A not-so-terrible network exclusive for only $230

T-Mobile has been building out its lineup of carrier-exclusive devices over the last few years, with some notably affordable entries with surprisingly impressive features. The REVVL 6x Pro certainly falls into this category as a sub-$220 smartphone that offers wireless charging, something rarely found on devices in that price range. If you’re on a budget and need an excuse to utilize your new wireless charger, there are worse things than getting locked into T-Mobile’s network.

However, for most users, the wireless charging might not be enough to make up for some of the shortcomings of the REVVL 6x Pro. The plastic body and the resulting lack of waterproofing is a bummer, although the headphone jack may be worth the trade-off. The weak performance is the biggest deal-breaker, though, with noticeable lagging on basic actions, enough to drive a flagship user a bit batty. Still, it’s sporting a processor that fits its price range, alongside a few other features that might win someone over to this smartphone. It just isn’t for me.

Availability, network, and pricing

T-Mobile and nowhere else, obviously

The T-Mobile REVVL 6x Pro is, as you can likely guess from the name, a T-Mobile exclusive, so you can only get it from the T-Mobile website or the Metro by T-Mobile MVNO. Likewise, you can only use it on the T-Mobile network, so Verizon and AT&T users are simply out of luck.

The T-Mobile REVVL 6x Pro costs only $229, which is certainly on the lower end of the spectrum for smartphones in 2023. You don’t get a lot of options either, with the device only coming in one color, Moonlit Ocean — a combination of dark blue and gray — and only with 256GB of memory.

Design & display

The bigger they are, the more disappointing they feel

Right out of the box, the T-Mobile REVVL 6x Pro feels big and bulky, because it is big and bulky, particularly compared to other options on the market. Its 9mm (0.35-inch) depth feels hefty in my medium-sized hands. On top of that, the 6.82-inch display is a big guy, even beating out the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has a 6.8-inch display.

That’s where the display comparisons to Samsung’s premium smartphones end, though. The REVVL 6x Pro is sporting nothing more than an HD+ LCD display with 720×1640 resolution, well below the standard for flagship devices from any provider. I’ll admit, it’s noticeably worse than my Pixel 7 in that regard, with some missing detail and grainier images, but it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker if you’re looking for a budget phone with a big screen.

If there is a deal-breaker on the REVVL 6x Pro, at least for this reviewer, it’s the notch in the top middle of the display. In the age of hole-punch options and under-display lenses, the notches ruin a perfectly good display experience, and given the size of this display, it feels massive and deep. Obviously, this comes down to personal preference, but this dude will not abide in the face of this notch.

The plastic body obviously makes the REVVL 6x Pro feel a bit cheaper, but again, that’s because it is. In fact, at this price point, it could feel a lot cheaper, like the Moto G Stylus 5G. Of course, you don’t get any waterproofing, which can be a bummer, but that’s at least somewhat to be expected from budget devices. The curved, flattened edges are reminiscent of modern iPhones, although there is a lip on either side of the edge that stops that reminiscence from wandering towards outright imitation.

The REVVL 6x Pro only has three buttons on the right side of the device. You’ll find the two volume buttons in the upper right, while the power button/fingerprint sensor sits directly below them. For a little flare, the power button/fingerprint sensor is magenta… because of T-Mobile. Get it?

If you’re still a wired headphones person, you’re in luck, as the REVVL 6x Pro is equipped with a headphone jack, as well as the USB-C plug on the bottom of the device. The sole speaker is also on the bottom of the device, but despite it being the only one, the sound is surprisingly balanced. However, if you hold your phone by the bottom, make sure you don’t block it, as it’ll snuff out virtually all audio.

Other hardware & what’s in the box

Seamless unlocking on a budget

The T-Mobile REVVL 6x Pro keeps up handily with the industry when it comes to its biometric unlocking features, sporting a fingerprint sensor on the power button, as well as offering face unlock. While the previous iteration of the device, the T-Mobile REVVL 6 Pro 5G, suffered from some unreliability with the fingerprint sensor, I’m happy to report that I experienced virtually no issues trying to access the device.

In earnest, the fingerprint sensor wasn’t entirely necessary, as the face unlock was even more impressive, unlocking consistently and quickly in nearly every instance. Most budget phones don’t come with any amount of waterproofing, and the REVVL 6x Pro follows suit in that regard. The device is not IP-rated for any level of water resistance, so keep it away from your spill-prone partner if you want this smartphone to continue working properly.

As for what’s in the box, you won’t find much beyond the REVVL 6x Pro. The smartphone is accompanied by the charging cable of the USB-A to USB-C variety, as well as a quick start guide and the SIM tool.

Software & performance

A budget phone with budget performance

From a performance standpoint, the REVVL 6x Pro definitely suffers from its low price tag. Even in the setup process, the lag between pushing buttons and feeling haptics is slightly more noticeable than higher end devices. Apps open a bit slower, glitches aren’t as infrequent as you’d like, and overall, the Mediatek MT6833 Dimensity 700 processor simply doesn’t match up to the seamless experience on more expensive devices.

Beyond that, though, the performance did the job fine. As long as you aren’t used to premium devices from Samsung and Google, the REVVL 6x Pro is passable, with no problem scrolling through TikTok or playing games. Even the speediness of a Rail Rush game had no problem catching every lean, swipe, and jump to keep my cart on the tracks.

My REVVL 6x Pro shipped with Android 12 but has received an update to Android 13, and as far as the interface is concerned, this feels like a Google smartphone. There are virtually no differences from the standard Android experience, even featuring the old Google Discover tab if you swipe right from the home page. There are no T-Mobile-exclusive apps and no T-Mobile-specific design choices you can make beyond the magenta background that comes by default. Simply put, this smartphone gives you the Android experience with no frills or bloatware, so you can make it your own.

Battery life & charging

Anything but budget when it comes to battery

For the price, the REVVL 6x Pro knocks it out of the park when it comes to battery life and charging. The 5000 mAh battery has become the standard for most smartphones at this point, and the mid-tier processor in this budget phone lends itself to a lengthy time between charges. In fact, the device easily lasted more than two days without a charge with light to moderate usage (responding to emails, scrolling through TikTok, occasional low-demand gaming).

As for charging, don’t expect anything too speedy. 15W wired charging leaves a lot to be desired compared to flagship devices, taking a little more than 2 hours to go from 0% to 100%. That was to be expected, however, after seeing the USB-A to USB-C charging cable that came with the T-Mobile REVVL 6x Pro, rather than the typically faster Power Delivery-equipped USB-C to USB-C cables found with other, more expensive devices.

Where the REVVL 6X Pro really impresses in the charging department, though, is the wireless charging. At this price point, wireless charging is almost always one of the first premium features to go, particularly given the plastic bodies you’ll usually find in this space. This device is equipped with wireless charging, though, and it works as well as you’d hope. Even with the crappy third party wireless charger that’s attached to my desk lamp, the REVVL 6x Pro started charging immediately and didn’t stop through the occasional bump.

Camera

A mediocre camera with worse editing

At first glance, the T-Mobile REVVL 6x Pro is really bringing the heat when it comes to its camera array. The budget smartphone has four different rear-facing cameras, which sounds like a lot when you consider most iPhones are only sporting two. The 50MP main camera has become the standard across the industry, so it’s nice to see this budget phone keeping up with that. You’ll also get the 2MP depth lens, and the REVVL 6x Pro is kind enough not to make us choose between wide shots and close-ups, with the 5MP ultra-wide camera and the 2MP macro lens.

Unfortunately, the budget nature of the REVVL 6x Pro rears its ugly head when it comes to the quality of images these cameras can actually produce. As someone that’s used to the high quality smartphone photography of Pixel devices, the shots from this device were simply missing something. The details weren’t as crisp, the colors weren’t as vibrant, and the images just didn’t have that wow factor that gets those extra likes on social media. Night Mode didn’t impress either, producing an image that was still noticeably pretty dark. I was prompted to “fix lighting,” but the resulting image felt overly processed.

The 16MP selfie camera wasn’t much better, taking somewhat washed out shots of me in my favorite blue sweatshirt. Even stranger, there didn’t seem to be a dedicated portrait mode, although you could add blur after the fact with the editing tools. Speaking of editing tools, the difference between T-Mobile and Google’s processing power was very much on display with the editing, which conveniently allowed me to decide exactly how much “smart” editing I wanted on a scale from one to eight. When used to the max, this smart filter makes me look cartoonish, with much redder lips, wider eyes, and eerily smooth skin. Uncanny valley, here we come!

The macro lens certainly wasn’t terrible on the REVVL 6x Pro, as few are, but it definitely didn’t impress to the extent of flagship devices like the OnePlus 11. The images lacked the same crispness and detail on the main camera, showing its low price in the camera.

Competition

Better budget phones are out there

If the T-Mobile REVVL 6x Pro just isn’t doing it for you, and you want to find something comparable, you’re in luck. There are plenty of budget phones that compete, starting with the REVVL 6 Pro 5G, the previous iteration of the device. It’s a tad more affordable with many of the same features, so it’s a good place to start.

Beyond T-Mobile exclusive devices, if you’re looking for an even cheaper device that comes with a stylus, the Moto G Stylus (2023) is only $200 and packs a serious punch, although it is lacking wireless charging. If you’re looking for something with a bit more power, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G brings faster charging and a nice display, although if you can hold out long enough, it is posed for a replacement sometime in early 2024.

Should you buy it?

If you’re a T-Mobile user that needs to save a bit of money on a phone that can wireless charge, the REVVL 6x Pro should suit you nicely. There are few devices at this price point that offer the feature, and the other low-end specs aren’t so much dealbreakers as they are affordability casualties.

There are, however, plenty of other affordable options in the Samsung and Motorola lineups that are more powerful with better specs, so it’s hard not to recommend them over the REVVL 6x Pro. If you’re an extremely loyal T-Mobile user that wants to stray from the big brands, be our guest, but if you want the best bang for your buck, keep searching.