Tecno's new POVA 8 5G just hit the Indian market, and it's a solid contender in the crowded sub-30K space. The phone arrives with an 8000mAh battery, a 144Hz display, and MediaTek's Dimensity 7100 processor, making it a direct rival to the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion and OnePlus Nord CE6. You're looking at Rs 29,999 for the 6GB RAM variant and Rs 31,999 for 8GB, with sales starting June 18 on Flipkart and retail stores.
What really sets this phone apart is the Alive Matrix Display on the back, which is basically a customizable LED panel that shows app notifications and supports up to 49 different animations. It's a neat gimmick that adds some personality to the design. The phone itself is fairly slim at 8.8mm thick and weighs just 225 grams, so it feels light and comfortable in hand.
The display is a 6.76-inch Full HD+ LCD with a solid 144Hz refresh rate and brightness hitting 950 nits in high mode. The camera setup includes a 50MP Sony LYT-600 main sensor with a secondary lens, plus a 13MP selfie camera, and both can shoot 2K video. It's not flagship material, but it's more than decent for the price.
Battery and charging are handled well with 45W fast charging support, and there's IP64 rating so the phone can take dust and light splashes. You get stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, an IR blaster, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The software is HiOS 16 based on Android 16, with a promise of two years of OS updates and three years of security patches.
The POVA 8 5G comes in white, terminal green, and plasma orange if you want something that stands out. For anyone hunting for a big battery phone under Rs 30,000 with a fun design twist, this is definitely worth considering.