TCL's 20 5G gives us another affordable 5G smartphone to pick from

TCL is kicking off its 2021 in smartphones with a pair of new affordable handsets: the TCL 20 5G and the TCL 20 SE.

The TCL 20 5G (pictured above) is the more interesting of the pair, and while local pricing has yet to be confirmed, a spokesperson told us it should cost under $600 when it launches in Australia in the first quarter of the year. This would make it a member of the affordable 5G smartphone club, which doesn't have too many other members yet. 

The cheapest 5G smartphone we've seen in Australia to date is the Moto G 5G Plus, available for $499 outright. There's also OPPO's Reno4 Z 5G, at $599 outright. Otherwise, you typically need to spend at least $699 to get a 5G handset, which is still admittedly a pleasant change from the early $1,500+ 5G price-tags.

Of course, 5G in itself isn't a reason to buy a new smartphone. Fortunately the TCL 20 5G's other specifications seem pretty respectable for the money. These include a 6.67-inch 1080p+ display, a Snapdragon 690 5G processor, at least 128GB of expandable storage, 6GB of RAM, and a 4,500mAh battery. The camera setup consists of a 48MP primary lens, 8MP ultra-wide lens, and 2MP macro lens.

On the other hand, the TCL 20 SE (pictured above) is a bit more of a conventional budget smartphone. Despite cribbing the acronym from Apple's smallest screen phone, the TCL 20 SE features a rather large 6.82-inch display, paired with a 5,000mAh battery.

Other key specifications include a Snapdragon 460 processor, 64GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, and a 5,000mAh battery. On the back you'll find a 16MP primary lens, a 5MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP depth lens, and 2MP macro lens.

A TCL spokesperson told us they expect the phone to cost less than $400 when it launches in Australia. As with the TCL 20 5G, it should be available in the first quarter of the year. Both phones will be available outright, but neither are expected to be ranged by local telcos.

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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