TCL will release a new smartphone called the Plex this year in Europe, and the company has even larger mobile ambitions for 2020 that include foldable phones and 5G. But the Plex — no affiliation with the popular app — is TCL’s starting point to establish its own name in phones beyond the Blackberry and Alcatel brands that it owns the rights to. The Plex will be available in black or white for €329.
The Plex is a mid-range device through and through, and TCL told me that the company focused on two key areas in designing it: display and camera. Phones like the Pixel 3A XL have set new expectations for devices at this price. TCL isn’t exactly a camera company, but it’s still aiming to be “at par” out of the gate. The Plex…