Tecno Spark 40 (KM5) Review, Price And Specifications.

Tecno Spark 40 (KM5) Quick Specs:

Display: 6.67" HD+ (1600×720) Hole-Punch 120hz IPS-LCD Display.

Software: Android 15 (Go Edition) OS, HiOS 15.1.1 custom UI.

CPU: Helio G81 (12nm).

RAM: 4GB/8GB (And up to 8GB of Virtual RAM).

Storage: 128GB/256GB (expandable up to 2TB).

Rear Camera: Single-lens (50MP+QVGA).

Front Camera: Single-lens (8MP).

Security: Side-mounted fingerprint reader, Face Unlock.

Port: USB Type-C.

Network: 4G.

Speaker: Dual.

Battery: 5,200mAh.

Charging Speed: 45W.

Starting Price:

₦145,000, KSh 12,050, GH₵ 1,263, UGX 465,000.

While the Tecno Spark 40 (KM5) shares specifications with other similarly priced budget phones, it distinguishes itself with impressive fast charging and full-featured software, particularly its AI capabilities. In addition, unlike some of its competitors, the Spark 40 includes a complete set of accessories in the box.

The Spark 40 is the regular or base model of the recently unveiled Tecno Spark 40 series. Sitting in the middle is the more equipped Spark 40 Pro (KM6), and the top is occupied by the most feature-rich Spark 40 Pro+ (KM7).

However, while the Spark 40 Pro and Spark 40 Pro+ are closely related in size and features, the base model Spark 40 mirrors the more affordable Tecno Pop 10 (KM4) in both dimensions and feature set. For example, a side-by-side comparison shows that only the camera bump distinguishes the Spark 40 from the Pop 10. As for their features, the Spark 40's advantages are limited to four areas: a better rear camera, a better CPU, a slightly bigger battery, and faster charging.

By the way, the Spark 40 is essentially the same as last year's Tecno Spark 30C, but it features several key enhancements. You'll find a redesigned camera, improved build quality, a slightly bigger battery, faster charging, and a newer OS. Beyond these changes, the two phones are identical.

Note: It is important to note that the Spark 40 shares a design and almost identical features with the Infinix Hot 60i. Another competing that's worth mentioning is the Xiaomi Redmi 14C. 

Price And Design Colours.

The Tecno Spark 40 is available in various colour options of Ink Black, Titanium Grey, Mirage Blue, and Veil White. Currently, the phone's starting price is around 145,000 Naira.

Familiar Design, Refreshing Camera Bump:

Like the Spark 40 Pro, the Tecno Spark 40 comes with a full set of accessories, including a 45W charger, a USB Type-C cable, a wired earpiece, and a TPU case. However, as noted earlier, its design is slightly different.

The Spark 40 features a 6.67-inch display, which is slightly smaller than the 6.78-inch displays of the Spark 40 Pro and Spark 40 Pro+. This is the same display size found on the Pop 10. Furthermore, the Spark 40's flat sides and back cover are identical to the Pop 10's, and it also features a hole-punch camera on the front.

The Spark 40's most notable difference, as mentioned earlier, is its rear camera bump. The design mimics the yet-to-be-released iPhone 17, whereas the Pop 10's is inspired by the iPhone 16.

However, apart from its "iPhone-inspired" camera bump, there's nothing else going on for the Spark 40 in terms of looks or design. The build quality is good though.

The Spark 40 boasts an IP64 rating—a significant upgrade from the Spark 30C's IP52. Which means the phone is dust-tight and water-splashes resistant certified. Additionally, it is capable of withstanding drops from a height of up to 1.5 metres.

Still, other recently released budget phones offer similar IP ratings and solid build quality. Furthermore, the Spark 40, like most phones in its class, has a plastic build.

The Spark 40's port and button arrangement is standard. The bottom houses a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port, a microphone, and one of the phone's DTS stereo speakers. The second speaker is at the top. On the right side, you'll find the volume keys and a power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor. The 3-in-1 dual 4G nano-SIM tray is on the left.

Familiar Display, Improved Brightness:

Like the Pop 10 and Spark 30C, the Spark 40 has a 6.67-inch IPS-LCD display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a 720p resolution (1600 x 720 pixels). It retains the same three refresh rate options: Auto-Switch, 60Hz (Default), and 120Hz (High) for smoother operation. The display also features an Always On Display (AOD), or "Landscape Display," which shows a clock or wallpaper when the phone is charging in landscape mode.

The overall picture quality of the Spark 40's display is comparable to other budget phones in its class. Due to its 720p resolution and IPS-LCD panel, the display lacks the wider view angle, clarity, and appealing colours found on the 1080p AMOLED panels of the Spark 40 Pro and 40 Pro+. However, the Spark 40's colour reproduction is decent, and its sharpness is more than sufficient for general video playback and social media use. The display is also noticeably brighter, even surpassing the one on the Spark 30C.

Still, as is common for displays in this category, performance under direct sunlight was not that good. However, the phone's display settings include a feature called "Outdoor Booster." When enabled, this feature increases the peak brightness to improve visibility in direct sunlight. While this helps, overall clarity is still impacted

Improved Camera:

The Tecno Spark 40 retains the same camera system as the Spark 30C: a 50MP main lens and a QVGA or auxiliary lens. It also features an 8MP front-facing camera.

The overall photo quality from the rear camera is commendable for the price point. While the images lack the remarkable detail seen in photos from its more expensive siblings and competitors, they are surprisingly clear and sharp. Colour reproduction is decent and true to life, often rivaling that of its premium counterparts. Both portrait shots and dynamic range also appear decent, although the dynamic range is not as strong as its siblings

Turning to the front-facing camera, i found the selfies from the Spark 40 somehow impressive too. Just like the ones taken with the less affordable Pop 10, selfies from the Spark 40 are unexpectedly clear and sharp. The front-facing camera also managed to preserve decent portrait shots and HDR of the rear camera. Colour rendition also look nice.

Though the selfies' colours and skin tend to be on the saturated side when compared to the ones from the phone's two siblings, but they stood out when compared to those of other phones in its category. 

By the way, it's worth noting that for consistently good photos, it is best to shoot in well-lit environments.

Meanwhile, the front and rear cameras of the Spark 40 are capable of shooting 2K video at 30 frames per second (fps). However, they lack any form of image stabilization

Software And AI Features:

In contrast to the Pop 10's Android 15 "Go Edition" OS and  HiOS 15.1.0 custom UI, the Tecno Spark 40 runs on the full-fledged Android 15 OS with an improved HiOS 15.1.1. It is unclear, however, if the Spark 40 will receive any future OS updates.

Meanwhile, the Spark 40, like many recent phones, includes several AI features. While these features are more basic and limited than those found on the Spark 40 Pro, 40 Pro+, and other premium budget phones, they still offer a valuable upgrade. The Spark 40 shares three core features with the Pop 10—Ella Voice (a DeepSeek R1-powered Tecno Voice Assistant), Document Assistant, and Writing Assistant—but adds two more advanced capabilities: an AI Wallpaper Generator and an AI Photo Gallery (which consist an Image Eraser and an Image Extender). The Image Eraser, for example, allows users to remove unwanted objects or subjects from their photos.

Although the number of AI features on the Spark 40 is lower than the ones on its two more equipped siblings, they are still more than the ones found on the competing phones at this price point, as previously mentioned.

RAM, Storage, And Familiar Processor:

Regarding its hardware, the Tecno Spark 40 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G81 CPU. While this is the same processor found in the Spark 30C, it is a preferable option to the Unisoc T7250 used in the Tecno Pop 10, despite both offering similar performance.

The Spark 40's Helio G81 is a 12nm entry-level processor with clock speeds of up to 2.0GHz and an integrated Mali-G51 MP2 GPU.

The Spark 40 is available in 4GB and 8GB RAM variants. While both the 4GB RAM variant is paired with 128GB of internal storage, the 8GB RAM variant is paired with 256GB of internal storage. As with others at this price point, the Spark 40's internal storage can be expanded via a microSD card up to 2 terabytes (2TB).

By the way, because the 8GB/256GB Spark 40 variant is priced significantly higher than the 4GB/128GB model, we recommend aiming for the more capable Spark 40 Pro instead. The Pro model not only boasts a superior display and front camera but is also equipped with a more powerful CPU. As previously mentioned, it also includes a more robust AI features.

Speaking of its performance, the Spark 40 is best suited for regular tasks such as social media consumption and light games, due to its limited processing capabilities. Even some apps take a few seconds to open. Though i don't think that has something to do with the phone's CPU, i think it's as a result of its full-fledged Android 15 OS and more complex functions. Because the Pop 10 with its Unisoc T7520 is a little more responsive running Go Edition of the Android 15.

Nevertheless, the Spark 40 offers a smoother user experience, faster app navigation, and better handling of demanding tasks than the Pop 10. Despite the Spark 40's optimization for gaming—an improvement over the Spark 30C, which shares the same hardware—compromises still exist, resulting in medium frame rates and reduced graphics quality, particularly with graphics-intensive titles. The main takeaway is that the Spark 40 is not intended for gaming or other demanding workloads.

Slightly Big Battery And Impressive Fast Charging:

Among the notable features that the Tecno Spark 40 shares with its siblings is a 5,200mAh battery and 45W fast charging. Apart from the fact that these are higher than the respective 5,000mAh battery and 18W fast charging of the Spark 30C, it's also rare to come across 45W fast charging on most phones at this price point. But almost all of them come with 5,200mAh batteries; some even offer slightly bigger capacities. Using the included 45W charger, the phone's battery can go from empty to full in just over an hour.

Tecno Spark 40 (KM5) Full Specs:

GENERAL

Maker: Tecno Mobile.

Name: Spark 40 (KM5).

Year Announced: June, 2025.

Dimensions: 165.6x77x7.7mm.

Build Resistance: IP64 (dust-tight & water resistance) certified.

Weight: 189g.   

Colour: Titanium Grey, Veil White, Mirage Blue, & Ink Black.

DISPLAY
Screen Type:  IPS-LCD Capacitive Touchscreen.

Size and Resolution: 6.67-inch, HD+, 1600-by-720 pixels, 120Hz high refresh rate.

Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 20:9, 263PPI.

Protection: N/a.

PORTS:

3.5mm Audio Jack: Yes.

USB Type-C Port: Yes.

PERFORMANCE

Chipset: MediaTek Helio G81, 12nm Octa-core Processor, 2.0GHz.

GPU: Mali-G51 MP2.

RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GB (up to 4GB, 6GB, & 8GB Extra through RAM extension).

Operating System: Android 15, HiOS 15.1.1 UI.

STORAGE

Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB.

Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 2TB (Two terabyte).

SIM AND NETWORK

SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.

Network:  GSM, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE.

CAMERA

Rear camera: Dual-lens; (50MP f/1.8+QVGA) With LED-Flash.

Front camera: Single-lens, 8MP (f/2.0) Front Flash.

VIDEO RECORDING:

Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p, 2K @ 30 fps.

Front Camera: 720p, 1080p, 2K @ 30 fps.

CONNECTIVITY:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, HotSpots, USB-OTG.

BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION: 

Security: Face Unlock, Side-mounted fingerprint reader.

Sensors: Ambient light sensor, G-sensor, Accelerometer, Electronic compass. IR Blaster.

Others: GPS, Location (Geo, Glonass), Compass.

BATTERY

Battery Capacity: 5,200mAh.

Wired Fast Charging: Yes (45W).

Reverse (Wired) Charging: N/a

Wireless-Charging: N/a.