Last year, TCL started flexing its industrial muscles when it launched its first range of TCL trading phones, and now for CES 2021, the new TCL 20 5G wants to lower the price of 5G phones.
For 2021, the TCL 20 series (at least for starters) will consist of two phones: the TCL 20 5G which is expected to be on sale for less than 300 euros, and the even cheaper price TCL 20 SE at only 150 euro.
With its 10 and now 20 series of phones, TCL wants combines the expertise and resources it has developed to make TVs, and phones marketed under other brands such as Alcatel, Blackberry and Palm, to create affordable devices that still feature features typically reserved for more expensive premium devices. In a way, TCL is getting Samsung’s playbook off, which can use its vast technology empire to access parts such as screens, memory, storage and even processors from within.
The TCL 20 5G is 300 euros (about $ 365 converted directly) and is even cheaper than Motorola’s newly announced Moto One 5G Ace while offering similar specs, including a 6.67-inch FHD + LCD screen, Snapdragon 69o 5G chip, 6GB RAM, 128GB or 256GB storage, microSD card slot and a 4500mAh battery.
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TCL 20 5G also has three rear cameras, including a 48 MP main comb, an ultra-wide comb of 8 MP and a macro cam of 2 MP. TCL says that the 20-series cams are equipped with AI tuning to help users take better pictures, while TCL, like Samsung, uses its knowledge of TVs to support HDR 10 video and a built-in SDR to HDR conversion function to help push up the quality of everything you watch.
The main disadvantage of the TCL 20 5G is that although it is quite affordable, just like the Moto One 5G Ace, the TCL 20 5G only supports sub-6GHz 5G, but not mmWave 5G. This means that if the TCL 20 5G does make its way, it will have limited 5G features, especially on carriers like Verizon.
As for the TCL 20 SE, TCL has made a pretty nice budget phone for only 150 euros, including a large 6.82-inch touch screen, a rear fingerprint reader, Snapdragon 460 chip, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB or 128 GB storage, microSD card reader, and even larger 5,000 mAh battery. And at the rear you actually get four cams instead of three, with the 20 SE a 48 MP main camera, a 5 MP ultra-wide comb, a 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth .
Although the TCL 20 SE is fairly basic and does not support 5G, it does have two notable special features: a Smart Floating window which is basically a photo-in-picture feature that lets you browse the web or on small texts can respond. window while watching videos, and the ability to use the large 5,000 mAh battery of the TCL 20 SE to block other nearby devices with a USB-C cable.
The big plague, however, is that TCL’s first two 20-series phones may just be a preview, as TCL says it plans to unveil at least three “new upcoming phones” in the coming weeks. ”
The TCL 20 SE is expected to go on sale for 150 euros this month, while the TCL 20 5G is expected to be available next month.