The Budget-friendly mobile phone space is getting busier with the likes of Oppo, Realme & Motorola all providing options that will offer everything you need in a phone but without the heavy price tag. TCL are also a brand that also offers a budget-friendly option in the shape of the TCL 30SE that we are discussing in this review. The TCL 30 series consists of the TCL 30 V 5G, TCL 30+, TCL 30, TCL 30SE & TCL 30E.
First Impressions
In this review, we focus on the TCL 30SE which comes with budget-friendly specifications and is one of the cheap devices on the market that runs on Andriod 12 costing only £119.99
The key features of this device include:
- Mediatek Helio G25 Octa-Core CPU
- 6.52 HD Display
- 4GB RAM & 64GB ROM
- 50MP Triple Rear Camera
- 8MP selfie camera
- 5000mAH Battery
- Bluetooth 5.0
Unboxing
The unboxing experience with this phone is very much like most budget phone unboxing experiences in terms of inside the alongside the phone you get the following: 5V Charger, USB-C charging cable, Sim card pin & quick start guide. Nothing additional was added but you will be pleased to know all the packaging is recyclable.
Design
The TCL 30 SE comes in two colour options: Glacial Blue & Space Grey. The phone in terms of design is not any different to many other budget smartphones on the market and actually looks similar to the Moto G22 we reviewed recently.
The screen is a 6.52-inch screen that takes up 82% of the screen. The phone is not too large and will fit in your hand without any issues. The phone also uses a non-slip material and is lightweight coming in at only 190G. The TCL 30 SE also comes with 2 cameras a front-facing selfie camera poisoned in the upper frame within the teardrop-shaped notch.
To the rear in the top left corner is a triple main camera unit with a flash more on the camera later in this review. Also on the rear of the phone is the fingerprint scanner which is located next to the camera set up. To finish the look at the rear the TCL logo is positioned bottom left.
The controls of the phone are all on the right of the device and you have the power and volume buttons. On the left side of the phone is the sim card slot that also allows for adding an additional memory card up to 512GB.
Finally, at the base of the phone, you have a phone speaker and USB-C charging slot. Last but not least a tell-tell sign of a budget phone is the use of the 3.5mm headphone hack that is at the top of the phone.
Display
The TCL 30 SE comes with a 6.52 inch HD+ LCD screen with a 720 x 1600 pixel resolution with a brightness of up to 400 nits and a pixel density of 269 ppi. The aspect ratio is 20:9 and the display comes with a refresh rate of only 60Hz which is fairly normal for a budget phone but disappointing compared to the Moto G22 which offers 90Hz.
The screen is good to see when outdoors in sunny weather due to the natural colour reproduction. This provides a good value display and even with the 60Hz refresh rate this phone will work just fine when you are watching Youtube or playing mobile gaming.
TCL also continue to use NXTVISION technology which is something that they have started using in their phones regularly and appears in phones like the TCL 20L. This technology helps offer a vibrant colour display that is clear and sharp and makes videos appear in HDR which is a nice feature to have.
Under the Bonet
The TCL 30SE runs on a MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core which is now becoming a little bit dated in terms of processors available. This processor is paired with 4GB RAM and the phone is also available in either 64/128GB of internal storage but in this review, we have the 128 GB option. This phone also allows for a microSD card of up to 512GB.
This spec will perform well with everyday use and even to a degree some mobile games such as Royal Match don’t require too much level of detail to run. Games like COD or PUBG mobile will suffer lag which affects the gameplay, especially with a 60Hz refresh rate.
TCL 30 SE uses this spec alongside Andriod 12 which is the most current operating system available so you know the phone will be running on the most current system for at least 2 years.
This phone also uses TCL UI 4.0 which paired with Andriod 12 allows for a very easy to navigate phone that also comes with a useful side panel that you can set up to have your most used app. Android 12 comes with all the normal google apps you come to expect and TCL UI 4.0 is a pleasant set-up but nothing overly unique. The main menu in which the apps are located is sorted by category making it easy to use. The UI 4.0 also offers a side panel feature similar to what you find on Samsung which allows you to get access to your most frequent apps and contacts.
The phone also comes with features such as Andriod Auto which mirrors the screen onto the display in your car. The TCL 30 SE also allows you to flip the screen to mute the volume. This phone’s power button can also be doubled up to access Google Pay.
Connectivity
The TCL 30 SE can be connected to Bluetooth 5.0 but in addition to that, the phone allows 2x 4G nano-sim card slots allowing you to call, text and surf the net. The phone also can be connected to Wi-Fi networks and can support dual bandwidths of 2.4GHz.
CAMERA REVIEW BY JAMES ROBERTSON-MILLIGAN @LIFESIZEPHOTOGRAPHY
I have been testing the camera of the TCL 30SE, I have tested some TCL phones in the past and they haven’t been too bad, for a low budget phone, the camera on these is not too bad! They don’t have the quality of a Samsung S22 Ultra or an Apple 13 pro max but for the arena they are in, they come up quite well.
The camera itself is really easy to use, just tap the icon in the bottom right corner of the home screen, and with little or no lag it comes alive. The autofocus takes a few seconds to lock on to your subject but I’m not going to split hairs on that as it gets the job done in unnoticeable time. Using the functions is not bad at all it’s just a basic swipe and tap.
Android seem to be putting more and more functions on their camera settings as standard as we move forwards with the progression of technology, eradicating the need for a DSLR or compact camera around your neck, just your mobile will suit all. I always take my DSLR with me but I have noticed recently I have taken fewer photo’s on my DSLR and more on my phone just because it’s quicker, easier and more convenient and the outcome is much the same. However with the TCL30SE I wouldn’t be leaving the camera at home, don’t get me wrong it’s not a bad camera at all for the price of the handset, it’s just the quality isn’t quite there yet, maybe a year or so and you will get that with TCL but for now, it just falls a bit short.
So, what is the TCL 30SE punching… a triple-lens 50mp main camera with a 2mp wide-angle however the TCL doesn’t come with a wide-angle facility, 2mp depth and an 8mp selfie camera.
This camera set-up is not short of features it’s packed in the usual auto, pro, video, portrait and pano. However, they have also included macro, high pixel (night mode) portrait, and light trace (with a light trace you will need a tripod and a very steady hand) so as you can see Android is trying to irradicate the need for a traditional camera and pack in all the features of one to a mobile, and it’s not just the TCL but other handsets that this just does not work on! anyway let’s have a look at some of the sample pictures taken whilst using this phone,
I am a realistic photographer, if you have followed and read my other reviews I take sample pictures of what most people would take photos of so you can see the true everyday photo’s taken, so without further let’s take a look!
Auto mode, auto on this phone actually gives you a nice crisp clear result, with a well-defined image, the colours are pretty much there, the clarity is good and the overall true tone is well reflected
Portrait, as you all know, I love portrait, I love how you get that nice sharpness of a picture with a subtle blur in the background, this phone did not disappoint on this, the only thing is I think the background blur is a little too much but netherless the picture comes out well. As always my trusty model was used for this picture and it’s one that I would actually print off and put in a frame!
Macro, we are seeing more and more macro on phones, what macro does it allow you to get up close and personal to an image and you get immense detail that you would not get using zoom or just getting up close using auto, Macro allows you to get more detail on an image, on this occasion, it didn’t really work, yes you still get the detail but just not as much as I have seen on other phones in the past.
Pro Mode, so what is “pro mode” basically it’s having a professional DSLR camera on your mobile, it allows you to play around with light and aperture to get more detail on your picture in certain lights, the only downside is you lose your zoom so it’s just point and click at an object. Personally, I would do away with this feature and use a free to download photo editing suite. The result you get on this phone is pretty much that of auto mode, you can just spend a lot of time fettling with the camera settings when you take your photo, the results are good, clean crisp and clear but to be honest it’s just the same as Auto mode just without the zoom.
Selfie mode, the all-important Selfie for your social media profile photos, this phone holds its own with an 8mp selfie camera, and the results are good, with a good clean crisp outcome, you can use portrait too so you blur out the background to give a nice well-rounded photo.
Overall the TCL 30 SE is not a bad camera for the price of the phone, I’m seeing a lot more budget-priced phones come up well in camera reviews and this is certainly holding its own. I think once again with a free to download photo editing app, you can make your photos stand out and get some gems! The photos I take when testing a camera are pictures that the everyday person would take, this phone certainly won’t let you down.
Battery Life
To allow this phone to work well and perform to the level you expect battery life is vital and TCL does not disappoint with a 5000mAh battery and comes with a 15W charger and USB-C charge cable. You will find this phone being used at a moderate level can last a full day without any issues. When it’s time to fully charge it takes 3 hours to go from 0% to 100%.
Verdict
The TCL 30 SE is a phone for a user who has to consider budget and has simple requests from a phone and they won’t be disappointed. The phone only costs £119 which is very budget-friendly. The TCL 30 SE comes with a stylish design, a large display and performance for everyday use will work very well. The 5000mAh battery will last the full day and when it comes to taking photos you won’t be disappointed.
The only issue I can see is the positioning of the fingerprint scanner instead of on the power button it is positioned on the rear of the phone and that might annoy some users but I did not find it a massive issue.
The TCL 30 SE offers a budget-friendly option for someone with simple needs but who wants modern features. This would be a good first phone for a teenager with a nice screen, a good viewing angle, brightness and decent performance and a good camera at this price point. My negative with the camera would be the macro sensor does not even work this needs to be improved.
Product Rating:
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Display: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Performance: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Camera: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery Life: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5 Stars
TCL 30SE is available from Carphone Warehouse for £119.99
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how goes it, notable blog on unctuous loss. similar helped.