T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional evaluation: $220 telephone that outperforms in key areas

Whereas I personally pay 1000’s for high-end gadgets as a result of smartphones are one in all my addictions, there are some superb, inexpensive, mid-range smartphones out there right now. For the previous three weeks, I have been utilizing the T-Mobile REVVL 6 Pro 5G and have been blown away by the standard, efficiency, and total expertise of this $220 Android smartphone. Previously, spending $200 on a telephone meant it’d final you a 12 months with unreliable efficiency, however that’s clearly not the case right now.

Design

That is the primary T-Cell REVVL telephone I’ve examined, and I got here away very impressed. The REVVL 6 Professional is a really giant telephone with a 6.82-inch show, so whereas it is supreme for watching video content material, it does not match that nicely in some pants or shorts pockets. Happily, it feels nice within the hand with the matte plastic again, seems to be cool with the darkish grey colour, 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 also be a type 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. 

A single SIM card tray with a spot for a microSD card is discovered on the higher left aspect. Whereas the telephone comes with 128GB of onboard storage, the flexibility so as to add extra externally is beneficial and nice for transferring knowledge.

Digital camera 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 price 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 may just do high-quality for social media and informal picture sharing.  

So as to add, my ZDNET colleague Jack Wallen additionally spent some time with the telephone 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 inside the REVVL supplies the flexibility to modify to macro, 50MP, gradual movement, hyperlapse, panorama, and professional modes atop the standard modes. Whereas the assorted modes perform as described, there are only a few settings and modifications out there for every, so you’re getting a primary digicam expertise total.

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 also 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 person interface. T-Cell and Google collaborated to construct an optimized expertise on T-Cell’s community in order that you’ll discover a number of T-Cell utilities and key Google apps put in on the telephone out of the field. The July 5, 2022, Android safety replace is current on our evaluation unit, and it stays to be seen how nicely T-Cell will help the REVVL with safety and firmware updates. Because the telephone is a T-Cell branded mannequin, I hope we see stable help with one social gathering, the provider, faraway from the chain of approval.

The few T-Cell utilities put in on the telephone are T-Cell Play, T-Cell’s account supervisor app, and Visible Voicemail. There may be additionally a McAfee app which you can uninstall. For a T-Cell-branded telephone, you are not getting as a lot bloatware as anticipated, which is implausible. From Google, we discover all the anticipated apps, together with Google Pockets, Maps, Pictures, 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 best cheap 5G phones: Top picks under $450

Mobile efficiency

Since I used to be testing out a Google Pixel 6a on the identical 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 evaluation 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 all 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. Nonetheless, it’s a very important aspect of a stable smartphone expertise and one of many first issues I try on a telephone. T-Cell impressed me right here with the superb mobile efficiency that rivals Samsung and OnePlus, so individuals on T-Cell shopping for this telephone must be very pleased with its connection reliability and speeds. Whereas individuals would possibly transfer to the Pixel 6a for the higher digicam expertise and Google’s promise of prolonged software program help, I used to be very dissatisfied with the mobile efficiency on that telephone and don’t suppose Google’s Tensor chip is able to compete with others for connectivity.

Extra: OnePlus Nord N20 5G review: Budget phone done right

Backside line

As a way to launch a telephone at simply $219.99, there should be some compromises. The REVVL 6 Professional is a really giant telephone with a decrease decision show with a 60Hz refresh price, however the show seems to be nice, and my growing older eyes may barely understand a lot of a distinction within the decision when in comparison with increased 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 virtually like a toy. 

In any other case, the T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional is a good sub-$250 telephone that will get the necessities down, compromises on elements, and excels in mobile connectivity.

Options to think about

There are usually not that many telephones priced at this low value level, however there are a number of priced lower than $500. Here is some to think about in case you do not just like the compromises that have been made within the T-Cell REVVL 6 Professional.