TCL Launches Affordable 30+ and 30 SE Smartphones

TCL Launches Affordable 30+ and 30 SE Smartphones

Budget phone maker TCL showed off a heck load of kit at Mobile World Congress 2022 (MWC) earlier this year. It was fitting, considering MWC is where companies go to announce all the big tech and goofy gadgets they’ve been working on since CES.

TCL didn’t disappoint this year. Despite being a budget-oriented phone maker, the company showed off some really interesting concept devices (including a bendy new foldable), some new tablets, some new modems and, of course, a heap of phones in announcing the 2022 range.

We’ve got some local pricing for you, so we thought we’d give this page a bit of a refresh. Let’s talk TCL.

Phones? Oh boy, does TCL have phones

tcl mwc 2022
The TCL 30V 5G is available in the U.S. Image: TCL

At MWC 2022, TCL revealed several new devices as a part of the 30 series range. This includes the:

  • TCL 30E
  • TCL 30SE
  • TCL 30
  • TCL 30+
  • TCL 30 5G

Every device will include TCL’s signature NXTVISION screen technology (which we’ve been impressed by before) along with batteries above 5,000mAh. Each phone will have Android 12 and TCL has committed to at least two years of security upgrades for each device along with at least one OS upgrade during that time.

As you can see in the images above, cameras vary greatly between the devices, with the 30SE and the 30E sporting completely different camera bump designs. Every phone has a 60hz refresh rate, with internal storage varying from 64GB to 128GB. The TCL 30 5G will be the only device supporting 5G connectivity. The TCL 30V 5G was released in the U.S. recently, so we’ll keep an eye on it if it enters the Australian market soon.

The TCL 30, 30+ and 30 5G are the higher-end members of the 30 series family, with 6.7-inch AMOLED screens. The TCL 30E and the TCL 30SE, however, will include a 6.52-inch display. The 30, 30+, 305G and the 30SE feature an AI triple camera array, while the TCL 30E has a dual camera with a 50MP main lens. Additionally, the 305G and the 30+ include an ultrawide front camera (in case you need to squeeze extra people into a selfie). Only four of these phones are available in Australia.

Australian pricing and availability:

  • TCL 30+: $399 (available in Muse Blue and Tech Black from Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Big W, Target, Mobileciti, Amazon, Dick Smith)
  • TCL 30 SE: $329 (available in Atlantic Blue and Space Gray from Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Big W, Target, Mobileciti, Amazon, Dick Smith)
  • TCL 306: $229 (available in Atlantic Blue and Space Gray from Harvey Norman, Big W, Mobileciti, Amazon, Dick Smith)
  • TCL 305: $199 (available in Atlantic Blue and Space Gray from Officeworks, Big W, Target, Vodafone, Mobileciti, Amazon, Dick Smith)

Concept tech

Probably the most exciting thing to come out of TCL’s MWC 2022 presentation was its concept tech. Although TCL has previously shown off a “Fold ‘N Roll” smartphone that can both roll out to the side and fold out to expand the display in two ways, TCL had another trick up its sleeve this year.

tcl mwc 2022
Image: TCL

TCL showed off two new concept devices – the TCL 360 Ultra Flex, a folding screen smartphone that can fold over onto its back completely, and the TCL Surround Display, which includes a screen that wraps around to the back of a device while also being foldable.

tcl mwc 2022
Image: TCL

tcl mwc 2022
Image: TCL

If TCL can pull these foldables off, I’ll be impressed, but for now, while TCL is a budget phone and tech manufacturer, I’m a bit hesitant to give these phone concepts too much air time. TCL also showed off a pair of smart specs, featuring an inbuilt camera and an on-lens image display. Again, a spacey concept, one that leans in on the Google Glasses.

tcl mwc 2022
Image: TCL

Unlike the earlier mentioned foldables, TCL has released smart glasses in the Australian market before.

Tablets…

Moving on to tablets, TCL had a few things to announce at MWC 2022.

tcl mwc 2022
Image: TCL

Following on from the release of the TCL NXTPAPER 10S in January, TCL is bolstering its NXTPAPER lineup with the NXTPAPERMAX 10. Supposedly, this bulky tablet looks and feels like paper. It has a massive 10.36-inch screen, sporting TCL’s NXTPAPER technology.

Let’s just talk about that NXTPAPER tech, real quick. TCL’s NXTPAPER screen tech is supposed to be resistant to glare and ideal for reading – in the preview I was shown, the NXTPAPER 10S had far less glare when held up to light compared to a standard TCL TAB screen. TCL’s NXTPAPER tablets haven’t made their way over to Australia just yet, but we’ll be excited for when they do.

Moving on, TCL also announced the TAB 10 HD 4G, which is intended to be TCL’s next non-NXTPAPER tablet and a follow-up to the TAB 10S, which we reviewed (we weren’t too thrilled with it). TCL is also releasing a 5G-capable version of the TAB 10S.

Here are the prices you can expect to pay for these tablets:

  • TCL TAB 10 HD 4G: €179 (about $279) with an additional FHD version at €199 (about $310)
  • TCL NXTPAPER MAX10: €269 (about $420)
  • TCL TAB 10s 5G: €349 (about $545)

We’ll give these tablets a more detailed look if they come to the Australian market.

Routers? You bet

You might see some TCL routers showing up in the future, with TCL announcing a handful of them, including a 5G router called the TCL Linkhub (with a wired home internet version available) and a portable router called the TCL Linkzone (with a 4G model and 5G model available). Australian release information is to be confirmed.

tcl mwc 2022
Image: TCL

When is all of this coming to Australia?

We’ve just updated the TCL phone pricing and availability, but the official line for the rest of this stuff (excluding the concept tech) is that “pricing and availability is to be confirmed for Australia, closer to the local launch”.

This article has been updated since it was first published with pricing and availability.


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