POVA 8 First Impressions: Plenty of Potential, But Questions Remain

The mid-range smartphone segment has become increasingly competitive, with brands constantly looking for new ways to stand out beyond raw specifications. As a result, design, software features, and unique user experiences are becoming just as important as performance and battery life.

The POVA 8 embraces this trend with a distinctive design language and the new Alive Matrix Display on the rear panel, a feature rarely seen in this price range. However, it also arrives with a starting price of Rs. 29,999, a significant jump from the POVA 7. That higher price tag raises expectations considerably, making the POVA 8’s unique features all the more important. After spending some time with the device, here are our first impressions of the POVA 8.

Eye-Catching Design with a Few Display Compromises

Design is a major highlight of the POVA 8 with its new Alive Matrix Display and unique back panel that closely resembles the design of Nothing devices. I received the phone in 16 Bit White, although it is also offered in Plasma Orange and Terminal Green. The industrial-style pattern on the back is covered by a transparent panel, which gives the phone a futuristic, tech-inspired look.

The POVA 8’s flat display, glass body, and box-shaped glossy frame make it comfortable to use, while giving the phone a premium look. The combination of the Alive Matrix Display and the layered rear design make the device stand out from the crowd, resulting in a design that feels both unique and visually appealing without being overly flashy.

For the display, Tecno opts for a 6.76-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD panel with a 91.29% screen to body ratio and a pixel density of 381 PPI. The screen boasts a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1500Hz instantaneous touch sampling rate making it ideal for gaming. The 950 nits of brightness also makes content on the screen easily visible in all scenarios.

In day-to-day use, the display feels smooth and responsive, especially while gaming and scrolling through social media thanks to the high refresh rate. However, the IPS LCD panel lacks the deep blacks, stronger contrast, and vibrant colours typically associated with AMOLED screens, making content consumption and video streaming feel less immersive than some rivals in this price segment.

Overall, the POVA 8 delivers a strong first impression with its standout design and fluid display experience, although the LCD panel may leave multimedia enthusiasts wishing for an AMOLED alternative.

What is the Alive Matrix Display?

The Alive Matrix Display is arguably the most distinctive feature of the POVA 8 and one that immediately draws attention to the device. Unlike conventional LED notification lights, this interactive lighting system transforms the rear panel into a dynamic visual element that reacts to different activities. During my time with the phone, the amber light patterns would animate for notifications, charging status, and even music playback, adding a layer of personality rarely seen in mainstream phones.

More importantly, it doesn’t feel like a gimmick. The lighting effects complement the phone’s futuristic design and make the device feel more premium than its price point suggests. While the concept is reminiscent of Nothing’s Glyph Interface, the Alive Matrix Display gives the POVA 8 its own identity, helping it stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

More About Stamina Than Speed

Handling most of the heavy lifting on the POVA 8 is the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 SoC that features eight cores and a G610 MC2 Mali GPU. The chipset is paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The 6nm chip makes quick work of multitasking and navigation. I ran Call of Duty: Mobile and BGMI on the phone with little hurdles, although I lowered the settings to Medium/High for stable frame rates.

The phone also has a 14,689 mm² liquid cooling system to keep it cool under pressure. The POVA 8 also performed admirably in Geekbench and AnTuTu’s benchmarks. Overall, the POVA 8 delivers dependable day-to-day performance and handles gaming reasonably well, but the chipset does feel slightly underwhelming when compared to some of the more performance-focused devices in the segment.

Powering the POVA 8 is a massive 8,000mAh silicon carbon battery that can easily get you through an entire day, despite heavy usage. Under average usage, the battery can easily last nearly two days on a single charge. While we weren’t able to test out some of Tecno’s claims, the battery is touted to offer 11 hours of gaming or over 22 hours of music playback over the speaker. When you eventually do run of juice, you can use the 45W adapter, included in the box, to quickly top up the battery when needed.

Taken together, the combination of reliable performance and exceptional battery life makes the POVA 8 a practical choice for users who prioritize endurance and everyday usability over chasing benchmark numbers.

Decent Cameras, But They Leave Room for Improvement

The POVA 8 features a 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 primary camera paired with a light sensor, while selfies are handled by a 13MP front-facing camera. In good lighting conditions, the main camera captures detailed shots with respectable dynamic range and natural-looking colours. Portrait mode does a decent job of separating subjects from the background, while the dedicated Super Night mode helps retain more detail after sunset.

During my time with the phone, the camera proved reliable for social media-ready photos and casual photography. Features such as AIGC Portrait, Sky Shop, Super Macro, Dual Video, and Vlog mode add versatility, while support for 2K video recording at 30fps on both the front and rear cameras is a welcome addition. We will dive into more details during our full POVA 8 review.

Connectivity Takes Centre Stage

The POVA 8 ships with HiOS 16 based on Android 16, offering a feature-rich software experience with several customization options and AI-powered tools. Users can choose between Vision Art and the standard HiOS theme, although we preferred the latter. While the interface feels smooth and responsive during everyday use, we’ll need more time with the device before delivering a final verdict on software optimization and long-term performance.

The stereo speaker setup, enhanced by Dolby Atmos, is another highlight. During my brief time with the phone, audio output was loud and clear enough for gaming, videos, and casual music listening, with noticeably better channel separation than typical single-speaker solutions.

Connectivity is a major focus for the device, with support for 20 5G bands and a dedicated G1 + SE1 signal chipset combination designed to improve network stability. The company also claims faster payment processing through UPS 3.0 technology. However, we are yet to thoroughly test these connectivity features in real-world conditions and will reserve judgment until our full review.

First Impressions

After spending time with the POVA 8, it’s clear that the phone is designed to stand out. The Alive Matrix Display, futuristic design, massive 8,000mAh battery, and capable stereo speakers help it carve out a unique identity in the mid-range segment, while the Dimensity 7100 delivers reliable everyday performance.

That said, the phone isn’t without compromises. The IPS LCD display, average cameras, and underwhelming chipset make it difficult to overlook the competition. At Rs. 29,999, the POVA 8 feels priced on the higher side, with its success likely hinging on how much buyers value its distinctive design, Alive Matrix Display, and exceptional battery life. Stay tuned for our full review for an in-depth analysis.