TCL Mobile CES 2022 – New 30-series phones, Windows 11 laptop, NXTPAPER tablet and Display glasses

TCL Mobile CES 2022 has shown its new 30-series phones; a TCL Book 14 Go Windows 11 laptop; NXTPAPER 10s eyecare tablet; and Gen 2 wearable display glasses.

Not to be confused with TCL TV and household appliances, TCL Mobile is a relatively newcomer to the mobile space after purchasing Alcatel and Palm brands three years ago.

TCL 30-series smartphones

The 30-series are its Gen 3 phones – we can say that each generation is a leap forward for quality and usability. Initial 5G models include the 30V and 30XE, and there will likely be a more extensive range addressing most price points.

Item	30V	30XE
Screen	6.67” 2400 x 1080, 60Hz	6.52” 1600×720, 90Hz
Processor	Qualcomm SD480	MediaTek Dimensity 700
Ram/Storage	4/128/microSD to 1TB	4/64/microSD to 512GB
Rear Camera	50+5+2MP (primary/super wide/macro) 1080p@30fps	13+2+2MP (primary, depth, macro) 1080p@30fps
Front camera	16MP 1080p@30fps	8MP 1089p@30fps
Battery	4500mAh 9V/2A/18W faster charging	4500mAh 9V/2A/18W faster charging
Comms	Wi-Fi 5 AC, BT 5.1, USB-C 3.0 (no ALT DP)	Wi-FI 5 AC, BT 5.1, USB-C 2.0 (no ALT DP)

We assume these will both support the full range of Australian 4G and 5G/low bands. We will hear more at Mobile World Congress later in February.

TCL Book 14 Go Windows 11 laptop

Windows has about 90% of the ‘full-fat’ laptop/desktop operating system and macOS the rest (ChromeOS is a niche player and not ‘full-fat’). Android, iPadOS are mobile players in tablets and some hybrid laptops.

TCL is right on the money for student use (if the specs and matching retail price is right). Brief details include

14” 1366×768, 16:9
Qualcomm SD 7c for Windows on ARM
4/128GB and microSD
Wi-Fi 5 AC, BT 5.1, USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps Alt DP, PD
40Wh battery and USB-C PD 12V/2A/24W charging
Stereo speakers, mic, 720p webcam, Ethernet and optional 3/4G

TCL NXTPAPER 10S tablet

Yes, it is a 10” 1920X1200 Android 11 touch tablet. Samsung and, to a lesser extent, Lenovo dominate the Android tablet. Again at the right price, and if the NXTPAPER screens stack up, it will be a winner – every home needs an Android tablet.

NXTPAPER is a transflective (uses natural ambient light – no backlight), paper-like display using e-Ink (no LED backlight). It has ten layers of protection to retain natural colours, TÜV certified and reduces blue light through the screen by over 50%. It is perfectly suited to online education, reading, and other basic online tasks. It does not work as well in the dark.

Brief details include (model 9081X)

10.1” IPS 1200*1920 FHD 16M colour paper-like display
Passive pen support (optional active T-Pen stylus)
MediaTek MT8768EMT6762 ) 4/64GB/microSD to 256GB
8000mAh and 0V/2A/18W USB-C charging
Wi-Fi 5 AC, Wi-Fi Display (mirror), BT 5.0, USB-C 2.0 (no ALT DP)
8MP AF rear camera and 5MP FF front
Dual speakers and mics

We have not seen the NXTPAPER screen, but it sounds interesting and uses 65% less power than an LED/LCD screen.

TCL NXTWEAR AIR Gen 2 wearable display glasses

These are everything the Facebook Ray-Ban Stories should be minus that horrible intrusive front camera. Yes, you can use them as sunglasses too.

The Gen 1 was pretty good, producing the equivalent of a 140” screen at 4m. They are not VR or AR – they have a floating 2D screen and connect to a PC or Smartphone via USB-C 3.1/2 Gen 1/2 cable if it supports ALT DP.

The Gen 2 have dual 16:9, 1080p, 47ppi, 60hz OLED displays, and left and right ear speakers. Gen 2 has reduced the weight from 130g to a mere 75g. Note they are quite big with a 154mm bridge and 40mm lens depth.