CESisn’t a show particularly focused on new smartphone announcements — look for more of those at MWC next month — but one company is single-handedly looking to make up for that gap. TCL has not one, not two, butfivenew smartphones. And while none of these devices are likely to compete for your attention compared toSamsung’s Galaxy S24 lineupnext week, there are a couple ofexciting budget additionshere, including the first-ever NXTPAPER phones available in the US.
TCL’s 50 Series represents its fifth generation of smartphones, and although it actually consists of seven total devices, only five of them are coming stateside. That includes the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G and the TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G, which — as you might guess — is using the company’s latest display technology to make its displays easier on your eyes. NXTPAPER 3.0 filters blue light while creating a visual experience closer to an e-reader. This isn’t an E Ink display, but if you’ve always wanted that sort of technology on a smartphone, TCL’s collection might do it for you.
Both of those phones — the TCL 50 XE 5G and 50 XL 5G — also come in variants with regular displays. You’ll find a 6.6-inch HD+ 90Hz display on the former and a 6.8-inch FHD+ 120Hz display on the latter, though it’s unclear if these are LCD or OLED panels. Both phones include 8GB of RAM and 5,010mAh batteries, and TCL specifies the 50 XE in particular has a “50MP triple camera” system.
Looking for something (likely) even more affordable? The TCL 50 LE is our fifth and final US-bound device, matching the 6.6-inch HD+ 90Hz display on the XE, but seemingly without 5G compatibility. You’ll also lose out on additional memory — dropping from 8GB to 4GB — and battery capacity, as the 50 LE only has a 4,000mAh cell.
TCL’s graphics for the 50 XL are mislabeled 50 LE, for what it’s worth.
If you can’t tell — and perhaps in the spirit of its Vegas announcement — TCL is keeping its cards close to its chest. There’s alotwe don’t know about these phones, up to and including any of the processors powering the entirety of the 50 Series and the screen sizes of the NXTPAPER devices. A TCL rep confirmed to me that this year’s series is running on MediaTek chips, though we’ll have to wait until MWC at the end of February to learn more. Performance-wise, that doesn’t sound particularly promising. Still, if you’re looking for something affordable — or you’re curious about NXTPAPER finally coming stateside — you’ll have to wait a little longer for full specs and availability.
If you’d rather kick off 2024 with anew Android tablet, TCL might have something that fits the bill. The NXTPAPER 14 Pro is, as you can probably guess, a 14-inch 2.8L slate with the company’s paper-like display tech, alongside a black-and-white mode that replicates the experience of reading on an e-reader. We actually do know a few more things about this tablet, believe it or not: it’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8020 processor, 12GB of RAM, and pairs a massive 12,000mAh battery with 33W charging speeds.
It’s paired with TCL’s Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G, which trades its massive 14-inch screen for a more reasonable 10-inch 2K panel and, naturally, 5G connectivity. The company says it’s powered by an “octa-core processor,” which is how Amazon also describes its Fire tablets. I’m not sure that inspires any confidence. And hey, while we’re at it, TCL’s 2024 lineup also includes two additional smartphones: the 50 SE and 50 5G. Neither are mentioned in the company’s announcement today beyond their inclusion in a press photo, though, and don’t seem destined for the US.
Would it surprise you to learn we also don’t have pricing info? Ofcourseit wouldn’t. Let me summarize this announcement in another way: The exports of TCL are numerous in amount. One thing they export is smartphones, or as the nerds call it, “phones”. Another famous TCL feature is NXTPAPER. In conclusion, TCL is a company of contrast.Thank you.
