RANKING

Rank 59 out of 113 Summarized in this category Rankings based on: • Pros-to-cons ratio • Number of reviews • Category average

TCL

40 XE 5G

Name: 40 XE 5G
Brand: TCL

around $180

All prices are estimates and may vary from actual prices.

206 Pros

70%
11 reviews (1h 47m)

90 Cons

The TCL 40 XE 5G offers a remarkably affordable entry into the world of 5G speeds. Enjoy smooth scrolling and vibrant visuals on its large 6.6-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, though be aware the HD+ resolution isn't the sharpest. Powered by Android 13 (and potentially 14 in some models) with a near-stock experience, the 40 XE boasts decent...

Summary of pros and cons from human reviewers, put together by AI

56%

30 vs 24

Camera

59%

23 vs 16

Design and Build

63%

12 vs 7

Software

71%

39 vs 16

Display

54%

15 vs 13

Performance

Reviewer verdict

Across 11 YouTube reviews, the TCL 40 XE 5G earns an Index score of 3.8/5, ranking #59 among Smartphones. Reviewers most often praise its display, camera, battery life, while the most common criticisms concern camera, display.

The TCL 40 XE 5G is repeatedly praised for its large, eye-friendly display with frequent mentions of a 90 Hz refresh experience and features like adjustable color temperature, reading/eye comfort modes, and TCL NXT Vision enhancements (39 mentions). Reviewers also commonly commend the camera system's capable main sensor and usable selfie options, with multiple reviewers noting the 50 MP/13 MP main cameras and respectable daylight performance (30 mentions). Battery life and charging receive strong positive notes, citing large 4,500–5,000 mAh class batteries, multi-hour screen-on endurance and included chargers with roughly 18W charging support (26 mentions). Additional recurring positives are its pleasant design and build feel, good value as an affordable 5G phone, expandable storage options and generally snappy everyday performance for routine tasks (23, 16, 15, and 15 mentions respectively).

Criticisms focus most on camera shortcomings despite the capable main sensor, especially limited video capture (1080p/30fps), poor low-light performance, and issues with autofocus, macro and zoom quality (24 mentions). The display also draws criticism for being a TFT/HD panel with washed-out colors, limited sharpness and dimness compared with higher-resolution phones (16 mentions). Build and materials are called out frequently as plasticky with some fit-and-finish concerns and no water resistance, and reviewers warn the phone is not suited for heavy gaming due to modest processor performance (16 and 13 mentions). Software update support and occasional bloatware, single down-firing speaker audio, and fewer bundled accessories (case) are smaller but repeated complaints (7, 5, and 4 mentions).

Analysis based on 11 YouTube reviews (1h 47m of video) with 206 pros and 90 cons extracted.

Pros (206)

Display (39)

touch sing rate of up to 180 HZ ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 4:54
eye friendly color temperature and soft light feature you can enjoy enhanced eye Comfort during bedtime viewing ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 6:15
delivers full HD Plus Clarity on its expansive 6.78 in screen ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 5:32
90 HZ refresh rate ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 1:21
very bright and it has technology to help you see the phone outdoor if you expose to the sun ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 9:30
redefines your visual experience with its innovative NXT paper technology ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 5:13
silky smooth 90 HZ refresh rate ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 5:38
multiple layers that provide versatile eye protection features from a paperlike touch to intelligently reducing harmful blue light and glare ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 5:48
brilliant visuals ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 1:42
Sprite 6.56 in HD Plus display ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 1:53
impressive fast refresh rate ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 1:57
delivers Vivid colors perfect for reading graphic novels taking video calls or web browsing ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 6:05
90 hertz display ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 1:20
6.5 inch screen so that's a big screen ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 1:36
90 HZ refresh rate ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 3:15
brilant 6.56 in h plus display color contrast and Clarity are optimized ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 4:33
6.6 inch IPS LCD screen...pretty sharp and brighter 400 nits of brightness ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:48
90hz Hertz refresh rate which is nice and smooth on your eyes ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 2:08
press rate of 90 HZ ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 4:46
way of changing the color temperature of your display from warm cool and a neutral white balance ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 2:32
90 Hertz Max refresh rate ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:59
reading mode and an eye Comfort mode to Aid with minimalizing eye strain ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 2:29
smooth to scroll ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 2:25
smart setting where it can Auto Select the refresh rate ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 2:04
tcls NXT Vision made all the pictures nice and sharp and watching videos is nice and smooth ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 8:12
tcl's NXT Vision software which offers various settings to Aid with image quality...increasing things like contrast ratio and sharpness Shadow detail and overall resolution ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 2:15
reflection-free ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:59
paper-like visual experience ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 1:04
full-color ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:59
nice and soft ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 3:05
scrolling was nice and smooth with the 90 Hertz refresh rate ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 8:05
standout features was the large 6.6 inch screen ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 7:51
much less fatigue on the eyes ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 1:08
physically limiting the amount of blue light ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 3:29
nice big screen it's um 6.6 ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 1:32
zero reflections ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 2:16
90 hertz display ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:38
less stressful on the eyes ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 3:05
90Hz refresh rate ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 2:22

Camera (30)

Ultra wide 5 megapixel ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 2:46
Ultra wide and up to 2x optical zoom ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 13:15
front-facing camera has portrait mode ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 3:09
portrait pictures on the front facing camera ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 13:31
50 mapel main sensor, support HDR Google lens and AI ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 2:21
32 map Flagship level selfies night mode High pixel mode and macro and Ultra wide cameras ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 6:29
2 megapixel depth camera to enable striking portraits ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 6:00
8 megapix front camera takes perfect selfies ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 6:09
8el F camera allows you to capture everyday movements and starting Clarity ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 2:26
2 map macro camera ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 6:06
13 megapixel primary camera pretty vibrant colors pretty vibrant pictures nice crisp and good lighting ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 3:57
13 megapix main camera capture beautiful photos ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 5:50
AI power trip over camera system ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 2:22
an okay camera ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 0:44
photos shot from this lens aren't that bad at all ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 7:42
triple cameras ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 2:32
impressed with the selfie camera ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 10:13
feature that takes advantage of HDR in both video and photos which aims to reduce those blown out highlights and increase those dark shadowy areas ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 8:59
phone does produce Sharp Images...certainly possible if you're wanting to add them to your Instagram feeds ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 8:45
photos taken from the device aren't bad ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 8:40
quite a good job with the background Separation on my selfie image ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 9:41
colors look pretty good on a phone screen which follows through to your social media posts ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 8:53
pretty negligible [difference in selfie quality compared to Pixel 7 Pro] ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 10:11
in controlled lighting conditions you can get a pretty decent sharp images from the camera ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 8:50
outside cameras did a good job of um capture into detail when in price conditions ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 9:17
camera as well was quite decent ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 8:46
indoors the AI algorithms did a good job of capturing images in lower light ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 9:11
5 megapixel ultrawide ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:14
50 megapixel camera ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 1:19
50 megapixel main camera ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:11

Battery Life (26)

charging speed is decent … fully charge … around hour and 40 minutes which is a great ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 11:43
4500 milliamp hour battery ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 1:34
5,10 milliamp which is very good size battery ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 3:09
battery is the best performer … offer very long time … 12 to 14 hours of screen on time which is great ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 11:27
able to charge at 18 wat speed which is very decent ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 3:15
18 watt of quick charging which is something nice to see ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 4:51
mighty 5,10 mamp Battery ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 6:43
5 000 milliamp battery, last you a couple days for light use ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 5:16
Includes charging brick ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 2:15
ultra fast charging ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 6:40
13.5 days of SN by time ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 2:48
supports 18 watt wired charging which means that you can get a pretty quick charge that's two hours a little bit less than two hours to get a full charge up to 100 ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 5:38
5,000 mamp battery ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 6:24
5 000 milliamp hour battery ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 1:51
last all day thanks to a big battery ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 0:38
Charger ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 4:05
wall charger which a lot of the phones don't come with anymore ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 2:13
with heavier use you'll get a day for sure ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 5:22
intelligent charging which is designed to charge your phone slowly overnight so it hits 100 by the time you wake up in the morning...designed to extend the life of your mobile phone battery and reduces over charging ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 7:05
5000 milliamp battery which is more than enough for a full day's use ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 6:33
onboard battery is 5000 milliamps so you can only get plenty of power in it and it definitely lasts for over a day ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 11:01
bigger battery 5,000 milliamp hours vs 4500 milliamp hours ▶ TCL 40XE Review | ZDK Mobile Reviews @ 0:07
4500mAh battery, tremendous battery life, potential for 2-day battery life ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 8:13
included a travel charger with uh that supports power delivery and 15 watt fast charging ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 2:43
5000 milliamp power battery ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:09
fast charger ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 2:25

Design and Build (23)

unique look ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 4:27
looks like very elegant and it has identity for TCL ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 6:34
very impressed the way the phone look and the design of the phone from the back ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 4:10
feels very nice in the hands ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 6:32
elegant and beautiful design ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 7:10
ultra slim and lightweight design ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 6:46
absolutely gorgeous color ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 6:15
extremely lightweight ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:07
etched curved pattern that reminds me of some kind of astrophotography time lapse ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 0:47
premium looks a solid solid design and decent performance ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 0:56
brushed metal pattern that is actually quite beautiful ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 1:20
pretty decent Graphics and Design ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 0:42
pretty sturdy stylish design ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 1:16
etched pattern in the rear offers a decent level of grip ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:07
aesthetic design ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 0:44
looks pretty smart ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:01
small Notch...doesn't ads all distract away from the screen...very unobtrusive and out of the way ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 2:39
rear surface has a nice texture to it ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 4:17
bezel is not that bad ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 1:56
nice finish from TCL they call it Starlight black ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 0:23
nice textured feel ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 0:29
feels nice and solid ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 4:11
soft touch effect thanks to the slight texture ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 3:41

Value for Money (16)

one of the most affordable 5G phone ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 0:10
5G phone on the cheap ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 0:17
Avil for $149.99 for retail price ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 0:24
199 at t-mobile ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 0:34
€16 ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 5:17
320 bucks ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 0:31
budget friendly smartphone ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 0:25
very affordable ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 8:07
only 320 phone outright ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 0:27
special on where you can get a free 32 inch television ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 0:33
229 dollars in the US...extremely hard to argue that price tag ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 11:07
lots of features and again it's great value for money ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 11:37
good value for money ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 8:30
$30 less at $169.99 MSRP making it the most affordable 5G smartphone from TCL ▶ TCL 40XE Review | ZDK Mobile Reviews @ 0:13
under $200 ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 0:12
almost all the same specs as the Samsung phone but cheaper ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 8:49

Storage (15)

expandable storage via micro sd card up to 512 gigabytes ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 4:57
128 gigs which is very decent internal storage ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 2:04
128 GB of internal storage something really nice to see especially with a budget phone ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 11:07
4 GB of RAM ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 2:10
8 GB Ram expansion and massive 256 GB memory ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 6:47
64 GB of R micro SD card expansion up to 1 tab ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 3:45
expand the storage on the device up to one terabytes with a Micro SD card ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 1:54
4 GB of RAM ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 3:45
128 gigs of storage ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 0:43
can also add an extra terabyte of storage using a Micro SD card ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 3:06
micro SD card support ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 1:06
twice the internal storage 128 GB vs 64 GB ▶ TCL 40XE Review | ZDK Mobile Reviews @ 0:10
8 gigs of RAM ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:19
256 gigs of storage ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:21
flash drive as well supported ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 3:26

Performance (15)

snappy ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 5:44
able to handle call of duty mobile ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 6:05
multitask ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 5:33
increase your productivity with multitasking ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 7:07
2.2 GHz opticore processor ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 5:33
enhance performance ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 5:30
decent everyday performance whether you're doing light gaming regular browsing navigation ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 3:16
moving between apps is a pretty smooth experience and I never really experienced any kind of lag or stutter ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 6:08
if you're going to be using this phone to check your Facebook notifications or catch up on your Instagram feeds this phone is just way more than capable ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 3:36
game mode as well so if you want to just improve the processor while you're playing games ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 10:39
scrolling was nice and smooth, didn't have a huge lag between the different apps ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 8:36
performs very well in day-to-day use ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 4:04
Performance is very good ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 3:07
everything appear to be smoother ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 2:57
Mediatek G88 processor ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 0:17

Software (12)

Android 14 ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 1:44
pretty near Android stock or stock Android experience which means not a lot of bloatware ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 2:59
makes it so much easier to find what you are looking for ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 6:03
runs Android 13 right out of the box ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 2:36
get those security updates for two years ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 3:40
main menu is split up into category is which is a nice touch ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 5:42
nice experience using TCL UI 4.0 ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 5:39
pretty close to the stock Android experience ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 4:55
not a huge amount [of bloatware] ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 5:01
stylus support ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 4:27
have 100 Motors map as well if you want to be able to use the one hand for uh smaller screen ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 11:28
TCL have added teams as well so you can add a look and feel to your phone ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 10:12

Security (11)

rear fingerprint reader works flawlessly ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 7:01
fingerprint … work with no issues ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 8:39
FPR ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 7:26
fingerprint ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 7:00
fast accurate fingerprint reader ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 1:35
face unlock ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 7:24
face unlocking ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 6:57
facial recognition ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:24
fingerprint scanner...works well and opens up the phone almost instantaneously ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:17
nice it's easy to feel when you're holding the phone there's fingerprint sensor ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 1:07
fingerprint sensor is very fast ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 5:54

Audio (10)

headphone jack ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 3:26
3D bom sound and DDS surround effect system providing harmonious sound vibes ▶ Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 @ 6:19
headphone jack ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 3:58
headphone jack ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 3:14
3.5 millimeter headphone jack ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 1:02
headphone port ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:36
another microphone so you've two microphones to give you a better sound ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 4:39
volume is quite decent for just a single speaker ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 10:03
headphone jack ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 1:38
headphone jack ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 0:53

Connectivity (8)

offer NFC ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 3:23
high speed 5G performance ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 5:23
support 5G Verizon network ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 2:13
5G performance ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 1:42
5g smartphone ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 0:02
strong 5G performance ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 5:09
5G opticore processor allows for optimal F connectivity ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 2:02
5G connectivity ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 3:44

Sensors (1)

has a proximity sensor ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 7:05

Cons (90)

Camera (24)

front-facing camera record video at 1080p at 30 FPS also very disappointing ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 3:02
not happy with the camera Performance ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 12:20
doesn't have night mode … going to end it up with very poor quality pictures ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 12:38
pictures come foggy … lens doesn't balance the light ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 13:02
camera performance was poor and acceptable to certain point ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 13:56
not satisfied with 30 FPS video recording ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 13:12
record video only with 1080p at 30 FPS which is very disappointing ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 2:35
not too shaby but to certain point you're going to be acceptable ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 12:50
plastic lens … going to be very easy to get scratched ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 7:56
taking pictures under the dark situation the phone will force you to turn the flash on ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 12:33
4X Zoom … picture will be corupted and the quality is not going to be any good ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 13:22
camera doesn't balance the light … end up with foggy pictures ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 13:45
low light not as great, colors will sometimes times feel a little bit oversaturated ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 4:03
video recording is capped at 1080p 30 frames per second so you're not going to get those slow-mo 60 or even 120 frames per second imagery ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 4:23
macro lens really struggles to deliver sharp details in low light ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 4:18
would be nice if there is a triple proper triple shooter so you'll be able to get the wide screenshots ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 11:50
no Ultra wide ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 7:38
video mode that shoots a 1080p at a maximum of 30 frames per second there's no 60 or 120 FPS here for slow-mo either and there's not even a slow-motion mode to take advantage of ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 8:18
colors are decent though are a little muted compared to the processed photos you tend to find on higher end handsets ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 7:58
camera did leave me wanting a lot more especially as I'm very much used to my Google pixel 7 Pro ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 9:10
colors felt a little muted compared to how they actually are in the world ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 9:55
camera is "meh" ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 10:05
focusing distance also leaves a lot to be desired ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 9:25
camera isn't great ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 6:00

Display (16)

TFT LCD which is not really promising for the display ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 1:11
720 or 720x 1612 which is only high definition ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 1:31
washed out color are not vivid ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 9:24
display is not very promising ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 1:36
refresh rate should be 90 HZ but … doesn't seems like it's 90 HZ if feel the phone is very sluggish ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 9:50
TFT display on a budget phone ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 8:56
only an HD display so 720 display ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 0:40
would have wanted a full HD display ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 2:16
do not know what the refresh rate is I'm going at gas probably lower ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 3:42
lack of contrast ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 5:51
text is soft ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 5:30
cutting a lot of light ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 4:47
hurts a lot of sharpness ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 4:49
doesn't look like 1080p, more like 720p ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 5:15
disappointingly dim ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 5:04
doesn't have a 1080p display, resolution isn't quite as clear ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 2:27

Design and Build (16)

made of plastic ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 6:25
gap between the back cover and the battery … reflect bad quality for the build construction of the device ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 8:14
feels like plastic ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 3:24
not water resist assistant ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 3:29
sharp edges ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 7:22
feel plasticky ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 2:38
another plastic ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 3:06
fingerprint reader could have been a couple millimeters higher to make it more reachable ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 1:40
not waterproof ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 1:42
housing is raised and there was a bit of fear that the lenses could get scratched ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 7:25
cable though is incredibly short ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 6:51
doesn't feel as premium as some handsets down to the use of plastic and housing ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 10:41
haptic feedback motor isn't great ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 10:00
vibration motor isn't the best ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 1:26
plastic back ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 1:22
screen protectors don't make sense ▶ Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? @ 6:01

Performance (13)

plays just okay with 30 FPS ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 10:41
devil M cry pretty much was not playable and the phone struggled a lot ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 10:45
low specification for the processor ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 10:25
mediate Tech 6835 chipset doesn't help the phone to give you the best and the most smooth experience ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 10:19
not too happy about the performance of the phone ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 10:17
very low score on geek pinch ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 10:31
a mediatek 700 processor so not top of the line specs ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 0:51
will see a difference is games that require a little bit more Graphics power, phone noticeably pixelate and stuttering ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 3:24
if you're going to be needing a phone for a pubg or Call of Duty mobile then you're going to have to be looking elsewhere for a more powerful handset ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 4:33
start up when opening new apps for the first time...opening apps is a slower process ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 3:45
speed of the boot up time...nowhere near as fast as a flagship handset...took a tad too long ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 6:17
you're not going to be playing the latest gains on this device ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 10:23
Not good for intense gaming at high settings ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 5:21

Software (7)

customized Android by TCL ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 1:47
running android 11 ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 4:38
will not be getting updates Beyond Android 13 ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 2:41
lack of OS updates ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 6:22
only get Android 12 at the moment ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 11:12
some bloatware ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 5:00
TCL isn't great at software support ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 9:08

Audio (5)

almost single down firing speakers so you're not going to get stereo sound when you're gaming and you're not going to get a very balanced sound and it does tend to Echo a bit on phone calls ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 4:52
average performance of the audio ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 4:38
speakers really kind of set it down ▶ Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friend @ 6:25
phone only has one speaker the volume is a bit restricted so you still have to be a bit careful how you hold the phone ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 9:33
just be careful how you hold it because you won't block it ▶ TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review @ 10:06

Value for Money (4)

no case included ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G @ 1:57
don't recommend paying monthly for it ▶ TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless @ 7:59
can I find the price for it here in the UK no chance whatever I Google I just can't find this phone at all ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 10:54
didn't come with a case ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 10:47

Storage (2)

4 GB of RAM … was not enough … would like to see 6 GB ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 11:17
four gigs of RAM ▶ Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G @ 0:45

Battery Life (2)

smaller battery than the Galaxy A32 5G ▶ TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone @ 8:18
15 watt charger...not really on par with some of the fast Chargers ▶ TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review @ 6:43

Security (1)

fingerprint is not the fastest ▶ TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wire @ 8:42

Review sources

TCL 50 XE 5G Unboxing & Review For Straight talk, Total Wireless, Verizon by Varieties Teck — 27 pros, 31 cons
TCL 40R 5G Mobile Phone Review by Tech Nuovo — 34 pros, 18 cons
TCL 40 XE 5G | Straight Talk Wireless by Storm's Tech Channel — 35 pros, 1 cons
Discover the Power of TCL 40 XE 5G - Your Next Budget-Friendly Smartphone? by YourTechReport — 22 pros, 11 cons
TCL40R5G Unboxing and Review by Liam Burke — 26 pros, 4 cons
Why Don't More Smartphones Have This? by Marques Brownlee — 17 pros, 7 cons
TCL 30 XE 5G Review: A Good Budget Phone by Android Digest — 12 pros, 9 cons
Unboxing the TCL 40 XE 5G by Ryan Moore — 8 pros, 6 cons
TCL 30 XE 5G by Gadget Beard — 10 pros, 3 cons
Best E-Ink Phones 2024 - Best ePaper Phones 2024 by Tech Gear — 12 pros, 0 cons
TCL 40XE Review | ZDK Mobile Reviews by HumTum — 3 pros, 0 cons

Frequently asked questions

Is the TCL 40 XE 5G worth buying?

Based on 11 independent YouTube reviews, the TCL 40 XE 5G scores 3.8/5 with 206 positive and 90 negative points mentioned by reviewers, placing it #59 in the Smartphones category.

What do reviewers like most about the TCL 40 XE 5G?

The most praised aspects are display, camera, battery life — Display (39 mentions), Camera (30 mentions), Battery Life (26 mentions).

What are the most common complaints about the TCL 40 XE 5G?

Reviewers most frequently criticize camera, display — Camera (24 mentions), Display (16 mentions).

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