TCL Makes Cheap TVs and... Phones?? - 10L & 10 Pro
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Description
TCL is starting to make smartphones, and this is their first attempt! Should Samsung and LG be worried?
Promos
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The video opens with Linus setting modest expectations for TCL entering the smartphone market, noting TCL's strong background in budget TVs and wondering if that expertise translates to phones. He emphasizes the surprise factor once he sees the reviewer’s guide and TCL’s marketing terms, including a humorous nod to a browseable display descriptor called the Dotch display, which signals TCL’s attempt at differentiating its product line. The segment then shifts to unboxing the two devices, the 10L and the 10 Pro, comparing what comes in the box and how the accessories feel on a tight budget, such as the wall wart and USB-C cable. Linus walks through the hardware differences, highlighting the 10 Pro’s OLED screen, higher-end camera stack, larger battery, and a more premium feel relative to the 10L’s LCD panel, while also discussing build quality and the presence of a headphone jack and microSD expansion. This initial hands-on establishes a base understanding of value versus performance, setting up a deeper dive into software and camera capabilities to assess whether TCL can sustain interest beyond price. The review then analyzes performance and software experience, including out-of-the-box updates, Android version commitments, and the impact of TCL’s software skin on usability and future updates, acknowledging that software support remains a potential limitation for budget devices. The camera and display sections reveal mixed results: the 10 Pro shows stronger imaging capabilities with an underscreen fingerprint sensor and HDR10 support, while the 10L’s LCD display and more modest camera setup yield less impressive image quality, prompting questions about long-term software updates and TCL’s credibility as a full-fledged phone maker. The video concludes with a clear verdict: the TCL 10 Pro offers compelling value at $449 with a robust feature set, while the 10L delivers substantial bang for the buck at $249, albeit with caveats around software longevity and display performance, leaving TCL positioned as an affordable option rather than a premium competitor.
Topics · technology · mobile_phones · consumer_electronics · product_reviews
Questions answered
- What are the main hardware differences between the TCL 10 Pro and 10L?
- The TCL 10 Pro uses an OLED display, a 4500 mAh battery, a 64 MP main camera, and a Snapdragon 675 processor with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, plus an underscreen fingerprint sensor. The 10L uses an LCD display, a 4000 mAh battery, a 48 MP main camera, and a Snapdragon 665 processor with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, plus a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
- What were the initial software considerations and update commitments discussed?
- The video notes that TCL committed to Android versions up to 11 for these models, with unclear or unspecified updates beyond that, raising concerns about long-term software support for budget devices.
- Are there any standout features on these TCL phones?
- Yes, both phones include a smart button for quick actions, multi-Bluetooth features, a headphone jack, Micro SD expansion, and in the 10 Pro an HDR10-capable display with OLED and a 2.5D glass design.