TCL 50 SE

The TCL 50 SE is a budget Android phone from TCL with a large 6.78-inch screen, a 5,010 mAh battery and a 50MP main camera. It belongs to the 50 Series, and TCL promotes it with the line "6.78 inch FHD+ 90Hz NXTVISION Display". This page is a specification-and-information review based on the published specifications and manufacturer information. All battery, display and performance statements below are the manufacturer's claims, not measurements made here. TCL's page does not state an official on-sale date, so the date used on this site is the approximate announcement period of November 2024 and should not be read as exact. The sections below cover the place in the lineup, design and display, performance and memory, cameras, battery and charging, connectivity, who it is for and the compromises.

Place in the lineup

TCL sells phones in several families. The NXTPAPER models use a paper-like display technology, while the regular numbered series, such as the 50 Series, uses the NXTVISION label for conventional colour screens. The 50 SE is the value model of the 50 Series: it has a bigger and sharper screen than the sibling 505 on the same page, which uses a 6.75-inch HD+ panel, but it stays on a 4G-only platform. In TCL's global listing the headline specifications are 256GB of storage and 6GB plus 6GB of RAM, though the footnotes say that 128GB or 256GB of storage and 4GB or 6GB of RAM vary by model and region. If you want TCL's paper-like screen technology, see the TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER, and for another TCL value phone look at the TCL 60 SE. Another affordable competitor is the Infinix Smart 9, which is simpler and uses a different chip. No official launch price appears on the page, so this review gives none.

Design and display

The phone measures 168.16 x 75.53 x 8.09 mm and weighs 195 g, a manageable size for a 6.78-inch display. The side keys are the power button and volume rocker, and the fingerprint reader is built into the side. The official renders show a Midnight Blue back with a glossy gradient, and a two-ring camera module in the top left that holds the main lens and the depth lens, with a flash alongside. A second colour, Space Grey, is listed as a plain, classic finish. In the lifestyle pictures, the Space Grey version looks black with a glossy rear panel.

The screen is the headline feature. The spec sheet gives a 6.78-inch panel with FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels, a pixel density of 396 PPI and a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. TCL quotes a typical brightness of 450 nits, a contrast ratio of 1500:1 and a colour gamut of 96% NTSC, with a screen-to-body ratio of 91% by one method and 87% by another. The refresh rate is 90Hz, but a footnote explains that it may vary between apps and games, so it is not a fixed 90Hz at all times. The display carries TCL's "less blue light" feature for comfort. A 450-nit typical brightness is acceptable for indoor use, but it may be limited in strong sunlight, as with most phones at this price. A 90Hz refresh rate makes scrolling smoother than a 60Hz panel, and a full-HD resolution is sharper than the HD+ screens often found on cheaper phones.

Performance, memory and software

TCL's text on the global page does not name the processor. The spec sheet lists an octa-core CPU with two Cortex-A75 cores at 2.0 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8 GHz, with a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU. One of the official feature images on the page names a MediaTek Helio G88 chip, and that name is consistent with the core layout listed, so this review uses it while noting that it comes from an image and not from the specification table. This is an entry-level chip: it is fine for messaging, social media, video and casual games, but it is not built for demanding 3D titles. TCL also lists a visual-enhancement feature that sharpens video and gaming without extra battery use, a claim that is difficult to test.

Memory comes in 4GB and 6GB RAM variants, each of which can be extended by the same amount with virtual RAM taken from storage, so the 6GB model is marketed as 12GB in total. Virtual RAM is not as fast as physical memory, so this review considers the physical figure the real one. Storage is 128GB or 256GB, with about 102GB or 230GB available after pre-installed software according to the sheet, and a microSD card of up to 2TB can be added; the card is sold separately. TCL says the 256GB model can store up to 110 movies. The software is Android 14 at shipping, with an Android 15 update planned, and security updates are promised until December 2026 on a quarterly schedule. That is a shorter support window than larger brands offer, which is worth noting for buyers who keep phones for years.

Cameras

The rear system has a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera. The main sensor is described with phase-detection autofocus, a 1/2.76-inch sensor size, 0.64 micrometre pixels, an f/1.8 aperture, a 74.2-degree field of view and a five-element lens. TCL calls it a "hybrid camera", with a main and macro function combined in one sensor. The depth camera is a 2MP fixed-focus unit with an f/2.4 aperture, whose job is to help with background blur in portraits rather than to take photos on its own. No ultrawide camera is listed. The camera software offers bokeh, HDR, panorama, AI scene detection, face detection, night mode, steady snap and face beautification. Video recording and playback are listed at 1080p and 30fps, so there is no 4K recording.

The front camera is 8MP with an f/2.0 aperture and a 77.7-degree field of view. TCL highlights AI beauty and automatic capture features on its page. A 50MP sensor of this size will produce acceptable daylight photos, and the pixel-binning approach often used at this resolution helps in low light, though the page does not describe how binning is used. Image quality in dim scenes will be limited, as with any budget phone.

Battery, charging and connectivity

The battery is rated at 5,010 mAh (typical). TCL claims up to two days of use on a single charge, based on its own internal lab tests, and warns that real life depends on network strength and app usage. Charging runs at 33W through USB-C, with a 50% charge in 30 minutes and a full charge in about 100 minutes, again from internal tests. A 33W charger is included in the box, together with a USB-C cable, a screen sticker, a quick guide and a SIM pin. Charging at this speed is not common at the lowest price levels, and it is one of the phone's practical advantages.

The phone is a 4G model: the sheet lists LTE with a Category 4 download speed of 150 Mbit/s, plus 3G and 2G fallback, with no 5G listed. Wi-Fi is 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac on 2.4 and 5GHz, Bluetooth is version 5.1, and NFC is supported. A 3.5mm audio jack is included, and two speakers with 3D Boom Sound and DTS processing handle audio. Positioning covers GPS, Glonass, Galileo and BDS. SIM arrangements depend on the variant: a dual-SIM model has two nano SIMs plus a microSD card, while a single-SIM model has one nano SIM plus the card. For unlocking, the phone offers face unlock and the side fingerprint sensor.

Who it is for

• Buyers who want a large, sharp screen and a 90Hz refresh rate on a small budget.
• People who value fast 33W charging, NFC and a headphone jack in an affordable phone.
• Users who need microSD expansion for photos, music and video.
• Everyday users who do not need 5G or high-end gaming performance.

Compromises

• No 5G, with 4G LTE Category 4 speeds.
• An entry-level chip that will struggle with demanding games.
• Only 1080p video recording and no ultrawide camera.
• A 2MP depth camera of limited use, and modest low-light photo quality.
• Security updates promised only until December 2026.
• Specifications vary by region, and some details such as the chip name appear only in imagery.

In short, the TCL 50 SE is a sensible budget phone for people who care most about screen size, battery and charging speed. It does not aim to compete on performance or cameras. To see how it measures up against a more capable phone, read the comparison with the Galaxy A56, or browse all devices on the rankings page.