The new TCL Stylus 5G takes a few notes from Samsung and Motorola

What you need to know

• The TCL Stylus 5G packs a stylus into the body like a Galaxy Note, complete with a 6.81-inch FHD+ display.
• Inside is a MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chipset, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4,000mAh battery, four cameras, and microSD card support.
• The phone will retail for $258 and is available at T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile in the U.S. as of June 2, 2022, with wider availability later in the year.

TCL is debuting another new phone, this time packing a stylus right into the body and attempting to show up Samsung's Note line with a surprisingly excellent price. At just $258, this phone is launching on T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile on June 2, 2022. It'll see release on other carriers and countries later this year.

For that price, you're getting a phone with a 6.81-inch TCL NXTVISION FHD+ display, which is compatible with the stylus that's built into the phone. TCL says it's not restricting stylus usage to just the one included with the phone, either, so you can always opt for a larger stylus if that's a more comfortable option.

This marks yet another great T-Mobile phone to hit an even better price point this year, the most recent being the OnePlus Nord N20. It's also a clear challenger to the Moto G Stylus 5G, which just launched for twice the price of TCL's offering.

Based on what we saw of the software, TCL's suite of stylus-friendly tools should stand toe-to-toe with other offerings out there. TCL is including the Nebo app built-in, which makes note-taking simple and even builds in brilliant handwriting recognition that will transform your handwriting into typed letters.

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MyScript Calculator 2 is also pre-installed, adding in yet another bit of value since these apps all normally cost extra on the Google Play Store. Additionally, TCL has built in a number of utilities that work well with the stylus including a custom GIF creator, screen writing tools, document signing tools, and more. You can even use the stylus to magnify parts of the screen that might be too small to comfortably read.

In addition to the 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4,000mAh battery, and microSD card support, TCL is packing four cameras on the back. A main 50MP camera is used for most tasks, while the 2MP depth lens helps with portrait mode, a second 2MP camera is used for macro shots, and a 5MP super wide-angle lens captures the bigger picture. The front of the phone also features a 13MP camera with software enhancements for apps like TikTok and should guarantee excellent quality in those apps.