Tecno primarily operates in the midrange smartphone segment, but its ambitious approach towards design is something that sets it apart from its peers. Last year, it became the only tech outfit to release a slim phone (our review here) in the sub-Rs 20,000 price bracket. In addition to that, its debut ‘Pova Curve’ series impressed us with its clean design, innovative form factor, and balanced spec sheet. Needless to say, when the second smartphone in the series crossed our desks earlier this month, we were pretty excited to check it out. The device builds upon the design language of its predecessor while bringing its own unique flair. Its relatively slim form factor is quite impressive when you consider that it packs a massive 8,000mAh battery under its hood. There are some tradeoffs to be made, though, as the processor has been downgraded to the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 SoC. We used the smartphone for a week to find out if it’s worth the Rs 27,999 price tag. Here is our in-depth review of the Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G.
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In This Article
Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Review: Design and Display
Before we talk about the smartphone’s design, let’s take a look at what you get inside its retail box.
- Smartphone
- 45W power adapter
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Clear plastic cover
- SIM ejector
- Phone seal stickers
- User manual
- Warranty booklet
The Pova Curve 2 builds upon the Starship-inspired design language of its predecessor. It gets a triangular camera module, which Tecno says mimics spacecraft thrusters. The strong build of the device inspires a lot of confidence. The smooth finish on the back panel makes sure that smudges and fingerprints are not a problem. Tecno has tweaked the form factor to make the device more curvy. The horizontal edges of the frame, along with its corners, are more rounded than before. This decision has paid off, as the in-hand feel of this smartphone easily surpasses its peers.
The curved frame houses the volume rocker and the side button on its right edge. The latter has a ridged texture and an orange accent. The SIM tray, primary microphone, USB-C port, and speaker grille are positioned on the bottom edge. Up top lies the noise-cancelling microphone. The IR blaster is stacked alongside the primary shooter in the rear camera island. There is no support for expandable storage, but the smartphone does get a 256GB internal storage variant this time.
The 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 4,500 nits while playing HDR content. The display is surrounded by slim, uniform bezels on all sides. It can maintain legibility in outdoor conditions with harsh sunlight falling on it. The touch response on offer is smooth and enjoyable. However, only a handful of apps (like Messages, Phone, and Settings) can make use of the 144Hz refresh rate. The under-display optical fingerprint scanner does what is expected of it, but it is nowhere near as snappy as its ultrasonic counterparts.
During the review period, we used the Tecno Pova Curve 2 to stream content across OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar. The 1.5K AMOLED display did a great job of producing detailed visuals packed with accurate colours. The lone, bottom-firing speaker is a step back from the Pova Curve of last year, but it produces a well-rounded audio output.
Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Review: Performance and Cameras
The Tecno Pova Curve 2 draws power from the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 SoC. For a smartphone priced at Rs 28,000, this 6nm chipset is pretty mediocre. Not to mention, the Pova Curve from last year used a much more versatile processor in Dimensity 7300 Ultimate. The smartphone is equipped with 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and comes in 2 storage (UFS 2.2) options:
- 128GB: Rs 27,999
- 256GB: Rs 29,999
We ran a couple of benchmark tests on the device. Here are the final results.
- AnTuTu 3D: 738,445
- Geekbench 6: 964 (single-core) | 2,787 (multi-core)
The benchmark numbers may seem unimpressive on paper, but the Pova Curve 2 delivers a rock-solid performance in everyday use. It expertly handles routine tasks like calling, instant messaging, web browsing, navigation, and media streaming. Its G1 and SE1 chipsets for cellular signal and WiFi enhancement deserve a special shoutout. The smartphone maintained good call quality even in areas with poor network coverage.
Throwing some heavy tasks at the device reveals the cracks in its performance. For starters, the apps take slightly longer to load due to the dated UFS 2.2 configuration of the internal storage. The LPDDR5X RAM does a good job of handling the background apps. Lag and stutters become an issue while carrying out power-intensive tasks like photoediting and video rendering. Lastly, the vibrational feedback produced by the haptic motor is on the blunt side.
The Pova Curve 2 can run titles like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile. The gameplay is smooth and free of frame drops when you limit the graphics and frame rate to their medium settings. The back panel starts to warm up after the 20-minute mark, but it does not cause any throttling.
Apart from the splendid design, the software experience is the biggest highlight of the Tecno Pova Curve 2. The smartphone runs the Android 16-based HiOS 16 out of the box. It has been promised 2 major OS upgrades and 3 years of security patches. HiOS 16 takes inspiration from Apple’s iOS 26. You can see traces of ‘Liquid Glass’ on the lock screen number pad, clock face, home page app shelf, and quick settings menu. The size of the clock face can be customised as well. There’s a handy depth effect tool for the lock screen as well. There are plenty of native wallpapers that make good use of this effect. Additionally, you get a good range of customisation options for the theme, Always On Display, fonts, and app icons.
The Tecno AI package offers a good range of AI tools and features. For starters, you can record and summarise your calls using the native Phone app. If you’re in the middle of a meeting, you can get Tecno AI to answer your calls for you. If you choose to pick up a call but the speaker does not speak your language, you can get the AI translator to mediate a seamless conversation. When a call is over, you are presented with its brief summary.
The AI Writing Assistant can go over your emails and messages and point out the errors. It can improve your writing efficiency by suggesting revisions. While browsing text, it can generate summaries and perform searches. The AI Note tool can create images from rough sketches. The final results are off-base sometimes, but it is a handy tool to have in your arsenal. The photo editor in the native Gallery app has AI tools to create cutouts and remove unwanted objects from your images. Tenco’s Ella is the native voice assistant on this device. You can use it to access LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, MetaAI, and Grok.
The 8,000mAh battery pack holds enough juice to last 2 entire days of average use. If your daily screen time doesn’t cross more than 4 hours, you can take this phone on a weekend trip without packing its charger. A day of heavy use can leave you with ~30% charge in the tank. The 45W power adapter provided in the box takes just over an hour to charge the device.
The Pova Curve 2 doesn’t have an extravagant camera system. The camera island on the back panel packs a 50MP primary shooter. The lack of an ultrawide lens is not a good sight on a smartphone in this price bracket. The punch-hole cutout on the display houses a 13MP selfie camera.
The 50MP primary shooter takes vibrant shots in outdoor daylight conditions. The images have a slightly warm tone to them, which we like a lot. The camera manages to expose the sky really well. The dynamic range and contrast levels are also on point. In limited lighting conditions, the primary shooter does a good job of lighting up the scene and resolving the grain.


Portraits taken by the main camera are clear and well-focused. The smartphone manages to separate the subject from the background and apply a decent blur effect. The 13MP front-facing camera takes delightful selfies when there’s a lot of natural light around the subject. The selfies do not look artificial or overprocessed. Both cameras can shoot 2K videos at 30fps.
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Verdict
The Tecno Pova Curve 2 is certainly a design-first smartphone. Its curved form factor not only brings a unique flair but also elevates the in-hand feel. The triangular camera module on the back panel is a breath of fresh air in a segment that can’t let go of pill-shaped cutouts. The Dimensity 7100 SoC processor, while not the most powerful processor in the segment, handles routine tasks fairly well. The well-optimised software makes sure that the general usage experience isn’t lost to low benchmark numbers. The Tecno AI suite keeps things fresh and fun. The main camera is reliable in a wide range of lighting conditions. To top it off, the 8,000mAh battery pack keeps any kind of battery anxiety at bay.
Pros
- Cool design
- Good build quality
- Smooth display
- AI features
Cons
- Mediocre processor
- Lacks an ultrawide lens







































