TCL showed off the X1 (S99 in Europe) on its stand in the Central Hall. This curved (4,000R) 65″ display is part of TCL’s QUHD display series, with Harmon Kardon speakers, HDR capability and 1,000 cd/m² of peak brightness. The name is a play on ‘Excellent’, or perhaps ‘Exciting’ – but could also be referring to the X-shape stand that the TV is mounted on. Two other stand designs, showcased nearby, were considered, but ultimately rejected.
The X1 features a 1.5GHz CPU to run TV+ OS 3.0. It also has a hexa-core GPU, quantum dots and the IDP engine, which can convert SDR content to HDR. TCL will begin to sell the set in China, for around CNY30,000 ($4,550), in April; it will be released in the USA and Europe in the second half of the year.
Two C-line sets were being showcased: the Cityline C1 and Cityline C2. These are identical in most ways, with the major difference being the inclusion of the IDP engine and Harmon Kardon soundbar on the X1.
Both C-series TVs are available in 55″ and 65″ sizes (the C1 also has a 50″ set), with a 4,000R curve, UltraHD resolution and the same CPU and GPU as the X1. Both feature quantum dots and TV+ OS 3.0. In addition, the C2 has 4k MEMC and Dolby Digital and DTS audio.
Elsewhere on the stand, TCL was demonstrating the differences between SDR and HDR (Dolby Vision) content.
Alcatel
Alcatel is the mobile subsidiary of TCL, and was showing off several new products. The flagship was a Windows 10 smartphone on T-Mobile called the Fierce XL. This is Alcatel’s first Windows 10 mobile, and will be launched within “the next few weeks”.
The Fierce XL has a 5.5″ 1280 x 720 display and runs Windows on a 1.1GHz Snapdragon processor. It has 4G connectivity, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, as well as a 2,500mAh battery. It is also IP52-compliant.
The Pixi 3 range was launched at IFA (Alcatel Has Rugged Devices), and CES saw the introduction of the Pixi 4 devices. These will be launched in Europe and LATAM first.
Four devices make up the range: 3.5″ and 4″ smartphones, a 6″ phablet and a 7″ tablet. All devices except the 3.5″ have quad-core processors and run Android 6.0 (1GHz processor and Android 5.1 on the 3.5″), and the middle two (4″ and 6″) have front-facing flashes. The tablet is IP52-compliant.
Resolution is 480 x 320 on the 3.5″, 800 x 480 on the 4″ (TN), 1280 x 730 on the 6″ (IPS) and 1024 x 600 on the 7″ (TN). The range will start at sub-$50 for the 3.5″ phone.
Finally we looked at a connect watch for children, which includes a Geo Fence feature, GPS locator, ability to receive calls and voice messages and make calls to pre-selected numbers. Parents can track their children with a dedicated smartphone app.
The watch features a 0.95″ OLED display (96 x 64) and IP65 compliance. It has a 380mAh battery, 8MB of RAM and 16MB of storage. It will be launched in Europe and LATAM in April.
