Last year’s TCL 40 XE has met its successor in the TCL 50 XL. It brings similar features such as a massive battery, wider display, and 5G support for T-Mobile / Metro network. With some other upgrades as well. But is it a great fit for its relatively low price point?
Style
50 XL comes in Slate Gray and that color covers most of the device. It has gray borders and its back has a very faint texture indicative of faux leather. It doesn’t help much gripping the phone as it still presents itself to be a bit slippery. There aren’t any fingerprints on the back which is nice to not see. 50 XL weighs the same 195g as its predecessor and all mostly plastic.
The button layout consists of a volume toggle and power button on the right side. The power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor. It’s not bad and responsive. I didn’t see myself having to press it many times to unlock the phone. A microSD / Sim card combo tray resides on the left side. If you are looking to expand your storage it supports up to 2TB cards. A 3.5mm jack is on the bottom if you still use wired headphones and next to that is a USB-C 2.0 port. A welcome addition this year is dual speakers. They are not only quite loud but also support DTS.
Hardware / Display
The times I used this phone it did a good job with battery life which is at a beefy 5,010mAh. Even while intensive gaming on it with titles like Genshin Impact or Asphalt 9. It does hiccup a bit on Marvel Snap. A MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset is powering it. Alongside that is 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage. For mostly daily normal tasks its fine.
TCL has upped the specs on this screen giving it a 6.78” FHD+ display(1080×2460) that supports 120Hz. They did a good job of providing you with a nice amount of screen ratio. You of course have some bezels at the bottom but for this price it’s understandable. Having that higher refresh rate does make it feel and look a bit snappier than the 40 XE. Also, the colors look brighter and not as dull. Depending on your taste for details, toggling on / off NXTVISION can help pump out some extra hues. You will want to tinker around with it though as some videos can look oversaturated at times.
Software
Out the box you get Android 14 which is running on a simple vanilla UI skin by TCL. Nothing fancy or anything that stands out from it. I would have liked to see a button in the menu that lets you toggle on / off NXTVISION. I tend to jump in/out the app to see the difference. But that’s just me as most will likely keep it on.
Like last year’s 40 XE, the 50 XL doesn’t support Fortnite. It plays other games I mentioned quite alright but was disappointed it won’t even let you install that game. I have felt that game can pretty much run on anything.
Camera
The 50 XL utilizes a Triple Camera System comprised of 50MP(Main), 5MP(Ultrawide), and 2MP(Depth) lenses on the back while the front has 8MP. If you decide to shoot video its max is 1080p @ 30fps on either side.
I used the 50 XL to take pictures in various places outside in the park or some dim light settings at a bar downtown in NYC. In brighter settings it’s able to take some nice shots while at times a bit too oversaturated but look better than the near unrecognizable shots I took in the darker indoors.
Coverage
This phone is exclusively on T-Mobile / Metro network. I have been using it with a T-Mobile sim for the past few weeks now. Making calls on it was just fine and it got decent speeds for downloads.
Verdict
At a price of $160, it handles itself nicely and not a snail as far as speed. It’s a cool device for that kid’s first phone or perhaps an older family member that wants to take pictures, make a call, or read the latest news.
You can check the unboxing of the TCL 50 XL on TikTok and Instagram.
