Tecno unveils Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition, designed by BMW's Designworks

The Tecno Spark 9 Pro launched earlier this year with a selection of several colorways. Now Tecno has partnered with Designworks, the design innovation studio for the BMW Group, to create a special edition of the phone dubbed the Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition.

Designworks was tasked with picking out the materials, colors and finish for this special edition. The design was apparently inspired by an “icy crystal talisman” and mixes crystalline blue areas with snowy white, dotted with more triangles to keep the theme consistent. The two circular camera islands evoke the BMW logo, but it’s more of an homage than a 1:1 copy.

The Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition is aimed at young consumers with an appreciation for luxury, especially of the automobile variety. The design team likened smartphones to cars because of the very personal relationship that their owners have with them.

“Working together with a company like Tecno is inspiring, as it gives us the opportunity to focus on another user experience – the smartphone. While there is a difference in scale, something smartphones and cars have in common is that they are extremely personal and are relied on daily by their users, and they are also a means of personal expression,” said Andre De Salis, Creative Director, Industrial Design at Designworks.

Exterior aside, the phone is the same as the regular Spark 9 Pro. This means a 6.6” IPS LCD (FHD+), a Helio G85 chipset (running Android 12/HIOS 8.6) with 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage (expandable), a 50MP main camera and 32MP selfie camera, plus a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging.

The Tecno Spark 9 Pro Sport Edition will be available in select markets in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Exact details about the launch date and pricing will be announced per region.