TCL 10L: Remember the white goods flinger that had a licence to make BlackBerrys? It made a new own-name phone

Smartphone vendors are almost all universally weird. TCL (not to be confused with 1990’s R&B group TLC, best known for their hit song about the downfalls of wearing medical apparel) is no exception. Throughout its almost 25-year existence, the low-profile Chinese firm has manufactured a diverse array of kit. This includes bog- …

[Anonymous Coward]

In world terms I wouldn't have thought something with a 6-series processor would be in the lower third. I wonder if they see Huawei's problem with the US and its allies as a market opportunity before they, too, fall foul of Uncle Sam if they get too successful.

[Charlie Clark]

Updates

One cause for concern is software: although the TCL 10L comes with the latest version of Android, the firm remains somewhat of an unknown quantity when it comes to issuing updates and patches.

It's not an unknown quantity: it's completely shit and won't be any better with its customised UI.

[Drew Scriver]

Tickle?

How is TCL pronounced?

It's "tickle", right? Just like in the programming language Tcl.

[Joe Montana]

Re: Tickle?

It's an acronym with no vowels, it can't be pronounced you simply say the letters - T C L.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QBHukn8Qm8

[Drew Scriver]

TCL 10L = Tcl 101?

Okay - one more:

The name of this phone does spell Tcl 101, after all.

[Mark192]

And a standout feature would be...

...vanilla android with the prominent promise of security updates and upgrades to the latest Android versions as they're released.

As it is, it looks about £50 too expensive compared to the competition.

[jelabarre59]

TLC?

I thought TLC was the cable channel once known as "The Learning Channel" (and these days would be better defined as "The LYING Channel").

[Anonymous Coward]

***WARNING***

***WARNING***

TCL pushes devices that contain pre-installed malware that performs click-fraud and attempts to sign the user up for paid services without their knowledge.

TCL also modifies system apps to contain unremovable advertising SDK's when updating firmware that hijacks WebView with fake virus warnings to try and trick users into installing dubious "cleaner" apps.

The newly "updated" system apps also contain an SDK with ties to the Chinese state through "HAWK app studios" and performs DNS rebinding attacks with TCL clouds.

Pre-installed Facebook and other social media apps are not found on the Google Play Store and are specifically created to allow other apps to gain low-level access to the users social media data regardless of any "privacy" settings the user has set.

Newer versions of TCL devices I have seen also contain the packet-sniffer binary "tcpdump"

Proceed with caution!

=============================

https://www.zdnet.com/article/malware-found-preinstalled-on-some-alcatel-smartphones/

https://beebom.com/alcatel-installing-unwanted-apps-adware/

https://androidcommunity.com/alcatel-pushes-security-update-that-updates-core-apps-to-adware-20180307/

https://devsjournal.com/got-alcatel-phone-dont-update-system-apps.html

https://www.slashgear.com/alcatel-apps-just-went-adware-on-us-29517407/

[Timbo]

TCL 10 Pro ?

By chance I saw on ITV tonight that Idealworld.tv are offering the TCL 10 Pro for £399 + a free TCL 32" Android based TV...

https://www.idealworld.tv/gb/pp/tcl-10-pro-6-47inch-smartphone-quad-rear-camera-with-free-32inch-tv-by-redemption--514897

It looks like an impressive mobile: 4500mAh battery, 4 cameras (one of which is 64MPixel) Quick charging and 4G.

(Dsiclaimer - I have absolutely nothing to do with idealworld or TCL)

[Sebastian Brosig]

what's with the colour on the outside?

Maybe I'm just an outlier, but i find these shimmering "pearlescent" paint jobs super ugly.

Ve hav an idiom in my native Tschermany that is "Schillert in allen Farben der Verwesung", translates as "Shimmering in all the hues of putrefaction". I think that applies here and also to all the perarlescent-finish Subarus and Twatmobiles.