Quality features for a budget price from TCL
In a world where spending $1000 on a smartphone is the new norm, it is rare to consider that you could buy two smartphones for less than that.
In a world where spending $1000 on a smartphone is the new norm, it is rare to consider that you could buy two smartphones for less than that.
When the billboards and commercials only highlight flagship models in a brand’s smartphone range, you may not even know that stellar alternatives exist at a cheaper price. There will be differences — they may not carry the same logo on the back — but their capabilities are not that far apart. A company mostly known for televisions has released a $499 smartphone that ticks most boxes, and it isn’t Samsung.
The Plex, from TCL, is on sale today. The first phone from the manufacturer to arrive in Australia, it’s loaded with gear yet keeps the price low.
Cameras are important for social media. TCL has put three on the rear of the Plex. A 48 megapixel Sony sensor, a 16 megapixel, 123 degree super wide angle camera and a 2 megapixel low-light sensor sit between two flash components. The rear cameras are capable of 4K video and slow motion video up to 960 frames per second.
In our tests the cameras performed really well with TCL using technology to enhance and improve colour and brightness. With 128GB of storage out of the box you can capture lots of content and a microSD card can be added for more storage. The photos do not rival those from the iPhone 11 or 11 Pro but it isn’t something you’d really notice unless you are looking at them on a large display or printed for wall mounting.
Underneath the rear cameras is the fingerprint sensor. This sits in a comfortable location that your index finger can find and very quickly unlocks your phone. The 3.5mm headphone jack lives on too. This means you can connect any pair of headphones you like for calls, music and movies. Unfortunately the TCL Plex does not have stereo speakers, just a single speaker at the base.
I’m impressed by that large 6.53-inch display on the Plex. It sits tightly within a thin bezel, and has 90pc screen-to-body ratio. However, the 24-megapixel front facing camera is as conspicuous as a hole punch in the screen. It sits to the left of the display, which isn’t a problem when you’re using the device. But it is something you need to be conscious of when taking a selfie in horizontal mode as you may cover it accidentally.
The display is excellent for watching movies, gaming and for reading. This is expected when a television company produces a smartphone. Placed next to a phone twice the price with an OLED display, we could see where the TCL Plex struggled, but it’s rare you’ll need to make that comparison in day-to-day use.
The TCL Plex uses a slightly modified version of Android 9.0, which will be upgraded to version 10 in January. TCL tweaks Android to simplify certain features including the sorting of icons for tasks even alphabetically, but you can also sort your apps by icon colour — we don’t know why and how that would benefit anybody.
The phone connects to up to four Bluetooth devices simultaneously. This means you can play music to four wireless headphones or speakers at the same time, creating quite the listening party.
On the left of the device is a smart key. It’s separate to the power button or volume keys and can be programmed to perform a number of tasks or open apps. For example, we used the smart key to open Instagram on in a single press, turn the rear flash on when double pressed and open Google Assistant on a triple press. You can change this at any time.
If you own a TCL television, the Plex integrates the experience with content sharing and remote control functions.
The TCL Plex does not carry the ultra-premium features of some phones, but you’d hardly complain when you consider the price tag: $499.
Geoff Quattromani is a tech commentator across radio, print, online and television. Check out his podcast “Technology Uncorked” for new information each week.
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