Pros
Great display for worth
NFC help
Decent multitasking
Cons
T-Mobile exclusivity
Big battery drains quick
Weak digicam
The TCL 50 XL 5G immediately impressed me. TCL packed a bunch of serious specs right into a $160 cellphone. During my first impressions, I used to be rapidly stunned by the cellphone’s large show, excessive refresh charge and its inclusion of NFC for Google Pay. Toss in its comparatively clear construct of Android, 128GB of storage and 6GB of reminiscence, and the 50 XL rapidly seems like a whole steal.But there are trade-offs. For occasion, the 50 XL’s show is not brilliant sufficient to be seen open air on a sunny day — even after I set it to 100%. It’s a problem that we have seen on costlier finances telephones like Google’s Pixel 6A and will be crudely handled by ready to make use of the 50 XL till you are indoors or underneath some shade.The TCL 50 XL’s 5,010mAh battery, whereas large, is power-hungry and drained rapidly in my assessments in comparison with comparable telephones. During a 45-minute battery endurance check, the place I put the TCL by means of a mixture of actions like a video name, YouTube streaming, texting and social media, the cellphone bought heat to the contact. Admittedly I had the cellphone’s refresh charge set to run at a relentless 120Hz, which is extra demanding than the cellphone’s default “smart” mode that swaps between 60Hz and 120Hz. But that is nonetheless the primary time I managed to bodily warmth up a cellphone that prices underneath $200 by means of regular use. The 6.78-inch show is a spotlight for TCL’s $160 cellphone. Mike Sorrentino/CNETBut even this battery situation is manageable, as its 18-watt wired charging is a good velocity for a $160 cellphone within the occasion you’ll want to give it a noon recharge. That velocity is quicker than the 15-watt wired charging supplied by this 12 months’s $150 Moto G Play and slower than the 25-watt charging supplied on the $200 Samsung Galaxy A15. If you see the sample, it is easy to be forgiving in regards to the TCL 50 XL’s faults as a result of in any other case has many higher-end options at a really low worth — the bottom worth I’ve seen to date for these options. But there are two main points that may severely restrict who ought to get the TCL 50 XL.The largest of those is provider availability. For now, the TCL 50 XL 5G is a T-Mobile unique that is being bought by its Metro model. I used to be capable of get my T-Mobile SIM card to work, however you are clearly restricted to the magenta provider if you wish to purchase this machine. Another disadvantage is lifespan. The 50 XL lags behind in its software program and safety help. TCL guarantees one main software program replace and two years of safety updates. This matches the Moto G line for pledged software program updates, however Motorola provides its telephones three years of safety updates. It’s additionally fairly behind Samsung’s dedication of 4 years of software program updates and 5 years of safety updates for the Galaxy A15.But in the event you’re a T-Mobile buyer in want of an affordable cellphone and are OK with the 2 years of software program help, the TCL 50 XL 5G is value a glance. The TCL 50 X 5G will be set to a constant 120Hz refresh charge, an adaptive mode or a constant 60Hz. Mike Sorrentino/CNETTCL 50 XL 5G’s display, options, battery lifeAs the “XL” within the identify implies, this can be a large cellphone. The 6.78-inch show dwarfs the $349 Nothing Phone 2A’s 6.7-inch show. But what’s notably distinctive in regards to the 50 XL is how at $160 it features a 1080p resolution-panel with a 120Hz refresh charge, which helps make Android animations and graphics in video games look clean.The giant show was preferrred after I performed video games like Dead Cells, serving to make the on-screen controls simpler to make use of. When I streamed season 6 of Netflix’s The Circle, the high-definition stream confirmed off the fact present contestants’ colourful residences. Colors are additional emphasised by means of TCL’s NxtVision setting, which provides extra saturation after I watch movies or play video games.I’m not wild in regards to the audio system, although. While it is seemingly a plus that there are two, my ears could not clearly select audio particulars when cranking the quantity increased. I ought to be aware that the majority low cost telephones have solely a single speaker. I most well-liked to both join my Bluetooth headphones or make use of the 3.5mm headphone jack as an alternative. Videos look good on the TCL 50 XL’s display. But they do not sound good by means of its audio system. Mike Sorrentino/CNETThe 6GB of reminiscence is a shocking inclusion for a cellphone at this worth and made it straightforward for me to launch a number of apps and video games and swap between them without having to reload any. By comparability, I skilled the alternative whereas testing the $200 Moto G 5G, which incorporates 4GB of reminiscence. TCL features a RAM growth setting, that is on by default and makes use of up 6GB of the cellphone’s common storage to simulate an extra 6GB of reminiscence, which probably offers some extra multitasking help.The MediaTek Dimensity 6100 Plus is doing considerably greater than final 12 months’s TCL 40 X 5G cellphone by powering a higher-resolution and higher-frame charge display, and which may partly clarify why the cellphone’s battery life takes a much bigger hit with regular use. The 50 XL 5G scored comparably to final 12 months’s cellphone on efficiency benchmarks when operating the Geekbench 6 CPU check and the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme graphics check.TCL 50 XL 5G vs. TCL 40 X 5G vs. Moto G 5G (2024) benchmark testing TCL 50 XL 5G 698 1,881 338; 2.03fpsTCL 40 X 5G 719 1,883 332; 1.99fpsMoto G 5G (2024) 845 1,851 297; 1.76fps
Geekbench 6.0 Single Core
Geekbench 6.0 Multi Core
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Note: Higher scores are higher
In our YouTube streaming battery check, by which we play a 3-hour video whereas setting the cellphone’s brightness to 100%, the TCL 40 X 5G’s drained from full to 76% whereas the 50 XL drained to 62%. The 40 X has a comparably sized 5,000mAh battery, however the less-powerful 720p 90Hz show probably consumes much less energy than the 50 XL’s 1080p 120Hz show. The TCL 50 XL 5G features a headphone jack along with Bluetooth audio help. Mike Sorrentino/CNETDespite this noticeable drain, I used to be usually capable of get by means of a day of use when utilizing the 50 XL, nevertheless somebody taking part in intensive video games or media ought to in all probability take into account setting its show to the “Smart” refresh mode or to the less-intensive 60Hz as a way to lengthen battery life.On the software program facet, the TCL cellphone runs on Android 14 that features the corporate’s TCL UI pores and skin, which provides largely ornamental touches. Then there’s the bloatware with T-Mobile itself together with undesirable software program and apps by default. While the 50 XL’s T-Mobile exclusivity probably helps the cellphone hit its cheaper worth, it is distracting to see the provider model itself into the Google Now feed by together with its personal T-Mobile Play feed. This situation nevertheless is not restricted to only this TCL cellphone, and it’s attainable to deactivate the T-Mobile Play feed by diving into the cellphone’s settings menu and disabling the app. The TCL 50 XL’s cameras are housed on this giant, round module. Mike Sorrentino/CNETTCL 50 XL 5G camerasThe TCL 50 XL 5G’s giant digicam bump homes a trio of lenses: vast, ultrawide and one for depth. The fundamental digicam has a 50-megapixel sensor, the ultrawide a 5-megapixel sensor and the depth digicam a 2-megapixel sensor for issues like portrait mode. But the cameras aren’t a promoting level.Photos taken by it are purposeful and are able to displaying a colourful scene in good lighting – as most telephones. However, I took photos of close-up particulars or a photograph in a lower-light setting, the 50 XL’s cameras did not ship. The takoyaki being cooked on the Karl’s Balls vendor at a road truthful. Mike Sorrentino/CNETI took the TCL 50 XL 5G to a road competition as a way to check out the takoyaki made by Karl’s Balls, a meals vendor I comply with on Instagram. Since it was a sunny day, the 50 XL did a good job. My photographs confirmed the browned exterior of the big takoyaki balls I ordered matching the colour they regarded like in actual life. However, photographs of the creamy inside had muddy, nearly blurry particulars. Color accuracy is sweet, check out this picture I took of the fried octopus ball lower in half, however the particulars just like the shiny texture of the filling is basically nonexistent. The insides of this takoyaki have a creamy texture, however that element is misplaced on this picture taken by the TCL 50 XL. Mike Sorrentino/CNETHere’s a wider shot of the sales space, that crisply captured the bustling crowds with none noticeable movement blur. This wider shot of the sales space festivals higher, with the TCL 50 XL taking a transparent picture regardless of there being plenty of motion from the crowds and from the employees cooking. Mike Sorrentino/CNETAnd here is a selfie I took on a chilly, cloudy Saturday. It’s me, sure. But the picture seems flat with me mixing in with the dreary climate within the background. Self-taken picture utilizing the TCL 50 XL. Mike Sorrentino/CNETI tried to take a night picture whereas strolling to a jam session Friday evening, and, oh, it did not look good. It may have regarded somewhat higher if I stood utterly nonetheless, however this is not the type of cellphone digicam that will probably be good in most conditions. An night road picture taken on the TCL 50 XL whereas strolling. Mike Sorrentino/CNETThe rear digicam captures video at 1080p at 30 frames per second, and the standard is not significantly better than photographs. You can get a purposeful video for a fast share, however it is going to have a fuzzy look to it because it struggles with particulars.It’s nonetheless value noting that for a $160 cellphone, digicam high quality is normally probably the most notable function that will get sacrificed. Compared with the $200 Moto G 5G, there’s a noticeable enchancment to how Motorola’s cellphone takes photographs. In my digicam check that makes use of a grass wall in CNET’s workplace, the Moto G 5G’s picture exhibits extra colour depth and element than the TCL picture. The grass wall in CNET’s workplace, taken on the TCL 50 XL 5G. Mike Sorrentino/CNET The grass wall at CNET’s workplace taken on the Moto G 5G. Mike Sorrentino/CNETThese points aren’t essentially deal breakers for calculating whether or not a less expensive cellphone is definitely worth the worth, nevertheless it’s vital to be real looking that we have but to make use of a $200 cellphone that takes photographs you would be dying to get printed or movies that you just’d need to edit right into a YouTube vlog. The TCL 50 XL 5G will get one software program replace and two years of safety updates. Mike Sorrentino/CNETTCL 50 XL 5G backside lineTCL deserves recognition for cramming so many options from pricier units into the $160 50 XL 5G. This consists of its 1080p-resolution 120Hz display, NFC for contactless funds, and 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM for multitasking.It’s too dangerous that its T-Mobile exclusivity will severely restrict its viewers. On the brilliant facet, in the event you picked up the cellphone whereas transferring to Metro by T-Mobile, it is probably that the cellphone can be free by means of the provider’s signup provide. And whereas I’m usually not thrilled with a cellphone that will get solely two years of safety updates, at this cheaper price it is simpler to abdomen so long as you recognize to maneuver onto a brand new machine after its safety updates finish. If you may reside with the two-year lifespan, the TCL 50 XL 5G offers plenty of worth. But in the event you hope to make use of the cellphone for 3 years or longer, it is best to verify into what Motorola provides with its Moto G line or Samsung’s Galaxy A telephones, which can get extra years of safety updates.TCL 50 XL 5G vs. Motorola Moto G 5G (2024) vs. TCL 40 X 5G TCL 50 XL 5GMoto G 5G (2024)TCL 40 X 5G Display measurement, decision 6.78-inch, 2,460 x 1,080 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate6.6-inch LCD; 1,612 x 720 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate6.56-inch; 1,612 x 720 pixels; 90Hz refresh chargePixel density 396 ppi269 ppi269 ppiDimensions (inches) 6.6 x 2.9 x 0.32 in.6.5 x 3 x 0.3 in.6.47 x 2.97 x 0.35 inDimensions (millimeters) 167.6 x 73.6 x 8.1mm164.4 x 75 x 8.2mm164.46 x 75.4 x 8.99 mmWeight (ounces, grams) 195g (6.9 oz)194g (6.84 oz)195 g (6.9 oz)Mobile software program Android 14Android 14Android 13Digicam 50-megapixel (fundamental), 5-megapixel (ultrawide), 2-megapixel (depth)50-megapixel (fundamental), 2-megapixel (macro)50-megapixel (fundamental), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth)Front-facing digicam 8-megapixel8-megapixel8-megapixelVideo seize 1080p1080p1080pProcessor MediaTek Dimensity 6100 PlusQualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1MediaTek Dimensity 700RAM/Storage 6GB RAM + 128GB4GB RAM + 128GB4GB RAM + 64GBExpandable storage YesYesYesBattery/Charger 5,010 mAh5,000 mAh5,000 mAhFingerprint sensor SideSideSideConnector USB-CUSB-CUSB-CHeadphone jack YesYesYesSpecial options NFC, 5G connectivity, TCL NxtVision, 18W wired charging, RAM Extender18W wired charging, Dolby Atmos, NFC, water repellent, gesture controls, Moto Secure, RAM Boost5G, 18W wired charging, TCL NxtVisionPrice off-contract (USD) $160 (128GB)$200 (128GB)$180 (64GB)Price (GBP) Converts to £128 (128GB)Converts to £159 (128GB)Converts to £145 (64GB)Price (AUD) Converts to AU$242 (128GB)Converts to AU$303 (128GB)Converts to AU$275 (64GB) How we check phonesEvery cellphone examined by CNET’s opinions staff was truly utilized in the actual world. We check a cellphone’s options, play video games and take photographs. We look at the show to see if it is brilliant, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water-resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes, utilizing standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark in addition to our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and taking part in graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.All the cameras are examined in a wide range of situations, from brilliant daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like evening mode and portrait mode and evaluate our findings towards equally priced competing telephones. We additionally take a look at the battery life by utilizing the cellphone day by day in addition to operating a collection of battery drain assessments.We have in mind extra options, like help for 5G; satellite tv for pc connectivity; fingerprint and face sensors; stylus help; quick charging speeds; and foldable shows, amongst others that may be helpful. And we stability all this towards the worth to provide the verdict on whether or not that cellphone, no matter worth it’s, truly represents good worth. Though these assessments might not all the time be mirrored in CNET’s preliminary assessment, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.