TCL 40R Deals - August 2026
1 refurbished deal available - SIM-free from £90.00.
TCL 40R SIM Free deals
The TCL 40R is in our catalog but no UK retailer currently stocks it.
Color
All
Black
Storage
All
64GB
Buyers who want 5G connectivity and long battery life for the least money possible, and who can live with a 720p LCD screen and slow charging.
TCL 40R SIM Free (1 deals)
Filters
Grade B
5G
40R 64GB (Black)
Cost breakdown
Cashback:
£0.00
Upfront Cost:
£90.00
About the TCL 40R
The TCL 40R is one of those phones that exists to answer a single question: what is the cheapest way onto 5G without buying something that feels broken? TCL's answer is a MediaTek Dimensity 700, a 6.6-inch screen and a 5,000mAh battery, and for undemanding use that combination works. The catch is the display. At 720p across 6.6 inches it looks soft, and unlike much of the competition it is an IPS LCD rather than an AMOLED, so blacks are grey and outdoor visibility is only adequate. Where the 40R does better than expected is endurance, since a low-resolution panel and a modest chip draw very little power, and it comfortably clears a day. The 50MP main camera is a real step up from the 13MP sensor on the older 20 R 5G it replaces, though the two 2MP support lenses beside it contribute little. Practicalities are handled well: a 3.5mm headphone jack, NFC for contactless payments, a fingerprint sensor and microSD expansion up to 1TB. Charging, at 15W, is the weakest link.
Expert Rating
4.0
(1 review)
Price History
Tracking the best prices since 27 Apr 2026.
TCL 40R vs TCL 20 R 5G - Key Differences
| Feature | TCL 40R | TCL 20 R 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.6-inch IPS LCD, 720 × 1612 | 6.52-inch IPS LCD, 720 × 1600 |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 700 | MediaTek Dimensity 700 |
| Main camera | 50MP main + 2MP + 2MP | 13MP main + 2MP + 2MP |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Charging | 15W wired | 10W wired |
| Weight | 192 g | 186 g |
| Software at launch | Android 12 | Android 11 |
| SIM-free price | Not available | From £68.00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the TCL 40R worth buying?
The TCL 40R is worth considering only if your priority is getting 5G and long battery life for as little as possible. The Dimensity 700 handles everyday apps, calls and streaming without complaint, but the 720p LCD screen and 15W charging are clear compromises. Anyone who spends much time watching video or gaming should stretch to a phone with an AMOLED display.
Does the TCL 40R have 5G?
Yes, the TCL 40R is a 5G phone built around MediaTek's Dimensity 700, which has an integrated 5G modem and works across UK 5G networks. It also supports Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC for contactless payments, though it takes a single nano-SIM rather than two.
Is the TCL 40R camera good?
The TCL 40R's 50MP main camera is respectable in good light for a phone of this class and a clear improvement on the 13MP sensor in the older TCL 20 R 5G. The two 2MP support cameras add very little, low-light shots are noisy, and video is capped at 1080p. It is a snapshot camera, not a reason to buy the phone.
How long does the TCL 40R battery last?
The TCL 40R's 5,000mAh battery comfortably lasts a full day and often longer, because the 720p LCD screen and efficient Dimensity 700 chip are both undemanding. Charging is the weak point at 15W over USB-C, with no wireless charging, so a full refill takes a couple of hours.
Does the TCL 40R have a headphone jack and expandable storage?
Yes, the TCL 40R keeps a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired earphones and has a microSD slot that accepts cards up to 1TB. That is useful given the 64GB and 128GB internal options, especially if you store a lot of music or photos on the phone itself.
How does the TCL 40R compare to the TCL 20 R 5G?
The TCL 40R keeps the same Dimensity 700 chip as the TCL 20 R 5G but upgrades the main camera from 13MP to 50MP, grows the battery from 4,500mAh to 5,000mAh and doubles charging speed to 15W. It also ships on Android 12 rather than Android 11, making it the more sensible of the two.
TCL 40R Specifications
Spec Scores
£200-£399 Phones · 190 phones
- Dimensity 700
- Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
This phone
32%
Avg
42%
Best
93%
This phone
32%
Avg
49%
Best
100%
Based on calibrated CPU benchmark rankings (60%) and GFXBench GPU scores (40%). Apple chipsets included via editorial calibration since AnTuTu under-represents Apple's architecture.
- 6.6 inches
- 720 x 1612 pixels
- IPS, 90Hz, 400 nits peak
This phone
41%
Avg
61%
Best
92%
This phone
41%
Avg
61%
Best
98%
Based on panel type (LTPO is the modern flagship gold standard), resolution, refresh rate, peak brightness, screen size, and HDR10+ / Dolby Vision support. Marketing peak-brightness claims are capped at 3500 nits to prevent inflation. Where DXOMARK has lab-tested the phone, its measured score replaces this estimate.
Lab-measured by DXOMARK (76 on their scale). The measured result replaces our spec-sheet estimate for this category.
- Triple camera setup
- 50 MP main camera
- 1080p video recording
This phone
30%
Avg
38%
Best
70%
This phone
30%
Avg
41%
Best
91%
Based on main-sensor size (1-inch / 1/1.3" beats 1/2.0"), telephoto reach (periscope > 5x > 3x optical), image processing tier (Apple Pro, Pixel Pro, Galaxy Ultra, Honor Magic Pro, Xiaomi Ultra), pro video features (ProRes, Apple Log, Dolby Vision), camera-partnership branding (Leica, Hasselblad, Zeiss) and OIS. Older flagships are de-rated since image processing pipelines have advanced significantly each generation. Megapixel count is deliberately downweighted — it correlates poorly with real-world camera quality. Where DXOMARK has lab-tested the phone, its measured score replaces this estimate.
- 8 MP front camera
- 1080p selfie video
This phone
51%
Avg
59%
Best
88%
This phone
51%
Avg
60%
Best
93%
Based on the image-processing tier (Apple Pro, Pixel Pro, Galaxy Ultra and Honor Magic lead on computational processing), sensor resolution in tiers rather than raw megapixels, autofocus, aperture and max selfie-video resolution. Calibrated against DXOMARK's selfie protocol. Where DXOMARK has lab-tested the phone, its measured score replaces this estimate.
Lab-measured by DXOMARK (123 on their scale). The measured result replaces our spec-sheet estimate for this category.
- 5,000 mAh
- 15W wired
This phone
55%
Avg
53%
Best
86%
This phone
55%
Avg
53%
Best
100%
Based on battery capacity (mAh) adjusted for platform efficiency calibrated against NotebookCheck, Tom's Guide, GSMArena and CNET reviewer tests. Apple A-series gets +45% (iOS process freezing + LTPO 1Hz + tuned panels make iPhone Pro Max outlast many 6500+ mAh Android phones in measured tests). Top Snapdragon / Dimensity flagships get +15%, budget chipsets are penalised −15% to −25% to reflect less efficient displays and looser background limits. Charging speed is excluded — see the separate Fast charging tag for that. Where DXOMARK has lab-tested the phone, its measured score replaces this estimate.
General
Dimensions
164.5 x 75.4 x 9
Weight
192 g
SIM
· Nano-SIM
Operating System
Android 12, TCL UI 4.0
Colours
Radio
FM radio
Body
Stardust Purple, Starlight Black
Camera
Primary Camera Megapixels
50
Primary Camera
50 , f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF
Primary Camera Video
1080@30fs
Second Camera
50 , f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF
Third Camera
50 , f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF
Primary Selfie Camera
8 , f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm
Video Resolution
1080
Selfie Video Resolution
1080@30fs
Display
Type
IPS LCD, 90Hz, 400 nits (typ)
Display Size
6.6
Display Resolution
720 x 1612 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~267 ppi density)
CPU & Memory
Chipset
Dimensity 700
GPU
Mali-G57 MC2
CPU
Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
Memory Card Slot
microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal Storage
Sound
Loudspeaker
Yes
3.5mm Jack
Yes
Connectivity & Data
2G
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G
LTE
5G
1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA - T771K, T771K1
Network Speed
HSPA, LTE, 5G
Network Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth
5.1, A2DP, LE
USB
USB Type-C 2.0
NFC
Yes
GPS
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
Battery
Battery
5000
Charging
15W wired
Other
Sensors
Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass