I know Many are into Samsung and Apple BUT I Love my TCL 20 Pro 5G (2021)

By Wiseinvestor | Small Island Happenings | 25 May 2023

The TCL Brand is probably better known for televisions but not phones. Well at least in the Caribbean market. I previously owned a champagne coloured Samsung J5 from 2016 and it served me well for many for about 5 or may be 6 years. I thought it was time for a change since the power button on my samsung dropped out one day and from that day I had to activate my phone with a common pin.

When it comes to changing a phone in these days there are so many brands with so many different features. Sometimes it just gives you a headache. However, a friend of mine had recently upgraded to a Samsung A52 sometime in late 2022 and when I saw how robust and fast the phone was I decided that I really needed to upgrade as well. Could it have been envy? No. I really needed a phone. Moving on! To be honest the A52 is a really decent phone and my work phone which is an A53 is also decent but they are certainly not comparable to my TCL20Pro5G. I don't know but it seems to me the TCL20 Pro is the phone you get somewhere in midmarket. It is not a Samsung S22 Ultra nor S23+ but it is certainly worth its price in the amount of features and processing performance you receive. It is really a good phone.

This photo of the Samsung A53 was taken with my TCL20Pro

The photos of my TCL20Pro were taken with my Samsung A53. I feel it didn't do my TCL20Pro justice but I won't harp about it. I purchased my TCL on Amazon for around 350.00 USD although I thought many people were not buying them. I felt pleased to be the only person in Barbados to have one. Talk about exclusive (lol).

Weighty Matters

My TCL phone is not heavy for its 6.67in. screen size and 5400mAh battery. It actually weighs 190g (6.70 ounces). it feels really good in my hand and I like that. It doesn't feel edgy like a blade and angular thanks to the curved endless screen design.

Case in Point...

When it comes to the phone case I am a little disappointed though. There are not very many design options out there when compared to samsung. However the phone case it not bad but it does not offer as much protection as I would like. The phone cases for the TCL20Pro are not bulky and the phone retains and elegant look. The case came with screen protection and cloth for cleaning. I opted for a black case and it is very smooth to the touch but still retains grip in your hand. It also comes with a leather covered flip stand so that you can prop your phone if needed. The phone case kit was about 12USD.

Everyday Use

I use my phone daily to make voice and data calls, chat on WhatsApp and telegram, watch movies and play games. So clearly one of the main things I am going to be looking for in terms of active performance is processing speed, graphics and display and battery power and discharge efficiencies. I have never found the phone to be lagging and the 6 Gigs of ram is awesome. My TCL20Pro is specified as follows:

MEMORY

256GB 6GB RAM

PLATFORM

Qualcomm SM7225 Snapdragon 750G 5G (8 nm)
Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Kryo 570 & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 570)
Android 11, TCL UI ( this has been upgraded up to 12)

MAIN CAMERA

48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS
16 MP, f/2.4, 16mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm
2 MP, f/2.2, (macro)/ 5 MP (USA only)
2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
Dual LED flash, HDR, panorama
4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS

SELFIE CAMERA

32 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 0.8µm

Resolution

1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density)NXT Vision 2

Charging

18W wired
15W wireless

Sensors

Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Photo Test Comparison A53/TCL20Pro

Samsung A53

TCL20Pro5G

Let me know your perspectives on the photos.

Overall I am very pleased with the specifications for a phone under 500USD and not even a mainstream phone. I have never had any issues and it works smoothly. Compared to my Samsung A53, I have only had two updates on my TCL20Pro5g. I think the A53 may have a slightly better sound system though, the stereo and almost surround sound I get when watching movies is very good. I find connecting to other devices like my Samsung TV via the TCL is far smoother than on the A53. The A53 tells me in the middle of the movie that the connection is unstable and I should reconnect. I do no such thing and eventually it sorts itself out or it disconnects automatically.

Technology samsung mobile phones TCL

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Wiseinvestor

I am a not so simple, sometime moody christian male from the island of Barbados. I am a father, crypto enthusiast, love to ride my mountain bike, be at home doing something around the house and generally love to laugh unless it is a sad situation.

Small Island Happenings

My Blog will essentially surround my life and matters of fact, faith, economic and lifestyle. It will be written from an average human's point of view who is not particularly brilliant, but can still read and write. I am writing from Barbados a small developing island in eastern caribbean.