Chinese TV maker TCL launches 329 euro smartphone for video lovers

TCL Electronics Holdings

05/09/2019 16:54

BERLIN, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Chinese TV maker TCL Electronics
 1070.HK  launched a low-cost smartphone on Thursday in a bet
that it can harness its expertise in screens to win over
consumers who are increasingly watching video on mobile devices.
    The TCL PLEX will be priced at 329 euros ($363.41), putting
it firmly in the affordable bracket, offering a 6.5-inch display
that uses the company's proprietary NXTVISION technology and a
triple camera.
    TCL expects video to account for 80% of mobile data traffic
by 2022, creating an opening to put smartphones at the centre of
its existing range of connected devices that includes smart TVs,
and bluetooth speakers and headphones.
    "The moment is right for TCL," said the company's global
head of marketing Stefan Streit.
    Streit also showed off a test version of a smartphone with a
folding screen, signalling TCL's intent to challenge global
leader Samsung Electronics  005930.KS , whose $2,000 Galaxy Fold
goes on sale in Korea on Friday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N25W3GW
    The TCL smartphone launch comes in a saturated market that
faces headwinds from the U.S.-China trade conflict. Still,
analyst Ben Wood at CCS Insight rated the move as "a strong sign
of its intention to grab share in the smartphone markets".    

($1 = 0.9053 euros)

 (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; editing by David Evans)
 ((douglas.busvine@tr.com; +49 69 7565 1271; Reuters Messaging:
douglas.busvine.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))