If you are looking for a new smartphone between Ksh 11,000 and Ksh 13,000, you probably have seen and even considered the new Tecno Spark 3 or the Huawei Y6 Prime 2019. These are some of the new smartphones from the two companies available for this price. Both these smartphones are targeting those who want the most recent hardware and features without spending so much money on a single device.
In this comparison, I will look at some of the key things that you should keep in mind when deciding which one is perfect for you. The two phones have a number of similarities but they are very different.
Design and Hardware
Here is where the differences between the two phones can be seen clearly. The Tecno Spark 3 has a thicker build and a boxy design with a flat back. It is bulky but is not as heavy as you’d expect it to be. The phone can be used with one hand even if you have never used a smartphone with a larger screen before.
For the Huawei Y6, it is thinner and has well defined and curved edges that make it comfortable to hold and carry around. It is lighter than the Spark 3 and even its display feels smaller than that of the Spark 3.
The Spark 3 has a plastic back cover that is removable to give access to the SIM and MicroSD card slots. The Huawei Y6 on the other hand has a leather-like back cover that feels more premium that conventional smartphone covers.
In conclusion, the Huawei Y6 Prime 2019 has a much better design and build quality, it feels premium to hold and is much more comfortable to carry around and use.
Also Read: The Tecno Spark 3 Unboxing and First Impressions
Display
For the display, the Tecno Spark 3 has a 6.2 inch one with a resolution of 720 x 1500 pixels while the Huawei Y6 has a 6.09 inch one with a resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels. As I have mentioned above, the Huawei Y6 is smaller than the Spark 3 but not by much. Both phones can easily be used with one hand.
Both displays are vibrant and can get bright enough for use outdoors. The display on the Huawei Y6 is on the cooler side while the one on the Spark 3 is on the warmer side. What this basically means is that the one of the Huawei Y6 has a blueish tint while the one on the Spark 3 has a brownish tint. These are subtle tints that you will not notice unless you have the two phones side by side. Overall, the one you choose will depend on your taste, I prefer the one on the Y6 as it is closer to a perfect white than the one on the Spark 3.
The difference in screen resolution isn’t noticeable even when holding the two phones together. Both phones are the perfect companions for media consumption with great colour reproduction.
As for the notches, the Huawei Y6 2019 has a waterdrop one that is tiny while the Spark 3 has a very wide notch that can put off some people.
Software and Performance
Both phones are powered by the MediaTek Helio A22 processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space. For normal day to day use, the two phones offer the same experience but if you start multitasking and opening several apps, you will notice the Tecno Spark 3 has an edge over the Huawei Y6. The Huawei Y6 is very aggressive when it comes to RAM management and I had to restart most apps when multitasking, not a good experience.
On the software, both devices come with Android 9.0 Pie out of the box with their respective Custom UI. I have no favourite custom UI between Tecno’s HiOS and Huawei’s EMUI, they offer a different experience and there is not good or bad one. EMUI has extra customization options and features as it has been around for longer and the company has managed to refine it and may be perfect for those who want a refined Android experience.
In summary, you will get better performance with the Tecno Spark 3. Even with the many customization options and features offered by EMUI, the overall performance of the Spark 3 makes it the better choice here.
Cameras
This is another area where the Tecno Spark 3 has an edge over the Huawei Y6. The Spark 3 has a 13MP and 2MP camera at the back and an 8MP front facing one. The Huawei Y6 2019 on the other hand has a 13MP back camera and an 8MP front facing one.
With the photos I got, the Tecno Spark 3 was better as the shots were more realistic. The shots I got on the Huawei Y6 were good but a bit over saturated compared to the ones on the Spark 3. You can adjust some of the camera settings on the Huawei Y6, an option missing on the Spark 3.
For selfies, the Spark 3 still shines with more realistic and vibrant photos.
Also Read: The Infinix S4 Review
Battery Life
Both these phones come with big batteries with the Tecno Spark 3 having a 3,500 mAh battery while the Huawei Y6 Prime 2019 having a 3,020 mAh battery. The bigger battery on the Spark 3 is definitely better and lasts longer compared to the Huawei Y6. Both phones can last an entire day or even two but the Spark 3 will last a little longer.
Huawei has an advantage thanks to EMUI as it has a few battery optimization settings that are meant to get the battery to last longer. These options are not available on the Spark as it only has AI power saving mode that is not as robust as the one on the Huawei Y6. Even with that said, the big battery on the Spark 3 will be appealing to more people who do not have time to tweak the settings to get the battery to last longer.
Conclusion
If these are the two phones you have been looking at, I hope this post has helped you decide on the one to buy. The Tecno Spark 3 has a bigger batter, has better cameras (both front and back) and handles really well. The Huawei Y6 Prime 2019 on the other hand shines in the design and aesthetics department and has a better display. You should use those features to decide which phone is perfect for you depending on how you plan to use your phone.
The Tecno Spark 3 is available for as low as Ksh 12,000 on Jumia while the Huawei Y6 Prime 2019 is available for as low as Ksh 13,400. The version I have of the Tecno Spark 3 is the 2GB one but there is a 1GB option that is slightly cheaper. I don’t recommend the 1GB option as it will disappoint you when it comes to performance.
Also Read: The Tecno Spark 3 Pro Review