TCL 10 5G Review: A Budget 5G Smartphone

The TCL 10 5G is a budget-friendly smartphone that's hard to ignore. It's available for under $500, making it an affordable option for those who want a 5G device without breaking the bank.

One of the standout features of the TCL 10 5G is its impressive camera system. With a quad-camera setup, you get a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. This combination allows for high-quality photos and videos.

The TCL 10 5G's performance is also noteworthy, thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor and 6GB of RAM. You can expect smooth performance and efficient multitasking.

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The TCL 10 5G has a traditional glass-over-aluminum body with a distinct horizontal camera stack.

The phone measures 6.4 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches and weighs 7.4 ounces, making it a compact device.

It comes in a mirror gray finish that's attractive but a magnet for fingerprints and smudges.

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The back of the phone is glass with a horizontal cutout in the top third for the camera module.

The phone features a 6.53-inch hole punch LCD with a 2,340-by-1,080 display resolution and 395-ppi pixel density.

The TCL NXTVISION display engine works well, delivering a crisp, bright, and immersive screen experience.

The TCL 10 5G has a 6.53-inch FHD+ Dotch LCD display with a pixel density of 395PPI, which is quite impressive.

The screen to body ratio of 91% ensures that the display takes up most of the phone's front, making it a great viewing experience.

This display is powered by a dedicated display engine that enhances color, clarity, and contrast, taking your viewing experience to the next level.

You can capture stunning photos with the TCL 10 5G's advanced triple camera system, which includes a 64 MP camera with a f/1.89 aperture.

The super-wide 118° field of view lets you capture more of the image in a single shot, making it perfect for landscape photography.

Here are the details of the phone's camera setup:

Eye Comfort Mode is a feature that reduces blue light and adjusts the color temperature to minimize eye strain during extended screen time.

This feature is especially useful for people who spend a lot of time in front of screens, like gamers, programmers, or anyone who works on a computer for hours on end.

Reducing blue light can help prevent eye strain and headaches, making it easier to focus and stay productive.

The TCL 10 5G UW's battery life is quite impressive, lasting 9 hours and 47 minutes on our rundown test, which streams HD video over Wi-Fi at full brightness.

You can easily get a day's use out of the phone before needing to charge it, especially if you're not using it as intensively as we were for testing.

The phone supports 18W fast charging, which can get you back up and running quickly if you do find yourself running low on power.

Reverse wireless charging is also supported, so you can use the phone to charge accessories like earbuds or watches.

The primary and ultra-wide angle lenses on the TCL 10 5G UW's camera take crisp shots with excellent depth of field and color accuracy in good light.

In low light, the primary lens performs well, but you may notice some over-aggressive noise cancellation in your test shots.

The ultra-wide lens has the same problem, creating some edge noise that can be observed in photos at full size.

Portrait mode is a win if you have enough light, resulting in decent-looking test shots, although you may notice some minor issues with depth mapping around hats, glasses, and other tricky edges.

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The TCL 10 5G packs a punch with its Qualcomm 765G chipset and Adreno 620 GPU, making it a strong performer in its class. It's equipped with 128 GB of internal storage and supports micro SDXC cards up to 1 TB.

You can expect smooth multitasking without any slowdowns, thanks to its 6 GB of RAM. In benchmark tests, the phone performed similarly to other handsets with the Qualcomm 765G chipset, earning a single core score of 618 and a multi-core score of 1,911 on Geekbench 5.

Here are the key specs at a glance:

The phone's battery life is also impressive, with a non-removable Li-Po battery rated at 4500 mAh and a 9V2A Quick Charger 3.0.

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The Adaptive Brightness Feature is a game-changer for comfortable viewing.

It detects ambient light conditions and adjusts the display brightness and color tone accordingly. This means that whether you're watching a movie in a dark room or working on your laptop in a well-lit office, the display will adapt to provide the best possible viewing experience.

This feature is especially useful in situations where the lighting conditions change frequently, such as when you're watching a movie on a plane or in a car.

The TCL 10 5G UW is a powerhouse when it comes to hardware. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, which is the same chip found in the Google Pixel 4a 5G and Samsung Galaxy A71 5G.

This processor is paired with 6 GB of RAM, which is plenty for smooth multitasking and gaming. In fact, we were able to play Alto's Odyssey and Asphalt 9 for over an hour without any lag or dropped frames.

The phone also features 128 GB of storage, with about 108 GB available out of the box. If you need more space, a microSD storage card slot supports up to 1024 GB of additional storage.

Here are the key specs at a glance:

The TCL 10 5G UW also has a non-removable 4500 mAh Li-Po battery, which should provide all-day battery life. And with 9V2A Quick Charger 3.0, you can get a fast charge when you need it.

The TCL 10 5G UW comes with Android 10 out of the box.

This is a stock version of Android, but Verizon has added over a dozen preloaded apps to the phone.

Fortunately, most of these apps can be uninstalled, which is a relief.

TCL has confirmed that the phone will receive two years of quarterly security updates.

The company also hasn't ruled out the possibility of future Android upgrades, but there's no guarantee.

It's worth noting that TCL has to work with Verizon to implement any future software updates.

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The TCL 10 5G's camera is a highlight of the phone, with a total of 4 rear cameras that can capture stunning images.

The rear cameras include a 64 MP camera with a f/1.89 aperture, an 8 MP camera with a f/2.2 aperture, a 5 MP camera with a f/2.2 aperture, and a 2 MP camera with a f/2.4 aperture.

The phone's camera features are impressive, with support for video capture of 720P & 1080P @60FPS, 720P, 1080P & 4K @30FPS, and slow motion video capture of 720P @960FPS, 1080P & 720P @240/120FPS.

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You'll also appreciate the front-facing camera, which is 16 MP with an f/2.2 aperture and supports features like face beautifications, filters, and 720P & 1080P recording at 30 fps.

The TCL 10 5G's camera is also equipped with auto zoom, super wide angle mode, and super macro mode, making it perfect for capturing life's special moments.

Here are the key camera features of the TCL 10 5G:

The TCL 10 5G has 5G connectivity. This means you'll enjoy faster network speeds and a more seamless online experience.

Call quality on the TCL 10 5G UW is excellent, with all test calls being perfectly clear and noise cancellation working without a problem. The maximum earpiece volume is 86dB, which is loud enough to hear in most situations.

Overall, connectivity is strong on the TCL 10 5G UW, with 5G speeds averaging 88.2Mbps down and 68.8Mbps up on Verizon's network. On Verizon's mmWave network, speeds averaged 682Mbps down and 102.2Mbps up when within 200 feet of the tower.

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The phone supports dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 for wearable connectivity, as well as NFC for mobile payments and boarding passes. This makes it easy to stay connected and get things done on the go.

The TCL 10 5G UW's stereo speakers work well, producing smooth timbre and some noticeable bass at lower volumes. Once cranked up to the maximum volume of 94dB, they're quite loud, but with some distortion in the mid that isn't apparent at lower levels.

The TCL 10 5G has a traditional glass-over-aluminum body that looks good and feels solid in the hand.

It measures 6.4 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches and weighs 7.4 ounces, making it a comfortable size and weight for everyday use.

The phone's design is not flashy, but it's attractive with a mirror gray finish that catches the light.

The 6.53-inch hole punch LCD display is crisp, bright, and immersive, thanks to the TCL NXTVISION display engine.

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The screen resolution is 2,340-by-1,080 with a 395-ppi pixel density, making text and images look sharp and clear.

The glossy back of the phone is a magnet for fingerprints and smudges, so be prepared to clean it regularly.

A square fingerprint sensor sits just below the camera module, making it easy to unlock the phone with a quick touch.

If you're looking for a similar smartphone experience, consider the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, which also features a large 6.5-inch display and a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor.

One of the standout features of the TCL 10 5G is its impressive battery life, with a 4500mAh battery that can last up to two days on a single charge.

The Oppo Reno 4 5G is another great option, offering a similar camera setup with a 48-megapixel primary sensor and a 32-megapixel front camera.

The TCL 10 5G also features a fast charging system, which can charge the battery up to 50% in just 30 minutes.

The Google Pixel 4a 5G is a great option for those who want a more affordable 5G experience, with a starting price of around $500.

The TCL 10 5G has a lot to offer, but like any device, it's not perfect. It has strong 5G connectivity, which is a big plus for those who want fast data speeds.

One of the standout features is its all-day battery life, making it perfect for heavy users. With a battery that lasts all day, you can use your phone without worrying about running out of power.

The display on the TCL 10 5G is crisp and clear, making it a joy to use for watching videos or browsing the web.

The phone's durability is also worth mentioning. For the price, it's not bad, with both the front and back constructed of Gorilla Glass. This should help it withstand minor drops and dings without much damage.

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The TCL 10 5G is a great value for its price, coming in at just $400. This makes it an affordable option for those looking to upgrade to a 5G smartphone.

One of the standout features of the TCL 10 5G is its array of handy features, which make it a joy to use. The phone's price point is a major selling point, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious buyers.

With its impressive list of features and affordable price, the TCL 10 5G is a great choice for anyone in the market for a new smartphone.

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