TCL is finally ready to officially launch its first full-fledged smartphone line under its own brand. TCL 10 series is a proper, concerted effort at a flagship range, and includes three phones: the TCL 10 5G, 10L and 10 Pro.
As its name suggests, it is a 5G-ready phone, sporting a Snapdragon 765 processor with integrated 5G modem. With that, it should support a variety of technologies for the new standard, including sub-6 and mmWave, so you would only be limited by your carrier’s network.
Phone also get a 6.53-inch full HD+ display, a quad-camera array with a 64-megapixel main sensor and a 118-degree wide-angle lens. There’s also a macro camera for clear close ups from 2 centimeters away. The front camera is 16-MP sharp and uses 4-in-1 binning to create larger pixels for brighter photos.
The most noteworthy thing about these devices is that they cost less than $500 while offering similar features to far more expensive flagships.
The TCL 10 Pro is a 6.47-inch phone with a full HD+ curved AMOLED screen that contains an in-display fingerprint sensor. The phone supports HDR10 and is Netflix-certified to display videos compliant with that standard. Like the 5G flagship, the 10 Pro has a quad-camera array on its back, featuring a 64-MP main sensor, a 123-degree wide angle lens as well as a macro option. On the front is a 24-MP selfie camera, which is higher-res than most flagships today.
If you want to save even more money, the TCL 10L might be worth at least a look. It’ll cost $249 when it’s available in Q2, and offers a 6.53-inch full HD+ display and less-advanced quad-camera setup on its rear. The front sensor is slightly lower-res than the Pro at 16-MP, but that’s still plenty of megapixels. The 10L is powered by a Snapdragon 665 processor and a 4,000mAh battery. For less than $300, that’s a pretty decent list of specs.
Compared to Samsung and Google’s flagships, the TCL 10 Pro has a lower-end Snapdragon 675 processor, which is understandable for the price. It does come with a generous 4,500mAh battery, though. All this is wrapped in a premium, attractive frame that looked and felt good based on a recent hands-on with early units. The 10 Pro will be available in the second quarter of the year for $449.
