LAST April, as part of its big 5G push, Smart Communications introduced Unli 5G, its most aggressive offer for its fastest technology yet. The promo is initially available at strategic urban centers including Metro Manila, Angeles City, Baguio City, Cavite City, Cebu City, Clark City and Davao City.
Unli 5G is available for as low as P299 valid for 7 days with 2 GB data and includes includes nonstop data access at selected Smart 5G-covered areas—with absolutely no data-capping or speed-throttling for a superior and reliable 5G experience. The promo is only up to the end of the month and we have yet to get confirmation if it will be extended.
While these Unli 5G plans are reasonably priced to allow more subscribers to experience the fastest mobile internet, buying a 5G smartphone is still a bit pricey with the cheapest still hovering around the P15,000 price point. That changes with the release of the POCO M3 Pro 5G—the most affordable 5G smartphone in the country which you can get for the early bird price of P7,490. Another Xiaomi smartphone, the Redmi Note 10 5G, is also expected to get a similar pricing. The POCO M3 Pro 5G is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor that offers flagship-level performance while maintaining lower power consumption thanks to its 7nm processing technology.
The CPU is paired with the Mali-G57 GPU, a new GPU architecture that delivers an additional 30 percent of performance density and energy efficiency.
The phone sports a 6.5” FHD+ display and an upgraded DotDisplay. With a 90Hz refresh rate, it offers faster visuals and a smoother experience for users. The DynamicSwitch feature enables the display to automatically switch between 90Hz, 60Hz, 50Hz and 30Hz, allowing it to adapt refresh rate to content while saving power.
For the cameras, it has a 48MP triple rear camera along with a 2MP macro camera and 2MP depth sensor. Supporting all this power is a large 5,000mAh (typ) battery that can last up to 2-plus days and ships with a 22.5W in-box charger. Unlike Xiaomi, TCL isn’t a big name in the smartphone market yet, and you’re more likely to know the brand from their TVs or soundbars. But with its new partnership with VST ECS Phils. Inc, the brand is starting to get more attention as it brings its affordable smartphones, tablets and audio devices to the local market.
First off, is its entry-level offering the TCL 20 SE. We’ve been using the device for the last few weeks and although it doesn’t have an impressive spec sheet, it does have that one standout feature that makes it worth considering.
The TCL 20 SE is tall and thick device which makes it a hefty phone to hold. It does look expensive thanks to its reflective mirror-like finish that’s topped with glass. The downside is that its prone to fingerprint smudges and scratches, so put that free jelly case to good use. I do like the two-tone accent that changes depending on the angle. It’s available in two colorways—the flashy Aurora Green and the safe Nuit Black. As for the design, you get a fairly standard layout. You’ll find the power button and volume rocker on the right side, while on the left is a dedicated Google Assistant button and hybrid sim card tray for either two nano-sized SIM cards or a SIM and microSD card combo. On the bottom is the USB-C charging/data port together with the microphone, 3.5mm headphone jack and loud speakers.
At the back is the fingerprint sensor and the vertical camera module which houses a main 16MP camera + 5MP ultra-wide + 2MP depth + 2MP macro. It doesn’t have the most impressive megapixels which make the results just reasonable. Photos tend to come out OK but you really need great lighting to get the best results, and it only looks good because of the screen, which we’ll get to in a bit. As soon as you move to less ideal lighting, the imaging limitations become even more obvious and the photos tend to look gloomy.
So what is that one feature that makes the TCL 20 SE standout?
It’s TCL’s NXTVision Display.
Keeping its promise to “Display Greatness,” the TCL 20 SE has one of the best displays among entry-level smartphones. The large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display has a resolution of 720 x 1640 with 263 pixels per inch and a 20.5:9 aspect ratio making it great for watching videos on the move.
This is further enhanced with the use of TCL’s NXTVision technology that upscales the content you’re watching and enhances color, contrast and clarity in real time. This ensures that your videos and photos look far better than usual. The smartphone’s dual speaker design also improves the audio experience—no speakers are blocked when the device is being held—and it is also compatible with Hi-Res Audio certification.
To take further advantage of the large display, the TCL 20 SE also features a Smart Floating Window, which lets users browse the web or reply to messages while watching videos; the feature is triggered by swiping to the right or left corner, and can be adjusted in size or move to anywhere on the display.
This is the phone’s greatest strength and if you use your phone mostly to watch YouTube or stream movies, this makes it a pretty good choice.
The TCL 20 SE is a relatively expensive-looking phone that packs all the features you’d expect from an entry-level device. It’s a good choice for a first Android device and for those who’d rather consume than create content as the display was optimized for watching videos.
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