TCL enters smartphone territory with its very own lineup of devices

TCL has finally taken the wraps off its first series of company branded smartphones: TCL 10 5G, TCL 10L, and TCL 10 Pro. While all three phones offer some powerful features, they’re all priced under $500. 

If the lineup sounds familiar, it’s because the company originally gave tech journalists a sneak peek of the phones at CES in January. TCL planned to fully launch the phones at Mobile World Congress in late February, which was canceled due to coronavirus. 

So, while the launch was delayed a bit, the specs are finally here.

At $449, the TCL 10 Pro is the most expensive of the bunch and comes in Ember Gray or Mist Green, both of which have a matte finish. 

On the front is a 6.47-inch FHD+ curved AMOLED panel to allow for minimal bezels. There’s also an in-display fingerprint sensor and a 24-megapixel front-facing camera. 

On the inside, there’s a Snapdragon 675 chipset and a 4,500mAh battery.

On the back, the 10 Pro features a quad camera setup with a 64-megapixel sensor, a 16-megapixel 123-degree super wide-angle lens, a macro lens, and a 2.9μm low-light sensor. 

At $399, there’s the TCL 10 5G which obviously comes equipped with a 5G chip—Snapdragon 765 to be exact. 

It’s important to remember that while 5G is available in certain cities, it’ll be a few years before it’s widely accessible. So, it’s better to get this phone if you don’t plan on upgrading for a while.

As for additional specs, the TCL 10 5G comes with 6.53-inch display and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. On the back is a quad camera setup with a 64-megapixel sensor, an 8-megapixel 118-degree ultra-wide angle lens, a macro lens, and a depth sensor for bokeh. 

Like the 10 Pro, it also features a 4,500mAh battery and a reverse charging feature, which lets you use the phone as a power bank to charge other devices.

Meanwhile, the TCL 10L is the least expensive at $249, so it’s definitely the most budget-friendly in the lineup. It has a 6.53-inch FHD+ display and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. There’s also a physical fingerprint sensor under the camera module.

As with the other two models, the 10L also has a four rear-camera setup complete with a 48-megapixel sensor, 8-megapixel super wide-angle sensor, along with a depth sensor and macro lens. 

Under the hood is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 processor and a 4,000mAh battery powering the device.

In terms of availability, TCL has yet to release official dates, but the entire 10 series is expected to be available in the U.S. later this year. The Chinese multinational is mainly known for its wide array of TVs — this is its first foray into using its display technology for smartphones.