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In typical tech show fashion, TCL unloaded a whole host of new devices at CES 2023. Among them is the new TCL 40 line of phones, which covers all the bases from a high refresh rate screen to a Google Pixel 7. matching 50-megapixel camera—all for about $200 or less.
At the forefront of the budget phone attack is the TCL 40 SE, which costs $169 and will hit retail shelves soon, starting with the European market. It offers a 6.75-inch display with an HD+ resolution and 450 nits of peak brightness. Those are far from flashy numbers, and the thick chin isn’t very easy on the eyes either. But hey, it’s a dirt cheap phone and TCL has at least tried to jazz things up on the back.
Interestingly, TCL’s budget phone more than makes up for this by offering a 90Hz screen. For comparison, the $450 Google Pixel 6a is still stuck with a 60Hz screen. Embarrassingly, Apple serves you a 60Hz screen on the $800-plus iPhone 14, so TCL falls for that boastful right.
The TCL offering draws its power from MediaTek’s Helio G37, an octa-core processor married to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. In case you run out of storage, the phone lets you put a microSD card up to 1TB in capacity, which will likely cost you more than the phone itself.
On the rear is a 50MP camera that sits alongside a token 2MP sensor for macro photography and another 2MP snapper for gathering depth information. Selfie tasks have been assigned to an 8 MP front camera that can also take HDR snapshots.
Authentication is via a fingerprint sensor built into the side of the power button. Miraculously, TCL’s engineers also found a way to add a 3.5mm headphone jack to the phone, something you won’t find on phones costing six or seven times as much. Unlike its tablet siblings announced at CES 2023, the TCL 40 SE runs Android 13 by default.
Below that is a fairly large 5,010mAh battery that supports a respectable 18W fast charge. Just in case you’re curious, no, TCL isn’t following in the footsteps of its very wealthy industry peers. It actually supplies the charging brick in the phone’s retail box.
The TCL 40 SE is joined by the TCL 40 R 5G, which will set you back $219, and the TCL 408, which is available for a much lower $129. These two phones also boast a 50-megapixel camera and will be available to customers in Asia and Europe for the first time later this quarter.
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