TCL introduced a new budget smartphone in the US earlier this year. Part of the company’s 20 series, the TCL 20 SE targets consumers who don’t want to spend too much but still need a decent smartphone. It competes with OnePlus’s new Nord N200 5G in the price segment, among other phones. If you’re confused between the two, we can help. In this article, we’ll compare the TCL 20 SE with the OnePlus Nord N200 5G to see which phone makes more sense for you.

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TCL 20 SE vs OnePlus Nord N200 5G: Specifications

Specifications

TCL 20 SE

OnePlus Nord N200 5G

Dimensions and Weight

  • 172.08 x 77.14 x 9.1mm
  • 206
  • 163.1 x 74.9 x 8.3mm
  • 189g

Display

  • 6.82-inch LCD
  • HD+
  • 20.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Waterdrop notch
  • 60Hz refresh rate
  • 6.49-inch LCD
  • Full-HD+
  • 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Hole-punch design
  • 90Hz refresh rate

SoC

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 460
    • 4x Kryo 240 based on Cortex-A73 @ 1.6GHz
    • 4x Kryo 240 based on Cortex-A53 @ 1.8GHz
  • Adreno 610 GPU
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 480
    • 4x Kryo 260 based on Cortex-A76 @ 2GHz
    • 4x Kryo 260 based on Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
  • Adreno 619 GPU

RAM and Storage

  • 4GB RAM
  • 128GB flash storage UFS 2.1
  • MicroSD card support
  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB storage
  • MicroSD card support

Rear Camera

  • Primary: 48MP, f/2.0, 1/2″ sensor, 79° FoV
  • Secondary: 5MP, wide-angle, f/2.2, 115° FoV
  • Tertiary: 2MP, macro camera, f/2.4
  • Quarternary: 2MP, depth, f/2.4
  • Primary: 13MP, f/2.2
  • Secondary: 2MP, macro, f/2.4
  • Tertiary: 2MP, monochrome, f/2.4

Front Camera

  • 13MP fixed focus
  • 16MP fixed focus

Battery

  • 5,000mAh
  • 5,000mAh
  • 18W fast charging

Connectivity

  • Bands (North America):
    • GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
    • UMTS: 1/2/4/5/8
    • LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/28/66
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • USB Type C
  • Bands (North America):
    • GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
    • UMTS: 1/2/4/5/8
    • LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/20/25/26/ 28/39/40/41/66/71
    • 5G: 2/25/41/66/71
  • Wi-Fi 802.11ac
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • USB Type C
  • NFC

Other features

  • Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
  • Side-mounted fingerprint scanner

Software

  • Android 11 with TCL UI
  • Android 11 with OxygenOS

Design and Display

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Most budget phones go for a utilitarian design, and the same is true for the TCL 20 SE and the Nord N200 5G. Both phones have a plastic body with back panels that attract fingerprint smudges. While OnePlus has opted for a hole-punch cutout to place a selfie camera, the TCL phone uses a waterdrop-style notch. There isn’t anything particularly exciting or problematic to talk about the designs of either of the phones.

Things become slightly interesting on the display front as the OnePlus Nord N200 5G packs a 6.49-inch full-HD+ LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. In contrast, you’ll only get a 6.82-inch HD+ LCD panel with a 60Hz refresh rate on the TCL phone.

Given full-HD panels aren’t very common in the budget space, the Nord N200 5G makes more sense to buy than the TCL phone. The faster refresh rate on the OnePlus phone is another thing that goes in its favor.

SoC, RAM, and Storage

OnePlus Nord N200 5G

The OnePlus Nord N200 5G also scores on the SoC front with its newer Snapdragon 480 chip. It's significantly faster than the Snapdragon 460 SoC present in the TCL phone. Even the Adreno 619 GPU in the Nord N200 5G is 100 percent faster than the TCL 20 SE’s Adreno 610 GPU, as per Qualcomm.

Both phones come with 4GB of RAM; however, there's 128GB of onboard storage in the 20 SE, whereas Nord N200 has 64GB of internal storage. Though, a microSD card slot is available on each of the two devices.

TCL 20 SE vs OnePlus Nord N200 5G: Cameras

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The TCL 20 SE features a quad rear camera setup that a 48MP primary shooter headlines. The other cameras in the setup include a 5MP wide-angle shooter, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. There's a 13MP selfie snapper on board as well. In the OnePlus phone, there's a triple rear camera setup, with a 13MP primary camera, 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP monochrome camera. The Nord N200 also includes a 16MP selfie camera.

The TCL phone includes more camera choices, especially the wide-angle shooter that might be appreciated by some consumers. But in terms of the primary camera performance, both phones provide a similar level of performance. You’ll get decent results in good lighting and underwhelming photos in low-lighting situations.

Battery and Connectivity

OnePlus Nord N200 5G back

Both TCL 20 SE and OnePlus Nord N200 5G are on par in terms of the battery size at 5,000mAh. But OnePlus has included support for 18W fast charging in the Nord N200, which is missing from the TCL phone. If you’re someone who often charges their phone at the last minute, the lack of fast charging in the TCL phone may cause trouble for you.

The Nord N200 5G also comes with 5G support, as is evident from its name. However, you can only use the 5G on T-Mobile’s network in the US. Verizon and AT&T 5G aren’t supported. The TCL phone, on the other hand, doesn’t support 5G at all. Also, it only works with AT&T and T-Mobile 4G networks at this point. So if you want to use T-Mobile 5G or Verizon’s network, the Nord N200 5G is the only option for you.

In other connectivity options, the OnePlus phone also has faster Wi-Fi, NFC, and a newer Bluetooth version.

OS and Android Updates

Android 11 is present on both OnePlus Nord N200 5G and TCL 20 SE. While the TCL phone’s Android update future is unclear, it will get up to two years of security updates. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G, on the other hand, will get one major Android update and three years of security updates. So if you’re planning to keep your phone for the next three to four years or longer, the Nord N200 is a better pick, given a more extended support period.

TCL 20 SE vs OnePlus Nord N200 5G: Pricing and Color Options

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TCL is selling just one storage variant of the 20 SE, priced at $189.99. You can buy it in Aurora Green and Nuit Black colors. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G also comes in a single storage variant, priced at $239.99. It's offered in just one color option -- Blue Quantum.

While the OnePlus phone is $50 more expensive than the TCL offering, the higher price tag is justified by a more powerful processor, 5G support, and higher-resolution display.

Conclusion

If you have the budget to go for the OnePlus Nord N200 5G, it's a far superior phone to the TCL 20 SE in several aspects. As mentioned, you get a higher resolution and faster refresh rate display, a newer and more powerful SoC, fast charging support, and 5G. But if you’re looking to save some money, the TCL 20 SE is also a decent budget phone.

Which of the two phones are you planning to buy? Let us know in the comments section. If you do end up buying the TCL 20 SE, make sure to pick a case from our recommendations for the best TCL 20 SE cases to safeguard your phone.

TCL 20 SE is the company’s newest budget phone. It runs on Android 11, and packs Snapdragon 460 SoC and a large 5,000mAh battery.
TCL 20 SE

TCL 20 SE is the company’s newest budget phone. It runs on Android 11, and packs Snapdragon 460 SoC and a large 5,000mAh battery.

The OnePlus store offers several payment options, including PayPal, and ships the devices via FedEx Express.
OnePlus Nord N200 5G

The OnePlus Nord N200 is the company’s new budget 5G phone. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC, and runs on Android 11.

If you've purchased the phones, do check out our recommendations on accessories, cases, screen protectors, and more: