The Tecno WX3 is an Android powered smartphone device in the WX series of Tecno smartphones that was preceded by the W Series (W3, W4 and W5). As you might have guessed, the WX3 is the entry-level device in this series that boasts the WX4, a mid-range device that upgrades most of the hardware present here.
Worth noting also is that the WX3 comes in two variants: a 3G only version, and the 4G/LTE capable WX3 LTE. These two phones are completely identical for the most part save for the LTE radio and a lower CPU clock on the WX3 LTE.
Let’s start the review by taking a quick glance at the phone’s specifications:
Specifications
OS
Smartphone OS: Android 7.0 Nougat
Hardware
CPU: Quad-core 1.3 GHz (WX3), 1.1 GHx (WX3 LTE)
Cores: 4
RAM: 1GB
Internal: 8GB
Memory Card slot: microSD, up to 32GB
Network
2G GSM/EDGE, 3G WCDMA: Yes (WX3)
2G GSM/EDGE, 3G WCDMA, 4G/LTE: Yes (WX3 LTE)
SIM: Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by) SIM Type: Micro SIM
Display
Type: IPS LCD Capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours
Size: 5.0 inches
Resolution: 480 x 854 pixels
Multitouch: Yes
Camera
Primary: 5 MP, LED flash
Features: Geo-tagging, Beautification Effect, Panorama, Auto-focus
Video: Yes
Secondary: 5MP with LED Flash
Battery
Battery Capacity: 2500MAH
OS
The WX3 comes powered with Android 7.0 (Nougat) with Tecno’s HiOS running on top of it. Nougat, which was officially released in 2016, is still “new” seeing that most devices continue shipping with Marshmallow (6.0) which has the largest market share globally at the time of this writing. Oreo which was released last year is still for the most part shipping on flagships, so at this range it’s hard to justify on missing out on the latest Android OS.
Hardware
In the hardware department, the phone is powered by a MediaTek chip with a Quad-core CPU clocked at 1.3GHz (1.1 GHz for the WX3 LTE) paired with 1GB of RAM. This is the most preferred configuration for devices at this level which should be able to offer decent performance for everyday smartphone use.
The 8GB internal memory, which equates to roughly 4GB of usable space, may be the only cause for complaint here, but nothing that an SD Card shouldn’t be able to remedy.
With regard to the network, the WX3 will only be able to connect to 2G/3G networks. If you want to connect to the faster 4G network, you can opt to get the 4G enabled WX3 LTE that comes at a slightly higher price. However, as it’s the norm with most Tecno phones, both variants are dual sim enabled.
Display
The display comes at the standard 5.0 inch found in most smartphones today. The panel uses IPS LCD which should get you more natural colours and better viewing angles compared to the normal LCD found in most smartphones in this price range. The resolution is however on the lower end coming at 480 x 854, though I must admit with the IPS it’s hard to complain.
Camera
The WX3 comes with back and front facing cameras, both at 5 megapixels and with LED flash. This means the picture quality from the two cameras should be almost comparable, though it’s likely that the back camera outperforms the front facing.
Nevertheless, that should be good news for the selfie enthusiast as you won’t have to resort to the guesswork demanded by the rear camera in the name of megapixels. The two flashes should also be more than sufficient for your torch needs in this blackout prone state of ours.
Battery
The last piece in the puzzle is the battery, the Achilles heel for most smartphones. Fortunately, the WX3 packs a 2500mAH battery which is on the higher side for devices in this price range. Taking into account its modest specs, the device should no doubt be able to last the whole day on heavy use and a couple days on light to moderate use.
Verdict and Price
The WX3 may not have the bells and whistles found in pricier devices, but for a user on a budget, this is not a bad choice. Compared to other entry-level devices, the WX3 without a doubt fares better with its IPS display and big battery, which are the main attractions here.
The only complaint here is the internal memory, but depending on your use, the available space may actually be more than enough. If not, an SD card should be on your budget as well.
The WX3 is going for KSh.6999 on Jumia while the slightly expensive WX3 LTE has a price tag of KSh.8,230.
