The TCL 10 5G is the brand’s first foray into 5G-powered smartphones. Its main feature is TCL’s proprietary display technology NXTVISION and offers the latest functionalities for 5G smartphones in the market – from the Snapdragon 765G 5G mobile platform, the X52 5G Modem-RF system, 5th-generation AI engine from Qualcomm, and increased data bandwidth support.
The affordable yet premium 5G handset dons an aluminum frame sandwiched by durable dual-sided glass with diamond-cut keys. The subtle gradient design is achieved using nano-patterned micro-pyramids to boost the chrome gradient and reflect light in a flowing manner.
This design choice makes the gradient more natural and elegant compared to other phones that also used a gradient color element. The back case doesn’t look cheap, and the fingerprints on the glass are easily blended in the design, making this phone a device worthy of being used without a case. The 3.5mm headphone jack is perched on the top of the smartphone, while dual bottom-firing speakers are placed on each side of the Type-C port below.
The power button is placed below the volume rockers found on the right side of the device. The volume keys are tactile enough and have a satisfying click, not flimsy in any way. Thanks to the slim profile of the device, all the physical buttons are easily reachable and the phone can work on one-handed mode with ease.
On the opposite side is the hybrid SIM tray that allows either a single nano-SIM and a microSDXC that uses a shared SIM slot, or dual-standby nano-SIM. Below this slot is a dedicated Smart Key with Google Assistant functionality. The Smart Key can also be customized to turn on NXTVISION display enhancement, search instantly with Google, scan a QR code, and launch a wide array of app functions.
This button can be programmed with three chosen commands at any given time, differentiated by a single press, double press, or long press. This is a handy feature especially for quickly launching apps like the camera, the flashlight, or muting the device. Using it for the Google Assistant can seem a little bit redundant or unnecessary since the user can simply say the phrase “Ok Google” to access it anyway.
The 6.53” Full HD+ Dotch display has a resolution of 1080×2340 and around 395 of pixels-per-inch density. The visuals are boosted by NXTVISION, enhancing six axes of color, 2D edges, and targeted contrasts for more vivid graphics. The HDR upscaling helps upgrade video quality no matter the source quality, and paired with faster streaming thanks to 5G, can produce a great viewing experience when watching on Netflix.
Although the display offers high resolution and crisp colors, its outdoor visibility performance suffers greatly. Indoor use is a different ball game however, with adaptive tone adjusting to the optimal brightness almost instantaneously and the comfort mode cutting blue light altogether for the user’s eye protection.
The TCL 10 5G is equipped with four camera sensors – a 64MP main camera with phase detection autofocus, an 8MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP dedicated macro camera, and an unnecessary but midrange staple 2MP depth sensor. Although the camera setup doesn’t have anything to write home about, since it resembles basically all midrange cameras in the market right now, the post-processing accomplished by the chipset is excellent. Unlike the vibrant colors of the display, the photos taken on the TCL 10 5G lacks more punch and comes out as with a bluish hue.
The raw performance of the 5G chipset inside the TCL 10 5G stands on top of its secondary features. Streaming and downloading tasks are blazing fast, running demanding modern gaming titles can still produce decent frame rates without overheating, and 4K video capture and streaming results in zero hiccups.
Powering the 4500mAh battery can be a bit slow for what’s supposed to be a premium device, charging at 50% in 37 minutes, but the 128GB of internal and expandable memory is easily justifiable to its price. One handy feature of the device is its ability to pair with up to four Bluetooth headphones at the same time.
Conclusion
The TCL 10 5G is a reliable 5G smartphone that deserves to be a main driver worth looking into. Its display and connectivity performance alone can stand toe-to-toe with more premium brands in the market, but its subpar cameras and lack of quicker charging leaves more to be desired. The customizable UI and the anti-fingerprint back design can also be attractive to users who are looking for something different.
This device is exclusively distributed locally by VST ECS Phils., Inc. and accredited retailers around the country.
