TCL 40 SE

TCL 40 SE Smartphone Review – The TCL brand smartphone comes with an astounding aspect that usually doesn’t find much space in the mainstream market. But still, the company arrives with a new phone known as the TCL 40 SE, it releases around the first week of January 2023. Smartphone makers debuted this phone at the CES 2023 event. Besides this, the company also renders the TCL 408 with TCL 403 smartphone for the budget segment.

For today’s review, we have the TCL 40 SE 4G smartphone that was released in the affordable price segment, while at the same time, the phone arrives with a pretty good built quality with a pretty good battery life for better screen usage. But still, there are some flaws regarding this phone such as the average performance aspect with mediocre camera results. Let’s head toward the TCL 40 SE review to find out more details about this phone.

TCL 40 SE Smartphone Review

Highlights

  1. The device 6.75-inch IPS LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and a decent display.
  2. As for the software end, you are getting the latest Android 13 with the TCL UI 5.0 interface.
  3. The hardware section will bring the Helio G37 chipset with average graphics support.
  4. It will include a 50MP triple camera setup with 8MP selfie sensors support.
  5. In terms of the battery aspect, the phone will arrive with a Li-Po 5010 mAh battery with an 18W wired charging speed.

Design and Display

The TCL 40 SE comes with a sleek design layout with a charming back panel and offers a unique camera module that further boosts the overall appearance aspect. Not to forget, the smartphone makers offer this model in two exciting color options. From this, the users can select a preferred option easily. There are Dark Grey and Twilight purple shades, and each of the models looks quite appealing.

Moreover, the glossy pattern back panel grants impressive details, while also making the device prone to smudges and stains. So, you have to frequently clean the back if you are not using a protective cover. It includes a body that offers a 190-grams, which doesn’t feel that much heavy while using the phone. Although, you are not getting any additional IP rating certification here.

Hopefully, the 6.75-inch IPS LCD panel renders a 90Hz refresh rate that will enable a decent viewing experience. But at the same time, the phone has an HD resolution bottleneck that will reduce the overall content consumption experience. However, it got a 450 nits standard brightness support that will make sure you won’t face a problem using the phone’s screen outdoors.

Memory and Internal

Under the hood in the TCL 40 SE, you will receive the 12nm Mediatek MT6765 Helio G37 chipset that will handle the regular performance and enhance the overall user experience. Although you won’t able to push the processing power to certain limits, at the same time, the phone offers entry-level 4×2.3GHz cloaking speed that will render decent usage. Although, the ends of the graphic are slightly downgraded since you are getting the PowerVR GE8320.

The overall GPU performance is not that bad either since it’s possible to play causal games without much hassle. Furthermore, the company also added the latest Android 13 configuration that will ensure that users can tweak with settings of the TCL UI 5.0 interface without much trouble. Aside from this, there are various widgets, wallpapers, and UI elements for the users.

Following this, you can install numerous third-party applications to enjoy the interface according to your needs. Moreover, the phone will also render ample storage configuration so that you can store enough media, apps, and games easily. You can pick between the 128GB to 256GB eMMC 5.1 storage that will be accompanied by a 4GB to 6GB RAM support.

Camera

The camera support brings a pretty good triple-camera module that will enhance AI software in the TCL 40 SE smartphone. It will provide an immersive photography experience with the 50MP primary lens. Through this, you can obtain impressive colors and precise contrast with fine details from each shot. Besides this, the lowlight photography is also quite good as you won’t notice that much noise in the photos. But sometimes, grains are visible if you are not using the night mode properly.

Hopefully, the native camera app offers a secondary camera setup that includes 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensors. It will render a good set of perks for clicking decent photos, while there are different modes that the users can explore for enjoying beautiful photography. Aside from this, you can also click various photos and videos. In terms of video recording, the phone will provide 1080p video recording.

Moving the front display, the device brings an 8MP selfie lens that allows users to push the limits to some extent, and because of that, you will receive decent image quality. As far as video recording is concerned, the front camera offers an HD+ resolution recording ability. Overall, the camera quality is moderate, but still, it’s quite good according to the standards.

Battery and Others

The performance factor offered by the TCL 40 SE also ensures that the users can get enough screen time for their usage. The phone is powered by a massive Li-Po 5010 mAh battery capacity to render long-lasting battery life, while if you are using the phone with the standard settings, you can easily obtain a benchmark of 6+ hours of screen time for your daily activities.

The charging support of 18W will refill the battery percentage from 0 to 100% in less than an hour and a half. Following this, you can also rely on the smartphone for advanced comms and sensor support. Besides this, the sound output is good with stereo speakers support. However, it’s good to see that the phone also offers a 3.5 mm jack port. In terms of the price point, the TCL 40 SE starting cost would be around $172 (Rs 13,990 in India) approx.

TCL 40 SE Pros and Cons

TCL 40R Pros and Cons

TCL 40 SE Specifications Detail

Down below you can see the full specifications of the TCL 40 SE smartphone.

SpecificationsTCL 40 SE
Network2G, 3G, 4G
AnnouncedJanuary 2023
SIMDual SIM
Dimensions6.61 x 3.01 x 0.33 inches
Weight190 g
Size6.75 inches
DisplayIPS LCD
90Hz
450 nits brightness
20:9 ratio
~260 PPI density
ProtectionNo
Resolution720 x 1600 pixels
OSAndroid 13, TCL UI 5.0
Chipset12nm – Mediatek MT6765 Helio G37
CPUOcta-core
4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A53
4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
GPUPowerVR GE8320
Card slotmicroSDXC (dedicated slot)
RAM4GB, 6GB
Internal128GB, 256GB
eMMC 5.1
Camera50 MP (wide), PDAF
2 MP (macro)
2 MP (depth)
LED flash, HDR, panorama
Max – 1080p@30fps
Selfie8 MP (wide)
HDR
Max – 1080p@30fps
LoudspeakerYes
(stereo speakers)
3.5mm jackYes
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth5.1, A2DP, LE
GPSGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFCYes (T610K, T610K2, T610P, T610P2)
Infrared portNo
RadioYes
USBUSB Type-C 2.0
SensorsSide-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity
BatteryLi-Po 5010 mAh
18W wired
ColorsDark grey, Twilight purple
Expected Price$172 (Rs 13,990 in India) approx
Disclaimer: We can not guarantee that the data available on this page is 100% correct.

Conclusion

The TCL 40 SE phone is undoubtedly a great choice if you are looking for a decent entry-level phone with some necessary features to tweak with the software and to enjoy the usual social media consumption. These things are possible with this phone, and you won’t be disappointed if you set the bar low from the start. The phone got presentable camera quality with good display support.

Furthermore, playing causal games won’t be a huge hassle for the phone, while battery life is overall remarkable. But still, the company cut corners to make this phone more cost-efficient for many users. Even after this, it’s worth recommending a deal if you don’t have any problem with slow performance. If you are looking for a decent alternative, you should consider Oppo A56s in the meanwhile.

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John Depp is an editor at Oispice and has excellent knowledge of technology such as smartphones, apps, games, and gadgets. He specializes in tech news and smartphone reviews. John is available on Twitter @JohnDep18441971 and mail at [email protected].

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