Tecno Pova Curve 5G
The Budget King India’s Been Waiting For?

1. First Impressions: Curve Appeal on a Budget

Tecno has been rewriting the rules of budget smartphones in India, and their latest Pova Curve 5G (starting ₹15,999) might be their most ambitious play yet. We’re talking about a phone that dares to bring premium curved displays to the masses while packing AI smarts and 5G connectivity that actually works in Indian conditions.

Here’s a definitive take on whether the Pova Curve 5G deserves your hard-earned ₹16K.

2. Design & Display: Luxury You Can Actually Afford

Hold this phone, and you’ll swear it costs twice as much. The Pova Curve 5G’s “starship” design with its 7.45mm ultra-slim profile (India’s slimmest curved phone with a 5500mAh battery) and meticulously crafted matte back makes every other budget phone feel like a brick.

The 6.78″ curved AMOLED display is nothing short of revolutionary for this price segment. With its buttery 144Hz refresh rate and 1300 nits peak brightness, content consumption becomes an absolute pleasure. We particularly appreciated the 2304Hz PWM dimming that reduces eye strain during late-night browsing sessions. For sound, it has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, giving clear and loud audio. The bass is okay but not super strong, and it doesn’t support special HDR viewing for Netflix. These are minor compromises given its price.

3. Performance: More Power Than You’d Expect

Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultimate (4nm) chipset, the Pova Curve 5G delivers surprisingly capable performance. Benchmark tests reveal:

In real-world use scenarios, the phone handles multitasking with ease, capable of keeping 15+ apps in memory thanks to its efficient memory management. The 144Hz display makes everyday scrolling buttery smooth, though it’s observed that most apps default to 120Hz for better battery optimization.

Tecno Pova Curve 5G: Quick Facts

4. Camera: Surprisingly Capable, With Caveats

The 64MP Sony IMX682 main sensor delivers surprisingly good daylight shots, while the 13MP selfie camera captures social media-ready photos. But how does it really perform? Let’s look at its key camera aspects:

Standout feature: The ability to shoot 4K video from both front and rear cameras is unheard of at this price. While quality isn’t flagship-level, it’s perfect for Instagram reels and YouTube shorts.

5. Battery Life: The Marathon Runner

With its massive 5500mAh battery, the Pova Curve 5G is built to last. Tests and reports indicate:

The combination of all-day battery and fast charging means you’ll rarely find yourself tethered to an outlet. Reports suggest that even with extended use, such as an 8-hour streaming marathon (YouTube at 50% brightness), the battery can still have significant charge remaining, highlighting its efficiency. What’s amazing is that even with this huge battery, the phone is still super thin at just 7.45mm. Tecno proudly calls it India’s slimmest curved phone with such a big battery. This shows Tecno understands that people want both a slim phone and a long-lasting battery, a big plus for reducing “battery anxiety.”

6. Software & AI: Smarter Than Your Average Phone

Running HiOS 15 based on Android 15, the Pova Curve 5G offers a cleaner software experience than previous Tecno devices. But the real star is its AI capabilities tailored for India:

The Ella voice assistant works surprisingly well with Indian accents, and features like Circle to Search make information discovery seamless. While we wish Tecno offered longer software support, the current AI features provide tangible value today. (One minor bug was reported with Amazon Pay not activating properly).

Tecno’s HiOS engine and AI features enhance user experience. Image Courtesy: Tecno.

7. Connectivity: Built for India’s Networks

Tecno has engineered the Pova Curve 5G specifically for India’s challenging network conditions. Key highlights:

In various real-world network assessments, the Pova Curve 5G has shown to maintain more stable connections in challenging environments like elevators and basements compared to similarly priced competitors. The inclusion of NFC (rare at this price) is a welcome bonus for Google Pay users. For security, it has a fast and accurate in-display fingerprint scanner. Call quality is good with no reported drops and clear earpiece volume. For your safety, the phone’s radiation levels (SAR values) are well below India’s limits.

8. Price & Verdict: Should You Buy It?

With prices starting at ₹15,999 (6GB+128GB) and ₹16,999 (8GB+128GB), the Pova Curve 5G undercuts competitors while offering premium features they can’t match: