Is the Tecno Camon 17 worth $65 more than the Spark 7?

Edwin Chabuka Avatar
Camon 17 vs Spark 7

Spark 7 vs Camon 17. It’s uncompromising affordability against uncompromising value. 65 USd separates the Spark 7 from the Camon 17 but is that 65 dollars worth it for the Camon 17 or is it overpriced over the Spark 7? You can check out the video below for some awesome visuals.

In terms of hardware the Camon 17 is just better all round. Both the processor and GPU are more powerful, the camera system is more superior, it has more memory and storage and a more fluid display thanks to that 90Hz refresh rate. A bit of a blood bath for the Spark 7 here but the more crucial question is are all these features on paper important enough for you to shell out 65 dollars more over the Spark 7?

Design

The Spark 7 has a textured back with some tiny groves and this not only makes it very resistant to fingerprints but also it improves the grip of the phone making it much less slippery in the hand.

The Camon 17 has an even smoother back with a satin-like texture. It also does a good job with the fingerprint situation but not as good of a job on grip. It’s also a bit bigger than the Spark 7 as well so it will be that bit more difficult to handle.

While I prefer the look and feel of the Camon 17, I also prefer the grip I get from the Spark 7. But none of this really matters because most of you will put a chunky case on the phone anyway.

Performance

This is where the extra horsepower shines in the Camon 17. Starting with the display. It’s a high refresh rate panel and so animations on it are a lot more fluid than on the Spark 7. It can actually get addictive just scrolling things.

It’s not all smoke and mirrors though. The same can be said with software. Is pleasantly more responsive on the Camon 17 than the Spark 7 and its a combination of the faster processor and more RAM that makes everything run like a well oiled machine.

Now don’t get me wrong, the Spark 7 is super close on performance to a point where you won’t really notice the difference unless you really are looking for it. For day-to-day usage, the Camon 17 may be a bit more pleasant to use but the Spark 7 is not far behind. It is a lot closer than the specs and price might suggest. It’s a win for the Camon 17 but not by much.

Cameras

Now the Camon 17 starts to walk away from the Spark 7. And it’s not surprising either. The Camon has a bit more focus on the camera. It outranks the Spark 7 on both the camera megapixels and the number of cameras.

As a result image quality is better on the Camon 17. It has 48MP in it’s main sensor which it bins to 12MP images for 4 times the detail per pixel than the Spark 7. This tech also makes the Camon 17 perform better than the Spark 7 in low light.

With the beefier processor, the Camon 17 is also able to shoot videos in 2K vs the 1080p that the Spark 7 manages. The camera department is where the cost difference of these 2 smartphones really shows itself. Flawless victory for the Camon 17. It’s a camera phone.

Quirks

Some observations I made are that the Spark 7 uses the earpiece as a loudspeaker as well so it does not sound that great. The Camon 17 also has slightly worse battery life thanks to more powerful hardware.

To sum it all up. The Camon 17 wins overall with the biggest lead coming from it’s camera and the better specs. If a good camera is worth that 65 dollar dent in your pocket then don’t even think about it. Get the Camon 17 and all the goodies it comes with.

If camera is not your main priority in a phone then the Spark 7 can do the daily tasks almost as well as the Camon 17 and that would make the Spark 7 better value for your money.

It’s worth pointing out that as tech is rapidly evolving, cheap phones are becoming good. What a $145 smartphone can do now is a lot more than what smartphones costing the same amount did 5 years ago.

The massive leap in technology has far outpaced the demands of a majority of smartphone users. And for most of the smartphone users out there, either of these phones will do a good job

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7 comments

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  1. Big Brrr

    Tengai maVivo e2 USD

  2. wokenman

    So I’m guessing the Camon 17 is $210 and the Spark 7 is $145 right? Dai mangonyora the actual prices at least once in the whole article somewhere instead of just repeating the price $65 difference four times. Anyway back to the devices – at $210 the Infinix Note 10 would be a far better proposition. There’s no high refresh rate but the display is bigger and has a resolution of 1080p, beating the Camon 17’s 720p resolution. Resolution has to be sorted out first before chasing high refresh rates! The Tecno also shockingly comes with a Micro USB port – Infinix has finally graduated to USB-C. One cannot be spending $200 on ANY device with Micro USB in 2021. On paper the Infinix seems to have the same camera and they also have the same processor so there is really no reason to still want the Tecno if it is the same price as Infinix Note 10.

    1. Edwin Chabuka

      Awesome feedback there. So this was a comparison of the Spark 7 and the Camon 17 because those are the devices we had in hand. It would be nice to have more if they are available.

      Also this comparison comes after detailed reviews of both devices where we go deeper into the weeds on each device in isolation. Thats why a lot of the common bits on the 2 devices are ommitted from the comparison.

      Interesting opinion on refresh rate vs resolution. I felt for most people refresh rate is more noticeable than resolution as the former makes a phone feel faster when using it. Seems some see thatone differently

  3. Sir Batson

    How much RAM are we comparing on these devices? What is the price not just the variance of $65

    Article haina kunyatsoisa zvese guyz.

    1. Edwin Chabuka

      The individual reviews have detailed specs and in the linked video there is a direct spec comparison within the intro

  4. Mwanakomana

    Please write articles with all the specs and important details such as price and all. Guessing games are a no no. Thanks for the great article though.

  5. Allan…

    The spark 7 has a $5 difference with a spark 5 pro so spark 5 pro will do. For most folks. Hw ever the biggest challenge woth this phones is updates.

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