TCL earlier this year released the TCL 50 series this included the TCL 50 5G we are reviewing today but also the TCL 50 SE we have recently reviewed as well as the TCL 505 & TCL 501.

First Impressions

Now the TCL 50 5G is a budget handset costing only £149.99 and is available in two colours – Dark Blue & Space Grey. In this review, we were lucky to be sent the space grey version. This handset looks identical to the TCL 50 SE and that is because it’s effectively the same handset with just one difference being 5G.

The TCL 50 5G features a large screen 6.6-inch HD with a 90Hz refresh rate and NXTVISION display. This phone also comes with the latest version of Android, a 50MP AI Hybrid Camera, a MicroSD card slot for up to 2TB of extra storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack and the lovely guys at TCL even provide you with a charger.

Let’s take a deeper look at this handset so you can make your own decision.

Design

The TCL 50 5G looks quite basic from the front it comes with a plastic frame surrounding non-branded glass. The phone measures 164.09 x 75.04 x 8.31 mm (HWD). The handset weighs in 183.5g making it lightweight but it does feel sturdy in your hand.

The bottom of the phone features a down-firing speaker, a USB-C 2.0 port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Moving to the sides of this handset on the left side is a combination SIM card and MicroSD card slot. On the right side of the handset is where you have the combined power/fingerprint sensor as well as the volume rocker. In testing, I was pleased with how the fingerprint sensor worked and if you did not want to use this feature you could also use the face unlock function as an option which works just as well but is a less secure method for biometric security.

On the rear of the phone, TCL has provided you with a compact area that does not protrude and houses a 50MP hybrid camera lens a 5MP ultra-wide lens and an LED flash at the bottom which looks quite nice.  This device also provides you with an 8MP selfie camera on the front top of the display.

Display

The TCL 50 5G offers a 6.6-inch LCD which does dominate the majority of the front of this handset, in fact, it has an 89.1% screen-to-body ratio. This phone comes with a resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels with a refresh rate of 90Hz and a max brightness of 480 nits.

What this means is the display was easy to use indoors and even when the sun had got its hat on outside.  I found animations and small details looked crisp and smooth.  I also found the bezel to be uniform around three sides of the screen but was noticeably thicker at the base of the handset and this resulted in making it hard to use with just one hand.

Performance

The TCL 50 5G is powered using a MediaTek Dimensity 6100 + system that also comes with 6GB of RAM. You are also provided 128GB of internal storage, but the TCL website seems to indicate there is also a 256GB option available.  In this review device, we were given the 128GB version just don’t expect lightning-fast performance but it won’t struggle with basic tasks either.

When running this device through some benchmark testing it managed a single-core score of 693 and a multi-core score of 1,864 and this device performed like that of the Samsung Galaxy A15. When testing this device when gaming I had no real issues. When playing something more resource-intensive this device performed well even on the lowest settings. However, an increase to the medium graphics settings and 60fps for a 15-minute session caused this phone to heat up and the gameplay struggled to stay at 60fps.

Battery Life

The TCL 50 G5 comes with a large 5010mAh battery and supports 18W wired charging but does not support wireless charging. When we tested the battery life streaming a 1080P video at full brightness it only provided under 9 hours of runtime which is not that great.

Now when it comes to charging the TCL 50 5G from 0% to 100% using the provided charger took just under 3 hours. You can always give it a 15-minute charge that will give you a boost until you can fully charge the device.

Features

The TCL 50 5G comes with the latest Android offering Android 14 and will receive just one OS update and two years of security updates. This device pairs the Android operating system with its own TCL UI. What this means the icons are rounded squared and the quick settings options are rounded rectangles.

The TCL NXTVISION App is used to adjust the saturation of images and video in media apps. This app also features a reading mode that claims to make the reading experience resemble that of a real book. The benefit of applying this mode it did feel easy on my eyes.

There is also a smart manager app that allows you to free up RAM and optimize device performance. The benefit of this app is mainly for multi-tasking TCL gives you the option to place a second app in a pop-over window. You can also use a standard split-screen option is available.

The standout feature is 5G and Wi-Fi performance is quite strong. It supports sub-6GHz 5G including C-band. For additional wireless connectivity, the phone supports Wi-Fi 5 and when connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point it reached peak speeds of 228Mbps down and 23.0Mbps up.

When making a call the quality of my voice sounded clear, and the phone did a great job of rejecting loud background music. The speech remained clear and audible. The earpiece speaker reached a max volume of 77.4 dB. so, it’s easy to hear as long as there is not a lot of surrounding noise.

Finally, the TCL 50 5G also comes with TCL Link what this does is mirror your presentation slides on your TV allowing you to swiftly drag and drop the media files and see your phone screen content on your TV or laptop, so then you never miss incoming calls. You can pair with your earbuds with low-latent connectivity and listen to a podcast or audiobook uninterrupted.

Smartphone Camera Review by James Robertson-Milligan

Hi all, once again a warm welcome to my camera segment, as always when I test a phone I take photos that are “everyday” photos, I try to keep it all nice and simple.

So the TCL50 5G, how does this stack up against the SE model, well to be honest with you there is no difference between the two, the camera interface is the same however this model comes with a 0.6 wide angle which is a grace, it also has the other usual features that you have:

  • Super Macro
  • Video
  • Photo
  • Night
  • Portrait
  • Pro
  • Light trace (you will need a phone tripod for this feature)
So the phone rocks a 50mp dual rear camera, an 8mp selfie camera and 1080p video recording capability. So let’s talk more about the camera settings super macro is when you can get up close and personal to a subject and get the fine details of the chosen picture – this is a great setting and can get great results.
Video on this device is 1080p however most phones on the market are now capable of 4k however to the naked eye the difference is minimal and when you record in 4k it has its downsides that it is a huge battery drainer and also uses a lot of data if sending from your device to an upload or another phone so 1080p is pretty good for a phone still if you look back to where we have come from.
Photo is self-explanatory just point and click and you will get great results this handset only weighs in with a 4x zoom which is a slight let down, however on the balance of things anything over this you start to get camera shake and blurred pictures so I think TCL have got this right. The last thing you want to do is see an image and spend an age getting the zoom and focus only to then get a camera shake and a poor picture.
The selfie camera again works great, we all love a selfie of our days/nights and summer festivals, and this phone trumps it again, it’s an 8mp selfie camera which is clear and faultless, it has a 1.5x zoom and a nice finish. Night mode will allow you to get high-quality images at night where the phone will auto-adjust the light and allow a good-quality image.
Portrait, well as you all know I love portraits where you get that nice bold image with that soft subtle background blur that just makes your photo pop.
Now with Pro, I am not the biggest lover of this on a phone but it’s a good feature for those who are looking to make more of an impact with their photos as it’s like having a DSLR in your phone, it will allow you to play around with ISO, white balance etc to get the best from your camera phone. It will take a while to get used to but when you do start using it you can have some fun with it and take photos like a “pro” and get some epic results.
Light trace will allow you to do light trails and do some great photography at night, BUT you will need a phone tripod otherwise it will be a blur.
I like it when I see features like these on a phone camera because it shows how advanced phones are becoming and to see these features open to all and not just on the high-end phones like Samsung’s Ultra range or Apples Pro range is refreshing so that anyone of any age can now take photos like never before unless you have hundreds of pounds to throw at a professional camera.
The camera setup and features and specs are the same as the TCL50SE the only added bonus is that you are getting that 0.6 wide angle which is the only difference in the setup. It also has the same user interface so there is no difference there also.
So.. let’s look at some of the images from this phone and talk about how this manufacturer has just smashed it again with another great phone.
Pro Mode – TCL have smashed this, with its ease of use and taking an image the rich, bold and true-to-life colours just encapsulate what pro mode is all about, the results are stunning and leave you wanting more.
Photo mode- Again another epic performance from TCL giving you rich and bold colours that will impress many on your socials.
Selfie – We all love a selfie and so does TCL again a nice smooth finish using this in portrait to get that nice background blur whilst leaving the focal point of the image bold and strong.
Macro – TCL have nailed this, I have tested many phones and sometimes I walk away disappointed but not on this phone, no sir! clear, well defined and so much detail.
Portrait- As you all know by now I love portrait and my trusty steed and model will always strike a pose, again TCL have got this on point! Some phones I test and review Portrait just falls flat and leaves me scratching my head but TCL once again you come up top marks.
My overall conclusion on this phone is that it’s a good phone for the price point and as usual TCL have put a lot of excellent thought and detail into the camera department. I have always been impressed with the overall quality of TCL and again this phone is no exception a good job well done.

Verdict

The TCL 50 5G comes with a stylish and robust smartphone that offers a decent display that is suitable for everyday use at an affordable price. The camera is sleek and easy to use with gentle swipes through the camera functions and menus providing a decent performance during the photography testing.  For this price point, the camera is a bargain to be had.

The inclusion of 5G connectivity allows faster download speeds for a seamless online experience. Just like the TCL 50 SE, you are provided with dual SIM support, Bluetooth & Wi-FI connectivity to help you stay connected wherever you go.

So if you are looking for a budget-friendly 5G smartphone that ticks a lot of boxes without hitting you in the wallet.

Product Rating    

Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Display: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Performance: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Battery Life: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Camera: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

 

Overall ranking: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5 stars

The TCL 50 5G is available from Amazon for £149

 

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