Why You Can Trust CNET Verizon Adds New, Low-Cost 5G Phone for $120
The TCL 40 XE 5G is now available at a super-low price.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Verizon has announced it's the official carrier of TCL Mobile's new phone, the 40 XE 5G. Even better, the already low price has dropped by $50 since the phone's announcement in February, meaning you can get your hands on a 5G phone for only $120. It has also launched a month earlier than originally projected.
The TCL 40 XE 5G phone comes with a 6.56-inch, 1,480x720-pixel screen; a 13-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel depth and macro lenses on the rear; an 8-megapixel front-facing camera; 4GB of RAM; 64GB of storage with expandable memory of up to 1TB; and a 5,000-mAh battery. It runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 700 2.2GHz octa-core 5G processor.
When announcing the phone at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, TCL Chief Marketing Officer Stefan Streit said the midpriced phone market is under pressure from inflation, leading TCL to create lower-priced devices. TCL at the same time announced the 40 X 5G, which is priced at $199 and set for release this June; the TCL 40 XL, priced at $149; and the $119 TCL 406 phone.
For more low-cost mobile devices, check out CNET's coverage of the best budget phones for 2023.
TCL has also teased its ability to create a higher-end phone concept or a foldable phone.
The company is known for creating TVs and makes some of CNET's favorites, including the TCL 4-Series, which CNET has rated as the best budget TV right now.
Read more: TCL Considers Pitching a $750 Folding Phone, but Only if We Want It Enough
