Every couple of years I get suckered into it again. Upgrading cell phones has to be one of the most worthless, exciting, and costly things we do as a society. Not to mention – environmentally unfriendly. Yes, I say worthless because the vast majority of users don’t come anywhere near using their cell to its fullest potential. I’d venture a guess that most people use it for texting, watching reels, Snapchat, Facetime, and perhaps a few games here and there. It just doesn’t take a lot of processing power to crush candy. Yet, we spend thousands on the latest phones that promise the world. Really, if we are honest, we are getting the same thing with perhaps an upgraded camera. This is why a cell phone like the prepaid TCL 40 XE 5G is so incredibly refreshing. It offers what most of us truly need – at an insane price.
I tested the TCL 40 XE using the Verizon network. It’s the only network I’m familiar with so I don’t have the ability to compare and contrast. I can say I never experienced a dropped call. Call quality on the device itself was flawless and voices sound no different than those on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (a power user phone). It is an Android phone, so I didn’t have any time spent getting used to operation. The UI is straightforward and user friendly. The Google Play Store is where I head to get all the apps I tend to use on my Ultra, and I’m off and running within about half an hour of set up.
Daily use feels no different at all. It is smaller than my normal device, and much easier to handle. The outside shell definitely has a more plastic feel than the “Armor aluminum” of the Galaxy. The same can be said for the screen. This results in a noticeably lighter phone which is a relief in many ways.
I personally like this, but I can understand why some folks may appreciate the quality difference in a higher end device. It’s a different feeling when you drop that high end device though. My “Armor aluminum” 22 Ultra has a large chunk in the side of it from a drop. I felt sick when it happened. The device still works and the screen didn’t crack, but I’m guessing if I drop the TCL 40 XE it won’t give me the same sick feeling (though I can’t tell you how well it will hold up). At the time of this writing, on the Verizon site the Samsung Galaxy 22 Ultra is $1199.99. The TCL 40 XE 5G is a prepaid phone, but it is a mere $119.99 for the device.
The biggest and most obvious difference I can find in the phone is the camera and brightness of the screen. The display features a 90Hz refresh rate which is decent, and it gets plenty bright, but the expensive 22 Ultra is certainly brighter. This only impacts me if I’m in direct sunlight which does happen but isn’t impossible to see. The camera is okay on the TCL 40 XE. I do use my phone camera a lot, and the TCL’s 13MP main camera still captures some great images. It just doesn’t have the ability to get great zoom shots when compared to the high-powered cameras in both Galaxy and iPhones. Again, if you need simple snap shots and aren’t out trying to capture lots of low light or distant photos, this phone does the job wonderfully.
So how does it perform on with apps? If I were to ask you what you use your phone for and it involved anything in my first paragraph (Facetime, Snap, simple games, watching videos) and not much else, you are way overspending on your phone. Okay, so it’s an Android – if you have to have Facetime, this phone won’t support it. The TCL 40 XE 5Gplays games well with its 2.2 GHz processor and 4GB of RAM. FPS games may struggle a bit, but if you are playing basic matching and puzzle games fear not, this phone does the trick. I can’t seem to stop playing Marvel Puzzle Quest, and it performs just as well as my Galaxy. The performance is great – again I do notice a much better overall picture on the more expensive phone. The reality though? I only notice in a side-by-side comparison.
I almost forgot to mention battery life. The 5000 mAh battery outlasts my Ultra by a longshot. It’s a smaller device with less to power so this makes sense, but my gosh is it nice to have a phone that lasts longer than 8 hours at a time. The phone battery lasts me for a few days before needing a charge. Keep in mind this is with fairly minimal use compared to my phone which I have to use for work. Still – there is a noticeable difference that cannot be ignored.
In conclusion, I’m bothered by my discovery. Testing the TCL 40 XE reminds me of my days working at Best Buy. Folks would visit looking for a new laptop and I would ask them what they use if for. Nine times out of ten people wanted it for Word, Internet browsing, and the occasional video. What they needed was a cheap laptop. Then I would show them some of the Mac capabilities – just basic functionality. I’d show them what they need versus what they could do. Many spent a couple grand on a new Mac that really was overkill for the use it would get.
If you just need a phone, a high functioning device for a great price, it is hard to pass up the TCL 40 XE 5G. I recommend it – though some may balk at the prepaid only option. Think through it – do you “need” all the other stuff? I say save your money if you don’t.
