With 5G adoption in the US steadily on the rise, TCL is betting big on affordable 5G capable phones. The Chinese OEM today unveiled two new Android smartphones -- the TCL 30XE and the TCL 30V -- that offer 5G capabilities at a relatively affordable price. If you're in the market for a new 5G phone, here's everything you need to know about TCL's latest affordable offerings.

TCL 30XE and TCL 30V: Specifications

Specification

TCL 30XE 5G

TCL 30V 5G

Dimensions & Weight

  • 164.08 x 74.93 x 8.5mm
  • 6.88 oz
  • 165.86 x 75.94 x 9.1mm
  • 7.07 oz

Display

  • 6.52-inch HD+ V-notch display
  • 1600 x 720p
  • 90Hz refresh rate
  • 180Hz touch sampling rate
  • DragonTrail 3
  • 6.67-inch FHD+ hole-punch display
  • 2400 x 1080p
  • 60Hz refresh rate
  • Gorilla Glass 3

SoC

MediaTek Dimensity 700

Qualcomm Snapdragon 480

RAM & Storage

  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB storage
  • MicroSD card support (up to 512GB)
  • 4GB RAM
  • 128GB storage
  • MicroSD card support (up to 1TB)

Battery & Charging

  • 4,500mAh
  • 9V2A charger included
  • 4,500mAh
  • 18W fast charger included

Security

Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner

Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner

Rear Camera(s)

  • Primary: 13MP
  • Depth: 2MP
  • Macro: 2MP
  • Primary:50MP
  • Ultra-wide: 5MP
  • Macro: 2MP

Front Camera(s)

8MP

16MP

Port(s)

  • USB 2.0 Type-C
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • USB 3.0 Type-C
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Audio

Bottom firing speaker

Dual speaker

Connectivity

  • 5G
    • Supported bands: n25, n41, n66, n71, n77
  • 4G LTE
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • 5G
    • Supported bands:
      • Sub6: n2, n5, n48, n66, n77
      • mmWave: n261, n260
      • 4G LTE
      • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
      • Bluetooth 5.1

Software

Android 11

Android 11

As you can probably tell from looking at the spec sheet, the new TCL 30 series devices are geared towards users who just want a basic 5G capable phone. The TCL 30XE packs MediaTek's Dimensity 700 chip, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a 4,500mAh battery. It features a 6.52-inch HD+ display which has a teardrop style notch at the top for the selfie camera, 90Hz refresh rate support, and 180Hz touch sampling rate.

TCL 30 XE 5G

In the camera department, the TCL 30XE offers a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro camera on the back, along with an 8MP selfie shooter. As far as connectivity is concerned, the device obviously offers 5G support, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.1. Other connectivity features include a USB Type-C port (USB 2.0) and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device runs Android 11 out of the box.

TCL 30 V 5G

The TCL 30V, on the other hand, packs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 480 SoC, 4GB RA, 128GB storage, and a 4,500mAh battery. It has a higher resolution 6.67-inch FHD+ display with a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera and 60Hz refresh rate support, along with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

The cameras on the TCL 30V are also a bit better than the ones found on the TCL 30XE. It has a 50MP main camera, a 5MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera on the back, along with a 16MP selfie camera over on the front. Unlike the TCL 30XE, the TCL 30V offers both sub-6 and mmWave 5G support, 802.11 ab/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.1. In addition, the phone features a USB 3.0 Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It too runs Android 11 out of the box.

Pricing & Availability

TCL has not shared the pricing and availability details for the new TCL 30XE and TCL 30V at the moment. But, based on the given specifications, we expect TCL to launch the devices at an affordable price point. We'll update this post with all relevant details as soon as they're revealed.