TCL is a tech company you may have heard of, but probably not for your smartphone. The Chinese tech giant is known for its low-cost televisions, which are sold in countries around the world, as well as the variety of soundbars that go with them.
However, TCL mainly manufactures smartphones in the mid-range and low-cost range. You may have seen one or more of these on the shelves of the phone store where you live.
TCL has released phones under its own name, as well as Alcatel and Blackberry -- yes, BlackBerry -- for many years, so there's a good chance you've seen or owned one.
We provide an overview of the Chinese tech giant and the smartphones it has released in this guide. If you are interested in the company's other products, TechRadar has a guide on whether you should buy a TCL TV.
TCL. a brief history of
Although TCL was founded in 1981, it doesn't have a long history with smartphones. In 2004, TCL partnered with Alcatel, a French tech company, to develop the smartphone; A year later, Alcatel was bought by TCL.
TCL bought the BlackBerry trademark in 2016, allowing the company to release phones bearing well-known brand names. For four years, until the end of 2020, the company did this. A different brand bought the rights to BlackBerry a few months later, so any new BlackBerry handsets that have appeared since then do not belong to TCL.
TCL didn't start using its name on smartphones until the release of the TCL 10 series in 2019.
TCL's phones include the Alcatel 1X 2019 (Photo Credit: Future) and Alcatel 1X 2020 (Photo Credit: Future).
The numbered line of TCL phones is the most updated and appears to be the most popular. Tcl 10, Tcl 20, and so on. These phones are available in a variety of models, including the TCL 10 Pro and TCL 10 5G, and are usually priced in the mid-range.
Unlike mobiles from other leading brands, we rarely see these phone series getting new generation updates every year.
Sometimes, Alcatel phones with low-end specifications are released by the company. The phones have number indicators, with higher numbers indicating higher-end phones, as well as a year in the name to indicate how new they are.
TCL 10 Pro (Photo courtesy of TechRadar)
TCL phones haven't had a consistent release schedule in the past, although new models have been shown at trade shows like IFA in August and CES in January.
Most of the company's phones are sold in the United States, with some models also available in Australia and the United Kingdom.
TCL sells, among other things, the TCL 10 Tab MID (photo courtesy of TCL).
TCL also sells smartphones and TVs and soundbars as well as some tablets. For example, low-cost Android tablets like the TCL 10 Tab Max and Alcatel Joy Tab compete with Amazon's Fire Tab line. The company also makes slates for children and has confirmed that it is working on a color eraser.
Wireless, true wireless, and wired headphones are among the company's offerings, all of which are reasonably priced.