TCL will debut a total of eight new phones globally in 2022, but itā€™s kicking the year off by introducing two models coming exclusively to the US: the TCL 30 XE 5G and TCL 30 V 5G. The 30 XE 5G offers a 6.52-inch 90Hz display and will be sold initially at T-Mobile with other carrier availability later in the year. The 30 V 5G will be exclusive to Verizon, with sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G connectivity. With these new devices, TCL looks to be playing to its strengths in the budget market.

The TCL 30 V 5G boasts a slightly bigger 6.67-inch 1080p display with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It uses a Snapdragon 480 5G chipset with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The 30 V includes a 50-megapixel main rear camera and a 5-megapixel ultrawide, alongside 2-megapixel macro and 16-megapixel selfie cameras. It offers a 4,500mAh battery and comes with Android 11.

Image: TCL
The 30 V 5G is a Verizon exclusive with all flavors of 5G connectivity.

The TCL 30 XE is positioned as an entry-level 5G device with a 720p display, MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of built-in storage. It offers a 13-megapixel rear main camera and an 8-megapixel selfie cam, plus rear depth and macro sensors. The 30 XE also includes a 4,500mAh battery and ships with Android 11.

Image: TCL
The 30 XE 5G includes a 90Hz display for smoother animations and scrolling.

The 30-series marks TCLā€™s third generation of devices bearing the display makerā€™s own branding ā€” previously, it produced phones for other brands. While last yearā€™s upper midrange 20 Pro 5G didnā€™t quite hit the mark, we thought its sub-$300 devices were a great bargain with their big, vibrant screens and low price tags. TCL appears to be leaning into the US budget market with its devices.

TCL says both phones will launch ā€œin the coming weeks.ā€ Thereā€™s no pricing announced yet, but itā€™s a fair bet that the Verizon phone will cost more and require a premium unlimited plan to get the most out of it.

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