Tecno Spark 40 vs Redmi 15C

Hi. What’s up? So I was asked to discuss the two new phones and how they compare against each other. These phones are the Tecno Spark 40 vs Redmi 15C.

The Tecno Spark 40 is a budget phone that was released as part of the Tecno Spark 40 series. It replaces last year’s Spark 30.

The Redmi 15C is also a budget phone and it was just released as a part of the Redmi 15 series launch. It is the successor to the Redmi 14C.

So which device between these two is worth your money? Let’s find out.

Specs	Tecno Spark 40	Redmi 15C
Body	Plastic frame, plastic back, IP64, 1.5m drop resistance	Plastic frame, plastic back, IP64
Display	6.67″ HD+ (720p) IPS-LCD, 120Hz, 263ppi	6.9″ 720p IPS-LCD, 120Hz, 254ppi
OS	HiOS 15, Android 15	HyperOS 2, Android 15
SoC	MediaTek Helio G81	MediaTek Helio G81
Main Camera	50MP	50MP
Selfie	8MP	8MP
Video	2K@24fps, 1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps
Audio	Stereo loudspeakers, 3.5mm jack	Stereo loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack
Comms	WiFi 5, BT 5, GPS, NFC, IR, USB-C, FM radio	WiFi 5, BT 5, GPS, NFC, USB-C, FM radio
Features	Side-mounted Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, light and proximity sensor	Side-mounted Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, light and proximity sensor
Battery	5200mAh, 45W fast charging	6000mAh, 33W fast charging
Price	unknown	~170,000NGN

Body:

Both phones are made of plastic with both the frame and the back of both devices being fashioned out of hardened plastic. They both support IP64 dust and water protection and surprisingly use the same camera island cutout. The only difference in the body is that the Tecno Spark 40 has 3 cameras whilst the Redmi 15C has 2. They essentially have the same body.

Tecno claims that the Spark 40 is drop resistant for up to 1.5m from the ground. I am not buying it at all. My Poco F5 has dropped from at least 4M off the ground and only scratched the screen protector. My Redmi Note 9 Pro fell from less than 1M and shattered the gorilla glass whilst the screen protector was untouched.

These things aren’t a guarantee or an insurance or any sort. It’s a lottery and it’s really nothing to concrete about. Just try to not drop your phone.

Display:

Both phones use a 720p IPS-LCD which supports up to 120Hz refresh rate. However, there’s a huge disparity in screen sizes. The Spark 40 has a standard 6.67″ screen size whilst the Redmi 15C houses a massive 6.9″ screen.

In my opinion, putting a 6.9″ phone on a budget phone is not a statement. It’s a gimmick. It’s for those people who believe that bigger is better. If that’s your thing, good for you but for me it isn’t.

Why? Pixel density?

The Spark 40 has a better 263ppi compared to the 254ppi on the Redmi 15C. For those who don’t understand pixel peeper language. It means that the Spark 40 display is slightly sharper. Note that the difference isn’t all that wide and some people may not even notice the difference in display quality.

Another area most people may also prefer the Spark 40 is because it has a punch hole selfie on the display whilst the Redmi 15C uses a notch. Personally I don’t care about such aesthetics but there’s many people who I know personally that do.

Operating System:

Both phones run on Android 15 powered by their respective skins. The Spark 40 runs on HiOS 15 while the Redmi 15C runs on HyperOS 2.

Personally, I prefer HyperOS but I must note that this HyperOS lacks a lot of the higher end features that you’ll find on more expensive Xiaomi phones.

Performance:

Both phones run on the MediaTek Helio G81 which is a slightly weaker but also a slightly more battery efficient version of the Helio G85. So they perform almost exactly the same way.

This is the same processor that you’ll find on many phones from last year. I’ll be honest with you, the reports I got about the Helio G81 are absolutely nothing to write home about. This is especially true if you’re using a phone with less than 6GB RAM.

The Helio G81 is now officially entry level and it’s beginning to show its age. If you’re not a light user, I’ll encourage you to avoid anything that has to do with the Helio G80 series.

Cameras:

Both phones use a 50MP main camera and an 8MP selfie. The rest of the cameras are for aesthetics and decoration.

For video, the Spark 40 can do videos of 1080p@30fps and 2K@24fps. The Redmi 15C can only do 1080p@30fps.

So whilst the Spark 40 can provide slightly sharper video resolution over the Redmi 15C, they’ll both perform similarly in the photo department.

Sound:

Both phones have dual Stereo speakers and support a 3.5mm jack. Nice one.

Comms:

Both phones support Bluetooth 5, WiFi 5, GPS, NFC, FM radio and USB-C. The Spark 40 supports an IR blaster for controlling home appliances which the Redmi 15C lacks.

They both support a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security, an accelerometer and a proximity sensor.

Battery and charging:

The Redmi 15C has a bigger battery (6,000mAh) but with the slower charging (33W). The Spark 40 on the other hand has a smaller battery (5,200mAh) but with faster charging (45W).

So let’s collate:

Body: Draw
Display: Draw (Spark 40 for me)
OS: Draw
Performance: Draw
Camera: Draw
Video: Spark 40
Sound: Draw
Comms/features: Draw
Battery: Redmi 15C
Charging: Spark 40

Like I said earlier, it would appear that these phones are churned out of the same factory. All they do is change the branding and software. Because there’s very little to separate these phones in terms of specs.

The Redmi 15C is not new, it only has a bigger frame and screen. If you ignore that, it’s essentially a Redmi 14C in a big oversized jacket.

Neither of them are far better than the other. If you’re bent on either, simply pick whichever one you like based on your preferences. Because they’re essentially the same. This concludes the Tecno Spark 40 vs Redmi 15C comparison.

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