TCL will launch its first foldable phone in 2020, but it gave us a glimpse of the device's concept in October 2019 to whet our appetites and give us an idea of what the firm is planning.
While the foldable phone we got our hands on hardly looks like a handset, we'll see a launch next year - it could very well fold differently - it shows us TCL is getting closer to the final product.
Back in February, we saw a few TSL folding concepts under glass at MWC 2019, but they're not ready to be handled. Fast forward seven months and here we are, with the TSL foldable phone concept in our hands.
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TCL foldable phone release date and price
This is a concept phone, so there is currently no release date or price for the device - the phone itself, we decided, will not actually go on sale, it will be an updated version that we saw.
We know that TCL will launch its first foldable phone in 2020, and it will be cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Partner X, which hover around the $2000 mark.
This does not mean that the TSL foldable phone will be cheap, it will be affordable in terms of when compared to the current offerings on the market.
ICL concept foldable phone and display design
TCL's foldable concept is a working smartphone, but it's not perfect. Close the phone completely and it turns off (but you can easily turn it back on) and the interface is a little sluggish under your finger.
However, this is nothing to worry about. This is the essence of the concept of devices, check software and hardware and find fixes before launching a consumer ready version.
TCL is very open about its plans for its foldable device. He has no desire to be "first" in the market, and rather take his time to make sure everything is working correctly, as well as learn from those who started before him, in order to avoid any mistakes of competitors.
The highly publicized problems with the Samsung Galaxy Fold made TCL come back and do more research, development and testing in hopes of avoiding similar failures.
He clearly still has a way to go, but we're impressed with the progress. The butterfly hinge on her foldable phone feels secure, and moves smoothly. The bezels around the flexible display are thin, and there are four cameras on the back, providing a wide range of shooting options.
The screen is bright and crisp, although there doesn't seem to be anything higher than full HD resolution (we haven't given any firm specs for this device yet).
Open it all the way and there's a slight fold down the center of the screen where it folds - to be expected, but it might detract a bit from what's on display.
Takeaway
Apple is making good progress in the foldable phone market. Improvements compared to its KTM showing this concept are evident and it is on track for a 2020 launch.
It will be interesting to see how much this can undermine the current foldable-occupying phone, and just what design and feature set will be chosen.
We said we'll find out more about its foldable phone offering at CES 2020 in January and MWC 2020 in February. In short, don't wait too long.