The TCL 10 Pro.
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Even earlier than the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the economic system, many individuals searching for a brand new telephone have been on the lookout for choices in addition to the priciest iPhones ($699 at Apple), Samsung Galaxy and OnePlus flagships. Recent launches of the brand new iPhone SE and equally sized Galaxy A51 ($273 at Amazon) spotlight this rising group of midtier units which have some premium options however are nonetheless extra inexpensive.
LikeVibrant AMOLED showSolid efficiencyNxtvision improves video qualityCan reverse cost different equipment
Don’t LikePricier than rivalsMetal design is slipperyNo water resistanceNo wi-fi charging
TCL’s 10 Pro is one such entrant, providing a horny AMOLED show, 4 rear cameras and a premium design for $450 (£399 or about AU$680). But whereas the telephone is a succesful possibility, it has its work minimize out for itself. It’s priced at $50 greater than the iPhone SE and the Galaxy A51, which was underneath $300 at a number of main retailers throughout Memorial Day weekend. I do not suggest the 10 Pro over these telephones at its worth. The 10 Pro does not shoot images or movies in addition to the SE. And in comparison with the A51, it does not provide sufficient to warrant spending considerably extra cash. But the 10 Pro does present us simply what TCL can do with higher-quality components than its $250 entry-level TCL 10L.
TCL 10 Pro vs. TCL 10LThe TCL 10 Pro has a 6.47-inch AMOLED show, whereas the TCL 10L has a 6.53-inch LCD display screenThe 10 Pro has a 64-megapixel foremost rear digital camera; the 10L foremost digital camera has 48 megapixelsThe 10 Pro has a matte glass again with a fingerprint scanner underneath the show; the 10L has a plastic again with a fingerprint sensor on the againThe 10 Pro has reverse charging; the 10L doesn’tThe TCL 10 Pro, center, rivals the Galaxy A51 (left) and iPhone SE (proper).
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A pleasant show with admirable efficiencyThe 10 Pro has a vibrant AMOLED show.
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The 10 Pro gives so much for $450, notably its curved, edge-to-edge 6.47-inch Full HD show. The show is crisp and vibrant, making for simple viewing open air on brilliant sunny days. Like the 10L, the 10 Pro has a devoted chip that works with software program the corporate calls Nxtvision, dedicated to bettering video high quality. Whereas on the 10L the Nxtvision tech did not actually add a lot in both gaming or video watching, I noticed its impact on the 10 Pro. It improved the standard of movies I streamed over Disney Plus and Netflix, making scenes brighter with out oversaturating. This is a display screen I’d count on from TCL, which constructed a reputation for itself within the US for providing high-quality TVs at inexpensive costs. One different factor: If you stream HDR content material from Netflix you are going to need to have Nxtvision on. Without it, colours are dramatically cooler. Watching Netflix’s Extraction on the 10 Pro with Nxtvision off was like watching a very completely different movie, visually — particularly in comparison with streaming it on an iPhone 11 Pro Max and LG OLED TV.
Without Nxtvision on, the 10 Pro has a tough time precisely displaying colours when streaming HDR on Netflix.
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Nxtvision did not make any distinction, nevertheless, once I performed some on-line matches of Call of Duty Mobile. In these instances, all the things appeared the identical. It was as if I hadn’t even turned the function on.A headphone jack is discovered on the highest of the 10 Pro.
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The mono speaker is loud, but it surely will not win any awards for high quality. It’s higher than the speaker on the 10L, however when you’re watching a movie you would be higher off benefiting from the 3.5mm headphone jack.Solid digital camera, if nothing particularThe TCL 10 Pro has 4 rear cameras.
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There are 4 rear cameras on the 10 Pro. A 64-megapixel foremost shooter (that captures 16-megapixel images by default), a 16-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 5-megapixel macro shooter and a particular lens dedicated to low-light video. As with the TCL 10L, these cameras do their greatest work when capturing outdoors with loads of pure gentle. The foremost digital camera and 16-megapixel entrance digital camera do a pleasant job with portraits and capturing shade and particulars on each individuals and objects, although it did generally intensify reds. It additionally does a strong job with video captured in the course of the day. With loads of gentle, the 10 Pro’s digital camera does job.
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The 5-megapixel macro can seize a lot richer tight close-ups of objects, producing photographs which can be noticeably sharper than the 2-megapixel macro lenses others deploy. That stated, I’m nonetheless not offered on the long-term usefulness of this lens.The 10 Pro’s macro digital camera.
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However, I wasn’t thrilled by the wide-angle lens or the complete decision 64-megapixel photographs I captured within the telephone’s “high pixel” mode. Low-light efficiency was solely OK. While I appreciated the “Super Night” mode for capturing photographs of objects at night time, I would not need to use this on an evening out with individuals or transferring objects. It took about round 8 seconds to snap a good picture and I am unable to think about any group of mates sitting nonetheless for that lengthy in an informal setting. The night time mode on the 10 Pro enormously improves footage of objects.
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Low-light video was additionally poor, even with the particular lens. It struggled to maintain individuals or objects in focus in the event that they have been greater than a foot or two away. The cameras additionally lack optical picture stabilization. All this resulted in blurry, shaky footage that wasn’t enjoyable to seize or watch afterward. One different factor: Like the 10L, the telephone has a “TCL 10 Pro” watermark on by default. You can toggle this off within the settings, however it will be nice if TCL both removed it or made it one thing you needed to activate manually. Admirable efficiency in a classy designRunning off a Qualcomm 675 processor with 6GB of RAM, the 10 Pro did a wonderful job opening apps, enjoying graphically intensive video games and switching between the assorted digital camera lenses. While the “ember gray” model is obtainable within the US, a “forest mist” inexperienced model of the telephone is obtainable internationally.
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I did not expertise any lag points with TCL’s customized launcher on the 10 Pro, although the telephone did generally take an additional couple of seconds to shut an app and head again to the house display screen.Android 10 is the working system operating the present, with TCL promising no less than one main improve to Android 11. While that is good, a assure of 1 main OS improve is much from the a number of years of enhancements which you could count on on an iPhone. There isn’t any wi-fi charging or IP-rated water resistance on the 10 Pro, which is smart for a sub-$500 telephone. But there’s an optical fingerprint sensor constructed into the scre, which is an efficient perk with midlevel telephones akin to this one. If I had to decide on, although, I might have most popular water-resistance and a extra conventional fingerprint scanner on the again of the telephone, particularly given the sensor’s sluggish and hit-or-miss nature. The TCL 10 Pro’s case shouldn’t be refined.
Angela Lang/CNET
The steel design provides the 10 Pro a hefty premium really feel. The matte glass on the again additionally feels easy and does a pleasant job preventing fingerprints, however it’s kind of slippery within the hand. There’s a plastic case is included — however just like the 10L, it has an aggressive “Display Greatness” firm tagline on the again. Unlike on most telephones in 2020, the 10 Pro’s rear cameras sit flush with the again of the gadget. The solely ever-so-slight protrusions come from the 2 rear flashes to the suitable and left of the cameras. An motion key may be programmed to open apps.
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On the left aspect is a programmable good key. I discover it helpful since you set it to open apps, launch the digital camera or flip a function like Nxtvision on or off. Double urgent the ability button on the suitable aspect of the telephone may also summon the digital camera. Although we’re nonetheless awaiting full battery exams from the lab, I streamed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame again to again with the brightness turned up (that is about 5 hours, 30 minutes of cinematic, superhero goodness) and nonetheless had over 60% of the 4,500-mAh battery remaining. A Quick Charge 3.0 quick charger is included and I used to be capable of go from zero to 43% in roughly 30 minutes and over 80% in an hour. You can reverse cost different units too, together with headphones or one other telephone. But not like the Galaxy S20 telephones and OnePlus 8 Pro ($999 at OnePlus), which might pull this off wirelessly, you may have to plug the charging units into the 10 Pro’s USB-C slot.Geekbench v.5.0 single-core
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Geekbench v.5.0 multicore
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
TCL 10 Pro spec comparability
TCL 10 Pro
Samsung Galaxy A51 (4G)
Apple iPhone SE (2020)
Display dimension, decision
6.47-inch curved AMOLED; 1080×2340 pixels
6.5-inch FHD AMOLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels
4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334×750 pixels
Pixel density
398ppi
405ppi
326ppi
Dimensions (Inches)
6.24×2.85×0.36 inches
6.24×2.90×0.31 inches
5.45×2.65×0.29 inches
Dimensions (Millimeters)
158.5×72.4×9.2 mm
158.5×73.6×7.9 mm
138.4×67.3×7.3 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)
6.24oz; 177g
6.07 oz; 172g
5.22 oz; 148g
Mobile software program
Android 10
Android 10
iOS 13
Camera
64-megapixel, 16-megapixel wide-angle, 5-megapixel macro, 2-megapixel low-light video
48-megapixel (commonplace), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth sensing)
12-megapixel
Front-facing digital camera
24-megapixel
32-megapixel
7-megapixel
Video seize
4K
4K
4K
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 675
2.3GHz octa-core processor
Apple A13 Bionic
Storage
128GB
128GB
64GB, 128GB, 256GB
RAM
6GB
6GB
Not disclosed
Expandable storage
Up to 256GB by way of microSD
Up to 512GB
No
Battery
4,500 mAh
4,000 mAh
Not disclosed, however Apple claims it has the identical battery life as iPhone 8
Fingerprint sensor
Optical, in-display
In-screen
Home button
Connector
USB-C
USB-C
Lightning
Headphone jack
Yes
Yes
No
Special options
Nxtvision Display
Water-resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wi-fi charging
Price off-contract (USD)
$450
$400
$399 (64GB), $449 (128GB), $549 (256GB)
Price (GBP)
£399
£329
£419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)
Price (AUD)
Converts to about AU$680
AU$599
AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)