TCL 30 SE and 30 E debut with 50MP cameras, 5,000 mAh batteries

2022-02-27

The TLC 30 E and 30 SE are two affordable Android 12 smartphones – the SE is a bit fancier, but the two are mostly the same.

TCL 30 SE

The TCL 30 SE (like is sibling) is powered by the Helio G25, a 12 nm chipset with eight A53 cores, a GE8230 GPU. Here it is paired with 4 GB of RAM (LPDDR4X) and 64 or 128 GB storage (eMMC), plus a dedicated microSD slot.

The display is a 6.52” LCD with 720 x 1,600 px resolution (20:9). It covers 70% of the NTSC color gamut and offers up to 450 nits of brightness, plus it has 2.5D glass. The 8 MP selfie camera is similar to that of the TCL 30 with an 80.6° FoV. The fingerprint reader is on the back, however.

TCL 30 SE with 6.52” LCD (720 x 1,600 px)

The rear camera is the same as on the pricier 30-series models, including the 50 MP main module (1/2.76” sensor, 0.64 µm pixels, f/1.85 aperture), plus a 2 MP macro and 2 MP depth cameras. Video recording is capped at 1080p @ 30 fps.

The same 50 MP main cam as on the pricier 30 series, 8 MP selfie camera like on the TCL 30

This is a 4K phone with VoLTE and VoWiFi support, the phone comes in single and dual-SIM versions. Wi-Fi 4 (n) is supported, along with Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. The USB-C port is wired for USB 2.0 speeds.

The retail package includes a 10W charger that needs over 3 hours to completely fill the 5,000 mAh battery. The phone does support faster 15W charging, if you have the right power brick.

The TCL 30 SE is available in Space Gray, Atlantic Blue and Glacial Blue

The TCL 30 SE is launching in Europe now at a price of €150 and it will be available in other regions soon. The price is €30 less than the TCL 30, which does have a 6.7” AMOLED display with 1,080 x 2,400 px resolution.

TCL 30 E

The TCL 30 E is similar to the SE, except it for a lower cost and a few hardware downgrades. The 6.52” 720 x 1,600 px display has a flat glass, but is the same panel otherwise.

Despite a lower price tag, you still get the same 50+2+2 MP camera on the back and a fingerprint reader. The front camera is down to a 5 MP sensor (1/5”), however, with a 76° lens. The chipset is still the Helio G25, so you can record 1080p video @ 30 fps with both cameras.

The TCL 30 SE has the same 6.52" LCD and 50 MP rear camera, but only a 5 MP selfie cam

The chip may be the same, the RAM is not - it is down to 3 GB (LPDDR4X) and storage is 64 GB (eMMC, no 128 GB option). A microSD slot can expand that using the dedicated slot.

Finally, battery capacity is the same at 5,000 mAh and you still get a 10W charger, but this time it is as fast as it gets for charging (there’s no 15W support).