TCL TAB MAX 10.4 Review

Last Updated on March 27, 2022 by Ernests Embutnieks

This tablet is the successor of TCL 10 TAB MAX but is far better than the previous variant had to offer. Things that make it different from the predecessor, which was launched two years back, include 6 GB of RAM, 256 GB of internal memory, a USB Type-C audio jack, and more.

It is simply outstanding for our daily needs. Whether you are working in an office or a student who is busy with studies and assignments; TCL TAB MAX 10.4 has it all to accompany us. The new TAB MAX 10.4 is specially designed to perform exceptionally well in collaborative meetings, taking notes, sketching, etc.

So, without wasting any further time, let’s explore the TCL TAB MAX 10.4 in more detail regarding design, features, value, performance, and cost. 

TCL TAB MAX 10.4 – Premier Tablet

The new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 draws all its power from the Snapdragon 665 CPU, which goes hand in hand with Adreno 610 GPU and 6 GB of RAM. Although it provides us with 256 GB of internal storage, we still have the luxury of a microSD card slot (the one that supports up to 256 GB of extended storage)

The TCL TAB MAX 10.4 sets a new standard with its arrival, as it is offering a combo of performance and design. It is home to an NXTVISION display that stretches up to 10.4″ (in FHD). Overall something which gives extra clarity, true colors, and a relaxing effect to the eyes.

AliExpress held the world premiere of the new TCL TAB MAX 10.4. It offers an anniversary sale price of $219 and is currently live (from March 23, 2022, to April 01, 2022) Although Ali Express is offering the TCL TAB MAX 10.4 at the sale price, keep in mind you’ll need to pay extra in order to buy the required accessories such as a keyboard, stylus pen, and flip case. 

Putting everything in simple words, the new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 tries to overcome all the shortcomings of its predecessor and puts all efforts into winning a good reputation among its users. The thin and light design with exceptional performance at affordable rates is among the attention-grabbing elements of this tablet bag.

TCL TAB MAX 10.4 Ratings

Specifications

OS	Android 11
Display	10.4” FHD LCD, resolution (2000 x 1200) 226ppi
RAM	6 GB
CPU	Octa-Core (4xCortex-A73, 4xCortex-A53)
GPU	Adreno 610
Battery	8000 mAh, fast charging 18W
Storage	256GB
MicroSD Expansion	MicroSD up to 256 GB
Camera	13MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Price	Up to $219
Colors	Space Grey
Dimensions	247.80×157.56×7.65mm
Weight	470g

What’s Inside the Box

The following items are inside the TCL TAB MAX 10.4Box:

• TCL TAB MAX 10.4
• 9V2A Charger
• USB Type-C Cable
• Card Pin
• Product Safety Information 
• User Manual

Pros & Cons

Pros 

• NXTVISION Display
• Better Pixel Density
• Battery life is good
• Better Performance
• Stylus

Cons 

• No Fingerprint
• Average camera performance
• The Speaker’s Sound quality is not so good

Features of TCL TAB MAX 10.4

• Display: TCL TAB MAX 10.4 comes with a 10.4” FHD LCD, which seems justified in the price of $219 (as offered on AliExpress). The bright side of this tablet is that it offers a 2000 x 1200 resolution with NXTVISION, which was not supported by its predecessor of 2020. The NXTVISION gives extra clarity, true colors, and a relaxing effect to the eyes. This feature makes it a perfect choice for watching movies, enjoying TV series, and gaming. 
• Price: TCL provides good features at affordable rates. They have continued to follow their tradition with this tablet. The new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 offers good features with a lower price range of $219, which is affordable to the middle class and low-end users.
• Speakers: TCL Tab MAX 10.4 comes with dual stereo speakers installed mounted on the lower end of the tablet with a charging port, which provides good audio sound, but it could have been better. The sound quality is acceptable for a tablet in this price range, as we have to compromise on certain features.
• Camera: It offers a 13MP with 1.8 aperture camera at the rear end, which provides acceptable picture quality in enough lighting. But we cannot expect an outstanding result from it. If we talk about the front camera, which is 8MP, that is quite acceptable for a mid-range tablet. It helps us take 1080P videos at 30fps, which can also benefit us in video callings, but it is certainly not for selfie lovers.
• Battery-Life: As far as the battery is concerned, TCL TAB MAX 10.4 provides a battery of 8000mAh, which lasts up to 8 hours; although it supports fast charging of 18W, I would suggest not to expect a lot with this battery.
• Storage: TCL TAB MAX 10.4 outdone its predecessor by providing 256 GB internal storage, which can be increased with the help of a MicroSD card of 256 GB. With this capacity, TCL TAB MAX 10.4 is the perfect place to maintain a library of games, music, and movies.
• Design: If we inspect the design of TCL TAB MAX 10.4 in detail, we will come to know that the material quality is not as good as expected, but still, this tablet has managed to place the devices smoothly. It has consistent placement of speakers at the bottom edges with the charging jack. This tablet comes in gray color, which gives it a professional look. Its slim and sleek body with dimensions of 247.80×157.56×7.65 mm and 470g weight makes it easy to carry even with the body cover.
• Portability: This tablet is super portable even with all its attachments such as keyboard, body cover, and stylus. So, we can give 10/10 in terms of portability.

What’s New Compared to TCL 10 TAB MAX (2020)

The new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 has many similarities with its 2020 launched predecessor TCL 10 TAB MAX. But the variations are also significant. After two years, TCL has come up with the following changes to address all its shortcomings.

1. Enhanced Storage: TCL has upgraded the storage capacity of TCL TAB MAX 10.4 drastically, which is up to 256 GB, and it does not stop here; TCL TAB MAX 10.4 also provides us a dedicated micro SD card slot that supports the extended memory of 256 GB. So, in theory, this tablet has come up with a huge amount of storage of 512 GB, which is enough to store movies, music, books, games, and many other things.
   1. This concludes that TCL TAB MAX 10.4 has outdone its predecessor in terms of storage capacity with a great margin. 
2. Better CPU: The new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 comes with a snapdragon 665 CPU from Qualcomm; on the other hand, the old variant of TCL 10 TAB MAX comes with MediaTek MT8788 CPU. 
3. Better Memory: The latest gadgetalso has an upgrade in terms of RAM. The TCL 10 TAB MAX 2020 version supports up to 4 GB RAM, but now the latest TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022 release) can support 6 GB RAM, which means it is faster than its predecessor. 
4. Better GPU: Although there are many similarities between the two tablets, they are distinct from each other in many features, and GPU is one of them. The new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022) has a GPU of Adreno 610, which provides the support of Direct X 12.1 and features support like OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Direct3D 12 (FL 12_1). On the other hand, the TCL 10 TAB MAX contains MALI G-72 MP3 GPU, which is a mid-range GPU for ARM-based SoCs that does not support features like Adreno 610.
5. Latest OS Support: TCL TAB MAX 10.4 comes with an Android 11 operating system with a proprietary interface of TCL UI 3.0, while the predecessor has a built-in Android 10 operating system. The new interface has no sidebar; rather, it supports children’s corners which makes it the perfect fit for children-specific educational and entertainment purposes. But this certainly does not mean that it has lost its professional-centric approach and becomes a children’s toy. 

TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022) vs. TCL 10 TAB MAX (2020)

This section will try to compare TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022) with TCL 10 TAB MAX (2020), which is quite confusing. TCL 10 TAB MAX (2020) is the predecessor of TCL TAB MAX 10.4, which was launched in 2020. On the other hand, TCL has launched its successor after the wait of two years and named it TCL TAB MAX 10.4.

Both the tablets are so confusing by their name, due to which many people use them interchangeably. But we can differentiate them with the help of their releasing years. 

The manufacturer released an upgrade, TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022), after a wait of 2 years. During this period, although the predecessor has created and maintained a reputation, it has certain shortcomings, which are addressed with the release of TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022). After the release of its predecessor, the manufacturer worked on certain features of this series, such as CPU, GPU, Storage, and memory.

The manufacturer has not only identified the areas of improvement but also released an upgrade to provide a better-quality product to its customers. The TCL takes two significant initiatives: replacing the MediaTek MT8788 with a Snapdragon 665 processor and replacing the Mali-G72 CPU with Adreno-610. 

Additionally, TCL has increased the RAM to 6 GB, which was available in TCL 10 TAB MAX only up to 4 GB, which means the user of the new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 experience improved and better performance.

The interesting fact is that the TCL TAB MAX 10.4 offers all these upgrades in the price range of $219, which is a promotional price set by AliExpress (On Sale Currently)

If you are looking for a performance-friendly and productive tablet at affordable rates, then TCL TAB MAX 10.4 can be a great choice to opt for.

Comparison of TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022) with TCL 10 TAB MAX (2020):

Device	TCL 10 TAB MAX (2020)	TCL TAB MAX 10.4 (2022)
OS	Android 10	Android 11
CPU	Octa-Core (MediaTek MT8788 4 x Cortex-A73, 4 x Cortex-A53)	Octa-Core (Snapdragon 665 4xCortex-A73, 4xCortex-A53)
GPU	Mali- G72	Adreno 610
RAM	4 GB	6 GB
Storage	64GB	256GB
Battery	8000 mAh	8000 mAh
Display	10.36” IPS LCD, 2000×1200 resolution	10.4” FHD LCD, 2000×1200 resolution
Dimensions	247.8 x 157.6 x 7.7 mm	247.80×157.56×7.65mm
Weight	350g	470g
Camera	13MP (rear), 8MP (front)	13MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Network	4G LTE	N/a
Price	$310	$219 (Promotional from Ali Express)

Who is the TCL TAB MAX 10.4 for? 

The TCL products are designed to provide quality at affordable rates, so the TCL TAB MAX 10.4 is also manufactured, taking its target market into account.  The TCL TAB MAX 10.4 Pro offers some distinct features and is inclined towards the following users:

• Kids
• Professionals
• Students
• People with moderate productivity needs
• Remote workers
• Home users

TCL TAB MAX 10.4 is an average-performing tablet that is enough for home users, online collaborators, and students. It provides moderate features such as gaming, note-taking, movie support, video conferencing at reasonable prices. So, it can be a great fit for users with a low budget.

Alternatives/Competitor of TCL TAB MAX 10.4

Although the new TCL TAB MAX 10.4 has tried very hard to provide all kind of features that can be enough to support the daily activities of individuals from video conferencing to movie watching but there are other competitors of TCL TAB MAX 10.4 present in the market which are offering similar specifications. Let’s have a look at other competitors of the TCL TAB MAX 10.4.

Samsung Galaxy A8

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 was launched in 2022 but it is a great fit for entertainment, normal gaming, watching movies, and everyday productive work. It can give you all three things simultaneously: Power, Performance, and aesthetics. Following are some of the features which this tablet offers: 

• Sleek design
• Good Performance
• Dedicated Micro SD slot
• Long battery time with quick charging
• 4 Dolby Atmos Speakers

Chuwi HiPad PRO (2022)

If we are looking for an alternative of TCL TAB MAX 10.4 then Chuwi HiPad Pro can be our first choice due to its features and affordable rates. Chuwi is well known for its moderate feature offerings at good rates.

Chuwi’s prime focus remains the consumer that belongs to the lower end or middle class. Chuwi HiPad Pro accompanies us in our daily production activities but also helps us at the time of entertainment. It provides a reasonable display and 2K resolution which makes it a complete package. 

• 10.8” Display 
• 2K resolution support
• Extended Battery time
• Affordability
• Stylus Support

Comparing side by side

Device	Samsung TAB A8	CHUWI HI PAD PRO	TCL TAB MAX 10.4
OS	Android 11, One UI 3	Android 11	Android 11
CPU	Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)	Octa-Core (Helio G95 2*A75 + 6*A55)	Octa-Core (Snapdragon 665 4xCortex-A73, 4xCortex-A53)
GPU	Mali G52 MP2	Mali- G76	Adreno 610
RAM	3/4 GB	8 GB	6 GB
Storage	32GB, 64GB, 128GB	128GB	256GB
Battery	7040mAh	7000 mAh	8000 mAh
Display	10.5″ LCD (1200×1920) pixels	10.8” IPS LCD, 2K resolution	10.4” FHD LCD, 2000×1200 resolution
Dimensions	247.65 x 161.79 x 6.8 mm	155.34*242.60*2.49 mm	247.80×157.56×7.65mm
Weight	508 g	455g	470g

FAQs on TCL TAB MAX 10.4

Final Verdict

If you are in search of performance, power, and aesthetics in a single device with a considerable brand name and budget-friendly credibility, then I suggest you go with the TCL TAB MAX 10.4. It offers all the required features at affordable rates.

But if you want some extraordinary gaming experience, and next productivity, the recommendation will shift towards the Samsung Tab A8, as it is far better than what TCL TAB MAX 10.4 brings to the table.