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New TCL 20 series phones announced: Three new phones at three low prices
Today, TCL took the wraps off the newest entries in its line of self-branded phones. For years, TCL produced phones under other brand names exclusively, specifically Alcatel and, for a time, BlackBerry. Starting with the TCL 10 series last year, the company head out on its own. Now, we have the brand new TCL 20 series.
The new entries in the 2021 lineup include three phones: the TCL 20 Pro, 20L Plus, and 20L. These phones join the previously launched TCL 20 and 20 SE. The phones run the gamut from mid-range to budget, but are pretty powerful for what you’ll pay. They also all have quad-lens camera setups on the rear, making them all look similar and uniform.
Below, we break down the essential info of each model. For all three, though, availability begins in select markets tomorrow.
TCL 20 Pro
At the top of the heap, we have the TCL 20 Pro. This 5G-capable device trumps even the TCL 20 we saw at CES this year.
The phone has a 6.67-inch curved AMOLED display with a 2,400 x 1,080 resolution and HDR10 playback support. There’s a centered display cutout for the 32MP selfie camera and a fingerprint scanner underneath the screen.
See also: The best camera phones you can get
On the back, it has a quad-lens camera setup with a 48MP main, a 16MP ultra-wide, a 5MP macro, and a depth sensor. It can capture 4K video at 30fps and features electronic image stabilization (EIS).
Inside, everything is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset, making this firmly a mid-ranger. Paired with that processor are a 4,500mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage. The phone supports wireless charging (15W). There’s a microSD card slot to add up to 1TB more storage, too. Bluetooth 5.1 is on board but there’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack for your wired needs. There will be single-SIM and dual-SIM models, depending on the region.
The TCL 20 Pro 5G will be available starting tomorrow in Italy and Portugal for €549 (~$657). It will also land in the United Kingdom tomorrow, but TCL didn’t provide pricing for that region. The phone will roll out around the world in the coming weeks in Marine Blue and Moondust Gray.
TCL 20L Plus (aka TCL 20S)
The TCL 20L Pro will be a more budget-oriented variant of the 20 line. Please note that it will land as the 20L Pro in certain regions while landing as the TCL 20S in others. Either way, they are the same phone just by different names.
This phone has a 6.67-inch flat LCD display with a 2,400 x 1,080 resolution. Even though its display is of lower quality when compared to the 20 Pro, it does appear to have smaller bezels with a 91% screen-to-body ratio. It drops the in-display fingerprint sensor for a side-mounted one, though.
Related: The best phones with in-display fingerprint scanners
The quad-lens setup on the rear ups the quality of the main sensor while dropping the quality of the others. You’ve got a 64MP main, an 8MP wide-angle, a 2MP macro, and a depth sensor. Video capture is limited to 1080p at 60fps. On the front, you have a 16MP selfie cam.
The chipset here is the budget-oriented Snapdragon 662, which means no 5G support for the TCL 20L Plus. It’s paired with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage (upgradeable with a microSD card). The battery gets a bump to 5,000mAh, but there’s no wireless charging support. There is a headphone jack and there will be both single-SIM and dual-SIM models.
The TCL 20L Plus will be available starting tomorrow in Italy and Portugal for €269 (~$322). It will also hit the UK tomorrow for an undisclosed price. This phone will also come to North America soon under the 20S name. Wherever you buy it, you’ll have the choice between Milky Way Grey and North Star Blue.
TCL 20L
Finally, we have the TCL 20L, the weakest of this new trio. It is essentially the same as the TCL 20L Plus but with a weaker camera system and less memory.
The camera gets downgraded to a 48MP main while leaving the other three lenses the same. The RAM gets cut down to 4GB for some regions while staying at 6GB for a few others. Regardless of where you get it, though, this model peaks at 128GB of internal storage. Of course, you can always bump that up with a microSD card.
Other than that, there’s not too much difference here when compared to the TCL 20L Plus. It still has a Snapdragon 662, a 5,000mAh battery, a 16MP selfie camera, headphone jack, etc.
The 20L hits Italy and Portugal tomorrow in Luna Blue and Ellipse Black for €229 (~$274). It will roll out to other select regions around the world in the coming weeks.