The itel S23+ and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro will show you that greatness is possible without being heavy on the wallet.
Getting the best value out of your next buy is difficult these days. But if you have a budget of only 7K to 10K for a brand-new smartphone, we have two suggestions for you: the TECNO SPARK 10 Pro and itel S23+.
Design
Both itel S23+ and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro have an appealing design and form factor. However, one of them really stands out, especially when you see it in person.
TECNO SPARK 10 Pro features a glimmering design paired with a glass back panel, giving a glossy and smooth texture.
For extra flair, TECNO SPARK 10 Pro has a variant called Magic Skin Edition, meant to entice the senses.
The Luminous Eco-Leather technology is eye-catching as the back side glows brilliantly at night.
Moving to itel S23+, this new arrival will stun everyone with its curved screen. It’s the only budget-friendly curved AMOLED screen to date. If you want to get the same screen, you’ll have to shell out double or triple the price as it’s more common among flagship devices.
Not only itel S23+ looks sassy, its screen-to-ratio is about 93% as if the whole front is made of nothing but screen. It’s also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to resist scratches from daily use.
Besides the beauty of the screen, itel S23+ also has a very thin body that emits nothing but premium craftsmanship. Curved display and thin form factor are uncommon in the under 10K price range.
Performance
The itel S23+ and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro are mid-range smartphones within the lower bracket. The reason is their chipsets, which are just average. itel S23+ is powered by the Unisoc Tiger T616 while TECNO SPARK 10 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Helio G88.
Just using AnTuTu, the Unisoc T616 will defeat Helio G88. But neither will stride AAA games with ease.
In our review of TECNO SPARK 10 Pro, the smartphone barely ran Genshin Impact at 30 FPS at the lowest graphics settings. Meanwhile, itel S23+ could only play the same game at 30 FPS at the same settings.
So, between these two, itel S23+ has more kick in apps and games.
Camera
The camera is a key selling point of many smartphones, and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro got an edge over itel S23+. Let’s check out the camera specs real quick.
| Camera Specs | itel S23+ | TECNO SPARK 10 Pro |
| Rear camera | 50 MP + 0.08 MP (depth) | 50 MP + 0.08 MP (depth) |
| f/1.6 aperture (main) | f/1.6 aperture (main) | |
| Video | 1080p at 30FPS | 2K at 30FPS |
| Front camera | 32 MP | 32 MP |
| Video | 1080p at 30FPS | 2K at 30FPS |
The two handsets capture decent images with good lighting. However, TECNO SPARK 10 Pro does it better with sharper and detailed results than itel S23+.
Images captured by itel S23+ are not very detailed with some blurs here and there. If itel optimized the camera software, S23+ will likely produce above-average stills.
Another point for the TECNO SPARK 10 Pro is its three-level selfie flash. It gives users the options to amplify lighting to get good selfies, particularly useful in low-light indoor settings.
Battery
Both itel S23+ and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro have a 5000mAh battery unit, which supports 18w fast-charging. While the battery is definitely big and will last throughout the day, the 18w fast-charging is a letdown. It can take more than an hour to fully top up the handset to 100%.
However, the real-life duration of the battery will depend on your personal usage. Gaming will surely drain the battery faster than casual browsing and social media posting. Watching online will drain power as well, particularly at higher resolution. By default, the devices support up to 1080p HD videos without issues.
Extras
Like other smartphones, itel S23+ and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro have extras and these may influence preferences.
| itel S23 Special Functions | What They Do |
| Aivana AI Assistant | Answers queries and performs tasks via voice or text commands using GPT. |
| Dynamic Bar | Dedicated space for notifications and other alerts located at the punch hole. |
| In-display Fingerprint Sensor | Unlock your phone with your fingerprint right on the screen itself. |
| Atom Storage Technology | Automatically optimizes the phone’s performance. |
| TECNO SPARK 10 Pro Special Functions | What They DO |
| IDA Engine | Increases download speed over cellular by 45%, Wi-Fi, by 300%, and camp network by 90%. |
| Ella Assistant | Intelligent assistant that speaks English, French, and Nigerian Hausa. |
| Ambient Noise Cancellation | Filters out background noise during calls. |
Takeaway
itel S23+ and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro are good picks for a limited budget. Also, their prices are getting slashed every now and then.
As of writing, itel S23+ has a price tag of 6,999 on the Shopee itel official store. TECNO SPARK 10 Pro, on the other hand, is on sale for 6,949 on the TECNO official store.
As for the right choice, itel S23+ is your pick if you really want a curved AMOLED screen with high-quality display and an AI assistant in a sexy form factor. You won’t find any other of such style in this price range.
TECNO SPARK 10 Pro is your pick for better camera power. It can produce more appealing results in well-lit environments. If you’ll push it, use the brightness controls on the front-facing camera to overcome low-light conditions.
Check out the specs for itel S23+ here and TECNO SPARK 10 Pro here.
