TCL 40 X 5G review
The TCL 40 X 5G suits someone who spends the day away from a charger and values a large, bright screen for video and browsing over raw speed or camera sharpness. Anyone bothered by soft text on a 6.6-inch 720p display or frustrated by sluggish performance under load should look elsewhere, as should people who want quick charging or serious photo capture."
This review is based on TCL’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the TCL 40 X 5G, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The TCL 40 X 5G is a large, plainly equipped 5G phone aimed at buyers who prioritize screen space and battery life over performance or camera finesse. It is competent but not ambitious: everyday tasks run smoothly, the 90Hz display is a welcome step up from the typical budget LCD, and a 5000mAh battery genuinely lasts through a full day, but the 720p resolution means text looks soft, the Dimensity 6020 has limits under load, and the dual-camera setup (50MP macro-assisted main, 8MP selfie) produces adequately sharp but featureless shots—fine for social media, not for serious photography.
Design & Build
The TCL 40 X 5G is a straightforward slab: 164.5 × 75.4 × 9 mm and 192 grams. At 9 mm thick and under 200 grams, it feels compact and pocketable for a phone with a 6.6-inch screen, and the weight distribution is balanced. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is conveniently placed. Build materials are not specified in the provided data, so assume standard polycarbonate at this price. The industrial design is clean but bland; there is nothing here that would impress on a shelf, but nothing that feels cheap either—it is practical and forgettable, which suits a phone in this bracket.
Display
Here is where the TCL compromises show. The 6.6-inch LCD is bright at 500 nits and the 90Hz refresh is a genuine upgrade that makes scrolling visibly smoother than a 60Hz phone. However, the 720 × 1612 resolution on that screen size yields only 267 ppi density, and that matters every time you read a notification, a message, or anything smaller than a headline. Text looks fuzzy, icons soften at the edges, and photos feel slightly less crisp than they should. For watching videos or casual browsing, the screen is fine. For anyone who reads on their phone regularly, the 720p limitation will eventually annoy. Most rivals at this price have moved to 1080p or higher; TCL has not, and it shows.
Performance
The Mediatek Dimensity 6020 is a mainstream midrange chip: it does what is asked of it in daily use. Scrolling, messaging, social media, and light web browsing run without hiccups. Heavier tasks—installing multiple apps, playing demanding games, or keeping four or five apps open at once while switching between them—reveal the limits. Performance drops, not catastrophically, but noticeably. The 6GB RAM helps, but is not a cure-all. This phone is not made for people who multitask aggressively or expect console-quality gaming. It is honest work at a realistic speed for the price; expect it to handle your basic needs without surprises, but do not expect it to shrug off sustained load.
Software
Android 13 and TCL UI ship together. TCL's overlay is light and does not add bloat in the way some manufacturers do, though it does impose defaults you may need to change. Updates are a question mark—TCL's track record with long-term support is patchy, and a phone released in late 2023 should be expected to receive at least one or two major OS updates, but you should not count on it. Security patches will likely taper off quickly. If clean Android is important to you, this is not the phone; if you are pragmatic about stock Android, it is livable.
Camera
The rear is a 50MP wide-angle (f/1.8, PDAF) paired with a 2MP macro lens, and the front is an 8MP selfie camera. On paper, the 50MP sounds decent, but the sensor is small (1/2.76") and pixel-binned heavily, meaning real-world sharpness is closer to 12MP. Photos in good light are sharp and color-accurate, with decent dynamic range thanks to HDR. In low light, the wide aperture helps, but noise creeps in faster than it would on a larger sensor. The macro lens is a gimmick—2MP is barely useful, and close-focus shots look like blurry details. The 8MP selfie is adequate for video calls and casual snaps, unremarkable otherwise. Video is capped at 1080p@30fps, which is workable but feels dated against phones that now shoot 4K. This is not a camera-first phone; it shoots competent social media content and nothing beyond.
Battery & Charging
The 5000mAh battery is this phone's best feature. In realistic moderate use—browsing, messaging, some video—expect a full day without needing the charger. Heavy use will drain it by evening, but even then, one full day is credible. The missing detail is charging speed. The spec sheet says 'USB Power Delivery' but omits the wattage, and the USB 2.0 port suggests it is modest, likely in the 15W–20W range. That means a 5000mAh battery will take 2–3 hours to charge fully, which is slow by current standards. Many rivals now offer 30W or 65W at this price, so if you rely on quick top-ups, this will frustrate you.
Value & Verdict
At about 250 EUR, the TCL 40 X 5G is inexpensive by European standards, though for that price you should consider what you are getting and what you are not. The large battery and decent screen brightness are real strengths for someone who spends hours away from a charger and wants to watch video or read. The 90Hz refresh feels like a luxury at this price. But 720p on a 6.6-inch panel is a persistent annoyance, the camera is plain, and performance hiccups under load will remind you of the cost. The Dimensity 6020 is fine for 2023, but no longer cutting edge. If you prioritize screen size, long battery life, and do not demand fast performance or camera quality, this phone works. If you value crisp text, smooth gaming, or quick charging, you should look at alternatives—perhaps a previous-generation flagship or a newer budget phone with 1080p resolution.
Verdict
The TCL 40 X 5G suits someone who spends the day away from a charger and values a large, bright screen for video and browsing over raw speed or camera sharpness. Anyone bothered by soft text on a 6.6-inch 720p display or frustrated by sluggish performance under load should look elsewhere, as should people who want quick charging or serious photo capture."
- Large 6.6" display with 90Hz refresh and 500 nits brightness makes everyday scrolling fluid and readable in bright conditions, a step above the 60Hz LCDs still common in this price band
- 5000mAh battery comfortably sustains a full day of moderate use without frequent top-ups, a real advantage for people who don't have access to charging throughout the day
- Dual SIM and NFC support, plus 5G connectivity across multiple bands, offer practical flexibility that rivals often omit at this price
- 256GB storage and 6GB RAM avoid the common budget trap of cramped 64GB or 4GB variants
- 720p resolution on a 6.6" screen means text and icons look noticeably pixelated at normal reading distance, a frustration that 90Hz refresh cannot fix
- Dimensity 6020 and 6GB RAM handle daily tasks fine but show strain under heavy gaming or sustained multitasking; no dramatic lag, but noticeable slowdown when juggling multiple apps
- No charging wattage specified in the spec sheet, and USB 2.0 connectivity suggests slow file transfers; the silence on charging speed is itself telling for a 5000mAh battery in an era when rivals offer 30W or more at this price
TCL 40 X 5G Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2023, August 29 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.6 inches, 104.6 cm2 (~84.4% screen-to-body ratio), LCD, 90Hz, 500 nits |
| Resolution | 720 x 1612 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~267 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 6020 (7 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 256GB 6GB RAM |
| Main camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF 2 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens |
| Selfie camera | 8 MP, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Charging | USB Power Delivery |
| Software | Android 13, TCL UI |
| Dimensions | 164.5 x 75.4 x 9 mm (6.48 x 2.97 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 192 g (6.77 oz) |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| NFC | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 |
TCL 40 X 5G FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the 40 X 5G support 5G?
Yes. The 40 X 5G supports 5G networks.
What chipset does the 40 X 5G use?
The 40 X 5G runs on the Mediatek Dimensity 6020 (7 nm).
What display does the 40 X 5G have?
A 6.6 inches, 104.6 cm2 (~84.4% screen-to-body ratio) LCD, 90Hz, 500 nits, 720 x 1612 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~267 ppi density).
How big is the 40 X 5G battery?
The 40 X 5G has a 5000 mAh battery. Charging is rated at USB Power Delivery.
Does the 40 X 5G have NFC?
Yes, the 40 X 5G has NFC.
Does the 40 X 5G support a microSD card?
Yes, the 40 X 5G supports expandable storage (microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)).
Alternatives to consider
If the 40 X 5G isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
40 NxtPaper 5G
40 XL
50 Pro NXTpaper 5G
50 NXTpaper 5G
Galaxy A06
