ANDROID smart device manufacturer TCL has announced their 2022 lineup of phones and tablets at Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona.
While I didn’t get a trip to Spain this year, I was invited to a virtual pre-brief to find out a bit more about the company’s offerings this year, with the new smartphone range and new tablet range front and centre in the briefing.
On the smartphone front, five separate but very similar versions of the TCL 30 were presented – the TCL 30, 30+, 30E, 30SE, and 30 5G.
The TCL 30, 30+ and 30 5G all feature 6.7-in FHD+ AMOLED screens, with the 30SE and 30E coming with 6.52in displays. All the phones in the range feature a 5000mAh battery and the TCL 30 5G, TCL 30+ and TCL 30 all support 18W fast charging. TCL also note that “Additionally, all phones are supported by AI smart charging, which intelligently learns sleep patterns based on daily charging routines to reduce battery deterioration, extending long-term battery life.”
TCL are also keen to highlight the 50MP cameras the phones all have, saying “Camera enhancements maximise the smartphone imaging experience. Steady Snap pauses time and clearly captures subjects in motion; Face Tracking is perfect for portraits on the move; and Auto-Capture makes it easy to get more friends in-frame for wide-angle selfies. Whether taking mouth-watering shots of their favourite meals, pet pictures, stylish portraits or awe-inspiring landscapes, these features enhance photos so anyone can level up their photography skills.”
For the most part though, from what I can tell several of the phones are all quite similar to each other (likely so different carriers can claim they have an exclusive phone) and there’s no word on Australian release dates or pricing.
However, TCL have provided a price guide based on the European market to work with, but keep in mind the conversion to Australian Dollars is a rough approximation due to the volatility of foreign currency markets at the moment.
- TCL 30E: from €139 (AUD$216)
- TCL 30 SE: from €149 (AUD$232)
- TCL 30+: from €199 (AUD$310)
- TCL 30 5G: from €249 (AUD$388)
Along with the smartphones, TCL also announced their new tablet range, headed up by the TCL NxtPaper Max 10 which takes advantages of TCL’s “NxtPaper” technology to provide a screen with less glare than conventional touchscreen tablets.
From the official TCL media release:
The TCL NxtPaper Max 10 follows the recently launched TCL NxtPaper 10s, and is the latest installment of TCL’s critically acclaimed NxtPaper line-up. TCL NxtPaper Max 10 is available in a Wi-Fi or 4G LTE configuration. Whichever you opt for, it’s an exceptionally capable tablet, delivering learning, entertainment, and creative tools to your hands, matched with reliable battery life.
The tablet’s immersive 10.36-inch NxtPaper display and 83% screen-to-body ratio create an expansive paper-like canvas. Whether you need a notepad for writing, a big-screen for long bouts of reading, or a movie streaming, game playing tab, it checks all the boxes. The display consists of a unique multi-layer system with each layer playing its own role in filtering harmful blue light and protecting eyesight. Topped off with a layer of anti-glare glass which reduces reflected light, NxtPaper MAX 10 looks and feels like paper, for a more comfortable, natural reading and writing experience.
Next, the TCL Tab 10 HD 4G offers non-stop entertainment. Get lost in your favorite shows with bright and captivating colours, and thanks to a slim 8.7mm bezel, visual interruptions are kept to a minimum.
With a 5500mAh battery, it will comfortably make it through a full day of reading, watching and browsing, and thanks to its powerful Octa-Core chipset, TCL’s latest 4G tablet delivers capable performance too.
The third tablet in the line-up is the TCL Tab 10s 5G, one of the first affordable tablets to launch with 5G connectivity. Showcasing a 10.1-inch FHD screen, the tablet’s ample resolution and size are matched with NxtVision technology, so movie and video game visuals are not only enhanced, but are also optimised for eye health.
Add ultra-fast 5G, plus an 8000mAh of battery power and 4GB of memory, and users will be able to stream movies and sports, hold video calls, and multi-task from almost anywhere they can get signal or Wi-Fi connectivity without interruption.
These products will soon be joined by the TCL Tab Pro 12 5G, an upcoming tablet with a large display and ultra-fast 5G connectivity, with a strong focus towards entertainment and productivity.
As with the phones, the exact prices and availablity in Australia are still to be confirmed, but the European prices (with approximate conversions to Australian Dollars) are:
- NxtPaper Max 10: from €269 (AUD$420)
- TCL Tab 10 HD 4G: starting at €179 (AUD$279); FHD version from €199 (AUD$310).
- The TCL Tab 10s 5G: €349 (AUD$544).
I’m interested in seeing the NxtPaper tablets when they are available in Australia – I’ve been an Amazon Kindle user for well over a decade and it’s surprised me that similar “like reading paper” screen tech hasn’t been more widely used in tablet devices.
