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TCL Flip Pro Review: Flip Phone with Smart Features

Looking for a flip phone that still can help with daily activities? Take a look at this TCL Flip Pro review as a reference before you decide to buy a new phone.

TCL Flip Pro Review

In September 2021, the TCL Flip Pro phone was released on the market. This phone is aimed at anyone who needs to take a break from smartphones. It offers the simplicity of a communication device.

Even though the TCL Flip Pro is just a basic phone, it is still fully functional for day-to-day use. It comes with a compact design and is packed with important features.

With this Verizon TCL Flip Pro (Verizon) review, we will dive deeper into the device to know the overall features and performance they offer. You can decide later whether this phone is suitable for you or not.

Key Specs

TCL Flip Pro (Verizon) specifications:

Weight133g
Dimensions107 x 56 x 19.8mm
OSKaiOS 3.0
Screen size2.8-inch
Resolution320 x 240
CPU1.3GHz Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 215
RAM512MB
Storage4GB
Battery1,850 mAh, Removable
Rear camera2MP
FeaturesVoice Assistant

Design

TCL Flip Pro
TCL Flip Pro

The TCL Flip Pro is a very compact curved phone that perfectly fits most users’ palms. It is only 133grams with 107 x 56 x 19.8mm.

From its look, it isn’t much different from any other flip phone. It comes with a slate gray color and a bluish tint on it. The outer part shows a 1.44-inch external display screen with the camera on top of it. 

On the back, we noticed a clean look. The speaker is placed on this side of the phone, which is nice. There is also a Verizon logo at the bottom center.

Read also: TCL Flip Pro User Manual

Display

TCL Flip Pro Display

The TCL Flip Pro featured a dual display screen. First thing first, we will talk about the 2.8-inch internal display screen. With a 320 x 240 pixels resolution, you can enjoy the comfortable color interface.

Don’t expect an HD display from it. This phone used a QVGA quality on its display screen. However, for its small screen, the quality is clear and bright enough for us.

The 1.44-inch external screen is located on the exterior. This screen display shows the date and time, the battery capacity, and the phone’s signal network condition. It also will give you a ring about the call and new notifications.

Camera

TCL Flip Pro Camera

Since it is a flip phone, you better lower the expectation on the camera side. The 2MP rear camera is the only thing you’d get. The TCL Flip Pro doesn’t come with LED flash, not to mention the front-facing camera.

The camera is not something necessary on a flip phone. Forget about taking a good quality picture for your social media. It seems the camera is equipped for practical use only.

Nevertheless, you can still make a 480p video recording with the TCL Flip pro phone. You can also use zoom in/ out, self-timer features and choose the image quality you want.

Read also: Alcatel Go Flip 4 Review: A Modern Touch to The Classic Flip Phone

Storage

The TCL Flip Pro has 4GB of internal storage. Out of this, users can only enjoy around 1.8GB of it because it is used to store the system usage. 

From our point of view, the internal storage is quite small for a phone. But it is still acceptable for non-heavy usage. You can still store contacts data, messages, call logs, and a few pictures on the device.

Therefore, the TCL Flip Pro comes with another option for you who need more storage. This phone provides external storage with a card slot. You can put up to 32GB SD card on it.

Performance

TCL Flip Pro Side View

The TCL Flip Pro relies on a 1.3GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 chipset as its processor. This processor makes sure the phone runs smoothly and makes the power more efficient.

This CPU works alongside 512MB RAM. The RAM is relatively small. However, it was meant to focus on low specs gadgets. So, it is using the lightest and smallest resources possible to keep the phone’s energy and memory consumption low.

As a result, users can’t expect to use the phone for professional matters. You can only use it for the basic one, and there is a limit to advanced customization. With this RAM capacity, you also can’t multitask. You are only allowed to do one task at a time.

The TCL Flip Pro is supported by KaiOS 3.0. This operating system is designed perfectly for a basic entry-level phone. KaiOS is a Linux-based operating system that resembles the Android user interface. KaiOS gives us smartphone vibes just by looking at it.

We can find similar features on this phone, including messaging apps, an app store, and the internet browser. You can even watch a Youtube video and open or send the emails with it.

The device has game apps for you to play games specifically made for a flip phone. Besides Youtube, you can also find Twitter, Gmail, KaiNews, KaiWeather, and Google browsers preinstalled on the device.

There are many useful features on the TCL Flip Pro phone. Includes a compatible hearing aid, multi-language support, and adjustable text size.

This phone is also already featured with a voice assistant to allow users to access the apps using the voice command instead. Unfortunately, you won’t find fingerprint readers and facial recognition features here.

Connectivity

In a world full of 5G supported smartphones, the TCL Flip Pro still relies on the 4G LTE connectivity. We understand these circumstances. Besides, you can still enjoy the 4G LTE connectivity in most public places. It’s a fair point.

A phone is not complete without the Wi-Fi feature, especially for those who don’t feel like using their cellular network. This phone provided the need. Also, you can use the mobile hotspot to share your network with others. It allows you to connect up to 8 devices at a time.

Transferring any files will also be easy with a USB Type-C cable if you want to do it with a wire. You can use Bluetooth connections if you prefer wirelessly. With Bluetooth, you can even connect with Bluetooth speakers or wireless earphones.

Battery

The TCL Flip Pro depends on a 1,850mAh battery to do its operations. This phone claims that it can last up to 14 hours max for talk-time, and in standby mode, it can last up to 336 hours or 14 days.

The battery capacity is not bad for a flip phone. You will be able to use the phone for a day without worries. However, if you are using the internet aggressively, it will decrease the battery life. After all, the battery life depends on your phone’s usage habit.

A removable battery is another plus point. With this type of battery, you can easily remove the battery if you get into some trouble, like freezes or hangs.

Is the TCL Flip Pro a good phone?

You may not notice it yet, but there are many flip phone options on the market. This classic phone always has its own target users. Meanwhile, the TCL Flip Pro presented brings all their top features. Is it worth the penny?

This TCL Flip Pro review discussed the phone’s top features, such as its compact design, the advanced CPU, and the battery capacity. However, there are some drawbacks, such as the low RAM and the low spec of the camera.

This phone cost $69.99 on Verizon and $39.88 on Walmart. This price point is still worth the price if you look for a basic phone with a smartphone-like interface. 

TCL Flip Pro Pros

  • Compact design
  • Advanced CPU
  • Battery capacity

TCL Flip Pro Cons

  • Low RAM
  • Average camera