REVIEW: TCL 505, a budget smartphone that looks like a flagship

If you looking for a budget phone, at R2600, the TCL 505 is as budget as they come. Don’t expect any bells or whistles on this device though.

It was originally supposed to feature a recommended retail price of R2,000, but that seemed to have fallen through.

However, even at R2 600, the TCL 505 is affordable.  I know people who spend more on lotto tickets every weekend than they would on a phone, perhaps they’re trying to hit the jackpot so they can buy the new Huawei  Mate XT which sells for about R50 000 if it ever comes to South Africa.

Design

The TCL 505 has a relatively simple design although it does fit the part of a flagship and most people will think it is.

With a plastic body and modest bezels around the screen, it has a lightweight feel and reasonable screen quality that stand out in its price range.

The phone features a 6.75-inch LCD display with an HD+  resolution at 720 x 1600 and a 90Hz refresh rate which sounds good but typical for a phone in this price bracket.

The TCL 50 5G is powered using a MediaTek Helio G36 processor that also comes with 86GB of RAM.

When powering it up and using it for a couple of weeks, I found it a bit slow to my liking. The processor is also not suitable for games but is enough to scroll through your social media.

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Cameras

It comes with a large 5000mAh battery and supports 10W wired charging but does not support wireless charging.

The TCL 505’s camera is competent and consists of a 50MP main ultra-wide lens, with a reasonable f1.8 aperture, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, a 5MP selfie camera does a good job with the Instagram selfies.

However, don’t expect image stabilisation or sharp images in low light especially when you want to capture the moon in all its glory.

Verdict  

The TCL 50 5G comes with a stylish and robust smartphone that offers a decent display that is suitable for everyday use at an affordable price.

While no smartphone that costs less than R2,000 is going to have cutting-edge features, there are some mitigating points. The camera is competent and battery is excellent.

However, the TCL 505 could be faster, both in day-to-day performance and image processing.

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