{"id":357622,"date":"2021-10-25T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2021-10-25T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T13:00:00","slug":"its-amateur-hour-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#It\u2019s Amateur Hour \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3e70bdeaafd\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3e70bdeaafd\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#Heres_What_We_Like\" >Here&#8217;s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#And_What_We_Dont\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#Specs\" >Specs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#First_Impressions_Aint_Everything\" >First Impressions Ain\u2019t Everything<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#Cinematic_Display_Not-So-Cinematic_Experience\" >Cinematic Display, Not-So-Cinematic Experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#Why_Four_Cameras_Why_Who_Needs_This\" >Why Four Cameras? Why? Who Needs This?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#The_Gist_A_Phone_That_Lacks_Focus\" >The Gist: A Phone That Lacks Focus<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#Heres_What_We_Like-2\" >Here\u2019s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/its-amateur-hour-review-geek\/#And_What_We_Dont-2\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#It\u2019s Amateur Hour \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<div class=\"single-review-card\">\n<div class=\"review-card-heading\">\n<div class=\"rating\">Rating:<br \/>\n<strong>4\/10<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"more-info-hover\">?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"rating-info\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage<\/li>\n<li>2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage<\/li>\n<li>3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design<\/li>\n<li>4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons<\/li>\n<li>5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect<\/li>\n<li>6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale<\/li>\n<li>7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class<\/li>\n<li>8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some Footnotes<\/li>\n<li>9 &#8211; Shut Up And Take My Money<\/li>\n<li>10 &#8211; Absolute Design Nirvana<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<p>Price: <strong>530<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage  wp-image-100158 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ef8bb6be.png?width=400 400w, https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ef8bb6be.png?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ef8bb6be.png?width=1200\" alt=\"The back of the TCL 20 Pro 5G. It has a nice fingerprint-resistant finish.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Andrew Heinzman\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When I first set out to review the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TCL-Unlocked-Smartphone-Wireless-Cellphone\/dp\/B09728VTDK?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TCL 20 Pro 5G<\/a>, I assumed that it would be a very entertainment-oriented device. After all, manufacturers can\u2019t put <em>everything<\/em> in a $530 phone, and the TCL 20 Pro 5G\u2019s biggest feature is its 20:9 curved AMOLED display. But I\u2019m a bit dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ointed by the 20 Pro 5G. Its strengths are overshadowed by trendy nonsense, making it a hard sell when compared to devices like the $450 Pixel 5a.<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-card-body-inline\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like\"><\/span>Here&#8217;s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Sleek, wonderful design<\/li>\n<li>Fancy display<\/li>\n<li>Haptic feedback is really impressive<\/li>\n<li>Consistent camera performance<\/li>\n<li>Good selfie camera<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>60Hz display<\/li>\n<li>Mono speakers<\/li>\n<li>Only 2 years of guaranteed updates<\/li>\n<li>Limited carrier support<\/li>\n<li>No water-resistance rating<\/li>\n<li>All photos come out a little blurry<\/li>\n<li>Lack of direction or focus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In fact, I think that the TCL 20 Pro 5G is a bad deal when compared to two of TCL\u2019s new budget phones, the $190 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TCL-Cellphone-Smartphone-Quad-Camera-Octa-Core\/dp\/B0949744D3?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TCL 20 SE<\/a> and $250 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TCL-Unlocked-Android-Smartphone-Charging\/dp\/B095PGG2NB?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TCL 20S<\/a>. So, let\u2019s talk about it.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_note\"><p><strong>Note:<\/strong> The TCL 20 Pro 5G has very limited carrier support. It only supports T-Mobile 5G, and it doesn\u2019t work on Verizon at all. I wouldn\u2019t suggest buying it unless you\u2019re a T-Mobile or Metro customer. Also, TCL only promises two years of security updates for this device, which really isn\u2019t enough.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">Specs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: 6.67-inch 20:9 FHD+ curved AMOLED Dotch Display<\/li>\n<li><strong>Processor<\/strong>: Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 6GB<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: 256GB<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cameras<\/strong>: 48MP Sony OIS main camera (HDR, 4K\/30FPS support), 16MP ultra wide-angle camera, 5MP macro camera, 2MP depth camera<\/li>\n<li><strong>Selfie Camera<\/strong>: 32MP (HDR, 4K\/30FPS support)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ports and Such<\/strong>: USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, IR blaster<\/li>\n<li><strong>Battery<\/strong>: 4500mAh<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wireless Charging<\/strong>: Yes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fingerprint Sensor<\/strong>: Yes, under-display<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connectivity<\/strong>: Wi-Fi 802.11 a\/b\/g\/n\/ac, Bluetooth 5.1<\/li>\n<li><strong>Android Version<\/strong>: Android 11<\/li>\n<li><strong>Price<\/strong>: $530<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_Impressions_Aint_Everything\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_1\">First Impressions Ain\u2019t Everything<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A lot of phones come my way, but I still rock the Samsung Galaxy S9+ that I bought years ago. One of the main things that have kept me from upgrading, aside from being a cheapskate, is that I hate the giant camera humps on new phones. So when I unboxed the TCL 20 Pro 5G, I was shocked to see that it doesn\u2019t have a big camera bump\u2014it\u2019s smooth as a baby, and man, wouldn\u2019t it be cool if more phones looked like this?<\/p>\n<p>The TCL 20 Pro 5G makes a really good first impression. Its glass back has this satin texture that doesn\u2019t hold onto fingerprints, the buttons are super solid, and the display has a very shallow curve that makes its side bezels look trim and neat. There\u2019s also a headphone jack, a thin speaker grille, <em>SHOCKINGLY<\/em> good haptic feedback, and a speedy under-display fingerprint reader (although I prefer the physical fingerprint sensors used in TCL\u2019s cheaper phones).<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-100157 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9eb9cd58-1.png\" alt=\"The TCL 20 Pro 5G's screen, it's not bright enough!\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Andrew Heinzman\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Performance with the Snapdragon 750G is right where you\u2019d expect, even while playing demanding titles like <em>Call of Duty<\/em>\u00a0and TCL\u2019s custom software rocks. I love the private app drawers and built-in launcher, they\u2019re great.<\/p>\n<p>I can even overlook the 20 Pro 5G\u2019s bloatware (Facebook, Netflix, Booking.com, Modern Combat Rebel Guns, Microsoft News, and more) because the phone\u2019s exclusive apps rock. There\u2019s a remote control app that takes advantage of the phone\u2019s IR blaster, a cool compass tool, a good calculator, and a radio app! I just wish I could uninstall some of these TCL-made apps, though the company lets you delete third-party bloatware like Facebook and Microsoft News.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, I think that TCL went a little overboard trying to make a good first impression. The lack of a camera bump on a quad-camera device, for example, is actually a very bad sign (more on that in a bit). And some of the phone\u2019s flashy features, like the under-display fingerprint reader and IR blaster, just feel like a waste of resources when you start to think about the 20 Pro 5G\u2019s most important feature; its cinematic display.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cinematic_Display_Not-So-Cinematic_Experience\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">Cinematic Display, Not-So-Cinematic Experience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-100155 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/8266e4bf-1.png\" alt=\"The TCL 20 Pro 5G on Twitter.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Andrew Heinzman\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A brighter display would be nice. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>TCL is one of the world\u2019s best TV manufacturers, and as such, the 20 Pro 5G\u2019s big selling point is its fancy display. It\u2019s a 20:9 FHD+ AMOLED panel with impressive color accuracy and contrast\u2014the perfect medium for movies and games. TCL even shoved its <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/leeshiuanhung.medium.com\/tcl-nxtvision-is-a-next-level-visual-technology-8c583ed995b1\">NXTVISION TV technology<\/a> in the 20 Pro 5G to automatically upscale content, adjust image quality, and simulate HDR.<\/p>\n<p>If I were building a $530 phone with these specs, I\u2019d go all-in on the entertainment aspect. But TCL made a lot of poor, misguided decisions on this front. The mediocre mono speakers are my biggest issue, but I\u2019m also confused by the slow 60Hz display. Also, the screen caps out at 700 nits. I wouldn\u2019t call 700 nits dim, but if the display\u2019s the selling point here, it should be brighter.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-100151 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/4a47a0db-1.png\" alt=\"The TCL 20 Pro 5G playing Shrek\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Andrew Heinzman\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And while it\u2019s neat to see TCL integrate its NXTVISION TV software in a phone, NXTVISION does very little to improve picture quality on such a small display. It also causes the screen to flash sometimes when opening apps\u2014funny enough, this is the only way that I can tell when NXTVISION is turned on. Also, I have a feeling that NXTVISION eats at the 20 Pro 5G\u2019s battery, which barely lasts a full day during regular use (and it should last a lot longer, it has a 4500mAh capacity).<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t understand how TCL made such obvious mistakes on this front. Again, my only explanation is that the company is trying to reel in customers by making a good first impression. That means sacrificing useful features for fluff, like a fancy-looking camera array.<\/p>\n<p>And to be honest, this is part of why I think that the $250 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TCL-Unlocked-Android-Smartphone-Charging\/dp\/B095PGG2NB?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TCL 20S<\/a> is a better option than the TCL 20 Pro 5G. Their displays are nearly identical\u2014the cheaper TCL 20S just doesn\u2019t have a curved screen and costs half the price of the Pro model.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Four_Cameras_Why_Who_Needs_This\"><\/span>Why Four Cameras? Why? Who Needs This?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-100153 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/10fb15c7-1.png\" alt=\"The TCL 20 Pro 5G on a wooden bench.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Andrew Heinzman\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Of all the phone trends that have cropped up over the years, multi-lens camera arrays may be the most frustrating. Yeah, the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices are covered in high-quality cameras that shoot crazy good photos, but those phones cost over $1,000. Shoving the same high-quality lenses and computational photography software in a $530 device is impossible.<\/p>\n<p>This is something we\u2019ve seen <em>repeatedly<\/em> in mid-range devices from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/59834\/oneplus-nord-n10-5g-review-an-accessible-powerful-5g-phone\/\">OnePlus, ZTE, Blu, and now TCL. Mid-range phones with a ton of cameras usually shoot mediocre (or crappy) photos, while similarly priced devices with just one or two lenses (iPhone SE, Pixel A-series phones, etc.) blow away the competition.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m happy to say that the TCL 20 Pro 5G\u2019s cameras are very consistent, unlike some other devices I\u2019ve tested. But photo quality is just mediocre, and every photo I shot came out at least a little bit blurry. A camera bump to accommodate larger hardware could have pushed the photo quality a bit further, though I think TCL should\u2019ve scaled back and focused on just one or two lenses instead of trying to keep up with trends.<\/p>\n<p>I found that the TCL 20 Pro 5G\u2019s cameras work <em>okay<\/em> in low-light environments and produce acceptable photos in outdoor lighting. Over-processing is definitely a problem here, but because 20 Pro 5G\u2019s camera performance is pretty consistent and predictable, I\u2019ve gained a pretty good feel for when photos will come out with too much saturation or sharpening. (Anything shot with the macro setting looks terrifying, though.)<\/p>\n<p>And oddly enough, the selfie camera is a sleeper. It\u2019s not amazing, but it\u2019s better than I expected. Selfies come out with good detail and contrast, and they rarely look over-sharpened. It\u2019s a shame that I can\u2019t just move the selfie camera to the back of the phone, where it would be more useful. (That\u2019s a joke \u2026 kind of.)<\/p>\n<p>In the future, I hope that TCL ignores today\u2019s camera trends and focuses on building just one or two good lenses. Doing so could greatly improve the photo quality of their phones and free up the manufacturing budget for things that are achievable and useful, like a high refresh rate display.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Gist_A_Phone_That_Lacks_Focus\"><\/span>The Gist: A Phone That Lacks Focus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-100152 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/fb5c81ed-1.png\" alt=\"The TCL 20 Pro 5G on a table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Andrew Heinzman\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>TCL\u2019s 20 Pro 5G makes a good first impression at the expense of useful features. A stronger focus on the phone\u2019s cinematic qualities would have made it a unique, stand-out device. Unfortunately, it\u2019s just a mediocre phone that costs more than some very good alternatives, such as the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/95243\/pixel-5a-review-the-best-a-series-phone-yet\/\">Pixel 5a, the iPhone SE, and TCL\u2019s own budget devices\u2014the $190 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TCL-Cellphone-Smartphone-Quad-Camera-Octa-Core\/dp\/B0949744D3?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TCL 20 SE<\/a> and $250 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TCL-Unlocked-Android-Smartphone-Charging\/dp\/B095PGG2NB?tag=reviewgeek-20\">TCL 20S<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Even TCL\u2019s marketing feels misguided to me; the 20 Pro 5G\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tcl.com\/co\/en\/mobile\/tcl-20pro5g\/landing.html\">product page<\/a> uses a ton of hiking and camping imagery, and TCL sent me the phone in a North Face backpack full of inspiring outdoorsy pamphlets. (Maybe that\u2019s the problem, I haven\u2019t taken the TCL 20 Pro 5G camping. But why would I when it doesn\u2019t have water or dust-resistance certification?)<\/p>\n<p>So, here\u2019s my pitch to TCL\u2014make a phone that focuses on a cinematic experience to capitalize on your brand. You could even say that it\u2019s a \u201cpocket-sized TV from the world\u2019s best TV manufacturer.\u201d I\u2019d pay $530 for that! But you shouldn\u2019t pay $530 for this.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single-review-card border\">\n<div class=\"review-card-body\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like-2\"><\/span>Here\u2019s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Sleek, wonderful design<\/li>\n<li>Fancy display<\/li>\n<li>Haptic feedback is really impressive<\/li>\n<li>Consistent camera performance<\/li>\n<li>Good selfie camera<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont-2\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>60Hz display<\/li>\n<li>Mono speakers<\/li>\n<li>Only 2 years of guaranteed updates<\/li>\n<li>Limited carrier support<\/li>\n<li>No water-resistance rating<\/li>\n<li>All photos come out a little blurry<\/li>\n<li>Lack of direction or focus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/94309\/tcl-20-pro-5g-review-its-amateur-hour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#It\u2019s Amateur Hour \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Rating: 4\/10 ? 1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage 2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage 3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design 4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons 5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect 6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale 7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class 8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some Footnotes&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":357623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ef8bb6be.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-357622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357622"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357622\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}