TCL recently unveiled the 30, 30+, and 30 5G – three smartphones that are strikingly similar to one another and appear to be variations on a theme rather than distinct models. The one with next-generation connectivity clearly stands out, but it also has a more capable chipset. Let’s begin with that.
TCL 30 5G
The Dimensity 700, a 7nm chipset with two Cortex-A76 cores (2.2 GHz), six A55 cores (2.0 GHz), a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, and a 5G modem capable of speeds up to 2.77 Gbps, powers the TCL 30 5G.
The processor is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage, as well as a microSD slot for up to 1TB more storage (there are single and dual-SIM versions of the phone, the microSD slot is dedicated). TCL will soon announce its plans for software support for the phone, which will ship with Android 12 and TCL UI 4.0 out of the box.
The phone, like its two siblings, has a 6.7″ AMOLED display (60 Hz) with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 px (20:9). It covers the entire NTSC colour space and has a maximum brightness of 900 nits. A fingerprint reader is located on the side, or you can use the face unlock feature.
The camera is another shared feature, with a 50MP main module, a 1/2.76″ sensor (0.64m pixels), and an f/1.8 aperture. This camera can record 1080p video at 30 frames per second. A 13MP selfie camera (1/3″, 1.12m, f/2.3) with a surprisingly wide field of view – 96° – joins it. On the back, there are two more 2MP cameras, a macro and a depth sensor.
There are a few phone variants that support various 4G and 5G bands (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 40, 41, 78 and 2, 5, 7, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78). VoLTE, VoWiFi, Wi-Fi 5 (ac), Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC are among the other wireless features. The USB-C port is designed to operate at USB 2.0 speeds.
More importantly, it uses 18W to charge the 5,010 mAh battery (9V, 2A). The phone has a thickness of 7.74 mm and weighs 184g. You can get one in either Dreamy Blue or Tech Black.
The TCL 30 5G will be priced at €250 for the 4/64 GB model (€270 for the 128 GB model). It will be available in Europe and select other regions beginning in April.
TCL 30+
The Helio G37, a 12 nm chipset with eight Cortex-A53 cores and a PowerVR GE8320 GPU, is replaced in the TCL 30+. There is still 4GB of RAM (LPDDR4X) and 128GB of storage (eMMC), as well as a dedicated microSD slot.
The 6.7″ AMOLED display (1,080 x 2,400 px) remains unchanged, as do the 50MP main camera (plus two 2MP assist cameras) and 13MP selfie camera. The phone runs Android 12 out of the box.
The connectivity section has been reduced – only Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) is supported, Bluetooth is version 5.0, and NFC is not available in all regions.
The battery is the same, 5,010 mAh, and it can be fully charged over USB-C with the supplied 18W power adapter in just over 2 hours. All three models have 3.5 mm headphone jacks. However, only the 30 and 30+ have dual speakers.
The TCL 30+ is now available in Europe for €200 and will be available in other regions soon. You can choose between Muse Blue and Tech Black.
TCL 30
The TCL 30 is almost identical to the Plus; it’s just a little less expensive. There are only a few differences, beginning with the storage capacity, which is 64 GB (you can still expand it via microSD).
In addition, the front-facing camera has a smaller 8 MP sensor (1/4″, pixel size still 1.12 m) and a narrower field of view of 78°. Finally, the phone comes with a 10W charger rather than an 18W charger. The 5,010 mAh battery still supports 18W charging, but you must supply your own more powerful adapter.
The TCL 30 is also now available in Europe for €200, which is €20 less than the Plus model. It will be available in other regions soon.
The TCL 30 and TCL 30+ are also Google Android Enterprise Recommended devices.
