The TCL 50 XL Is The Cheapest 5G Metro Phone You Can Buy

Human instinct since the days of our ancestors has made us seek out internet that is as fast as possible. Unfortunately for our ancestors, there was no 5G back then, but there's 5G now, and you can notice the perks of faster internet and lower latency when gaming, streaming movies, or even just browsing the web.

If you're buying a phone in the US in 2024, there's no excuse not to get a 5G model. If you're using Metro by T-Mobile as your carrier, you might be interested in hearing about a new addition to its fleet. It's the TCL 50 XL, and it's the cheapest device they have that offers 5G.

Under Metro, The TCL 50 XL Is Big, Affordable, And 5G Ready

Metro By T-Mobile is T-Mobile's budget sub-brand, and part of its value is offering options to customers that are affordable and yet still high quality. Like most US carriers, Metro offers phones that are locked to its network, and this can usually come with a lot of savings for consumers.

TCL, the parent company of Alcatel, specializes in low-cost phones, and now that one of their recently announced devices, the TCL 50 XL can be bought from Metro by T-Mobile, you just know that affordability is key. In fact, this smartphone is the cheapest 5G smartphone you can get from Metro, at just $159.99.

What makes things even better is the fact that you can technically get this device for $0 and walk out the door with it. Yes, I know that sounds shocking, but considering all Metro wants from you is to register a new number with them or port your existing number over to its network, it's hard to say no to such a sweet deal (and even if you do say no, the full price is still ridiculously cheap).

What Are The Specs Of The TCL 50 XL?

The TCL 50 XL is offered by Metro at a price point that counts as budget, but its specifications are surprisingly impressive for where it stands price-wise.

I'm a big fan of the design, with the price point in full consideration. The bezels are very slim, except for the chin which is a little thicker. The phone has a flat, textured plastic back panel with a large circular camera module that's offset to the left. It also has a flat frame, so it looks rather modern.

The screen is a huge 6.78-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with a max refresh rate of 120Hz and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. Inside is Android 14 running on an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ processor, paired with a 6GB/128GB storage configuration, but if that's not enough space, you can add up to 2TB of storage with a microSD card. There's also a sizable 5,010 mAh cell and an 18W fast charger included in the box.

The phone supports 5G, as expected, but you will also get Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C, a headphone jack, and NFC support. So this device really covers almost all bases. There are three cameras on the back: a 50MP main/macro sensor, with a 2MP depth and 2MP ultrawide sensor. A 2MP ultrawide sounds pointless, but again, there's little I can criticize considering the price. The selfie camera is 8MP.