Chinese mobile brand TCL is set to launch a brand-new Flip phone similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 , also coming is a TCL branded notebook.
The new TCL Flip phone which the has been talked about for some time will be launched in Australia for sub $1,000 according to sources.
Also in the Companies arsenal is a brand-new notebook which the Company is looking to range in Australia despite both LG and Samsung struggling to get traction in the notebook market, that is dominated by brands such as Acer, Lenovo, Dell, and HP.
They will also have to compete up against Microsoft with their Surface range as well as MSI and ASUS.
For over two years, TCL has been showing prototypes of possible foldable phones, it now appears that their new flip device as opposed to their foldable prototype is set to become an on-sale product in Australia.
The flip or clamshell model looks identical to the Galaxy Z Flip.
Up until now the device has been part of development process known as Chicago Project.
Local TCL management, confirmed that the new Samsung competitor that in the future will also have to compete with a brand-new Motorola Razr
Stefan Streit, TCL’s chief marketing officer is expected to show the product later today at Mobile World Congress briefings, along with a new notebook tablet and TCL audio gear.
TCL had aimed to launch a fully featured foldable by the end of 2021 that cost less than the devices from Samsung, but the lowest price it could reach with its first device was $1,400. Streit knew that TCL had to come in sub $1,000 to be competitive as the TCL brand does not have the same traction as Samsung.
ChannelNews understands that the TCL offering will not be as fully spec’d as the Samsung Z Flip 3, it will also be thicker.
The new device uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor, as opposed to the Snapdragon 888 in the Samsung Flip offering.
Its fastest download speed is 2.7 Gbps versus the Snapdragon 888’s peak of 7.5 Gbps this is due to the use of a cheaper 5G chipset.
The front screen is smaller at 1.1 inches diagonally versus 1.9 inches for the Z Flip 3.
The new model isn’t water resistant however when it is displayed next to Samsung’s cream-colour Z Flip 3, it’s difficult to tell the devices apart according to observers.
We will know more on Monday when Mobile World Congress in Barcelona kicks off.
Also set to be released in Australia a TCL 30 XE 5G the device features a 6.52-inch display with 1600 x 720 pixels screen resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, and 180Hz touch sampling rate.
Under the hood, it is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor.
In the camera department, the phone features a triple-camera setup that includes a 13-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.
The smartphone is running the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box, but the company has promised that it will get the Android 12 update. It is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging technology.
