The Tecno Pova Slim 5G isn’t just another mid-range smartphone trying to compete on specs alone. At ₹19,999, it carries a unique pitch — it’s the world’s slimmest and lightest 5G device at just 5.95mm thin and 156 grams. I’ve been living with this phone for the past week, slipping it into my jeans pocket, tossing it into a packed bag, and using it as my daily driver.
The question is simple: does the obsession with thinness actually work in everyday use? Here’s my experience.
Tecno Pova Slim 5G Review: Design
The first thing you notice about the Pova Slim 5G is just how unbelievably light and thin it feels. The first time I picked it up, I instinctively held it tighter, almost worried I’d break it it. Even my mum’s reaction summed it up: “Handle it carefully, or it might snap.” That’s the vibe this phone gives, almost demanding that you handle it with care.
But after a week of use, I can confirm it’s tougher than it looks. The phone is MIL-STD 810H certified, which adds some much-needed assurance.
The matte back finish does a good job resisting fingerprints — something I appreciated since I hate wiping down smudges every few minutes. The camera visor with glowing accents feels like Tecno wanted to add a futuristic spin. Some people I showed it to found it flashy, but I liked it; it added a bit of character to the phone
Another nice touch is the Dynamic Mood Light that glows around the camera module for notifications. It can be customised, and while it’s more of a design flourish than a must-have, I found myself warming up to it.
At the bottom, you get a single speaker with Dolby Atmos. Honestly, it’s not the loudest, but its perfectly fine for scrolling through Instagram reels, YouTube, or binge watching Netflix in bed. My review unit came in Sky Blue, and it struck the right balance, and looked much better than the generic black and white slabs we have, without going over the top.
Tecno Pova Slim 5G Review: Display
The 6.78-inch Pro XDR curved AMOLED display is one of the biggest strengths of this phone. It's a 144Hz panel, and you immediately notice how fluid scrolling and animations feel, although for most of the times, its running at 120Hz.
What stood out for me most was outdoor usage. Even in direct sunlight, I didn’t find myself squinting or tilting the phone — that 4,500 nits peak brightness really does its job. Watching content outdoors was far less of a struggle than on other mid-rangers.
Colours are punchy without being oversaturated, blacks look deep, and viewing angles impressed me when I watched a video with a friend. There are limits, though — YouTube playback maxes out at 2K, and HDR support is missing. On the bright side, Netflix and Prime Video stream in Full HD thanks to Widevine L1 certification.
The in-display fingerprint sensor worked most of the time, but I did feel the placement was a little too low. And occasionally, there was a tiny delay when unlocking — not a dealbreaker, but noticeable.
Tecno Pova Slim 5G Review: Performance
Under the hood we get the MediaTek Dimensity 6400. On paper, it’s a chipset found in phones nearly half this price, and in real use, the compromises show.
For everyday stuff like scrolling, WhatsApp, Instagram, or YouTube, I never had an issue. Everything ran smooth enough. But when I pushed it with gaming, the limitations appeared. I played BGMI, and while it technically supports 60fps, I was averaging closer to 50fps. After about half an hour, the phone warmed up, not uncomfortably hot, but enough to notice.
The Pova Slim comes in just one variant: 8GB RAM with 128GB storage, and there's no expandable storage. For me, 128GB is okay, but I can see storage-heavy users running into limits quickly.
The Pova Slim comes in just one variant: 8GB RAM with 128GB storage, and there's no expandable storage. For me, 128GB is okay, but I can see storage-heavy users running into limits quickly.
Tecno Pova Slim 5G Review: Cameras
The Pova Slim 5G features a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. In daylight, I was impressed — shots came out vibrant, detailed, and with good balance. The dynamic range outdoors was especially better than I expected in this price range.
Portrait mode was a mixed experience. With objects, edge detection was sharp, but with people, it often blurred hairlines or over-processed faces.
In low light, the results dipped. Shots were usable for Instagram, but once you zoom in, softness and noise creep in. The 13MP selfie camera gave me decent selfies with enough detail, but it does brighten faces too much, making them look artificial at times.
Video recording maxes out at 2K 30fps, and while fine for casual clips, stabilisation is weak. Don’t expect cinematic quality here.
Tecno Pova Slim 5G Review: Battery
Here’s where Tecno deserves serious credit. For such a slim device, the 5,160mAh battery is a standout achievement. I’ll give them a shoutout here — it’s larger than what some bigger, thicker devices manage.
During my week with it, the phone consistently gave me 8–10.5 hours of screen-on time, lasting more than a day and a half per charge. I never once felt anxious about the battery running out in the middle of the day, which honestly surprised me for a phone this thin.
Charging is via a bundled 45W adapter. In my testing, it went from 0–50% in about 40 minutes, and a full charge took around 80 minutes. Not the fastest, but respectable considering the size of the cell.
Tecno Pova Slim 5G Review: Software
The Pova Slim 5G runs HiOS 15 on Android. I spent some time tweaking it, and there’s plenty of personalisation — from fonts to always-on displays, to lock screen styles.
The Dynamic Mood Light feature was fun to play with and definitely added some personality. I also liked ELLA AI, Tecno’s assistant that supports Indian languages. It felt more relevant than Google Assistant in some local contexts.
But here’s the downside: bloatware. The phone comes with several preloaded apps, though thankfully, most can be uninstalled. What disappointed me more is Tecno’s update policy — just one year of OS updates. That’s simply not competitive when rivals offer two to three years, and it makes it harder to recommend it to anyone.
Tecno Pova Slim 5G Review: Verdict
After using the Tecno Pova Slim 5G as my daily phone for a week, I’d say this: it turns heads. The design is bold, the display is bright and smooth, and the battery life is far better than I expected for such a slim frame. It’s a phone with personality, something not many mid-rangers can claim.
But there are clear compromises. The Dimensity 6400 limits performance, the cameras struggle in low light, and the software update policy is a letdown.
If you’re someone who values style, slimness, and dependable battery life, the Pova Slim 5G will serve you well. But if gaming power, camera performance, or long-term updates top your list, you’ll find better-rounded alternatives elsewhere.
