TCL’s Verizon tablet is the only one you’ll find with 5G for $399

TCL, the company best known for its affordable Roku-equipped 4K TVs, has a new budget-oriented $399.99 5G tablet — the Tab Pro 5G. The device is available to order via Verizon’s online “Buy More, Save More” promo, which takes $100 off if purchased with a qualifying Android device on a Verizon plan.

Similar to its newer TVs that now offer Google TV in the US, TCL’s Tab Pro 5G continues the company’s trend with a standard set of Google apps… alongside the expected mass of Verizon bloatware.

Image: TCL

Tablets with 5G have not entered this price point yet. Verizon also sells the $669.99 Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G and the $649 iPad Mini with 5G. However, if you want an iPad with high-speed mmWave connections like this TCL slate has, your cheapest option is an 11-inch iPad Pro that starts at about $1,000. The technology’s limited range means it’s more useful if the signal is available within a block or two of where you live and play, but at this price point there just aren’t any other options.

The TCL Tab Pro 5G’s 10.36-inch (1200 x 2000 resolution) “NXTVISION” LCD screen is accompanied by stereo speakers that together provide an “impressive cinematic experience,” according to the company. Dark mode, reader mode, and a software HDR effect are included. Parents can screen-nanny their kids longer with a fast-charging 8,000mAh battery that TCL says can endure up to 17 hours of mixed use and can work as a power bank to charge your phone.

Optics include a front 8MP camera with face unlock and a rear 13MP shooter with LED flash and 1080p video capability. There’s no headphone jack, but the company includes a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter in the box along with an 18W charger. On the edges of the tablet, you’ll also find a USB-C connector, fingerprint sensor, volume buttons, dual microphones, and what seems to be a five-pin accessory connector.

Image: TCL

The TCL Tab Pro 5G is equipped with Verizon mmWave and 802.11ac Wi-Fi (no Wi-Fi 6 here), 64GB of internal storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD), and it’s running Android 11. With an eight-core Snapdragon 480 5G SoC and 4GB of RAM, it can probably handle light to medium gaming and a bit of productivity on the go.