Summary
Usually, when we talk about flip phones, it’s the modern foldable display variety. However, old-school flip phones with T9 number pads still exist. The TCL Flip 4 5G isavailable now through Metro by T-Mobile, and it’s kinda cool.
Now, the TCL Flip 4 5G is not just nostalgia bait—it has practical features and modern connectivity packed into a familiar form factor. As the name indicates, it does indeed have 5G. That means faster speeds for your essential tasks. You’re obviously not going to be streaming 4K movies on this, but for calls, texts, and quick checks, there’s absolutely no waiting.
Speaking of essentials, the battery life on this thing is something only OG cell phone nerds will remember. We’re talking up to 40 hours of talk time and more than two days on a single charge. In reality, you’re not going to be using this phone very often—that’s partly the point—so battery life may be even better. And when it does need a charge, it has USB-C.
On the inside, you’ll find an easy-to-read interface with large keys, making navigation simple. On the outside, there’s a 1.77-inch display for quick glances, while the main internal screen comes in at 3.2 inches. Under the hood, you’re looking at a Snapdragon 4s Gen2 octa-core processor, paired with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and KaiOS 4.0 for the software experience.
If you’reunfamiliar with KaiOS, it’s essentially a modern version of the “feature phone” software from back in the day. You get access to basic Google apps, like Google Maps to help you find your way, and even YouTube. There’s also a 5MP rear camera for snapping photos, an FM radio, and a music player that can handle everything from MP3s to FLAC files. Plus, with HD Voice, noise-canceling dual microphones, and an amplified speaker, your calls should sound excellent.
So, whether you’re looking for a dependable, affordable phone that can pull you away from youreveryday distraction machinesmartphone, or you’re totally not interested in smartphones at all, the TCL FLIP 4 5G might just be worth checking out.