Features

GadgetSnaps: TECNO Slim in Shanghai

Taking mementos with the world’s slimmest entry-level phone along Shanghai’s scorching sunny summer

Published

September 5, 2025

Vincenz

I remember when TECNO first invited me to their Future Lens event in Shanghai, China last 2023.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t holding any TECNO smartphone back then to document my first ever Shanghai journey.

Fast forward two years after, I was able to re-visit the first Chinese city I fell in love with for a short yet sweet (and also sweltering) summer layover.

Admittedly, it’s a huge contrast to my winter wonderland-filled getaway.

And what better way to showcase China’s ✨ Magic City ✨ is none other than using their magical new offering, the super-slender TECNO Slim.

Off We Go

After we’ve finished the whole DXOMARK Imaging Lab launch event in Chongqing, a TECNO executive personally gave me the sealed retail box of one of the models of the TECNO Slim, the SPARK Slim.

NGL, I was both ecstatic and unprepared as I had zero planned content in mind.

One impromptu thing I did was to unbox the phone above the clouds.

@gadgetmatchUnboxing the TECNO Spark Slim! 👌🏼♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

From there, I’ve decided to document my short layover in Shanghai using the world’s slimmest entry-level smartphone on the market.

While its camera isn’t its pièce de résistance, my curiosity made me try out how its like shooting photos with an impossibly thin and light phone alongside its one and lonely 50MP rear shooter.

Arrival: Hongqiao to Hostel

Having a 22-hour layover means I need to at least have a one night stay around the city.

My connecting flight landed at Hongqiao, or Shanghai’s first airport since 1923 with the IATA Code SHA.

It wasn’t anything lavish compared to the newer airport at the other side of the city — which you’ll see in the very end of this piece.

After traversing several stations in Line 2 and approximately an hour of metro ride, I arrived at East Nanjing Rd. Station.

300 meters away from the nearest exit station, I finally reached the hostel I booked for one night.

Fortunately, I found one that’s limited to two persons in a room but still, wallet-friendly for my broke self.

I hope I’ll come back not too soon enough just to see you grow longer and bigger 🥹

Much like the warm greeting of the hotel receptionists, I was greeted by this cute manager.

I even asked diligently and they told me his / her name is just “cat.” Nothing more, nothing less.

After that much-needed rest, the hostel looked more welcoming during the day. Albeit, hot and humid.

My most favorite part of this hostel was this common area with a centerpiece where everyone can sit, relax, lounge, and even eat or drink at their own pace.

Obviously not paid but a very cool and welcoming hostel to stay at

Although my severe introvert-ness hindered me from knowing the name of my roommate, I was still able to say “감사합니다” (as I figured he is Korean) for at least hearing me out about the keycard switch-up upon my noon-time check-out.

Thankfully though, the hostel allowed me to leave my storage so I can roam the city freely prior my departure.

East Nanjing: Day

East Nanjing Rd. isn’t a total stranger to me.

That said, it’s a total opposite to the gloomy memory I had during my winter visit almost two years ago.

But first, let me devour the food I ate at the nearest KFC. ICYMI, they still dominate China’s top fast food chain list.

That Golden Drumstick Chicken Ice Cream is worth the extra calorie.

P.S: It’s not made from real chicken as it’s a vanilla ice cream wrapped in corn flakes-like “breading” and a chocolate “bone” within.

The Bund: Day

Walking further east of the road leads you to The Bund.

The first iconic building that will appear is none other than the classic Oriental Pearl Tower.

As you walk more and cross the nearest Ped Xing, the whole Shanghai skyline greets you.

1x Wide vs 2x Lossless Zoom

I’m never the selfie type of user but, for the sake of this write-up, I’m taking one as a memento. — just so my ~ 𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 ~ believe I was really there.

Miniso Land + Pop Mart

ICYMI, Shanghai has newly-launched the MINISO LAND that has an entire IP-themed collection and selection.

From your usual Disney (+ Pixar) faves such as Mickey Mouse, Stitch, Lotso, Winnie the Pooh all the way to Sanrio, Hello Kitty, Toothless, Felix the Cat, Chiikawa, Mofusand, among others.

On the other hand, there’s also the flagship POP MART store several blocks away.

There were too much people going in and out of that particular branch so I decided to just visit a smaller one at Hongyi Plaza.

From Labubu to Hirono, the store has got you covered.

People’s Square

Walking westward, you’ll reach the far-end of the East Nanjing Pedestrian Street and arrive at People’s Square station.

Aside from East Nanjing Rd. station, this is another common station where most people (both locals and visitors alike) ride and alight.

Yu Garden

If you’ve been eager to see what Shanghai was like during the classical period, Yu Garden is a must-see in your itinerary.

Admittedly, it’s my first time here. Just like any first-time visitor, I’m as thrilled as how I’ve seen these marvelous oriental architecture IRL.

Shanghai Old Street + Wukang Building

One station after another, Laoximen Station is where you need to get off to visit the historically-preserved Shanghai Old Street since the Ming Dynasty.

These smol cat murals along the ring pedestrian footbridge are your nearest landmarks before you actually see the site itself.

Fair warning: It will take you around 20 to 30 minutes of walking going to Shanghai Old Street depending on your walking pace.

1x Wide vs 2x Lossless Zoom

Three stations away, you’ll then reach Jiao Tong University Station.

Getting off there and walking for around five minutes leads you to the popular triangular Wukang Mansion a la Flatiron Building in New York City.

1x Wide vs 2x Lossless Zoom

Changning District

It’s seemingly odd for a non-local like me to visit a non-touristy part of the city.

However, I had the need to pass by here before actually reaching my next itinerary.

Fortunately, this peaceful neighborhood actually gave me more than enough eye-catchy street snaps.

Capyland

It’s been a tradition of mine to search for an existing capybara café in a city I’m going to.

Luckily, there’s one here in Shanghai. And as fortunate as it was, walk-ins were allowed during the day of my visit.

It took me more than a 20-minute walk from the nearest train station (Jiangsu Rd.) towards the building where the café is located.

I was relieved that one staff knew basic, conversational English.

To break that language barrier, another café staff used her Translator app (without me asking for it) just to properly introduce me the two cute capybaras and their story.

Even though it got crowded ten minutes after I stepped into the cute café, I was still happy and grateful to see, touch, and even feed Potato and Dangdu.

After feeling fulfilled, I sadly said goodbye to the capys.

To counter that immediate sepanx, I coped up by taking mirror-fies outside of the establishment that looked cool and artsy.

I believe there was a cat café beside it. Too bad it was not open during the time of my visit.

1000 Trees

Several kilometers away from the cutesy Capyland, I headed next to 1000 Trees.

It looked like the modern-day take of the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Lujiazui

IMHO, the closeup views you get at Lujiazui (or Shanghai’s Financial District housing its tallest skyscrapers) looks best during the Golden Hour.

At its center is a circular ring / pedestrian bridge that I wasn’t able to take due to personal time constraints.

East Nanjing: Night

One station away from Lujiazui brings me back to East Nanjing Rd. station.

During this time, it still felt so hot with a little bit of wind.

The Bund: Night

As pretty as it looks when sun is up, you get more fantastic views here when it’s already night time.

1x Wide vs 2x Lossless Zoom

The Bund being illuminated like this emphasizes its Western-style classical architecture more — which is a stark difference in contrast to China’s futuristic skyline on the opposite side.

Not only the classic Oriental Pearl Tower shines in various colors, the abundance of LED lights along the taller Shanghai Tower, Shanghai WFC, and Jin Mao Tower, as well as several smaller hotels and buildings made the Shanghai skyline alive and dazzling at night.

Taken using TECNO Slim’s PRO Mode

And just an FYI, it’s mandatory for Chinese cities to shut down all these bright night lights past 10PM to eliminate light pollution. Thus, darker than usual views if you go here by late night (or midnight).

Departure: MagLev to PVG

It’s always bittersweet when you leave the city just to depart and go to the airport.

As I was about to catch my late night flight, Shanghai’s MagLev is a true blessing.

For CNY 50.00, it’s definitely not cheap compared to the CNY 6.00 you’re gonna spend with a metro ride. But, for utmost convenience and comfort, it’s definitely worth the extra price.

Moreover, choosing this is a massive time-saver! From almost an hour journey with the conventional metro to just 8 minutes with this magnetically-levitating train set.

And here’s how it looks like during the golden hour. Again, better views than night-time.

Finally, I’ve reached the newer and more modern Shanghai Pudong International Airport (with the IATA Code PVG).

Unlike my first visit in T2, my China Eastern flight is assigned at T1. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone as they’re both firsts in my bucket list.

The interior is massive decorated with various direct and complex lighting setups.

One last hurrah! Now with Dicos’ plethora of fulfilling chicken choices joined by a piece of a tiramisu by Starbucks that I’ve been loving (and craving lately) no matter where I go.

A SPARKling encounter

At first, I was against the idea of having a super-slim smartphone as consumers like us need phones with bigger batteries that are also longer-lasting.

While the TECNO SPARK Slim concept during MWC 2025 was a good eye-opener, admittedly, I still wasn’t a total believer back then.

However, I have realized the essence of its existence now that I have the actual, consumer-ready device with me.

Technically, despite having two circular cutouts at its camera bar, the TECNO Slim only possesses a single 50MP rear camera (and obviously, one up front).

While its camera performance is non-comparable to modern-day flagship smartphones, it’s not to say its severely lackluster.

For the most part, I liked how most photos looked after the fact. I just have to be still every time in order to take shake-free mementos. Obviously, night-time photos is where it shows its ultimate weakness.

But, with the growing digicam aesthetic trend nowadays, its barely-perfect quality could be a nice substitute while still being able to acquire the full power of an Android smartphone.

However, I’m a firm believer that TECNO’s continuous push in innovation will surely make them bring better cameras in the generations to come. Hopefully, they’ll bring a more capable main camera plus an ultra-wide camera in the next iteration.

Bonus if they’ll bring in at least a powerful yet power-efficient 5G chipset paired alongside a bigger Si/C battery. But that’s for another discussion.

After all, the TECNO Slim exists for those who just want an ultra-slim and very pocketable phone with them without being too nit-picky about camera quality nor its less powerful performance in gaming.

It’s a true beauty to hold and bring this impossibly thin and ultra-light smartphone around in a bustling city like Shanghai where everyone is always on the move.

Features

Can the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G Survive?

REDMI Titan Durability Challenge!

Published

January 17, 2026

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

As someone who travels and is outdoors a lot, THE Michael Josh will be the first to admit that he is NOT gentle with his phones.

They live in his pockets, bags, hands. They get dropped, they get wet, and they get dusty.

So when REDMI asked him to test something they call “REDMI Titan Durability,” he figured the only fair way to do it was to put the REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G to the ultimate durability test.

Reviews

POCO M8 Pro review: Goin’ loco over this POCO

POCO starts 2026 with some bang

Published

January 15, 2026

Vincenz

Looking back at my first few months with GadgetMatch back in 2018 nostalgically evoked my Pocophone F1 core memory. It was touted as THE “flagship killer for less.”

Pre-pandemic, that “Pocophone” simply became “POCO” and became an “independent” kiddo who moved out of its parent’s house.

Almost eight years after that very first iteration, I’ve finally had my first (and long overdue) POCO-perience with the latest POCO M8 Pro.

Design: Repurposed with a purpose

While I have not held a POCO phone until very recently, I am still aware of the brand’s offerings over the years.

Seeing the POCO M8 Pro for the first time instantly reminded me of last year’s Redmi Note 14 Pro series. That’s not me saying POCO blatantly ripped the aesthetics as the POCO X7 also had the same design language.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Like a full circle moment, the aforementioned phones were launched back a year ago.

In all honesty, it still confuses me which direction Xiaomi is heading, especially with the non-stop rebadging of existing POCO and REDMI phones — just with scrambled internals and CMF (color, materials, finish).

Having said that, I still consider the M8 Pro a level up from the last M7 Pro. The former’s design felt like it was not given much importance.

The centered camera island with a squircle cutout seemed like a signature design element of Xiaomi’s newer midrange line moving forward.

I also love how the phone felt in my hands. Even with that plastic back, it felt grippy enough when held.

You have to be wary of fingerprint smudges though — especially if you rock the black colorway. Luckily, the green shade I have still looks clean despite those unwanted smears.

And, if you’re brave enough to clean it in running water, the POCO M8 Pro boasts not just one, not two, but quadruple IP ratings: IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K. These used to be exclusive only among 2025 flagships.

Now Playing: IDOL I

Much like my fanaticism to anything tech, the same can be said with Korean Pop Stars. More known as “K-Pop Idols”, I have been a huge geek of K-Pop for 16 long years (and still counting).

Interestingly, after finishing a series that just ended in Netflix, IDOL I swiftly came by. Even if I am the type of viewer who values the drama’s synopsis more than the cast involved, this K-Drama instantly hit two birds in one.

For one, its starred by a true iconic idol herself: Choi Sooyoung — or one of the nine members of SNSD / Girls’ Generation a.k.a the ultimate 2nd generation K-Pop girl group I’ve been stanning since my youth.

Although Maeng Se-na here is a heartless and “selfish” lawyer, she is the opposite for being a huge (yet silent) fan of “Gold Boys” with Do Ra-ik as his “Ult” (or Ultimate Bias).

In a wild turn of events, the idol became a “murderer” overnight — blaming him for the sudden death of his co-member after waking up from their drinking session.

But, no matter how the general public looks at him as the prime suspect, finding faults against Ra-ik is difficult. That’s pointing out the fact that he was just sleeping in his bed while his former bandmate slash loyal friend got stabbed without clear answers.

I can pretty much say the same thing with the 6.83-inch screen of the POCO M8 Pro: I cannot see any fault at all.

For one, it’s an AMOLED display that made me enjoy binging the first four episodes non-stop. But, being able to display 68.7 billion Colors and 12-bit color depth aside from the usual HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support? That’s likely unusual for a phone in such price point.

And, with a 1.5K display resolution plus a pixel density of 447 ppi, it’s as crisp as it could get. Watching it outdoors is neither a problem with its mighty 3200 nits peak brightness.

While my eyes aren’t very sensitive to light and flicker, its 3840Hz PWM dimming and TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light certifications are still worth mentioning — especially if you stay up all night binge-watching hours worth of titles like yours truly.

On Queue: Apink’s RE:LOVE + Chuu’s XO, My Cyberlove

Pumping up the volume by 60%, it’s expected that the POCO M8 Pro possesses a louder than ever sound output. However, my audio assessment doesn’t end just there.

Just like POCO starting the year with a bang, the K-Pop scene in January 2026 has already exploded with real hit bangers.

First and foremost, Apink finally gathered again to released their 11th Mini Album (their previous Mini Album dates back to 2020). As per usual, I used Apple Music to take full advantage of that Lossless format.

Their title track “Love Me More” not only brought a lot of the group’s nostalgic intro and dance break instrumental during their early days in the industry, it also reminded me of the pre-millennium K-Pop era back in the early 90s.

Pair that with b-sides such as “Sunshine” that sounded pure and soulful, this latest mini album will truly make Pink Pandas’ hearts flutter.

In addition, Chuu (LOONA) finally releases her 1st Full Album titled “XO, My Cyberlove.” It is a complete opposite of her first ever solo song “Heart Attack” almost a decade ago which highlighted her cutesy, innocent charms.

The comeback track of the same title is as quirky and whimsical as it gets. Not only does it highlight Chuu’s light yet ethereal vocals, but it shows her newer, more mature side.

Furthermore, lyrics that evoke unexpected budding love in this digital era where everyone enjoys making connections through the cyber world.

With POCO M8 Pro’s speakers, I fully enjoyed playing the entirety of her freshly-baked album while I was writing this piece. Teeny Tiny Heart and Love Potion are currently my fave b-sides from this release.

Such music fulfillment was possible with the Dolby Atmos stereo speaker setup and Hi-Res Audio support of the M8 Pro. Not only its proudly loud, the audio produced is full and immaculate with clear line between its highs, mids, and lows.

Performance: Adequate for most

On paper, the POCO M8 Pro runs Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 SoC based on a 4nm process. As confusing as it seems, this is different from the more powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 4.

That being told, game settings will vary depending on how demanding one is.

For instance, CoDM (Call of Duty: Mobile) runs in Very High and Max settings upon first set-up.

Meanwhile, Racing Master (based on NVIDIA’s PhysX engine) can run Ultra settings at 60fps.

However, it throttles during the first two ranked races.

Fortunately, the game detects if it gets sluggish — suggesting lowering down the settings altogether.

Lastly, playing Zenless Zone Zero is doable but, at the lowest graphics by default.

You wouldn’t dare to go past it as Combat Mode will literally feel like combatting the phone itself due to how heavy the game is.

The only “remedy” for these hardware limitations? It’s none other than the Game Turbo mode that boosts graphics performance and input through Xiaomi’s software advancements. And it sort of helped make the gameplay smoother, but not fully.

For the rest of apps that are not graphics-intensive, the M8 Pro can breeze through various apps without hiccups, do split-screens, or multitasking along floating windows with ease.

I can truthfully say that the only thing dragging the POCO M8 Pro down is the software as a whole.

After experiencing the beauty of vivo’s OriginOS 6 and HONOR’s MagicOS 10, Xiaomi’s HyperOS still feels like an after-thought. While it can keep up with the modern-day Android features, its stability and optimizations simply don’t make the cut.

Besides, its built-in AI tools, device ecosystem, as well as cross-compatibility functionality aren’t as polished as what you get on other Chinese brands. Let alone, a rip-off from everyone’s fruit rival without much feature improvements.

Seriously, Xiaomi?

Worst thing? Maybe the ad slash bloatware infestation found not just on the lock screen. Even transferring personal files through Xiaomi’s native File Manager app plays an unskippable ad.

Battery: Eat it up! Eat it, eat it up! 🍝🎶

At 8.31mm, the POCO M8 Pro is as slender as it can get. How they were able to fit a 6500mAh battery inside its chassis is a true feat of engineering.

For the record, this is the first POCO M-series smartphone to have such a ginormous battery. It joins the same league as the POCO F8 Ultra, F7, and the X7 Pro (in India).

For added context, the M7 Pro, as well as the X7 with a similar form factor, only had a 5110mAh battery. But, numbers are just part of the story.

In day-to-day scenarios with light to moderate usage, the POCO M8 Pro can last you a full day — even more when you hit the bed with around 30% to spare.

As one would expect though, the biggest hogging can be felt when playing games.

During my gameplay stress test, downloading resources in Racing Master for about 30 minutes already consumed 5% charge (92% down to 87%). An hour of racing ate up 11 percent — from 87% down to 76%.

Letting it rest on my desk for 18 hours, the phone depleted to 51%.

At around 9 in the evening, I then started playing HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero for exactly an hour. Battery charge went down further to 36%. Then, a 1.5-hour game in CoDM resulted to a 28% battery percentage. And, as of writing, the POCO M8 Pro still had a 3 percent charge left in its massive tank.

That said, the POCO M8 Pro comes with Xiaomi’s 100W wired HyperCharge speeds — adapter still bundled in the box.

By default, the battery charging speed is set in regular with the prompt / option to enable boosting.

In my GadgetMatch Charge Test results, it can be seen that the difference isn’t too far off.

	*Boosted HyperCharge*	*Regular HyperCharge*	*PPS Charging* (UGREEN 100W Nexode)
*START TIME* *From 0%*	1:11AM	3:10PM	4:06PM
3 minutes	10%	8%	1%
5 minutes	17%	11%	4%
*10 minutes*	25%	18%	13%
15 minutes	40%	23%	21%
20 minutes	46%	32%	28%
*30 minutes*	70%	50%	46%
45 minutes	88%	71%	67%
*1 hour*	99%	91%	84%
1 hour 15 minutes	–	99%	96%
*END TIME* *100%*	2:14AM 1 hour 3 minutes	4:27PM 1 hour 17 minutes	5:30PM 1 hour 24 minutes

PPS Charging is also possible. Although the device only showed “Quick Charge” while being filled up, it’s safe to say that it performs as fast as Xiaomi’s regular HyperCharge with a super close margin of only seven minutes.

Cameras: Surprisingly Satisfying

Prospective buyers of the M8 Pro wouldn’t have a hard time dealing with its conventional camera configuration: a 50MP f/1.6 main (wide) camera based on Light Fusion 800’s 1/1.55-inch sensor. That’s paired with a less outstanding 8MP f/2.2 UWA (ultra-wide angle) camera.

For the most part, the main camera does its job very well considering this type of device.

With the satisfactory 1x image sensor, 2x zoom is also possible, thanks to in-sensor cropping.

I honestly used the 2x mode more than I thought — especially when capturing my cats and food I devour.

You can go beyond the bounds. But, with obvious hardware limitations, the camera processing can only do so much.

Once that natural light disappears, it will be tricky to take low-light shots as this has NO dedicated Night Mode feature. No luck if you are using them indoors with artificial light around.

Instead, regular Photo Mode automatically detects a low-light subject and toggles Night Mode processing by itself.

While most results are satisfying, it’s also a testament that its cameras are far from being flawless.

Good thing, the flash exists for a funkier look in subjects that suit it — food specifically.

Portraits weren’t missed. Although it only relies on some software-based processing, it still gets the job done of separating the subject away from the background — humans and pets alike.

Personally, the aperture function was a bit of a nuisance.

For context, these shots were set to a low “f/1.8 aperture.” But, the M8 Pro rendered DoF (Depth of Field) that isn’t as shallow as what it’s supposed to show.

My frustration continues as the setting defaults back to f/4.5 after quitting and re-opening the camera app. That’s not even the standard lens opening when taking portrait photos.

And while we’re already here, selfies taken with its front-facing shooter.

Is the POCO M8 Pro your GadgetMatch?

While this isn’t the “flagship killer” most expect from a POCO phone, it’s hard not to go loco over how well-rounded yet wallet-friendly this POCO phone is — especially in the year 2026 where inflation is still unstoppable alongside the almost instantaneous and ridiculous RAM price hike.

ICYMI, the POCO M8 Pro has a starting price of GBP 299 / SG$ 389 / RM 1199 / PhP 16,999 (around US$ 279) for the 8+256GB configuration.

Meanwhile, the 12+512GB variant that I handle is priced at GBP 349 / SG$ 449 / RM 1499 / PhP 19,999 (approx. US$ 359).

Its closest rival is none other than the HONOR X9d. Coincidental or not, it was launched just a day after the unveiling of the M8 Pro.

Frankly, the only thing you’ll let go from HONOR’s sweet treat are its monstrous 8300mAh battery and more polished OS. This POCO-ffering blows it out of the water with a greater chipset, faster wired charging, bigger and better display, capable cameras, durability never forgotten.

Although it wasn’t totally highlighted, the POCO M8 Pro is undoubtedly a rebadged REDMI Note 15 Pro+ — Xiaomi’s midranger that heavily markets its “Titan Durability” capabilities.

The POCO M8 Pro has them all: from its sturdy aluminum frame, four IP ratings, even the fully-shielded front glass care of Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The biggest disparity? REDMI has a 200MP main camera over POCO’s 50MP shooter.

Despite some inconsistencies, the POCO M8 Pro is still an all-around midranger that will satisfy most users who want to purchase a shiny new smartphone without burning holes in your pockets.

It is a Swipe Right, Super Swipe, and a worthy recipient of the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.