The affordable TCL Stylus 5G debuts with a 50MP camera and a Dimensity 700 under the hood
TCL has been rising in popularity lately, ranking 4th in US smartphone market sharebehind Motorola and just ahead of Google and OnePlus.The manufacturer has found success with budget devices in particular, and this latest isn’t about to change that formula any. This week the company is announcing its Stylus 5G, with a price that’s ready to go head-to-head against the non-5G version of Motorola’s ownbudget-friendly G Stylus.
It’s nice enough to have more cheap stylus phones to choose from in general, but there are a few unexpected treats here that help the TCL Stylus 5G stand out. The built-in stylus is shaped more like an architect’s pencil than what you’d get from Motorola or Samsung. It also comes preloaded with stylus-optimized apps like MyScript Calculator 2 and a version of Nebo exclusive to TCL.
As fun as things like a unique stylus design and $15 worth of preinstalled apps (hey, big spender) you might actually use may be, what about the hardware powering this package? Luckily, that’s not looking too shabby.
TCL Stylus 5G
MediaTek Dimensity 700
6.8-inch 1080p
4000mAh, 18W charging
50MP primary, 13MP selfie, 5MP wide angle, 2MP macro, 2MP depth
Android 12
Measurements
169.6 x 76.5 x 8.98 mm, 213g
The Stylus 5G goes for almost $50 less than TCL’s most comparable device, the $300 30 V 5G, butruns a Dimensity 700as opposed to a Snapdragon 480. Both have 4GB RAM, 128GB of storage, 1080p screens, and 5G connectivity. While the Stylus offers slightly less battery capacity, it does have the benefit of shipping with Android 12.
Much like other TCL phones, the Stylus 5G is slated to only get one new Android release as an update down the road, and only 2 years of security patches. That’s disappointing when compared to the level of support Samsung and Google pledge, but it’s admittedly not unexpected for budget devices in this class.
If you’re interested in picking one up, the TCL Stylus 5G is available today at T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile.
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