Have a peek into this TCL 10L review to get an insight into the phone’s incredible quad-camera. Discover other features too that may interest you.
TCL 10L smartphone was released in May 2020. We categorize the phone as a mid-range one, though it’s still cheaper than many of its competitors. It’s a phone for those who feel like they have grown out of entry-level phones.
Just in case you want a bigger display with better quality, a larger battery, and an amazing camera, you should consider TCL 10L. The phone comes with a 6.5-inch Full HD screen. It also has a great CPU and 6GB RAM.
The main selling point of this phone is obviously the camera. Buyers will enjoy a quad-camera setup consisting of various lenses with different functionalities. The front camera is great too.
For a more in-depth look at this phone, read our TCL 10L review in design, display, performance, and other areas. Then you can decide for yourself, whether TCL 10L is a device you’d like to own.
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Key Specs
TCL 10L specifications:
- Weight: 180g
- Dimensions: 162.1 x 75.7 x 8.4 mm
- OS: Android 10
- Screen size: 6.5-inch
- Resolution: 2340 x 1080
- CPU: 2GHz Octa-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Battery: 4,000mAh, Non-removable
- Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 8MP + 2MP
- Front camera: 16MP
Design
TCL 10L is definitely a device of today by the look of it. TCL 10L is big as well as tall. Its dimension measures 162.1 x 75.7 x 8.4 mm with a weight of 180g.
TCL 10L is a beautiful smartphone, the one that makes you proud to carry it. It sports a full-screen display with ultra-thin edges that look almost non-existent. Its screen-to-body ratio lies around 85%. You will get no notch, but instead, a punch-hole type of front camera on the corner. This design is better than notches since a punch-hole camera stays further from your eyes’ range and you can naturally ignore it.
The back is as equally as fascinating. The manufacturer presents the color of the phone as Mariana blue. It’s a navy color with glossy touch, gradually goes to black as you move your eyes toward the top part.
On the back, you’ll see the quad-camera lined up in one single horizontal line at the top, even with the LED flashes. Below the cameras, you’ll spot the fingerprint reader and the logo.
The design of TCL 10L looks balanced with many of its symmetrical item placement. It’s an overall good-looking phone that’s pleasant to see. Build quality stays on the average side, as we didn’t find any protective coating or waterproof features. The body is also made of plastic.
Read also: Alcatel TCL 10L User Manual
Display
The display setup on TCL 10L is a 6.53-inch LCD screen with a ratio of 19.5:9. It has a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels which accounts for its 395ppi pixel density. This setup provides not only a large canvas for multimedia but also a high-quality one.
TCL 10L’s display is a Full HD one. It is one level below AMOLED and is known to procure the best graphical output on mid-range phones. You can expect to view stunning images with accurate and crisp colors on the screen. Also, expect the same result for videos. A Full HD screen allows you to pick a high-quality setting when watching a movie.
This display is powered by TCL’s NXTVISION technology. It promises enhancement in display quality to produce the best users’ viewing experience. The screen is also equipped with HDR, so it can balance the colors depending on the light. The display adjusts visual output based on the environment so your eyes can be more comfortable viewing it.
There’s also a protective layer coating the LCD screen. Thus the screen is resistant to minor scratches and damages. We don’t advise to leave it bare though. The screen is too big and too exposed. A piece of tempered glass is always recommended.
Camera
The camera setup on TCL 10L consists of a 48MP main lens with a small aperture size. The second in command for the camera is an 8MP ultra-wide lens, followed by a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth lens. On the front side, lies the 16MP selfie shooter. Overall, it’s a wonderful setup for photography lovers.
The main camera is not only providing jaw dropping resolutions. At 48MP, you can pack a lot of details in one picture. The high resolution means you can zoom the camera and still get crisp image output.
Furthermore, this main lens also comes with PDAF autofocus, allowing you to snap a fast-moving object accurately. The small aperture size lets more light come into the lens, producing brighter pictures, especially in low-light situations. Just in case you haven’t noticed yet, the cameras are accompanied by not only one but two LED flashes. They will get you covered when taking pictures at night.
The wide-angle lens, the macro lens, and the depth lens only add more capabilities to the already great main-camera. You can take a true bokeh image with TCL 10L. Meanwhile, the macro lens captures tiny objects with amazing detail.
The camera on TCL 10L is also geared toward high-quality video recording. You can record 4K UHD videos (3840×2160). This 4K capability allows your videos to be played on a TV with no decrease in quality. Video recording is also equipped with EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) to avoid shaky results.
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Storage
With a 48MP camera, it’s no surprise that TCL 10L comes with 64GB internal storage. This capacity accounts for 20GB used by the system, and the rest of it (44GB) is available for users. It’s still plenty of space, as it can hold more than 5000 images or 6 hours of videos. This capacity also lets you install more than 50 apps.
Of course, some consumers may still want to upgrade. In that case, an SD card is your solution, which TCL 10L allows for. The phone can handle up to 256GB of external storage. With this much expandable storage, you can practically create an “unlimited space” environment with your device.
Performance
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor is responsible for the daily operation of TCL 10L. This 2GHz Octa-core chipset is paired with 6GB RAM and Android 10 on the software side. This setup promises a next-level performance than what you would find in entry-level phones.
This chipset is responsible for several incredible features of TCL 10L. It is what causes the phone to be able to handle a 48MP lens. The CPU focuses on AI, more security, and obviously, faster processing speed. It also aims to be efficient.
As a result, consumers get a speedy smartphone that operates almost everything seamlessly. You won’t be limited to regular, everyday apps. Tease the phone with more demanding tasks, like video games, and TCL 10L will perform flawlessly.
Coupled with 6GB RAM, this phone promises an improved gaming experience. with high frame rates. It can also handle other heavy works, such as video and image editing. For graphics-related tasks, this phone is assisted by the GPU Adreno 610.
The Android 10 on this phone comes in a vanilla version with few modifications. There’s not much bloatware inside. The default UI shows round app icons and bright wallpaper. TCL promises an upgrade to Android 11, which is exciting to look forward to.
TCL 10L comes with a quick fingerprint reader to add more security to the phone. We have expected the feature, especially at this price. However, there’s a slight disappointment in the absence of Face Unlock. The Snapdragon 665 comes with an improved biometrics AI. It’s a pity this smartphone doesn’t utilize the technology.
A solid lineup of sensor arms TCL 10L, including Accelerometer, Gyroscope, and Compass. A Hall sensor is also available to detect flip covers. On the display, there are an Ambient Light Sensor and a Proximity Sensor. Lastly, this phone also comes with reliable accessibility features, such as HAC, voice commands, and multiple languages.
Connectivity
TCL 10L is an LTE-based phone with support for older bands as well. As a 4G phone, it grants its users access to the most widely-used fast network coverage. TCL 10L is a dependable phone that helps you always stay connected.
This phone supports HD Voice and VoLTE. It uses Nano-SIM and features other supporting network features. TCL 10L packs dual-band 802.11 Wi-Fi and comes with Wi-Fi direct as well as a hotspot. You can pick among several options if you’d like to connect to the internet.
The port used on TCL 10L is a USB Type-C one. This port supports OTG so you can read data on a flash drive directly. Furthermore, TCL 10L also comes with GPS and Bluetooth 5.0. Not just a regular Bluetooth, the one on TCL 10L is called Super Bluetooth. It allows you to connect to up to 4 devices simultaneously.
Battery
TCL 10L packs a 4,000mAh battery on its system. Strangely, the phone seems to be less excited about the battery. It still has a solid capacity. However, we noticed it doesn’t come with a fast charger. Especially when the Snapdragon 665 the phone uses supports this feature.
Battery performance lies in the average range, with one full charge that could safely get you through the day. It is long-lasting on normal use and will drain slightly when playing games. In general, you can enjoy hours of entertainment with TCL 10L before having to grab the charger.
Is the TCL 10L a good phone?
At its full price, you have to extract $350 from your wallet to get TCL 10L. There is a cheaper option. You can pay only $8 per month for over 24 months. This installment must be paired with a 2-year rate plan.
We’d say it’s a pretty attractive option. You will save $158 using the bundling plan. TCL 10L itself is an almost-flagship phone with great specs. You’d get a Full HD display, and most importantly, it comes in a 6.5-inch size and is scratch-resistant.
TCL 10L also sports a premium design that won’t look outdated anytime soon. The most attractive feature of this phone lies in its cameras. If you love taking photos with your smartphone, TCL 10L is a reliable choice for that purpose.
TCL 10L Pros
- Beautiful design
- Full HD display
- Great quad-camera
- Super Bluetooth
TCL 10L Cons
- Relatively expensive
- No quick charging
