Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen a continual stream of new devices from TCL into the Australian market. If their Mobile World Congress (MWC) Keynote is anything to go by, that was just the start. As part of the release, we’ve seen phones, tablets and cellular connectivity options.
Phones: From budget to mid-range
TCL is really just starting its journey to establishing itself as a household name, so it makes sense to have a natural evolution of devices. In the last year we’ve seen multiple TCL 20 devices and today we’ve seen the evolution of those to the 30 range. The full range — ignoring some carrier exclusives — includes the TCL 30, 30+, 30 5G, 30XE 5G, 30SE and 30E.
Throughout the TCL 30 series devices, there are some common traits which include Android 12 at launch, fast-charging (full capacity varies from device to device) capabilities, big battery life and blue light reduction. We have received confirmation — per Google’s own guidelines — that any Android Enterprise recommended devices will receive a minimum of one OS update and two years of security patching. Other devices will be considered, essentially based on volume to ensure that it is financially viable for the company to deliver the updates.
When discussing the camera setup during a recent media briefing Stefan Streit, Regional Head of Marketing for TCL Mobile commented that:
TCL is not striving to have the best possible photographs, it’s about making the camera easy to use for the average users
A statement that has been backed up by the 50MP camera feature set across the range that includes:
Each device has some subtle differences for a variety of reasons including the carrier partnerships that TCL is already engaged in and those that are being targeted. Let’s take a quick, closer look at the individual devices, features and even some concept devices.
TCL 30 5G
Coming in at €249.00 (approx. AU$$389 at the time of writing) it’s not a hideously expensive device. It sports a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, is ultra-slip and light (7.74mm and 184g), a 5,010mAh battery and — as the name suggests — is 5G capable. This price and feature set is very much in line with the TCL 20 5G we reviewed last year.
TCL 30+
Another 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, with the same battery and weight as the 30 5G, has dual speakers for media playback and a 13MP ultra wide-angle selfie camera. The TCL 30+ will set users back €199.00 (approx $310 at the time of writing) this is a device that satisfies the needs of a large number of potential users.
TCL 30
You might be sensing a theme here in the 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, 50MP camera array, 5,010mAh battery and the identical weight and measurements to the previous devices. The price is a mere €179.00 (AU$279 at the time of writing) which is very affordable and easily justified for friends or family who are reluctant to move to a new smart device because their 8-year-old Galaxy S5 “still works”.
TCL 30SE
The TCL 30SE is a slight sidestep from the other devices. While it still has the camera setup matching the others, the screen is a 6.52-inch HD+ and the battery is 5,000mAh. You’ll also find that the SIM tray has provision for two SIM cards and a MicroSD card. In terms of budget, it’s also the baby of the group, at only €149.00 (AU$232 at the time of writing) and, while it’s cheap there are decent specs for average user needs onboard.
Storage, Memory and Chipset: The breakdown
The key points of difference as you move down the range is the storage and chipset capabilities. With much of the specs almost identical, the lower-priced devices have lower processor speeds to meet a price point and market need. As it’s the main difference for the devices, we’ve listed them separately here:
- TCL 30 5G: 64GB — 47GB end user space — storage (up to 1TB MicroSD), 4G RAM and MT6833 chipset
- TCL 30+: 128GB — 99GB end user space — Storage (up to 1TB MicroSD), 4GB RAM and Helio G37 Chipset
- TCL 30: 64GB — 44GB end user space — Storage (up to 1TB MicroSD), 4GB RAM and Helio G37 Chipset
- TCL 30 SE: 64/128GB — 45GB/106GB end user space — Storage (up to 512GB MicroSD), 4GB RAM and Helio G25 Chipset
When it comes to individual devices, we’ve not yet had confirmation of which devices are coming to Australia. We know there will be a number though so keep your eyes on the site for more details in the near future.
