\nThe final noteworthy hardware points here are the fingerprint scanner, front-facing camera for facial recognition, and dedicated \u201csmart key.\u201d
\nLike all of the latest flagship, TCL includes an in-display fingerprint scanner. That\u2019s well-engineered and snappier than on other mid-range or budget phones I\u2019ve used. And the punch-hole embedded camera \u2014 with regard to unlocking the phone \u2014 is too. We\u2019ll discuss the cameras in much greater depth later on. Especially since TCL has improved massively over the last generation\u2019s TCL 10 Pro model.
\nFinally, TCL includes a dedicated smart key that\u2019s programmable to any of dozens of options. And that\u2019s not just for one action. It can be used for up to three. Each of those worked quickly and efficiently thanks to the internal hardware.
\nSo I was able to set up a single click to access Google Assistant, a double-click to snap a photo directly without bothering to open the app manually, and a long-press for my flashlight. The button requires the same amount of force as pressing the power or volume keys. So accidental clicks never happened during my review of TCL 20 Pro 5G either. Easily making this hardware inclusion one of the most useful I\u2019ve seen in any smartphone. Flagship or not.
\nThe display here is amazing \u2026and also holds this phone\u2019s one major flaw
\nTCL delivers a display experience with its 20 Pro 5G that fits well with the best in the business
\nBefore delving into all of the things that make the TCL 20 Pro 5G 1080p display brilliant, it\u2019s important to note that not all was great during my review. In fact, despite the implementation of NXTVISION 2.0, there\u2019s still one big caveat. Namely, that\u2019s the refresh rate.
\nTCL NXTVISION 2.0 is an enhancement over last year\u2019s version in terms of providing SDR to HDR conversions in real-time. And in terms of outdoor brightness, color contrast, sharpness, and details in darker portions of the image. The image modes available \u2014 Vivid, Natural, Standard, and Advanced, as well as Adaptive Tone for controlling those aspects based on environmental lighting \u2014 all work better than ever.
\nThis is a screen that is easily better than a good majority of its competitors and rivals even flagships in terms of sheer quality. All of the modes and features provide a noticeable improvement via its OLED panel. Especially over the standard LCD found in its predecessor. Putting this phone very nearly alongside its AMOLED and OLED peers. There\u2019s even a reading mode, direct sunlight mode, and comfort mode. For those that want to make use of those. And each works well, in addition to simply working as expected.
\nThe big caveat here is, as noted already, refresh rates. While contemporary competitors are shifting to 90Hz and 120Hz panels, TCL opted to stay back for at least one more generation. So this display, at just a 60Hz refresh rate, feels much less snappy and looks much less smooth than it otherwise could. That is, in fact, a big enough drawback to make the screen the biggest weakness for this handset. Despite how good that screen is otherwise.
\nIn terms of performance outside of refresh rates, the touch responsiveness of this screen is great. Although the edges are curved, accidental touches should be minimal \u2014 I didn\u2019t see any at all during my review. And the curved edges help keep the upper reaches of the screen within range, despite its large, 6.67-inch size. The screen should \u2014 again, setting the refresh rate aside \u2014 be great in terms of color accuracy, scale, brightness, and responsiveness for everything from web browsing to movies and gaming.
\nThis isn\u2019t a flagship chipset but you wouldn\u2019t know that from the performance
\nTCL 20 Pro 5G won\u2019t just let you be productive, it\u2019s also more than ready to get your game on
\nWith a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G chipset, TCL 20 Pro 5G isn\u2019t a flagship but I wouldn\u2019t have known that solely from my review usage. TCL optimized this hardware, backed by 6GB RAM and expandable 256GB storage, to perform at its peak. And that\u2019s setting aside additional software solutions we\u2019ll discuss momentarily.
\nOf course, it\u2019s also fair to say that, due to my desire to utilize this device to its fullest, it also wasn\u2019t performing at its weakest. I didn\u2019t turn on any battery-saving features at all for the duration of my review. And I didn\u2019t turn off any of the gaming-specific hardware features or screen functionality. So the strain on the chipset was, summarily, not tuned for efficiency during my review. And tuning things that way in settings will undoubtedly resulting in some measure of performance drop.
\nNow, the performance dip isn\u2019t all that noticeable except in the most intensive games where the included game modes \u2014 pictured above \u2014 really came into play. And those game modes and options don\u2019t really impact battery much as we\u2019ll discuss momentarily.
\nSo it\u2019s probably best just to turn those on and leave them on. Including the dedicated Game Turbo option and an option to hide games in the app drawer for a cleaner organization \u2014 with those being moved into a dedicated folder.
\nHaving said that, this phone performs like a flagship, as noted already here. Comparing it to an on-hand Google Pixel 5 or Samsung Galaxy S10, it didn\u2019t lag behind at all.
\nEven in more intensive tasks beyond gaming such as video editing and photo processing, this TCL phone holds its own. Although there is going to be some extra latency on the processing and encoding side of things for those tasks, as file sizes ramp up. It simply isn\u2019t going to be so noticeable that most users will wish for a more powerful phone.
\nTCL 20 Pro 5G won\u2019t disappoint on battery life
\nIncredibly fast charging is all part of the experience with TCL 20 Pro 5G
\nOn the charging front, I wasn\u2019t as impressed by the TCL 20 Pro 5G as I\u2019d hoped to be during my review. That\u2019s despite its 18W wired charging. And comes down mostly to the size of the battery being charged. TCL packed this phone with a 4,500mAh battery.
\nAt the wired rate of 18W, this phone took an hour to reach just under 70-percent charged. And that\u2019s going to be a bit slower still at the 15W rate of wireless charging. The latter of which is, however, a premium-level feature and shouldn\u2019t be discarded out of hand. Especially since this phone will last most users all day and then some. And even more so since the slower rate will make simply popping it onto a wireless charger at bedtime more feasible.
\nA full charge, by the way, took right around an hour and 45-minutes using the wired method.
\nIn terms of battery drain, using the TCL 20 Pro 5G as a daily driver for my review was anything but bothersome. Despite the fact that I play games on my phones on a fairly regular basis and despite the fact that some of those are more battery intensive such as Animal Crossing, it lasted me all day. In fact, it lasted all day and then well into the next day.
\nBut that, of course, is subjective. As is always the case with battery life. Looking at things more objectively, I was averaging around 7-hours of screen-on time during my review. And, as noted earlier here, I had all of the battery-saving features turned off and all of the premium extras turned on. With one exception. I actually left the adaptive brightness turned on since this screen was bright enough to be almost painful at full brightness in a dark room.
\nBearing that in mind, it might be expected that such a large battery would last even longer than this one does. And that could be a pitfall for some users. That\u2019s if not for the fact that the battery does last at least one day in spite of the features. And that should be the case for just about every user, regardless of whether or not they\u2019re a power user.
\nCamera improvements abound for TCL 20 Pro 5G but there are still quirks
\nExpect a leap forward in cameras from TCL 20 Pro 5G over the last generation
\nThe TCL 10 Pro packed an amazing design with great cameras and the latest features. But it had a fatal flaw in the cameras under review that would have made it arguably not such a great choice for mobile-first photographers. Of course, this article is to discuss the TCL 20 Pro 5G under review, so why does that matter?
\nThe answer is that TCL took the reviews of that device and made significant improvements to this generation\u2019s camera array. It\u2019s still using a quad-camera array with two flashbulb types. And that quad-camera array is led by a less-pixel-dense 48-megapixel snapper compared to the previous gen\u2019s 64-megapixel sensor. But TCL has greatly improved the cameras on the software and hardware front across the board nonetheless.
\nStarting with two still-flawed but massively improved areas, Zoom performance and Super night modes.
\nThe latter of those modes on the previous generation of \u201cPro\u201d TCL gadgets effectively shot photos that appeared to be taken using a potato. This generation fixes that to a certain extent. And while still not as good as something like the Google Pixel 5, with color accuracy issues in night mode and some distortion caused by clouds \u2014 and firework smoke \u2014 as shown in our Flickr sample gallery, the new improvements are anything but weak.
\nThe same holds true for the maximum of 10x zoom. While there\u2019s still quite a bit of pixelation at the maximum, the cameras here shoot much more clearly, with even more crisp detail and color accuracy than before. And all while being even snappier than before on the software side. With everything from Super Night to Slow Motion and Light Trace modes included.
\nIn fact, as shown in the aforementioned gallery, which tells the whole story better than I could, that\u2019s true for all shooting modes. With this camera easily rivaling shots captured from top-tier performers in every regard I tested. Even when compared to my usual daily driver \u2014 the Google Pixel 5. All of the shots in that gallery were taken without a tripod or other stabilization.
\nExpect software that\u2019s a bit different and still somehow familiar
\nTCL 20 Pro 5G has software delivered just how you want it
\nAndroid is a fast-moving mobile operating system and it\u2019s important that OEMs recognize and respond to that. So it\u2019s a bit disappointing that TCL has only promised a minimum of two major OS upgrades and two years of security patch updates for its 20 Pro 5G. But it also isn\u2019t altogether surprising. Most manufacturers don\u2019t offer much beyond that.
\nHaving said that, my review of TCL 20 Pro 5G quickly revealed that this particular handset is starting out on the right foot. Namely, shipping with Android 11 and all of the perks and features that entails. And TCL took things quite a bit further than that too.
\nNot only is its app drawer sortable via a number of methods. The default is an automatic categorization of pre-installed apps, with the option to create new categories for easier, personalized navigation. The software outside of that user-first experience is responsive and lacking in the \u201cbloat\u201d department.
\nOf course, that doesn\u2019t mean that there aren\u2019t any pre-installations or bonus features to talk about. But the pre-installed apps that don\u2019t belong to TCL are also readily uninstallable. These include Facebook, Booking.com, Modern Combat: Rebel Guns, Netflix, and a few utilities. Otherwise, it\u2019s predominantly Google apps that are installed. As well as a TCL app for Smart Key reassigning, phone switching, and NXTVISION controls.
\nAll of which work flawlessly thanks to TCL\u2019s excellent optimizations. As do the added sidebar, which works similarly to Samsung\u2019s Edge features, and TCL\u2019s smart management tools for controlling notifications, battery, memory usage, and which apps can automatically start on start-up.
\nBut TCL also packs in a feature not seen too often on smartphones that many users may find useful. Namely, that\u2019s an IR Blaster. And that tool is completely customizable, allowing your phone to work as a universal remote for everything from TVs, projectors, sound systems, and DVD players to air conditioners, water heaters, fans, and net boxes.
\nIn a word, IR Blaster is extensive. And the feature made my use of this particular smartphone broader than I\u2019ve noticed with just about any other phone. Especially since it meant that I was picking up my phone more often and using it more as a more well-integrated tool to enhance my life than as just a mobile computer.
\nAll of that, and more, is part of the TCL 20 Pro 5G experience. Effectively, showcasing TCL\u2019s quick mastering the art of software with a design that\u2019s engineered to adapt to suit your needs. Whatever those needs may be. And it\u2019s all implemented in a way that felt as familiar to me as stock Android.
\nTCL 20 Pro 5G audio is great, even if you choose not to hook up headphones
\n3.5mm audio and advancement in speaker audio aren\u2019t dead, and TCL is out to prove it
\nFor audio, in every review I write, it first needs to be mentioned both that audio can be subjective and that phone speakers are never perfect; the TCL 20 Pro 5G is no different. But, happily enough, this TCL does perform better than most. Even without consideration for the 3.5mm audio jack.
\nOf course, that inclusion is increasingly rare and many users will rejoice that it\u2019s there. Wired headphones are still very much alive and well. And the best audio you\u2019ll hear comes through that port with this phone. But Bluetooth 5.1 also brings near-lossless audio at an increased range, with increased stability. So most users won\u2019t notice a big difference whichever way they choose to listen.
\nThe loudspeaker audio, conversely, could reasonably be expected to be awful. But it isn\u2019t. Instead, TCL\u2019s speaker layout \u2014 with a single bottom-firing speaker and the earpiece \u2014 offers brilliant clarity. And plenty of bass, albeit not heart pounding tones on that front. They are, summarily, just short of being on-par with the best smartphone speakers I\u2019ve heard.
\nThe balance is great and there\u2019s no tinniness to contend with in any form of media. The only thing that would make these speakers better, given that they\u00a0are phone speakers,\u00a0is a bit more volume and more powerful tones toward the low end of the spectrum.
\nConnectivity with TCL 20 Pro 5G isn\u2019t perfect but it\u2019s still pretty good
\n5G and SD support in one with this TCL
\nOn the networking front, there are really only two issues with this handset. And, during my review of the TCL 20 Pro 5G, neither affected me at all. For starters, I use Google Fi for my mobile needs and that\u2019s using primarily T-Mobile in my region. So, the fact that there\u2019s no 5G support for AT&T really made no difference to me. But it will for others.
\nVerizon also doesn\u2019t have full support just yet, although that\u2019s going to be added via an update in the near future. That\u2019s according to TCL.
\nThe other caveat is that there\u2019s only one SIM port in the drawer. The other side of the SIM drawer is occupied by a microSD card slot. And that\u2019s both a good and bad thing, depending on the user. I don\u2019t utilize expandable storage personally but some users will definitely need the extra space. Even with the more than generous allotment of 256GB. But users who need the extra SIM slot for international travel or for business and home use will need to take note.
\nIn terms of the perfomance of networking, that\u2019s another matter entirely. This phone is blistering fast. Or, at the very least, performs as quickly as my Google Pixel 5 on 5G via T-Mobile.
\nOther options for connectivity, including Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and the FM radio \u2014 via the abovementioned 3.5mm audio jack \u2014 work as expected too.
\nTCL 20 Pro 5G is the best TCL so far?
\nTCL packs in a slim-fit protective case with its 20 Pro 5G
\nPut simply, TCL 20 Pro 5G is not only the best TCL I\u2019ve been sent to review. It\u2019s also one of the best smartphones, overall, that I\u2019ve reviewed or used. There are, of course, still improvements to be made in terms of the cameras\u2019 night mode. The screen would be better if it were set at a 90 or 120Hz refresh rate instead of 60Hz. Better waterproofing would also be desireable, as would faster charging.
\nBut, setting those small changes aside, TCL 20 Pro 5G is a fantastic handset with a world-class design, great cameras, display contrast and color, long-lasting battery, and all of the extras a user could want. The fact that it isn\u2019t classified as a flagship comes down chiefly to its chipset and associated RAM.
\nAnybody looking for a new smartphone in the $500 range would be remiss not to give TCL 20 Pro 5G a closer look.
\nThe post TCL 20 Pro 5G Review \u2013 The Best Looking Mid-Ranger Brings All Of The Best Features appeared first on Android Headlines.
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\nSource: ndroidheadlines.com <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"