This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
On May 2019, Tecno Mobile made history by announcing plans to upgrade the Tecno Spark 3 Pro to Android Q beta, making it the first Tecno Mobile handset to do so. This move also marked the first time more than 15 non-Google devices joined the Pixels in testing the upcoming Android OS.
However, over two months later, the Chinese tech company has yet to release another beta version of Android Q for the Spark 3 Pro with bug fixes and improvements. In contrast, the Google Pixels and Essential Phone have received two more beta versions and are expected to receive the stable version soon.
While it was a good move for Tecno to join the Android Q beta party early enough, not having regular updates to the initial software isn’t doing them any favors. I have been using Android Q beta on a Tecno Spark 3 Pro for a couple of weeks now and honestly, the software is quite buggy.
One of the most annoying bugs is when playing videos on Twitter, where playback is cyclic. This issue also affects Instagram users, and some YouTube videos play in 420p and 720p, as well as when playing videos in any web browser. The HiOS launcher is also buggy, with occasional instances of a stretched wallpaper and in certain cases, the phone doesn’t even detect the SIM cards.
It makes me wonder whether the move to include Tecno Spark 3 Pro in Android Q beta program was ill-timed or it was just Tecno pulling a “me too” stunt. If things stay as they are well into August, the latter wins for me.
