir 4 is very effective in capturing details in good lighting environment. Moreover, indoor low-light shots are also decent enough for social media sharing. Color saturation is quite okay. Dynamic range is also good for this segment. However, I could also tell that photos need a kick in contrast and vibrancy.
Its 8MP selfie camera gives decent social media selfies in both well-lit and low-light environments. On top of that, the camera software offers a beautification mode which is a standard in most entry-level Android phones these days. The Bokeh and Macro cameras are also very useful when the situation calls for it.
Battery
In the battery department, the Tecno Pouvoir 4 packs a ginormous 6000 mAh battery. Despite its 7-inch display, the battery is definitely hard to kill. I am averaging about a day and a half of use; and in times when I'm using the handset moderately, it could stretch up to two days.
However, there's no fast-charging feature here so it would take some time for the smartphone to be fully charged.
Verdict: Should You Buy The TECNO Pouvoir 4?
We are quite surprised by the value that the Tecno Pouvoir 4 is offering on the table. It packs several features that we did not expect to find in a Php 4590 price - 7-inch display, 6000 mAh battery, quality loudspeaker, and rear quad-camera set-up. It may need a little punch in the processor; but for those who are looking for a budget handset for basic tasks and e-learning, the Tecno Pouvoir 4 could be a fitting choice.
Tecno Pouvoir 4 Specs:
- 7-inch IPS LCD HD+ Drop Display
- 720 x 1640 pixels, 256 ppi
- 83.6 % screen-to-body ratio
- MediaTek MT6761 Helio A22 SoC
- 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU
- PowerVR GE8320
- 3GB RAM + 32GB Storage, expandable
- Rear Camera:
- 13MP f/1.8 wide, AF
- 2MP f/2.4, macro
- 2MP f/2.8, depth
- Front Camera: 8MP, f/2.0
- Dual LED Flash
- Dual SIM (Nano)
- 4G LTE, 3G, 2G, GPRS, EDGE
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- microUSB 2.0, USB OTG
- Stereo Speakers
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Fingerprint (rear-mounted)
- Facial Recognition
- Accelerometer, Proximity
- 6000 mAh battery
- Cosmic Shine, Ice Jadeite, Fascinating Purple
- Php 4590