Seems like TCL is HIGHLY DEDICATED to the mobile electronics game now, which is pretty good honestly. More competition means more choices!
TCL has made an appearance in CES 2022, and in there, they have showcased what new products are available for them. These include the TCL 30 series and several tablets, both of which they can brag their screens, their main strength.
Speaking of TCL, if you haven’t seen it, we actually made a video review of it (and an article version still under construction). You can watch the video here
Let’s start first with their tablets!
TCL NXTPaper Max 10, Tab 10s 5G, Tab 10 FHD 4G, Tab 10 HD
NXTPaper Max 10
Wow, those are four tablets listed. Prepare technophiles cause this one is a train ride! Let’s start with the NXTPaper Max 10
This is the highest-end and the main show of the tablet series. It has a 10.36in. FHD+ screen with multi-layering. The top one is a measure to counter glares when viewed from a specific angle.
The technology is named NXTPaper for a reason. It has a pen and stylus support and the display is supposed to mimic the feel of someone holding a pen and paper.
If you have kids you want to keep busy with, then maybe you should try parenting, that or through the TCL Kids app which the tablet has provided for free. They are designed to be entertainment and distraction for the little ones. The tablet runs on Android 11, with TCL UI on top.
TCL did not specify the camera and processor used with the tablet, nor did they say anything about configuration. What it does specify is the adequate 8000mAh battery inside, though no fast charging announced. In short, the tablet’s specs are vague, but we are hoping that TCL lists the entire spec sheet once it starts selling.
It will start to sell first in Asia and then in Europe. You can get the tablet in both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 4G LTE configurations. Prices are TBA.
Tab 10s 5G
A 5G tablet meant to be an improved version of the previous Tab 10s 4G. It is a 10.1in. tablet with an FHD+ IPS LCD screen, complemented by an unspecified Mediatek Dimensity chip (possibly Dimensity 700). In terms of battery, there’s also an 8000mAh battery like the NXTPaper Max 10, but also, it’s complemented with a stupidly slow 18W “fast” charging (for a tablet, 18W is slow). The included charger is 18W as well.
There is an 8mp camera at the rear and a 5mp camera at the front, in case you need it for conferences. For connectivity, there’s Wi-Fi 5 ac, 5G services (obviously), and Bluetooth 5.1. The tab also has dual speakers.
It will be available in the second quarter, if ever we’re still alive by then, with a price tag of EUR 350 (~Php 20K) for the 4/64 configuration.
Tab 10 FHD 4G & Tab 10 HD
These two are the most budget-oriented tablets in the category, and they are as basic as a tablet can get. The main difference between the two lies in the screen resolution. Both have LTE connectivity
Both of these tablets have an unspecified octa-core Mediatek chipset, two 5mp cameras (one at the rear and another at the front), and 5500mAh batteries with 10W charging, which is undeniably slow and takes about 3 hours to fully charge from empty.
One major difference that sets it apart is the configuration. The 3/32 variant of the tab 10 HD run regular Android 11 while the 2/32 version uses Android 11 Go Edition. The FHD one uses regular Android 11 and is also coupled with 3/32 configuration with the ability to expand the storage via MicroSD.
Both tablets have a USB-C port, a 3.5mm jack, TCL Kids, and 1080 video calling support. Both will be first available in Asia.
Oh, TCL has also teased the TCL Tab Pro 12 5G which will offer even better performance and connectivity statistics!
TCL 30 series
TCL 30 5G
The TCL 10 5G has made eyes for being a 5G phone with top-notch specs at affordable prices. We made a review of it and I’m glad to say, it is definitely worthy for a phone below Php 15K. It has since been followed by the TCL 20 and 30 5G, which, funnily enough, are downgrades. Guess the 5G series has been moved to the Pro section while their replacements are now merely basic 5G phones.
The TCL 30 5G is a follow-up to the TCL 20 5G. The screen is a downgrade from the dot notch as it moved down to the dated waterdrop notch design. It doesn’t look good when these notches debuted and it still doesn’t look good now. The TCL 30 5G has a 6.7in. AMOLED panel with FHD+ (2400x1080px) resolution, which certainly compensates for the dated design. Like the previous two, this one does not have high refresh rates and you’re stuck with 60Hz.
Screens are what TCL is good at, and the TCL 30 5G has a high-quality AMOLED screen. It peaks at 900nits, lower than the ones found on more expensive handsets but it’s still bright enough for outdoor use, as well as 100% NTSC colour space coverage.
The phone uses a Mediatek Dimensity 700 processor which is a slight downgrade to the Snapdragon 765 the TCL 10 5G uses, and the Snapdragon 690 the TCL 20 5G has. This is paired with 4GB RAM and either 64 or 128GB storage. In comparison, the TCL 10 5G has 6GB RAM with 128GB storage while the TCL 20 5G also has 6GB RAM and 256GB internal storage.
In terms of cameras, there is a 50mp main sensor with a large sensor size of 1/2.76″, f/1.8 aperture, and 0.64µm pixel size. Alongside it is a 13mp selfie camera that may not be ultrawide but it has a larger field of view than typical ones, at 96°. h there are also the useless ones, ya know, the 2mp depth and macro sensors?
It has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 5010mAh battery with 18W fast charging (they never go any higher, don’t they?), USB-C port, and finally, 5G and 4G LTE services. It comes in two colours: Tech Black and Dreamy Blue and has 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage, expandable via MicroSD card. This is priced at EUR 250 (~Php 14.3K). There’s also the 128GB variant for just EUR 20 more (~Php 15.4K). It will be available in Europe and other select regions, including Asia.
TCL 30+
The 30+ and 30 5G are nearly identical, except the 30+, ironically, has a weaker processor, using the Helio G37. This is a slightly upclocked version of the Helio G35. Everything about the TCL 30+ is identical to the TCL 30 5G including the display, battery, charging rate, cameras, and configuration (4/128).
One setback this phone has is the weaker connectivity. You don’t even get dual-band Wi-Fi at some regions, and you’re stuck with Wi-Fi 4. Bluetooth 5 is available although it lacks support for NFC.
In Europe, the phone will start as little as EUR 200 (~Php 11.4K)
TCL 30
This phone is even a more cost-alternative to the Plus, retaining the same cameras (except the front, where it’s only 8mp), display, chipset, battery and charging (although this one ships with a 10W charger, but still supports 18W fast charging), USB-C, and the inferior connectivity. It also only has 64GB storage that’s still thankfully expandable via MicroSD card.
In Europe, the phone launches at EUR 180, which is EUR 20 less than the Plus variant. (~Php 10.3K). All three phones will ship with TCL UI based on Android 11 and 12. The TCL 30 and 30+ are Android Enterprise Recommended certified.