T-Mobile has announced the REVVL 6 as one of two new budget 5G smartphones under its REVVL line of devices but is it worth buying over the OnePlus Nord N20 5G? Carriers are known to sell phones and tablets from various manufacturers, but a few have their own branded products which their customers can purchase. T-Mobile is one of such carriers, and it sells its own branded smartphones under the REVVL brand.
T-Mobile announced the first REVVL smartphone in Aug. 2017, and it packed entry-level specifications for a super affordable price tag of $125. A few months later, it followed it up with the REVVL Plus, which shared some of its key specs with the REVVL but packed a bigger display and battery capacity. Since then, T-Mobile has continued to launch new models, including the $200 REVVL V Plus 5G that was announced in 2021.
T-Mobile's new smartphone has gone for a design that the iPhone partly inspires. It has a flat display, a curved frame, a triple rear camera setup and a plastic build. The REVVL 6 comes in one colorway — China Blue. OnePlus's phone also borrows some of its design from the iPhone. Its display is also flat and so also is its frame. However, its triple rear cameras are separated. It is also made from plastic and is available in a single color option called Blue Smoke. Neither of the two phones has any form of water resistance.
The Nord N20 Costs More
The REVVL 6 has a 6.5-inch display with a waterdrop notch for a 5MP front-facing camera. This is a little bigger than the Nord N20's 6.43-inch display, which houses a 16MP selfie camera in the top left corner. In addition, T-Mobile went for an LCD display with an HD+ resolution to keep the cost low, but it can't measure up to the AMOLED FHD+ panel of the Nord N20. Despite these differences, both phones have a 60Hz refresh rate. Inside the REVVL 6 is a Dimensity 700 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage (up to 2TB). On the other hand, the Nord N20 has the more powerful Snapdragon 695 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. It also has a MicroSD card slot for adding up to an additional 512GB of storage.
Both phones pack triple rear cameras, but not only are they arranged differently, but their sensors are also dissimilar. There is a 13MP primary camera on the REVVL 6 paired with a 2MP depth camera and a 2MP macro camera. In contrast, the Nord N20 has a 64MP f/1.79 primary camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP monochrome camera. On the two phones, buyers will find a single speaker, an audio jack, and a USB-C port for charging. There is also a fingerprint scanner on both phones, but it is buried under the display on the Nord N20, while the REVVL 6 has its own under the red colored power button on the side. They also both support Face Unlock. T-Mobile and OnePlus have gone for the same 4500mAh battery capacity, but the Nord N20 will refill faster when empty as it supports 33W fast charging, unlike the REVVL 6, which charges at 15W. OnePlus also gets an extra point for including a charger in the box, while those who purchase the REVVL 6 will have to provide their own charger. The REVVL 6 runs Android 12 with a UI that is close to stock Android and comes with several Google apps and services pre-installed, while OnePlus ships the Nord N20 with OxygenOS based on Android 11. While T-Mobile doesn't say how many OS upgrades the REVVL 6 will get, the Nord N20 is eligible for one OS upgrade, bringing it to Android 12. OnePlus also promises three years of security updates. At $169, the REVVL 6 is dirt cheap, but that low price comes at the expense of a low-res display, a mediocre camera array and a weak processor. It also doesn't have a charger.
In contrast, the $282 Nord N20 ($299, unlocked) justifies its price with a sharper screen, better camera, more RAM and storage, faster charging, and a bundled charger, but it disappoints with its outdated Android version. Nevertheless, the REVVL 6 may suffice for anyone who wants to pick up an inexpensive 5G smartphone for a child or as a second smartphone. For those who want a better device than the REVVL 6 but don't want to shell out almost $300 for the Nord N20, there is the TCL Stylus 5G. It is available on T-Mobile for $258, and buyers get a 6.81-inch FHD+ screen, a 50MP quad camera, a smaller 4000mAh battery that charges faster at 18W (charger included), Android 12 and a built-in stylus.