TCL 50 SE Review

Mobile brand TCL has recently released 50 series that includes the TCL 50 SE, TCL 50 5G, TCL 505 & TCL 501 all budget-friendly devices. We have been sent over the TCL 50 5G & TCL 50 SE. In this review we cover the TCL 50 SE.

If you place the TCL 50 5G and TCL 50 SE models next to each other, you will notice just how similar they are. The main differences lie in the 5G modem that the TCL 50 5G compared to the 50 SE model which only has a 4G chipset the other change is within the camera setup.

First Impressions

The TCL 50 SE is ideal for those who want the complete smartphone experience but are on a budget. This phone is available for £139 from Amazon, Argos & Very.co.uk. The device is available in two colours: Midnight Blue or Space Grey.

In this review, we have been sent the Midnight Blue model and the main features of this smartphone include:

• 6.8-inch FHD+NXTVISION Display
• TCL NXTURBO Technology
• 90Hz Refresh Rate
• 5010mAh battery
• 6GB + 6GB of RAM expansion & 256GB of storage
• MediaTek Helio G88 chipset
• 50MP Hybrid Camera
• 33W fast charging capability

 Design

The TCL 50 SE has a 6.8-inch NXTVISION display with an IPS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 90Hz.  The NXTVISION technology is one of the strongest advantages of this phone and makes imaging better.

This display is also accompanied by three-dimensional sound through the two stereo speakers. The frame is mainly made of plastic but it is robust and comes with a glossy finish that looks luxurious. There is also an in-button fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone faster.

Open the bonnet, the phone has an expandable memory with up to 1TB microSD in addition to the standard 256GB while the 6GB RAM is also expandable with an additional 6GB to give you a total cache of 12 GB. The battery is 5,010mAh and comes with 33W fast charging.  To the top of what’s inside, there is an NXTURBO system which aims to speed up processes between the central processor and graphics card which provides better entertainment and gaming.

Camera set up the main camera is 50MP with a 1.8 aperture with a sensor size of 1/2.76 inches capable of shooting macro. There is also a selfie camera which is 8MP. We provide a full camera review later in this review.

Display

The TCL 50 SE comes with a 6.8-inch HD+ display paired with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels ideal for watching videos, playing games and browsing the web.

The TCL 50 SE works with the NXTVISION suite which offers enhancements to images and video offering an attractive result without the flashes and excesses. The reason becomes apparent after a few hours of use the brightness is sufficient, even for use in sunny conditions. It is rendered in a way that keeps your eyes rested.

You will also notice when lighting conditions are milder or dark the display manages to stay relaxed. When using the phone for gaming the greater contrast and alternating images are just as smooth as in the previous case while offering more comfort during long hours of viewing.

Performance

The TCL 50 SE is powered by a MediaTek Helio A25 processor which offers a reliable performance and smooth multitasking capabilities. We have been testing this device for a couple of weeks now and I have run multiple apps as well as playing graphic-intensive games this device can handle it all with ease.

You will also find the 5010mAh battery provides long-lasting battery life throughout the day without the need to constantly recharge. When running some benchmark testing, we compared this to the Samsung Galaxy A05 and here are the results:

Geekbench 6 (Single Score)

• TCL 50 SE – 420
• Samsung Galaxy A05 – 417

Geekbench 6 (multi-core)

• TCL 50 SE – 1357
• Samsung Galaxy A05 – 1416

Camera Review by James Robertson-Milligan

James here with another camera review, for those that are new to my section of camera reviews I provide a non-bias independent review of the camera spec on the phones given to me to test, I am what you would say a phonetographer as well as a photographer, all the pictures I take for review purposes are everyday pictures that we are most likely to snap and upload onto socials to show friends. 

 

Cameras on phones are becoming more and more advanced in the last 20-odd years and now with technology such as AI, the options are limitless along with Android’s ever-evolving camera options. Sometimes I think to myself why do manufacturers add in certain camera settings when to be honest most of us will not use these surely they would be better adding something else and utilising that space for something that the majority of us would use.  Google now gives you the option on all Android phones to make certain tweaks and adjustments to your photos when you have taken the snap which is good to see.

 

However, with plenty of free-to-download editing software, you could have one of the most basic of phones with a basic camera and make your images stand out which would impress many on socials, the best free-to-download is probably Snapseed which is on Google Play Store and Apple store, you can play around with the images and make them stand out in the crowd. 

 

Will camera phones eventually outdo the need for something such as a DSLR probably not however when you’re in confined areas such as a concert, a club/pub or an event where it’s not possible to whip out a DSLR then a good camera phone will get you great results. 

 

How do we define a great camera phone when we see the likes of Samsung and Apple that have massive budgets and can show their skills on TV and other mainstream advertising? Well, this is where someone like me comes along and puts a camera through its paces and gives you an honest, unbiased and transparent review on the phone you see. 

 

So let’s look at the new TCL50 SE, I have reviewed several TCLs in the past for What Gadget and I have always been amazed by the camera quality considering the price point of the phone itself so will the TCL 50 SE blow me away or blow me back into the early days of a camera phone. 

 

The TCL comes with a self-respecting 50mp rear main camera and a 2mp depth of field camera along with an 8mp selfie camera centred in the middle of the phone, what I do like about the aesthetics of this camera is that it is nestled nicely in the upper left of the phone and doesn’t protrude with glitzy looking bits and pieces around the bezel so it’s very non-intrusive and looks like a very professional finish. 

The other thing I did like about this camera phone is that the features are minimalistic which means that they haven’t packed in loads of options and features taking up critical space so that this can be used in other areas of the phone, so what comes as standard: 

• Night Mode
• Panorama
• Super Macro
• Video with a time-lapse option, we like time-lapse! (I will explain more) 
• Photo 
• Portrait 
• Then you have Pro, Pano, Light trace and a somewhat new feature to Android phone Google Lens. 

So As you can see TCL has kept this minimal but sometimes less is more! Let’s get back to the specs, TCL is advertising this as a “Hybrid Camera” but what is a hybrid camera? A hybrid is a compact point-and-shoot with a larger sensor to allow better image quality. The phone itself only offers a 4x zoom and no wide angle, to be honest, I would have liked to have seen a better zoom and the use of a wide angle but is this a deal breaker, not for me but could be for others. 

 

You can access the camera 2 ways from the lock screen or the main user interface itself and it has very little lag when opening so within a few seconds you’re ready to take your perfect shot. Video is only a lowly 1080p where most phones are now offering 4k video shooting but let’s be honest to the naked eye you can’t see the difference between 1080p and 4K unless you upload videos to the likes of YouTube, where again you’re viewing the video on a TV you’re not going to see or tell the difference. 

 

You also have timer lapse, however, to use this function to its advantage you would need a mini tripod for your phone and I will explain why, so for me, I like to sometimes do time-lapse of sunsets and sunrises where you can condense a 1-hour video into about 30 seconds as it speeds it right up, however, the phone will always need to be 100% steady and non-moving so a tripod is key. The same can be said for light tracing.  

 

The selfie camera is also excellent to use and I like the fact that you can also use the Portrait setting to get a nice subtle blur in the background making that all-important selfie a lot smoother and much more defined. So let’s get down to some pictures that have been taken on this handset, the phone came on a tour with me to Wales so let’s see what we have got. 

 

Night Mode, – Night mode came out okay, the only drawback but this is with any phone is that you have to hold the handset steady and in the same place for around 5 seconds whilst it defines the image and adds some brightness to it. If you move the phone your image will be blurry but again it’s not just this phone it is most phones with this setting for me I don’t see much point in night mode but it works on this phone and works well. 

Portrait – Now as many of you know I love shooting in portrait I love how well-defined an image comes out with that subtle background blur, however on this shot with my trusty model (Murphy) it fell short and didn’t get that blur, Which is a shame as the image come out so well. 

The all-important selfie, – Now we love a great selfie for our socials and we love to make sure it stands out well, on this phone.. faultless. The 8mp camera stood up well even in a sunset setting the picture came out spot on, but this is where I am a bit confuddled, I used the portrait setting for this and it came out pretty good, but not on the main camera! 

Super Macro, – So macro is when you get up close and personal to your chosen subject and it gives back excellent detail and clarity, now with this phone it was there but just narrowly missed the mark, yes I got great definition, colour and detail but not as much as I would have expected but this is only just short it’s not a game changer! 

Photo mode, Now this phone only comes with a mere 4x zoom for photo mode, I really would of thought it would have at least a 10x Zoom given its a 50mp camera and should be able to handle that kind of zoom, so for me this was a big let down! The 50mp camera came up well I was impressed to say the least, I have seen worse images from a higher spec MP camera but this one came out well, colour, clarity, definition, smoothness it was all there! TCL as always you have once again done well even though it is only a 4x zoom! 

Pro mode-  Now this is not just TCL it is every phone manufacturer even my trusty Samsung Ultra S23 has pro mode, I don’t use it, because simply once you have edited your photo if you are going to edit it, you can adjust and fettle with all the contrasts, light arrangements etc, to be honest sometimes just the simple point and click works just as well and if not the same. Pro mode on this does come with a 2x zoom and to be honest it’s not enough really for Pro mode, again with a 50mp camera I’d like to see at least 10x zoom! but hey! this is never a deal breaker for me.. pro mode pictures you can barely tell the difference, again not with this handset but with all. 

Panorama – So panorama is just getting a nice long sweeping picture of whatever you’re taking the more you sweep the camera the narrow your picture gets, on this phone again it just works so well and so effortlessly. with so much defined detail and colour! 

So in conclusion for the camera, I was sceptical given the price point for this phone and just thought it was not gonna be an epic TCL like their other handsets but I was wrong. It actually looks and works very well, it’s smooth, easy to switch between camera functions and tidy.

 

To get the best out of the camera I would recommend a free-to-download photo editor such as Snapseed then your pictures will have that professional tone to them.  I only have one niggle and that is the zoom, TCL could have put more into this given it’s a 50mp camera and can handle at least 10x zoom and give you back a good picture, the rest works well, and I have no complaints. I think TCL could have given a bit more but like I say for the price point of this phone TCL have nailed it and it will be one of the best at this price range! 

Verdict

The TCL 50 SE is a stylish and robust smartphone that offers a great display that is suitable for everyday use. I was impressed with its easy-to-use camera and decent performance during the photography testing. I liked the benefit of expanding the storage space to 1TB using a microSD card meaning you can store all of the pictures and videos you will take on this handy device.

Overall, the TCL 50 SE does offer an enhanced user experience with features like the fingerprint sensor for secure unlocking, expandable storage and optimized software for a smooth and intuitive user interface. The inclusion of 4G LTE connectivity allows fast download speeds for a seamless online experience. You are also provided with dual SIM support, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to help you stay connected wherever you go.

So, if you are looking for a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a good mix of value, performance and style the TCL 50 SE ticks a lot of boxes without hitting you too hard in the wallet. This phone would be ideal for someone starting as a content creator and storage is high up your list of requirements.

Product Rating    

Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0

Display: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0

Performance: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0

Battery Life: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Camera: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0

Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

 

Overall ranking: 4.3 out of 5.0 stars4.3 – 4.3 stars

The TCL 50SE is available from Amazon for £139 from Currys

 

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