The TCL 30V 5G smartphone.
TCL
TCL’s next 5G smartphone is now available for $300, a price that makes it the cheapest device that can access the new C-band spectrum of Verizon’s high-speed 5G network.
the TCL 30V 5G was first unveiled at CES 2022, but more details clearly indicate the value of this phone, with the device offering mid-range specs and features at an affordable price. Sold only by Verizon in its stores and on its website, the phone can access the carrier’s Ultra Wideband 5G network, achieving millimeter wave speeds potentially reaching over 1 Gbps, and greater coverage of the 5G spectrum in newly launched C band.
On paper, the TCL 30V 5G has a lot to offer for the price, with a 6.67-inch Full HD Plus LCD screen. Assuming the display is as crisp and clear as the screens of the brand’s other phones and TVs, I’d expect it to give the gadget an edge over other budget phones, although there are plenty of competition between best phones for $300 or less.
The 30V 5G’s specs seem boilerplate for a 5G phone, with a Snapdragon 480 5G chipset, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, expandable up to 1TB via a Micro SD card. The 4,500mAh battery is large enough to probably last a full day of use, although its 18W maximum charge is lackluster (TCL says it’ll take less than two hours to fully charge the phone). It can also charge other devices, although you have to connect the two with a proprietary cable.
The device comes with last year’s Android 11 in the box and will be upgraded to the latest version of the Android 12 operating system later in 2022. TCL has also confirmed that it will only get this upgrade. upgrade, so don’t expect your TCL 30V 5G to get Android 13 – and while it’s common for phone makers to give devices just one OS upgrade economic, it is always disappointing.
The phone packs a respectable rear camera array, with a 50-megapixel main shooter paired with a 5-megapixel super wide camera, along with a 2-megapixel macro lens for close-up shots. It also has a 16-megapixel front camera tucked into a punch-hole in the middle of the screen, which is a premium touch for the affordable phone.
The TCL 30 V 5G is one of eight phones in the TCL 30 series of handsets, but aside from the lower-spec TCL 30 XE 5G phone also unveiled at CES 2022, the company hasn’t revealed the rest of the lineup. . . It’s possible we’ll see more debuts at Mobile World Congress 2022 next month, which is usually when phone makers start showing off their handsets.
