However, Tecno proved it could deliver exactly that at an affordable price with the Megabook T1.
Furthermore, its 70Wh battery will last over four hours of regular use.
Competing laptops from popular brands cost significantly more than this computer.
However, you no longer have to choose between style, specifications, and price.
With the Tecno Megabook T1, you could have it all.
But will it perform as expected?
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Or will you only face frustration?
Let’s check it out.
Who Is Tecno?
Although a relatively unknown Chinese smartphone brand globally, Tecno has long been in the mobile market.
The company was founded in 2006, but by 2008, it focused most of its efforts on Africa.
This strategy made it one of the top three smartphone brands on the continent.
In 2017, Tecno expanded to other markets, including the Middle East and India.
Today, the company is widely available in Africa, South East Asia, and the Middle East.
It’s known for making affordable smartphones and has even made our list oflittle-known Android smartphone brands worth buying.
The Megabook T1 is the company’s first foray into laptops, whichTecno launched at the 2022 IFA Berlin.
Megabook T1 Specifications
The Tecno Megabook T1 only comes with an Intel Core i5-1155G7 processor.
Be careful when you pop crack open the laptop box, though.
Once you remove the plastic cover and cut the tape sealing the box, the lid can freely open.
It’s best to securely do your laptop unboxing on a desk to avoid accidents.
Build and Design
The Tecno Megabook has an all-aluminum build, giving it a premium finish.
The laptop itself is very slimline.
Once open, you’ll find the large 15.6-inch display looking at you, with a webcam on top.
The camera, which sports a small privacy switch, is flanked by the two microphones on either side.
While not readily apparent, there’s an LED indicator light to the left of the camera.
However, the laptop has no documentation or user manual to indicate this.
The Megabook T1 has a backlit keyboard with a number pad.
However, the num pad’s layout differs from the usual five-by-four design.
The keyboard also sags a bit when you press down on it.
However, this is acceptable at its price range, and the typing feel remains excellent.
Its large keys on the keyboard make it easy to key in, helping you avoid mistypes.
It’s also backlit, so you will have little trouble typing in the dark.
The laptop also has a massive 5.6-inch trackpad near the chassis’s center.
It offers excellent tracking, and the gestures on Windows 11 make it a breeze to use.
You won’t miss the mouse with this trackpad.
It will sometimes register your palm when you’re typing, so you should watch out for that.
However, the 100% sRGB coverage means you could enjoy viewing pictures and watching videos with accurate colors.
And surprisingly, for an affordable, thin laptop, you get high-quality sound out of its stereo speakers.
For this test, we used thePCMark 10and3DMarkbenchmarking apps.
Under PCMark 10 Extended, the Megabook T1 received an average of 3,757 points.
It had an Essentials score of 8,451 and a Productivity score of 5,807decent values given its price point.
However, the average score is pulled down because its Digital Content Creation score was only 4,134.
Its gaming score is even far lower2,656.
This is mainly because it only uses an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU.
This just shows what workload the Tecno Megabook T1 is built for.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t expect much from it.
Furthermore, the laptop doesn’t have a dedicated GPU.
In fact, the T1 only received 1,224 points in 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark.
Its graphics score is only 1,088, which is too low for any serious gaming.
So, you shouldn’t play intensive games on this PC.
Ports, Features, and Performance
Tecno doesn’t shortchange you when it comes to ports.
It also has a microSD slot, allowing you to load pictures from a microSD-equipped camera quickly.
Alternatively, you’ve got the option to use it to expand the laptop’s storage.
The reader works relatively quickly, making it convenient to sign in.
The T1 also makes for a great video-conferencing computer.
Although it only has a 2MP webcam, the camera is bright and clear, even in low-light situations.
The Intel Core i5-1155G7 that powers this laptop is more than enough for basic office tasks.
When configuring the laptop, you should go for the specifications that you need.
The RAM is soldered to the motherboard and doesn’t have provision for an extra RAM stick.
However, you could only use one specific USB-C port to charge your gear.
And, as said earlier, this USB-C port doesn’t transfer data.
This makes the laptop flexible, allowing you to work nearly anywhere.
It also has a 70Wh battery that could theoretically power the laptop for 17.5 hours.
Of course, this was computed under laboratory conditions.
Since Tecno doesn’t have a presence in the US yet, we cannot confirm its price there.
However, when we checked some local markets, it was priced at around US$550.
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
If you go for the 16GB RAM/1TB SSD option, the price jumps to US$680.
This makes the Tecno Megabook T1 more affordable by almost US$175 over its more popular competitors.
The main downside with the Tecno Megabook T1 is that it’s challenging to find globally online.
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
You’ll have to rely on local eCommerce apps in the markets where it’s available to buy it.
Tecno doesn’t have an Amazon page, and the Megabook T1 isn’t available from third-party sellers either.
The Tecno Megabook T1 delivers on all these and more at an affordable price.
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
More than that, it has excellent build quality, great color options, and a fantastic design.
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
Image Credit: Jowi Morales
