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As part of your business operations, you likely have to share PDF files that contain important or confidential information and so would naturally want to prevent...

Announced back in January, TCL Communication’s new 10 series of phones make their retail debut on May 19. And while there are three models under the umbrella, the 5G-supported version isn’t here just yet.The TCL 10L and TCL 10 Pro arrive as unlocked phones that are compatible with a whole array of mobile service providers. Priced $250 and $450, respectively, they mark the first phones under the TCL brand.You might be familiar with the likes of Alcatel and Blackberry, both of which are/were brands under the TCL parent. You might also be familiar with TCL as a TV manufacturer; it is the second largest TV maker in the world.The 10L and 10 Pro are what happens when you know a thing or two about making affordable unlocked phones and then leverage your expertise in display technology.Our team was sent a review unit for each of the two phones and we’ve done our best to use them as much as possible over the last 7-10 days.Given the stay-at-home orders we’re not getting out in the real world as much as we normally would. As such, we weren’t able to take these with us on very many day trips or too many hours away. Nevertheless, we’re confident in our early impressions of the 10L and 10 Pro and are happy to put forth reviews of each.What follows is our review of the TCL 10 Pro. As an editorial note, some of what you’ll read here refers to the TCL 10L as it helps to compare and contrast.Given the two arrive at the same time and fall under the same series, you’d think they feature many of the same hardware specifications. That’s only partially the case.There’s more than enough different to justify the costs but not so much that they might as well be two different models. Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are mostly a case of larger screen and larger battery. TCL’s closely resemble on another, but there’s a lot more going on.TCL 10L Main FeaturesAndroid 10 w/ TCL UI6.53-inch LCD display (1080 x 2340 pixels)Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 (2GHz) processor6GB RAM/64GB storage48-megapixel, 8-megapixel, 2-megapixel, and 2-megapixel rear camera16-megapixel front-facing camera4,000mAh batteryFace Key (unlock), rear fingerprint reader3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5, microSD expansion card slot (up to 256GB)TCL 10 Pro Main FeaturesAndroid 10 w/ TCL UI6.47-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 (2GHz) processor6GB RAM/128GB storage64-megapixel, 16-megapixel, 2-megapixel, and 2-megapixel rear camera24-megapixel front-facing camera4,500mAh batteryFace Key (unlock), rear fingerprint reader3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5, microSD expansion card slot (up to 256GB)If bullet-point lists are your preferred way of comparing devices, you probably already see the differences justify the costs. But to be fair to the 10 Pro, that’s only part of it.Missing from the aforementioned specs are details like reverse charging capabilities in the 10 Pro. And while it technically has a smaller display, it is a curved AMOLED screen that draws the user in and also houses an in-display fingerprint reader. Then there’s a faster storage in UFS 2.1, a digital hybrid zoom, and Quick Charge 3.0.DesignThe TCL 10 Pro has a more premium build to it but that’s not to suggest that the 10L feels cheaply made. The rear of the 10L definitely picks up oils and fingerprints much easier than its counterpart.The 10 Pro has a metal frame with a matte texture finish to it whereas the 10L is more of a synthetic plastic material. Interestingly enough, the more expensive phone seems to slide or glide more effortlessly in hand.Save for their SIM card slots, the pair largely employ the same overall layout of buttons and ports. The right side of the screen has power and volume buttons while the left has a dedicated smart key. USB Type-C ports are at the bottom while a 3.5mm headphone jack is located at the top.The rear of the phones have a strip of camera sensors that run horizontally near the top. The 10L’s module juts out and is considerably pronounced while the 10 Pro is all but flush. The 10L houses a centered rear fingerprint reader that’s about 3/4 the way up the middle.The 10L looks nice and feels good in hand but it’s not overly remarkable. Contrast that with the 10 Pro and we see a more modern design that’s curved and fun to hold.All of this is a long way of saying that design-wise, the TCL 10 Pro punches above its weight.SoftwareThe TCL 10 Pro runs Android 10 and is expected to pick up at least one major software update as well as regular maintenance releases. The TCL UI looks a lot like stock Android, but it brings quite a few sensible extras to the table. And I kinda like it.One feature I came to appreciate early on is the Edge Bar, which is more or less quick access to your favorite apps/games/settings. I found it helpful for quickly pulling up Google Authenticator and password managers. There’s also a strip dedicated to contacts and one that has a built-in ruler in both centimeters and inches.While I don’t care for the default way of organizing apps in the drawer, you might like having them grouped by category. Other options include usage, date of installation, name, and even icon color.This is a TCL phone with a TCL display so there is plenty of emphasis on adjusting the visual settings. You can tweak screen colors, use a visual enhancement to tune contrast, sharpness, and saturation, and toggle a setting for outdoor reading. I invite you to find the right setting under the NXTVISION app as it’s entirely up to you as to what feels right… or natural.There are quite a few other settings you can adjust under the advanced features section, including the ability to clone apps for multiple simultaneous logins, driving mode settings, gestures, and how you interact with the phone. Do prefer the soft keys or do you want gestures and swipes? Play around with it.The same goes for the Smart Key setting. With single, double, and long-press options available, you can do all sorts of fun stuff like launching a selfie camera, take a note, clear notifications, and much more.Finally, one last thing noteworthy feature is the ability to connect up to four Bluetooth speakers at one time. Called “Super Bluetooth” it’s as cool as you’d hope.PerformanceDespite its flagship-like appearance, the TCL 10 Pro is more akin to a mid-range phone. Fortunately for us, a mid-range handset in 2020 is one hell of an experience.The display is bright, colorful, and looks excellent when viewing HDR content. As indicated above, some may like to dial down the color profile as it tends to be a smidge over-saturated. With that said, it’s generally impressive.The optical in-display fingerprint sensor is as reliable and accurate as I’ve seen in previous phones and wakes the phone up quickly. Every so often you might have to lift the finger or thumb for a second reading but we’re talking maybe once a day. Keep your screen clean, people.I’ve come to appreciate swiping gestures and navigation in my phones and switched the 10 Pro to allow for that. With that in mind, its curved edges are prone to accidental touches and swipes/half-swipes. It’s not singular to the 10 Pro; it affects many phones with such a design.In terms of general performance, I’ve found the phone to handle tasks, apps, and games with ease. It doesn’t feel super-fast or seem to have explosive speeds, but it’s plenty snappy.You can likely have more than ten apps up and running before you see any sort of visual changes. And even then it’s not like you’re sitting around, waiting.Having used the Google Pixel 3a for almost a full year now, I am reminded of how that phone feels. Yes, there are faster things around, but they’re more expensive. And really, I’m more than happy with it. I don’t imagine my needs changing in the coming year so I don’t anticipate this phone feeling “slow” anytime soon.Battery life is great and routinely gets me through more than one day of usage. As far as charging goes, it supports Quick Charge 3.0 and comes with a 9V adapter in the box. I’ve yet to mess with any power settings but there are a few adjustments which can be made in favor of getting more from the battery.CameraThe four cameras on the rear of the 10 Pro consist of a 64-megapixel primary sensor, a 16-megapixel super-wide sensor, a 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel super-low-light sensor. The front-facing selfie camera is 24-megapixels.The rear cameras, and the app, work pretty well and certainly fall in line with expectations. To be fair, I need to take more low-light and night shots. Once I do I will update this gallery with a few samples.As you see in the embedded gallery there is a watermark on the images. That’s a simple thing to remove in the camera settings app but do know it’s on by default. Also, the images presented here are unedited and only resized to 1920px wide. TCL 10 Pro Camera Samples 1 of 10 All of our test shots so far were in decent daylight and indoors with moderate lighting. We’ve played with both the 64-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors and find they both exhibit terrific color accuracy and impressive depth of field.We had fun playing with the macro lens, too. It does a much better job than I figured it would for a company’s first effort.There’s loss of finer details when you view at full resolution, of course, but nearly everything we view in 2020 is compressed, edited, filtered, cropped, and shared online. To that end, you will be very pleased with the end results.ConclusionFor a first-generation release there is a lot to admire in the TCL 10 Pro. It has a generously sized display that’s easy on the eyes, and the overall design is rather modern and flagship-like. Adding to this, it’s unlocked and supports nearly every band in the US – save for 71 which is essentially rural T-Mobile spots.I’m a big fan of the software experience being largely untouched Android and the extras presented don’t cause clutter or distract. And best of all, it’s user-defined and opt-in. We’ll have to wait to find out how it handles software updates and whether they’re timely.I’m interested in seeing what happens next with TCL-branded phones, including how it plans to sell them. That could be a difference maker; will consumers know they exist or do they have to discover them? Availability is key.I don’t expect that the TCL 10 Pro will be a major hit but it’s not because of what it does or doesn’t do. It has more to do with brand recognition and competition at this price.Apple just introduced a phone in the same space and Google looks to have a Pixel 4a ready to go any day. Then there’s also Samsung, Motorola, and Blu playing in the sandbox. All of them are more well-known or have established track records.One thing that reviewers tend to do when looking at phones is point out what’s missing, so let’s do that. There’s no NFC which means no Google Pay or any of the features that come with it. Also, there’s no wireless charging or IP rating against water. Does that matter to you? It didn’t seem to hurt OnePlus in its first few years and it positioned itself as a generally more robust experience.TCL has a great record and reputation in the TV space where it has established itself as a solid brand. It might take some time for it to crack the phone market but I hope it tries. I like what’s offered here and have no reservations about recommending it for the right user.AvailabilityYou can purchase the TCL 10 Pro for $450 from Amazon starting from May 19 and later through Best Buy and Walmart.

Maybe it’s the ongoing pandemic getting to me, but I think that spring of 2020 has produced some of the most exciting phones to date. It has been a long time since I looked at so many devices, thinking, “wow, that’s really cool and/or interesting.”The OnePlus 8 Pro, now available, is perhaps the most fun I’ve had with a phone in some time. Why? What’s so special about it? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.What is the OnePlus 8 Pro?Simply put, it’s the biggest and best phone that OnePlus has produced thus far. And with it comes its most expensive price tag. At $899.99 it’s a fair amount less than $1,000 and a few hundred cheaper than the competition; however, it’s nowhere near the half-priced “flagship killer” alternative it once was.Based on Android 10, the phone runs OxygenOS which is more or less a stock version of Android — with a few custom tweaks and settings. And as much as I like the lean and clean Android experience, I love the extras present in the UI. More on that in a bit.Hardware-wise, the OnePlus 8 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with at least 8GB RAM and a minimum or 128GB storage. A 12GB/256GB variant is priced $999.99.The screen measure 6.78 inches with a hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera; the resolution is 3,168 x 1,440 pixels with a 19.8:9 aspect ratio and all of it is protected by Gorilla Glass. Oh, and there’s an in-display fingerprint reader, too.There are four rear cameras (Sony IMX689 48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultra-wide (120 degree), a 5-megapixel color filter, and an 8-megapixel hybrid camera with digital zoom and optical image stabilization. Around front you’ll find a 16-megapixel camera with Face Unlock capabilities.Other noteworthy features include a 4510mAh battery with wireless charging support – a first for OnePlus, an IP68 rating against water and dust, and support for a whole array of 4G and 5G bands. There’s also Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and every other type of connection you can think up.All of this is to say that the OnePlus 8 Pro has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with any other phone on the market. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s as powerful as the day is long.DesignWe’ve reviewed our fair share of OnePlus phones over the years but it has been some time since I personally spent time with one. The last time I had one as a daily driver was the OnePlus 3. Suffice it to say, I fell fast in love with the OnePlus 8 Pro.Removing it from the box, powering it up, and going through the initial steps of setup were fun for me. I might describe it akin to waiting for video game to go through the loading screens on Christmas morning so I can play it.Although it’s rather heavy, there’s no unnecessary bulk. The battery is generous at 4,510mAh and that’s likely a huge chunk of the weight. The screen wraps around to the side edges and it wastes no space with bezels or buttons. It’s all screen. All gorgeous, high resolution, screen that moves at incredibly stunning 120Hz refresh rate.Buttons are a little different for me in that the volume are on the left side while most handsets keep them on the right. Present on the right with the power button is a switch that lets users move between silent, vibrate, and ring modes.The OnePlus 8 Pro is curved, modish, and looks every bit what you’d expect from a flagship phone in 2020. The Glacial Green in our review unit catches light and provides a very muted gradient effect. It might as well vibrate and hum in bright environments for how much it gleams.I’m not wild about the pronounced camera module down the spine as I am always worried about scratching and scuffing them. But, place it in a case and the problem is easily solved.It’s worth mentioning that there is no headphone jack present. If that matters to you, I can’t help you. I’ve slowly come around to the idea that it’s not going to be there in most cases and if it is, it’s a bonus.SoftwareI had forgotten how much I appreciate what OnePlus does for the software experience. While it resembles what you might get from a Pixel phone, you can go a layer deeper with custom enhancements and tools.Users can define settings right out of the box with things like choosing gestures versus buttons or how you want to power button to behave if you hold it down. Instead of the normal menu you can opt to make it trigger Google Assistant, for instance.Play around and you’ll find that you can create a theme that has the precise colors you want for icons and menus, replace the icons, and more. And that’s just the beginning. But, lest you feel like this leads to unwanted bloatware and things that get in the way, I’ll share that it’s all voluntary stuff that’s tucked away in the settings.The OnePlus 8 Pro has a number of cool features that enhance the experience visually, including Adaptive Display, Motion Graphics Smoothing, and Vibrant Color Effect Pro. Each does its part to make pictures and videos look even better with higher contrast and more rich detail.There is very little installed on the OnePlus 8 Pro that isn’t in the standard suite of Google software. Our device came with Netflix and Facebook but that was essentially it. And really, they’re far and away some of the most popular titles that users install on day one.There are a couple of OnePlus apps and settings present but they do serve practical purposes. The Game Space, for example, tunes the phone’s settings to get the best performance possible out of games and keeps notifications from bothering you during gameplay.PerformanceCome on, really? What do you expect when you pair the latest version of Android with the best processor on the market and the most efficient memory available? To say that the OnePlus 8 Pro hums would be selling it short.I’ve thrown everything I can at the phone in my two weeks with it and I’ve yet to see it stutter. And the more I use it, the more I see how it runs circles around my daily driver.Even little things like screen rotation seem to be much smoother and faster. Hopping from app to app? I can’t move quick enough with the navigation and gestures to begin to test it.I’m the first to admit that I don’t game too heavily on phones and often prefer to install casual titles that I can pick up and drop any time. Even those apps install quicker, boot up faster, and look better.Playing a driving game like Asphalt 9 it’s easy to see why people love it so much and why gaming-centric phones are taking off. When you have a screen this big, with a 120Hz refresh rate, and more than enough hardware, it’s a blast.I’ve been a big advocate for Google’s Pixel line since it launched and also carried a few Nexus phones for my day-to-day. I love the simplicity of the UI, the lack of unnecessary software, and the downright best-in-class camera experience.The camera alone is why I have had such a tough time transitioning away from Google’s phones. What it was able to do with its single lens was mind-blowing to say the least. The Pixel 4 took things to a new place with an improved experience but the battery always gave me a bit of pause.The OnePlus 8 Pro is among the first phones in some time where I was content to use it as my daily phone. Normally, I carry my Pixel 4 as my main phone in the event I want to capture something on the fly. The phone I am reviewing usually comes out for sample pictures, but I am usually a bit hesitant to rely on it for candid stuff or action shots.It took me all of a few days to confidently switch my SIM card out and lean on the OnePlus 8 Pro for my needs. As far as the camera goes, I’ve been more than impressed with the results thus far. And in all transparency, I sort of dig the numerous options available and the way in which they’re presented. OnePlus 8 Pro Camera Samples 1 of 6 I also want to call attention to the in-display fingerprint reader. It’s incredibly fast and accurate; it’s how I envisioned it working when the tech was first introduced. Having the thumb symbol and the animation are fun and helpful.ConclusionThe OnePlus 8 Pro is the best phone it has offered up so far. It excites me. Not because it necessarily does something better than others, but because it does what other flagships do at a cheaper price.I need to clarify my position here – I am not advocating for this as the phone solution for all consumers. Many readers do not need this much hardware and they certainly can get away with a much lower-priced and lesser-powered experience. But for those who do want the “latest and greatest”, I submit the OnePlus 8 Pro.If you’ve ever seen the OnePlus brand and wondered if it’s worth looking into, now’s the time. It’s the perfect option for someone who felt burned by the Pixel 4 and doesn’t much care to wait for the successor.If you’ve spent a few years floating around the Samsung galaxy and want to try something new, here’s your chance.I’ve convinced more than a few people to consider the OnePlus line over the years and it seems to get easier with time. It took me very little time to warm to this handset; I’ve already talked friends into it as the next device for their carrier.The OnePlus 8 Pro is available as an unlocked phone for $899.99 or $999.99, depending on the memory and storage, at OnePlus website. Amazon also offers the handset for the same price.

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Announced back in January, TCL Communication’s new 10 series of phones make their retail debut on May 19. And while there are three models under the umbrella, the 5G-supported version isn’t here just yet.The TCL 10L and TCL 10 Pro arrive as unlocked phones that are compatible with a whole array of mobile service providers. Priced $250 and $450, respectively, they mark the first phones under the TCL brand.You might be familiar with the likes of Alcatel and Blackberry, both of which are/were brands under the TCL parent. You might also be familiar with TCL as a TV manufacturer; it is the second largest TV maker in the world.The 10L and 10 Pro are what happens when you know a thing or two about making affordable unlocked phones and then leverage your expertise in display technology.Our team was sent a review unit for each of the two phones and we’ve done our best to use them as much as possible over the last 7-10 days.Given the stay-at-home orders we’re not getting out in the real world as much as we normally would. As such, we weren’t able to take these with us on very many day trips or too many hours away. Nevertheless, we’re confident in our early impressions of the 10L and 10 Pro and are happy to put forth reviews of each.What follows is our review of the TCL 10 Pro. As an editorial note, some of what you’ll read here refers to the TCL 10L as it helps to compare and contrast.Given the two arrive at the same time and fall under the same series, you’d think they feature many of the same hardware specifications. That’s only partially the case.There’s more than enough different to justify the costs but not so much that they might as well be two different models. Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are mostly a case of larger screen and larger battery. TCL’s closely resemble on another, but there’s a lot more going on.TCL 10L Main FeaturesAndroid 10 w/ TCL UI6.53-inch LCD display (1080 x 2340 pixels)Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 (2GHz) processor6GB RAM/64GB storage48-megapixel, 8-megapixel, 2-megapixel, and 2-megapixel rear camera16-megapixel front-facing camera4,000mAh batteryFace Key (unlock), rear fingerprint reader3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5, microSD expansion card slot (up to 256GB)TCL 10 Pro Main FeaturesAndroid 10 w/ TCL UI6.47-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 (2GHz) processor6GB RAM/128GB storage64-megapixel, 16-megapixel, 2-megapixel, and 2-megapixel rear camera24-megapixel front-facing camera4,500mAh batteryFace Key (unlock), rear fingerprint reader3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5, microSD expansion card slot (up to 256GB)If bullet-point lists are your preferred way of comparing devices, you probably already see the differences justify the costs. But to be fair to the 10 Pro, that’s only part of it.Missing from the aforementioned specs are details like reverse charging capabilities in the 10 Pro. And while it technically has a smaller display, it is a curved AMOLED screen that draws the user in and also houses an in-display fingerprint reader. Then there’s a faster storage in UFS 2.1, a digital hybrid zoom, and Quick Charge 3.0.DesignThe TCL 10 Pro has a more premium build to it but that’s not to suggest that the 10L feels cheaply made. The rear of the 10L definitely picks up oils and fingerprints much easier than its counterpart.The 10 Pro has a metal frame with a matte texture finish to it whereas the 10L is more of a synthetic plastic material. Interestingly enough, the more expensive phone seems to slide or glide more effortlessly in hand.Save for their SIM card slots, the pair largely employ the same overall layout of buttons and ports. The right side of the screen has power and volume buttons while the left has a dedicated smart key. USB Type-C ports are at the bottom while a 3.5mm headphone jack is located at the top.The rear of the phones have a strip of camera sensors that run horizontally near the top. The 10L’s module juts out and is considerably pronounced while the 10 Pro is all but flush. The 10L houses a centered rear fingerprint reader that’s about 3/4 the way up the middle.The 10L looks nice and feels good in hand but it’s not overly remarkable. Contrast that with the 10 Pro and we see a more modern design that’s curved and fun to hold.All of this is a long way of saying that design-wise, the TCL 10 Pro punches above its weight.SoftwareThe TCL 10 Pro runs Android 10 and is expected to pick up at least one major software update as well as regular maintenance releases. The TCL UI looks a lot like stock Android, but it brings quite a few sensible extras to the table. And I kinda like it.One feature I came to appreciate early on is the Edge Bar, which is more or less quick access to your favorite apps/games/settings. I found it helpful for quickly pulling up Google Authenticator and password managers. There’s also a strip dedicated to contacts and one that has a built-in ruler in both centimeters and inches.While I don’t care for the default way of organizing apps in the drawer, you might like having them grouped by category. Other options include usage, date of installation, name, and even icon color.This is a TCL phone with a TCL display so there is plenty of emphasis on adjusting the visual settings. You can tweak screen colors, use a visual enhancement to tune contrast, sharpness, and saturation, and toggle a setting for outdoor reading. I invite you to find the right setting under the NXTVISION app as it’s entirely up to you as to what feels right… or natural.There are quite a few other settings you can adjust under the advanced features section, including the ability to clone apps for multiple simultaneous logins, driving mode settings, gestures, and how you interact with the phone. Do prefer the soft keys or do you want gestures and swipes? Play around with it.The same goes for the Smart Key setting. With single, double, and long-press options available, you can do all sorts of fun stuff like launching a selfie camera, take a note, clear notifications, and much more.Finally, one last thing noteworthy feature is the ability to connect up to four Bluetooth speakers at one time. Called “Super Bluetooth” it’s as cool as you’d hope.PerformanceDespite its flagship-like appearance, the TCL 10 Pro is more akin to a mid-range phone. Fortunately for us, a mid-range handset in 2020 is one hell of an experience.The display is bright, colorful, and looks excellent when viewing HDR content. As indicated above, some may like to dial down the color profile as it tends to be a smidge over-saturated. With that said, it’s generally impressive.The optical in-display fingerprint sensor is as reliable and accurate as I’ve seen in previous phones and wakes the phone up quickly. Every so often you might have to lift the finger or thumb for a second reading but we’re talking maybe once a day. Keep your screen clean, people.I’ve come to appreciate swiping gestures and navigation in my phones and switched the 10 Pro to allow for that. With that in mind, its curved edges are prone to accidental touches and swipes/half-swipes. It’s not singular to the 10 Pro; it affects many phones with such a design.In terms of general performance, I’ve found the phone to handle tasks, apps, and games with ease. It doesn’t feel super-fast or seem to have explosive speeds, but it’s plenty snappy.You can likely have more than ten apps up and running before you see any sort of visual changes. And even then it’s not like you’re sitting around, waiting.Having used the Google Pixel 3a for almost a full year now, I am reminded of how that phone feels. Yes, there are faster things around, but they’re more expensive. And really, I’m more than happy with it. I don’t imagine my needs changing in the coming year so I don’t anticipate this phone feeling “slow” anytime soon.Battery life is great and routinely gets me through more than one day of usage. As far as charging goes, it supports Quick Charge 3.0 and comes with a 9V adapter in the box. I’ve yet to mess with any power settings but there are a few adjustments which can be made in favor of getting more from the battery.CameraThe four cameras on the rear of the 10 Pro consist of a 64-megapixel primary sensor, a 16-megapixel super-wide sensor, a 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel super-low-light sensor. The front-facing selfie camera is 24-megapixels.The rear cameras, and the app, work pretty well and certainly fall in line with expectations. To be fair, I need to take more low-light and night shots. Once I do I will update this gallery with a few samples.As you see in the embedded gallery there is a watermark on the images. That’s a simple thing to remove in the camera settings app but do know it’s on by default. Also, the images presented here are unedited and only resized to 1920px wide. TCL 10 Pro Camera Samples 1 of 10 All of our test shots so far were in decent daylight and indoors with moderate lighting. We’ve played with both the 64-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors and find they both exhibit terrific color accuracy and impressive depth of field.We had fun playing with the macro lens, too. It does a much better job than I figured it would for a company’s first effort.There’s loss of finer details when you view at full resolution, of course, but nearly everything we view in 2020 is compressed, edited, filtered, cropped, and shared online. To that end, you will be very pleased with the end results.ConclusionFor a first-generation release there is a lot to admire in the TCL 10 Pro. It has a generously sized display that’s easy on the eyes, and the overall design is rather modern and flagship-like. Adding to this, it’s unlocked and supports nearly every band in the US – save for 71 which is essentially rural T-Mobile spots.I’m a big fan of the software experience being largely untouched Android and the extras presented don’t cause clutter or distract. And best of all, it’s user-defined and opt-in. We’ll have to wait to find out how it handles software updates and whether they’re timely.I’m interested in seeing what happens next with TCL-branded phones, including how it plans to sell them. That could be a difference maker; will consumers know they exist or do they have to discover them? Availability is key.I don’t expect that the TCL 10 Pro will be a major hit but it’s not because of what it does or doesn’t do. It has more to do with brand recognition and competition at this price.Apple just introduced a phone in the same space and Google looks to have a Pixel 4a ready to go any day. Then there’s also Samsung, Motorola, and Blu playing in the sandbox. All of them are more well-known or have established track records.One thing that reviewers tend to do when looking at phones is point out what’s missing, so let’s do that. There’s no NFC which means no Google Pay or any of the features that come with it. Also, there’s no wireless charging or IP rating against water. Does that matter to you? It didn’t seem to hurt OnePlus in its first few years and it positioned itself as a generally more robust experience.TCL has a great record and reputation in the TV space where it has established itself as a solid brand. It might take some time for it to crack the phone market but I hope it tries. I like what’s offered here and have no reservations about recommending it for the right user.AvailabilityYou can purchase the TCL 10 Pro for $450 from Amazon starting from May 19 and later through Best Buy and Walmart.

Maybe it’s the ongoing pandemic getting to me, but I think that spring of 2020 has produced some of the most exciting phones to date. It has been a long time since I looked at so many devices, thinking, “wow, that’s really cool and/or interesting.”The OnePlus 8 Pro, now available, is perhaps the most fun I’ve had with a phone in some time. Why? What’s so special about it? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.What is the OnePlus 8 Pro?Simply put, it’s the biggest and best phone that OnePlus has produced thus far. And with it comes its most expensive price tag. At $899.99 it’s a fair amount less than $1,000 and a few hundred cheaper than the competition; however, it’s nowhere near the half-priced “flagship killer” alternative it once was.Based on Android 10, the phone runs OxygenOS which is more or less a stock version of Android — with a few custom tweaks and settings. And as much as I like the lean and clean Android experience, I love the extras present in the UI. More on that in a bit.Hardware-wise, the OnePlus 8 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with at least 8GB RAM and a minimum or 128GB storage. A 12GB/256GB variant is priced $999.99.The screen measure 6.78 inches with a hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera; the resolution is 3,168 x 1,440 pixels with a 19.8:9 aspect ratio and all of it is protected by Gorilla Glass. Oh, and there’s an in-display fingerprint reader, too.There are four rear cameras (Sony IMX689 48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultra-wide (120 degree), a 5-megapixel color filter, and an 8-megapixel hybrid camera with digital zoom and optical image stabilization. Around front you’ll find a 16-megapixel camera with Face Unlock capabilities.Other noteworthy features include a 4510mAh battery with wireless charging support – a first for OnePlus, an IP68 rating against water and dust, and support for a whole array of 4G and 5G bands. There’s also Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and every other type of connection you can think up.All of this is to say that the OnePlus 8 Pro has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with any other phone on the market. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s as powerful as the day is long.DesignWe’ve reviewed our fair share of OnePlus phones over the years but it has been some time since I personally spent time with one. The last time I had one as a daily driver was the OnePlus 3. Suffice it to say, I fell fast in love with the OnePlus 8 Pro.Removing it from the box, powering it up, and going through the initial steps of setup were fun for me. I might describe it akin to waiting for video game to go through the loading screens on Christmas morning so I can play it.Although it’s rather heavy, there’s no unnecessary bulk. The battery is generous at 4,510mAh and that’s likely a huge chunk of the weight. The screen wraps around to the side edges and it wastes no space with bezels or buttons. It’s all screen. All gorgeous, high resolution, screen that moves at incredibly stunning 120Hz refresh rate.Buttons are a little different for me in that the volume are on the left side while most handsets keep them on the right. Present on the right with the power button is a switch that lets users move between silent, vibrate, and ring modes.The OnePlus 8 Pro is curved, modish, and looks every bit what you’d expect from a flagship phone in 2020. The Glacial Green in our review unit catches light and provides a very muted gradient effect. It might as well vibrate and hum in bright environments for how much it gleams.I’m not wild about the pronounced camera module down the spine as I am always worried about scratching and scuffing them. But, place it in a case and the problem is easily solved.It’s worth mentioning that there is no headphone jack present. If that matters to you, I can’t help you. I’ve slowly come around to the idea that it’s not going to be there in most cases and if it is, it’s a bonus.SoftwareI had forgotten how much I appreciate what OnePlus does for the software experience. While it resembles what you might get from a Pixel phone, you can go a layer deeper with custom enhancements and tools.Users can define settings right out of the box with things like choosing gestures versus buttons or how you want to power button to behave if you hold it down. Instead of the normal menu you can opt to make it trigger Google Assistant, for instance.Play around and you’ll find that you can create a theme that has the precise colors you want for icons and menus, replace the icons, and more. And that’s just the beginning. But, lest you feel like this leads to unwanted bloatware and things that get in the way, I’ll share that it’s all voluntary stuff that’s tucked away in the settings.The OnePlus 8 Pro has a number of cool features that enhance the experience visually, including Adaptive Display, Motion Graphics Smoothing, and Vibrant Color Effect Pro. Each does its part to make pictures and videos look even better with higher contrast and more rich detail.There is very little installed on the OnePlus 8 Pro that isn’t in the standard suite of Google software. Our device came with Netflix and Facebook but that was essentially it. And really, they’re far and away some of the most popular titles that users install on day one.There are a couple of OnePlus apps and settings present but they do serve practical purposes. The Game Space, for example, tunes the phone’s settings to get the best performance possible out of games and keeps notifications from bothering you during gameplay.PerformanceCome on, really? What do you expect when you pair the latest version of Android with the best processor on the market and the most efficient memory available? To say that the OnePlus 8 Pro hums would be selling it short.I’ve thrown everything I can at the phone in my two weeks with it and I’ve yet to see it stutter. And the more I use it, the more I see how it runs circles around my daily driver.Even little things like screen rotation seem to be much smoother and faster. Hopping from app to app? I can’t move quick enough with the navigation and gestures to begin to test it.I’m the first to admit that I don’t game too heavily on phones and often prefer to install casual titles that I can pick up and drop any time. Even those apps install quicker, boot up faster, and look better.Playing a driving game like Asphalt 9 it’s easy to see why people love it so much and why gaming-centric phones are taking off. When you have a screen this big, with a 120Hz refresh rate, and more than enough hardware, it’s a blast.I’ve been a big advocate for Google’s Pixel line since it launched and also carried a few Nexus phones for my day-to-day. I love the simplicity of the UI, the lack of unnecessary software, and the downright best-in-class camera experience.The camera alone is why I have had such a tough time transitioning away from Google’s phones. What it was able to do with its single lens was mind-blowing to say the least. The Pixel 4 took things to a new place with an improved experience but the battery always gave me a bit of pause.The OnePlus 8 Pro is among the first phones in some time where I was content to use it as my daily phone. Normally, I carry my Pixel 4 as my main phone in the event I want to capture something on the fly. The phone I am reviewing usually comes out for sample pictures, but I am usually a bit hesitant to rely on it for candid stuff or action shots.It took me all of a few days to confidently switch my SIM card out and lean on the OnePlus 8 Pro for my needs. As far as the camera goes, I’ve been more than impressed with the results thus far. And in all transparency, I sort of dig the numerous options available and the way in which they’re presented. OnePlus 8 Pro Camera Samples 1 of 6 I also want to call attention to the in-display fingerprint reader. It’s incredibly fast and accurate; it’s how I envisioned it working when the tech was first introduced. Having the thumb symbol and the animation are fun and helpful.ConclusionThe OnePlus 8 Pro is the best phone it has offered up so far. It excites me. Not because it necessarily does something better than others, but because it does what other flagships do at a cheaper price.I need to clarify my position here – I am not advocating for this as the phone solution for all consumers. Many readers do not need this much hardware and they certainly can get away with a much lower-priced and lesser-powered experience. But for those who do want the “latest and greatest”, I submit the OnePlus 8 Pro.If you’ve ever seen the OnePlus brand and wondered if it’s worth looking into, now’s the time. It’s the perfect option for someone who felt burned by the Pixel 4 and doesn’t much care to wait for the successor.If you’ve spent a few years floating around the Samsung galaxy and want to try something new, here’s your chance.I’ve convinced more than a few people to consider the OnePlus line over the years and it seems to get easier with time. It took me very little time to warm to this handset; I’ve already talked friends into it as the next device for their carrier.The OnePlus 8 Pro is available as an unlocked phone for $899.99 or $999.99, depending on the memory and storage, at OnePlus website. Amazon also offers the handset for the same price.

Apple Watch is a jack of all trades, where the best apps allow you to carry out a variety of useful tasks.