execs and cons
- Very inexpensive
- Ample RAM and storage
- Beautiful matte again and design
- Excellent mobile reception
- Headphone jack
- Aspect fingerprint sensor
- Massive cellphone might be unwieldy
- No water resistance
- Plastic construct can really feel low-cost
Whereas I personally pay hundreds for high-end units as a result of smartphones are one in every of my addictions, there are some excellent, inexpensive, mid-range smartphones obtainable right this moment. For the previous three weeks, I have been utilizing the T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional 5G and have been blown away by the standard, efficiency, and total expertise of this $220 Android smartphone. Previously, spending $200 on a cellphone meant it would final you a yr with unreliable efficiency, however that’s clearly not the case right this moment.
Specs
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G |
|---|---|
| Show | 6.82-inch, 1640 x 720 pixels decision LCD (395 ppi), 60Hz |
| Working system | Android 12 |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB inside storage with a microSD card |
| Cameras | 50MP essential, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor. 16MP front-facing digicam. |
| Connectivity | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC |
| Safety | Face unlock and aspect fingerprint sensor |
| Battery | 5,000mAh with wi-fi charging, 15W wired charging |
| Dimensions | 173.92 x 77.8 x 8.99 mm and 213 grams |
| Colour | Darkish Shadow |
Design
That is the primary T-Cell REVVL cellphone I’ve examined, and I got here away very impressed. The REVVL 6 Professional is a really giant cellphone with a 6.82-inch show, so whereas it is ultimate for watching video content material, it would not match that nicely in some pants or shorts pockets. Fortuitously, it feels nice within the hand with the matte plastic again, appears to be like cool with the darkish grey coloration, and T-Cell’s signature Magenta is obvious on the right-side energy/fingerprint sensor. The sensor has carried out flawlessly, and I’m an enormous fan of mounting this on the aspect energy button.
The REVVL 6 Professional can be a kind of uncommon telephones with a regular 3.5mm headset jack on the underside. Alongside that headphone jack are a mono speaker and USB-C port.
That magenta energy button/fingerprint sensor stands out Matthew Miller/ZDNET
A single SIM card tray with a spot for a microSD card is discovered on the higher left aspect. Whereas the cellphone comes with 128GB of onboard storage, the flexibility so as to add extra externally is beneficial and nice for transferring information.
Digicam efficiency
Flipping over to the again, we see a quad-camera setup and a flash tucked away within the higher left nook in a 2×2 association. From testing, the cameras carry out higher than anticipated and rivaled what I’ve seen out of mid-range telephones that value twice as a lot because the T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional. The cameras will not beat out the costly iPhones and Samsung Galaxy flagships, however they are going to just do high-quality for social media and informal picture sharing.
So as to add, my ZDNET colleague Jack Wallen additionally spent a while with the cellphone and talked about that, “though the REVVL 6 Professional can not stand as much as the magnificent digicam within the Pixel 6 Professional, it is not that shabby.”
The digicam software program throughout the REVVL offers the flexibility to modify to macro, 50MP, gradual movement, hyperlapse, panorama, and professional modes atop the standard modes. Whereas the varied modes perform as described, there are only a few settings and modifications obtainable for every, so you’re getting a fundamental digicam expertise total.
4 cameras are discovered on the again with various functionality Matthew Miller/ZDNET
Wi-fi charging? Test.
Surprisingly, wi-fi charging is definitely supported on the T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional. I needed to learn the specs doc twice since we often don’t see wi-fi charging, even in mid-range telephones just like the Pixel 6a or OnePlus 10T. It is not super-fast wi-fi charging, however it’s handy. 15W quick wired charging can be supported, do you have to go the standard route.
Software program
The T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional launches with Android 12 and a really Pixel-esque consumer interface. T-Cell and Google collaborated to construct an optimized expertise on T-Cell’s community in order that you will see a number of T-Cell utilities and key Google apps put in on the cellphone out of the field. The July 5, 2022, Android safety replace is current on our assessment unit, and it stays to be seen how nicely T-Cell will assist the REVVL with safety and firmware updates. Because the cellphone is a T-Cell branded mannequin, I hope we see stable assist with one social gathering, the provider, faraway from the chain of approval.
The few T-Cell utilities put in on the cellphone are T-Cell Play, T-Cell’s account supervisor app, and Visible Voicemail. There may be additionally a McAfee app you could uninstall. For a T-Cell-branded cellphone, you are not getting as a lot bloatware as anticipated, which is incredible. From Google, we discover the entire anticipated apps, together with Google Pockets, Maps, Photographs, and lots of extra. Google Uncover is current alongside a T-Cell-branded information feed if you swipe left to proper on the house display panel.
Additionally: The 6 greatest low-cost 5G telephones: High picks below $450
Close to-Vanilla Android expertise with the REVVL. Matthew Miller/ZDNET
Mobile efficiency
Since I used to be testing out a Google Pixel 6a on the similar time, the primary take a look at I carried out on it and the REVVL 6 Professional was mobile reception. Impressively, the T-Cell REVVL beat the Pixel 6a handily in each low-to-high sign space, which was sufficient to persuade me to return my Pixel 6a. I noticed 8 to fifteen dBm higher mobile efficiency out of the REVVL, and it wasn’t till I used to be scripting this assessment that I noticed the REVVL 6 Professional has a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor and built-in 5G modem after simply assuming it was one other one in every of Qualcomm’s Android modems.
Mobile reception energy has all the time been an space the place Samsung and OnePlus stood out from Apple and Google. Nevertheless, it’s a important aspect of a stable smartphone expertise and one of many first issues I try on a cellphone. T-Cell impressed me right here with the superb mobile efficiency that rivals Samsung and OnePlus, so individuals on T-Cell shopping for this cellphone ought to be very proud of its connection reliability and speeds. Whereas individuals may transfer to the Pixel 6a for the higher digicam expertise and Google’s promise of prolonged software program assist, I used to be very disenchanted with the mobile efficiency on that cellphone and don’t assume Google’s Tensor chip is able to compete with others for connectivity.
Extra: OnePlus Nord N20 5G assessment: Finances cellphone accomplished proper
Backside line
To be able to launch a cellphone at simply $219.99, there need to be some compromises. The REVVL 6 Professional is a really giant cellphone with a decrease decision show with a 60Hz refresh fee, however the show appears to be like nice, and my growing older eyes might barely understand a lot of a distinction within the decision when in comparison with larger decision telephones. One other compromise was in digicam high quality and construct supplies. Plastic is nice for taking a bump or two however can really feel low-cost and nearly like a toy.
In any other case, the T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional is a good sub-$250 cellphone that will get the necessities down, compromises on elements, and excels in mobile connectivity.
Alternate options to think about
There will not be that many telephones priced at this low worth level, however there are a number of priced lower than $500. This is some to think about should you do not just like the compromises that have been made within the T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional.
