technology news: TCL to debut wearable display, own branded smartphone at IFA 2019

TCL is a fixture in the smartphone space, owing to its Alcatel and BlackBerry-branded phones. But the company is hoping to make a bigger splash under its own banner at IFA 2019 in Berlin next week.

The Chinese brand has confirmed that it will announce its first TCL-branded smartphone for global markets at the trade show. TCL offers its own branded phones in China, but the company generally sticks to the Alcatel and BlackBerry brand for Western releases.

TCL is also planning to show off a few rather unique devices in Berlin, including foldable device concepts. The firm says it's set for a commercial launch in 2020, but didn't clarify whether it would launch one foldable or multiple devices.

In any event, the company says it will also introduce a new ButterflyHinge system on the foldable concepts, complementing the previously disclosed DragonHinge tech.

Project Archery aims for a bull's eye

One of the more intriguing devices set for a reveal by TCL is its Project Archery "wearable display" gadget. The Chinese brand says the device delivers a 100-inch viewing experience in a gadget the size of most sunglasses. We don't know much else about this device, but it certainly sounds like we can expect smart glasses or something similar.

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The manufacturer says all of the new TCL mobile devices at IFA are using screens made by sister company CSOT. The company adds that the TCL-branded phone will feature a "Dotch" display. A previously leaked roadmap by tipster Evan Blass shows that the Dotch might simply be a punch-hole cutout with a different name.

Furthermore, the leaked roadmap apparently gives us more details about the TCL-branded phone, called the TCL T1. The new phone is tipped to offer a 6.53-inch FHD+ screen, a Snapdragon 675 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 3,820mAh battery with 18 watt charging.

The T1 is also said to offer a 48MP+16MP wide+2MP rear camera trio, a 24MP selfie camera, and Android Pie (with Android 10 slated for a later release).

Would you buy a TCL-branded phone if the price is good? Give us your thoughts below.