TCL Series Camera Comparison
Featured in this article

TCL 20 Pro 5G, Night mode. This $500 camera does a respectable job capturing photos at night or in low light. The image is sharp, it's decently detailed, and it's not very grainy. But look at the following photo and you'll see the Pixel 4A 5G ($500) fares better.

Google Pixel 4A 5G, Night mode. The Pixel image is brighter overall, captures so much more detail, and retains some color too. It's just so much nicer than the TCL photo.

TCL 20 Pro 5G, main camera. The main 48-megapixel camera does a pretty great job during the day. There's a nice natural blur effect here separating the corndogs from the background, and they're pretty sharp\!

TCL 20 Pro 5G, Night mode. Considering the limited amount of light here, this is a pretty good photo. Parts of the background are a little too dim, but the parts that are more important are detailed and colorful. Sure, it's a bit oversaturated, but sometimes that works.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu01TCL 20 Pro 5G, Night mode. This $500 camera does a respectable job capturing photos at night or in low light. The image is sharp, it's decently detailed, and it's not very grainy. But look at the following photo and you'll see the Pixel 4A 5G ($500) fares better.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu02Google Pixel 4A 5G, Night mode. The Pixel image is brighter overall, captures so much more detail, and retains some color too. It's just so much nicer than the TCL photo.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu03TCL 20 Pro 5G, main camera. The main 48-megapixel camera does a pretty great job during the day. There's a nice natural blur effect here separating the corndogs from the background, and they're pretty sharp\!
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu04TCL 20 Pro 5G, Night mode. Considering the limited amount of light here, this is a pretty good photo. Parts of the background are a little too dim, but the parts that are more important are detailed and colorful. Sure, it's a bit oversaturated, but sometimes that works.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu05TCL 20 Pro 5G, main camera. This phone loves to strip out shadows, and that can be a problem in images like this. There's too little contrast, so everything looks a bit flat. You can tweak this when editing the photo, but it just shouldn't be squashing shadows this much.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu06TCL 20 Pro 5G, ultrawide camera. The ultrawide is best used when you have lots of light around you. The detail here is OK, as are the colors. But if I took this at night, the quality would be quite poor.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu07TCL 20S, main camera. The TCL 20S ($250) can hold its own during the day with competitors like the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (see the next photo). But you can see it oversaturates colors like the green on the trees, and shadows are banished from existence.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu08Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, main camera. This $280 Samsung phone isn't *as* sharp as the TCL, but it looks a whole lot more natural. The trees aren't too green, for example. Samsung usually squashes shadows too, but nowhere near as much as the TCL.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu09TCL 20S, main camera. The colors are not very accurate here, and nothing is quite sharp, but it did a decent job of keeping the exposure relatively balanced.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu10TCL 20 SE, main camera. As you can see, with this $190 phone, you can snap some decent daytime shots (even on cloudy days). But I was standing very still. You'll regularly end up with blurry shots.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu11TCL 20 SE, main camera. This phone does not have a dedicated night mode, which captures multiple images and stitches them together for a brighter image. Without it, don't expect much in low light. Nothing here is in focus or sharp; it's just a giant blurry mess.
Comments
Back to topThe iPhone 18 Pro Is for the Shutterbugs
Fun camera features help make these candy bar iPhones stand out from the dazzle of the folding iPhone Duo.
Julian Chokkattu
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 FE Gets a Price Hike but Offers Nothing New
Samsung is resting on its laurels with the midrange S26 FE, with an unwelcome price bump and only a new processor to show for it.
Simon Hill
I Can’t Stop Rambling to My Pixel 11 Pro
Google’s new voice typing is pure magic, but subpar gaming performance and a useless rear LED keep these flagships from true greatness.
Julian Chokkattu
Google’s Pixel 11 Is Pretty in Pink, but a Minor Upgrade Otherwise
Incremental improvements fail to generate much excitement, but Google’s Pixel 11 is still an accomplished Android phone.
Simon Hill
This Bargain-Priced HD Projector Punches Above Its Weight
With the curtains closed and the power cable nearby, this affordable Full HD smart projector is a compact delight.
Chris Haslam
Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold Is Better, but Not the Best
A polished update to Google’s foldable brings real improvements, but the price bump and rampant competition make it a tough sell.
Simon Hill
Insta360’s New Camera Also Moonlights as a 5K Action Cam
Insta360’s latest 360-degree camera uses larger sensors for better low-light performance and has a smaller body.
Scott Gilbertson
Alienware’s Latest Ultrawide OLED Is Made for Gamers Who Want a Huge, Sharp Screen
Alienware’s latest gaming monitor explores a new size and resolution for ultrawide monitors, and I have a feeling PC gamers are going to love it.
Matthew S. Smith
This Asus ProArt Monitor Brings OLED to the Masses
I wouldn’t call it cheap, but this monitor from Asus brings proper HDR-capable video editing to creators who couldn’t previously afford an OLED display.
Luke Larsen
The Best Folding Phones
Ready to move on from the traditional glass slab? Introduce a hinge into your life with these folding smartphones.
Julian Chokkattu
The Easiest Ways to Share Anything Between Android and iOS
Transferring files and data across platforms is more straightforward than ever.
David Nield
The Best Monitors to Pair With Your Mac
Macs are fantastic computers, but you’ll need one of these great displays to complete your work-from-home setup.
Luke Larsen
Wired Coupons

Code promo Canon
10% Off Canon Promo Code + Up to 30% Off

Veriizon Promo Code
Best Verizon Smartphone Deals

AT&T Promo Code
AT&T Top Deals: Wireless, Internet, Bundles and More!

VistaPrint promo code
15% Off When You Buy Two With Vistaprint Coupon

Peacock Promo Code
Save With a Peacock Promo Code: 3 Months Free

Squarespace Promo Code
Squarespace Promo Code: 50% Off
Comments
Back to top