TCL has been making smartphones for years… but until recently the company sold them under brand names including BlackBerry and Alcatel. Earlier this year the company introduced a line of TCL-branded phones and next week they go on sale in the United States.
The TCL 10 Pro is a $450 smartphone with a 6.47 inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. And the TCL 10L is a $250 model with a 6.53 inch display, a Snapdragon 665 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage.
Both phones go on sale in the US starting May 19, 2020.
While both phones are clearly mid-range devices, the TCL 10 Pro earns the Pro inits name through a faster processor, better cameras, an AMOLED display, more storage, anda bigger battery, among other things.
Here’s a run-down of some key features for each phone:
| TCL 10 Pro | TCL 10L | |
| Display | 6.47 inch 2340 x 1080 pixel AMOLED | 6.53 inch, 2340 x 1080 pixel LCD |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 |
| RAM | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB + microSD (up to 256GB) | 64GB + microSD (up to 256GB) |
| Rear cameras | 64MP primary + 16MP wide + 5MP macro + 2MP low-light | 48MP primary + 8MP wide + 2MP macro + 2MP depth |
| Front camera | 24MP fixed focus | 16MP fixed focus |
| Battery | 4500 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| Charger | 9V2A Quick Charge 3.0 USB-C | 5V2A USB-C |
| Wireless | WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G LTE | WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G LTE |
| Security | In-display fingerprint sensor, face recognition | Rear fingerprint sensor, face recognition |
| Ports | 3.5mm audio, USB 2.0 Type-C | 3.5mm audio, USB 2.0 Type-C |
| Dimensions | 6.24″ x 2.85″ x 0.36″ | 6.38″ x 2.98″ x 0.33″ |
| Weight | 6.6 oz | 6.35 oz |
TCL, which is probably best known in the US for its televisions, is also playing up the display technology in itsphones. For example, the 10-series phones support real-time Standard Dynamic Range to High Dynamic Range upconversion and support for automatic (or manual) blue-light reduction.
But really, it’s the combination of reasonable price tags and decent features (including multiple cameras, high screen-to-body ratios, and a metal frame (on the TCL 10 Pro model) that are probably these phones’ key selling points.
TCL says the phones should be available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart starting May 19, 2020.
TCL 10 Pro gallery
TCL 10L gallery
Interesting. But I don’t know, it feels like the upgrades of the pro don’t justify paying almost double (seen by itself the pro is fine, but in comparison less so)
I like both offerings. Seems like good value.
Would caution people to check out some reviews before buying, as always.
What’s the point of the external SD card capped at 256gb ? Also any indication of how long security updates etc?