TCL fleshes out its mobile line-up with two affordable tablets
These are a far cry from the company's foldable tablet concepts.
TCL started selling smartphones under its own banner for the first time just this year -- now it's looking to repeat that feat with tablets. The Chinese electronics giant revealed the TCL 10 TABMAX and TABMID at what remains of IFA 2020 today, and if their (incredibly awkward) names haven't already given things away, one of these things is much more interesting than the other.
The TABMAX's 10.36-inch IPS LCD screen makes it the clear standout here -- like the company's smartphones, the TABMAX uses TCL's NXTVISION image processing to try and crank up detail and saturation. (How well this works on a bigger screen remains is still unclear, since we haven't seen one in person yet.) The display features don't end there, either: The company says the tablet offers "intelligent eye protection" that includes blue light reduction and visual warnings when your face gets too close to the screen.
Meanwhile, you'll find an octa-core MediaTek MT8768T chipset ticking away inside, along with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, an 8,000mAh battery and -- if you shell out a little extra -- an LTE radio for a little on-the-go productivity. Rounding the package is an 13-megapixel rear camera for the occasional still or 1080p video shoot, as well as a 8-megapixel front camera and dual speakers with support for far-field noise cancellation. All told, the TABMAX is a tidy package for €249 (or €299 for the LTE model), but you'll have to shell out extra to really get the most out it. With the help of optional accessories like a low-latency stylus and keyboard case, the TCL 10 TABMAX just might be able to take on devices like Apple's low-cost iPads.
Meanwhile, the €229 TCL 10 TABMID is, well, middling by comparison. This model packs an 8-inch IPS display running at 1200 x 1290 that features many of the same NXTVISION screen tricks as its big brother, but with considerably larger bezels running around it. Curiously, TCL didn't go with another MediaTek chip for this smaller model -- instead, the TABMID is powered by a Snapdragon 665, paired with 4GB of RAM and a 5,500mAh battery. On the off chance you'd want to take photos with the TABMID instead of your almost-certainly-superior smartphone camera, you'll find an 8-megapixel sensor sitting high on the tablets back, along with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera just above the display. You can also buy this tablet in any color you want, as long as it's blue.
If either of these tablets have caught your attention, you’ll have quite a bit of time to save up — both are slated to launch in Q4 of this year. At the moment, neither tablet is slated to make a trip Stateside, but we'll keep you posted as the company’s plan develops.
