The affordable TCL Stylus 5G debuts with a 50MP camera and a Dimensity 700 under the hood

Motorola would rather be careful; there is a new budget pen in town

Via TCL

TCL has been rising in popularity lately and is ranked fourth in US smartphone market share behind Motorola and just ahead of Google and OnePlus. The manufacturer has found success with budget units in particular, and the latter is not about to change that formula anything. This week, the company announces its Stylus 5G, with a price ready to go head-to-head against the non-5G version of Motorola’s own budget-friendly G Stylus.

It’s nice enough to have several cheap stylus phones to choose from in general, but there are a few unexpected goodies here that help the TCL Stylus 5G stand out. The built-in stylus is more shaped like an architect’s pencil than what you get from Motorola or Samsung. It also comes preloaded with stylus-optimized apps like MyScript Calculator 2 and a version of Nebo that is exclusive to TCL.

Via TCL

As much fun as things like a unique stylus design and pre-installed apps worth $ 15 (hey, great users) you might actually be able to use, what about the hardware that drives this package? Fortunately, it does not look too shabby.

TCL Stylus 5G

Via TCL

The Stylus 5G costs almost $ 50 less than TCL’s most comparable device, the $ 300 30V 5G, but runs a Dimensity 700 as opposed to a Snapdragon 480. Both have 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 1080p displays and 5G connectivity. While the Stylus offers slightly less battery capacity, it has the benefit of shipping with Android 12.

Via TCL

Like other TCL phones, the Stylus 5G is designed to get only one new Android release as an down-road update, and only 2 years of security fixes. It’s disappointing in terms of the level of support Samsung and Google promise, but it’s certainly not unexpected for budget units in this class.

If you are interested in buying one, TCL Stylus 5G is available today at T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile.

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