TCL Flip 2 Review | PCMag

TCL’s Flip 2 ($79.99) does everything you expect from a feature phone, with clear voice calls, long battery life, and an easy-to-read number pad. In addition, it has Wi-Fi support that allows for basic web browsing and email access. If you want the option to download extra apps, the Nokia 2780 Flip ($89.99) is worth considering, though it has shorter battery life and poorer call quality. If you only need the basics, the TCL Flip 2 is a compelling option at an affordable price, earning it our Editors’ Choice award for simple voice phones.

Design and Specs

Unlike the Nokia 2780 Flip, which comes in multiple colors, the TCL Flip 2 is available only in Volcano Black and gives off a businesslike appearance. Its plastic construction feels a bit slippery.

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

The phone measures 7.91 by 2.19 by 0.31 inches (HWD) when open and folds down to a compact 4.22 by 2.19 by 0.78 inches, around the same size as the Nokia 2780 (7.96 by 2.28 by 0.45 inches open, 4.33 by 2.28 by 0.77 inches closed). The Flip 2 and Nokia 2780 also weigh about the same at 4.93 and 4.62 ounces, respectively. As such, it’s almost impossible to distinguish between the two in the hand.

Part of the appeal of classic flip phones (and many modern folding phones) is that they are easy to carry, hold, and use. The TCL Flip 2’s rounded corners help me securely grasp it in my palm, which makes opening and closing the lid effortless. In my experience, the outer screen smudged quickly, but the back and body of the phone remained free of fingerprints.

On the front, a low-resolution, 1.4-inch color screen replicates most of what’s on the larger, inner screen. It shows the same wallpaper, along with the time, date, and battery life. You also see your connected network and any message notifications. This outer screen presents calls and messages with color indicators as they arrive, and can show caller ID details. It’s a bit smaller than the 1.7-inch screen of the Nokia 2780, however.

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

The camera is also on the front, meaning you must open the phone to take pictures. An additional Quick Dial button allows you to immediately call a number that you program into the device. Doing so engages the speakerphone, so you can communicate with the caller easily. 

A volume rocker on the right side is the only other physical control on the outside apart from the Quick Dial button; it offers a satisfying click. A 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C port for charging and file transfers are on the right.

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

Flip the phone open to use the main, 2.8-inch color LCD. It has a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels and can reach up to 320 nits of brightness. I didn’t have any trouble seeing the screen indoors, but it never got bright enough to use under direct sunlight due to glare. For comparison, the Nokia has a 2.7-inch screen with the same resolution. Neither supports touch input.

The navigation array that sits directly below the phone’s hinge includes two shortcut buttons, a directional pad with an OK button in the center, and Send and End buttons. The directional pad is raised, while the others are slightly concave. Favorite, mail, and back buttons sit underneath those. A large number pad for dialing and typing messages takes up the rest of the space. The raised number keys are larger than the other buttons, use a clear font, light up when you’re using them, and are easy to press.

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

You need to remove the phone’s rear panel to insert your carrier’s SIM card and access the swappable battery. There’s also a microSD slot underneath that works with cards up to 128GB. In testing, I found it a little difficult to peel off the back cover. Sliding the small nano SIM card into its tiny slot also requires some dexterity. 

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

The Flip 2 doesn’t have an official IP rating against dust and water, so you should keep it away from the elements.

The phone runs on the MediaTek 6739-CH processor, comes with 1GB of memory, and has approximately 4GB of user-accessible storage. If you find you need more room, you can use the aforementioned microSD slot. Meanwhile, the Nokia 2780 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 chip, has 512MB of RAM, and carries the same amount of storage. You shouldn’t read too much into these spec differences, as both phones run smoothly for their intended purposes.

Clear, Loud Calls

Given its VoLTE support, the Flip 2 should work just fine on all the major 4G LTE networks in the US. You can get it unlocked directly from TCL or through several MVNOs. It does not support 5G.

The Flip 2 reliably made and received calls from many different locations on T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network in testing. Call quality is crisp and free of static. I could hear everyone clearly, and no one complained about not hearing me, even when I was in a windy outdoor environment. The phone’s loud earpiece and speakerphone play a part here since they respectively reached 75.6dB and 87.6dB. Both are louder than those for the Nokia 2780 (70.5dB and 76.6dB, respectively). 

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

Battery life is also a highlight of the Flip 2. It comes with a relatively small 1,850mAh cell, but TCL states that the phone should get approximately 14 hours of talk time over 4G before you need to plug in again. In testing, the battery dropped to 50% after eight hours of calling, texting, and snapping some pictures. It does much better here than the Nokia 2780, which managed just 3 hours and 20 minutes of talk time. The Flip 2 took 1 hour and 47 minutes to recharge from empty via the included USB-C cable and 5W charging brick.

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

Sending text messages from the Flip 2 is easy, so long as you’re comfortable tapping them out on the number pad. Group messages, including those with images, work properly.

The phone relies on the older Wi-Fi 4 standard to connect you to the web, access your email, and enable Wi-Fi calling. The latter is particularly helpful if you live in an area with unreliable cell service. Data service is also available via the 4G radio.

You can connect wired or wireless headphones respectively via the 3.5mm jack or Bluetooth 4.2 to monitor calls, though you can’t access any music streaming services from the phone. The phone does have a music app, however, if you want to manually load songs onto it.

Not Camera-Ready

The Flip 2’s single 2MP camera doesn’t have a flash and struggles to take decent photos even in bright light. The phone can record 480p video at up to 30fps, but the footage doesn’t look any better than the photos.

If you’re interested in photography, you’ll need a smartphone like the $199.99 Samsung Galaxy A15 5G or an actual camera.

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

Simple Software

The Flip 2 uses software based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The phone doesn’t offer any of the traditional functions you get in a modern Android smartphone, but I found the OS speedy enough, intuitive, and generally unobtrusive. Even though the phone is Android-based, TCL hasn’t committed to future security patches or software updates (not that I necessarily expect software updates for a feature phone).

(Credit: Sarah Lord)

The menu consists of Call History, Messages, Contacts, Gallery, Music, Camera, Browser, Tools, and Settings icons. Tap Tools to access a voice recorder, calendar, clock, note app, calculator, email client, and file manager. If you’re desperate to access Instagram and Facebook, you can do so via the web browser, though navigating the web with a directional pad is tedious at best. Unlike the KaiOS-based Nokia 2780, there’s no way to download additional apps.

Accessibility features appear in the Settings menu. You can make the text larger, invert or otherwise change the screen color, enable captions, toggle audible navigation prompts, switch to a mono audio mode, set up hearing aids, and turn on the TTY mode. You can also configure the aforementioned Quick Dial feature here.

Verdict: The Flip 2 Gets the Basics Right

The TCL Flip 2 accomplishes what a basic feature phone should: It works reliably for calls, lasts all day, and has a functional, no-frills design. The Quick Dial button makes emergency calling fast and easy even when the phone is closed, and we’re glad the simplified Android-based operating system doesn’t get in the way. You can get a few more apps on the Nokia 2780 Flip, but it’s at the expense of battery life and call quality. If you’re looking for an affordable, no-nonsense flip phone primarily for making calls, the TCL Flip 2 is our Editors’ Choice.