TCL PLEX hits Australia: $499 price, premium features

It’s hardly a secret that the TCL Plex was launching, but for some they might have wondered what it is having seen the brand on a Supercar at Bathurst. Well, it’s a brand new smartphone – a first for TCL.

But don’t let “first” worry you. TCL might be known here as a TV brand – which should lend some serious credibility to their screen technology, but TCL is also the parent company for Alcatel and Blackberry Smartphones.

What the TCL Plex represents is a move to a higher end of the price market – not the flagship price point, but actually a low-to-mid range price point.

At $499 it’s perfectly suited to be compared alongside a range of Samsung, Oppo and now RealMe and other brands available in the open market in Australia.

And it’s just the first. TCL says this will grow to become a family of smartphones.

Sam Skontos from TCL in Australia says “The TCL PLEX offers Aussie consumers excellence in display technology, camera and design, and it is pleasing to be launching such a well-specified phone into Australia so close to its initial unveiling at IFA this year. With Australians consuming more video content than ever before, the TCL PLEX will be the cinema in their pocket that they can rely on, thanks to TCL’s legacy in display technology,”

The PLEX features a 6.53 inch FHD+ screen with a 90 percent screen to body ratio and a Qualcomm processor under the hood.

One feature sure to stand out for many is the Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair up to four Bluetooth headphones or speakers to share your music or podcasts with friends. Pretty cool.

And if you have a TCL TV – the “TV Remote Control” gives you control of your TV too.

Camera wise there’s a 48MP primary camera capable of 4K video, as well as a separate 2MP dedicated video camera with a larger pixel sensor for low-light recording.