TCL 40 SE

Build Quality

The TCL 40 SE, launched on April 4, 2023, features a plastic build with dimensions of 167.9mm in height, 76.5mm in width, and 8.5mm in depth. It weighs 190 grams. The phone incorporates a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometric security. The design includes a water drop notch on the display. The device is available in Dark Grey and Twilight Purple colors. While not explicitly stated to have specific scratch resistance, the screen has 2.5D curved glass.

Screen Quality

The TCL 40 SE sports a 6.75-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 260 ppi. The screen operates at a 90Hz refresh rate, offering smoother scrolling and animations compared to standard 60Hz panels. The typical brightness is rated at 450 nits, and the peak brightness reaches 900 nits. The display has a contrast ratio of 1500:1 and provides a 20:9 aspect ratio. It also includes features like TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification, DCI-P3 color gamut support, capacitive multi-touch and is frameless. HDR support is absent from this display.

Camera Performance

The rear camera setup of the TCL 40 SE consists of a triple-camera array: a 50MP main sensor with an f/1.85 aperture and 0.70µm pixel size, a 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture and 1.75µm pixel size, and a 2MP macro lens with an f/2.4 aperture and 1.75µm pixel size. The rear camera system includes features like autofocus, touch focus, phase detection autofocus (PDAF), digital zoom, panorama, HDR, face detection and various shooting modes. The main camera lacks optical image stabilization and slow motion video capture capabilities. The front-facing selfie camera has an 8MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. The video recording capabilities for both front and rear cameras are limited to 1080p at 30fps.

Software Experience

The TCL 40 SE runs on Android 13, without any information regarding potential future OS updates. The phone’s user interface is provided by TCL. The experience is standard Android with additions from the manufacturer.

Battery Performance

The device is powered by a 5010mAh Li-Polymer battery. It supports 18W fast charging. The battery is non-removable and does not offer wireless charging capabilities. The battery capacity suggests a decent battery life for daily use, although heavy usage and gaming may drain the battery faster.

Hardware and Performance

The TCL 40 SE is powered by the MediaTek MT6765 Helio G37 (12 nm) chipset. This Octa-core processor consists of 4x2.3 GHz Cortex-A53 cores and 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 cores, paired with a PowerVR GE8320 GPU. The device comes in different RAM configurations: 4GB and 6GB, coupled with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. The device includes various sensors such as fingerprint, proximity, light sensor, accelerometer and gravity. AnTuTu benchmark score for the device is approximately 160,000 (v10). There is no SD card slot available. The phone features stereo speakers but lacks a notification LED.

Connectivity

The TCL 40 SE offers a variety of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with dual-band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, and Wi-Fi Display. It supports Bluetooth 5.1 with A2DP, EDR, and LE. For location services, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo are included. The device supports Dual SIM (Nano SIM + Nano SIM) dual standby functionality. It provides USB Type-C 2.0 connectivity and supports USB OTG. The device supports 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G network bands.

Value for Money

The TCL 40 SE is positioned in the low price range. The 6GB/256GB variant is priced around $91-93 USD. Given its specifications and features, including a 90Hz display, a 50MP main camera, and a large battery, the TCL 40 SE offers considerable value within the entry-level market. Its strengths lie in its display, battery life and price point, while areas such as camera performance, processor power, and lack of an SD card slot are where it compromises.