TCL’s smartphones have been a decent alternative in the mid- to low-end tier for a few years now. After acquiring Alcatel, TCL remained a constant presence in the United State and Europe, albeit still not going for the high-end segment.
The most recent phones released by TCL in the US belong to the 30-series. Many of these have been introduced early this year at CES 2022 and have been picked up by many US carriers, including T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and Verizon. It looks like we haven’t seen the last of the 30-series phone though, as TCL is back in full force with a quintet of affordable devices, all belonging to the same family.
The five new affordable smartphones introduced today have been confirmed to arrive in Europe, but no details about their availability in the US have been revealed yet. Still, we can’t imagine TCL not wanting to bring at least a couple of these devices to the US.
Five cheap phones to rule them all
Unveiled this week at MWC 2022, TCL 30 5G, TCL 30+, TCL 30, TCL 30 SE, and TCL 30 E. It will be hard to keep track of all of these new phones, especially if the carrier-bound models will get different names. That being said, let’s take a look at what these budget-friendly have to offer specs-wise.
First off, all five phones share some specs, such as the 50-megapixel main camera and the massive 5000 mAh battery. Also, all phones except for the TCL 30 E have triple-camera setups. Since they’re a bit more expensive, the TCL 30 5G, TCL 30+, and TCL 30 feature support for 18W fast charging.
The TCL 30 5G is the only one that supports 5G and a bigger 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display. The phone is equipped with a MediaTek 700 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB expandable storage.
The slightly cheaper TCL 30+ and TCL 30 are powered by a weaker MediaTek Helio G37 CPUs. They share the same display as the TCL 30 5G, as well as the memory configuration. The TCL 30+ features and ultrawide selfie snapper, but the TCL 30 lacks one.
The cheapest of the five phones announced today, the TCL 30 SE and TCL 30 E come with smaller 6.52-inch displays and even weaker MediaTek G25 chipsets.
Prices and availability
As far as availability goes, the TCL 30+ and 30 will sell in Muse Blue and Tech Black, while the TCL 30 5G comes in Dreamy Blue and Tech Black. Finally, the TCL 30 SE and 30 E are available in Space Grey and Atlantic Blue, but the latter also comes in Glacial Blue.
- TCL 30 5G: from €249, availability in Europe in April 2022, coming to select regions
- TCL 30+: from €199, availability now in Europe, coming to select regions later
- TCL 30: from €179, availability now in Europe, coming to select regions later
- TCL 30 SE: from €149, availability now in Europe, coming to select regions later
- TCL 30 E: from €139, availability in Europe in April 2022, coming to select regions later
The most affordable 5G tablet available on the market
The NXTPAPER MAX 10 sports a 10.36-inch NXTPAPER display and 83% screen-to-body ratio. According to TCL, the tablet’s display features a unique multi-layer system meant to prevent harmful blue light from damaging your eyesight. Additionally, the display has a layer of anti-glare glass that reduces reflected light.
The TCL TAB 10 HD 4G has a powerful octa-core MediaTek processor and a massive 5,500 mAh battery. Last but not least, the TCL TAB 10s 5G is advertised as one of the cheapest tablets with 5G connectivity. It comes with a 10.1-inch FHD display featuring NXTVISION technology, 4GB RAM, and a huge 8,000 mAh battery.
TCL announced the NXTPAPER MAX 10 will go on sale starting in Asia from mid Q2 2022 for €270. The TCL TAB 10 HD 4G is already available for purchase in Europe starting at €180, while the FHD version will be introduced in Asia from late March at €200. Finally, the TCL TAB 10s 5G will hit shelves in mid Q2, priced at €350.
