It’s hard to say no when the price is below $100
TCL’s been gaining popularity in the US and has even managed to rank fourth in terms of market share — ahead of the likes of OnePlus and Google, but just behind Motorola. The brand’s clearly doing well for itself selling budget phones, and this week we have another device from the company’s/ recently debuted 30 series expanding availability. Aside from carrying an eye-wateringly low price tag, the phone also marks TCL’s debut at two new American carriers.
The TCL 30 Z’s US availability on AT&T and Cricket has just been announced, and it’s the very first time the brand’s collaborated with either company, not that it’s a high-profile debut. This is a budget phone priced at just $90, making it one of the cheapest new Android phones around, so it doesn’t exactly pack the flashiest of specs. Starting off with the display, it’s not as large as your typical 2022 smartphone, sized a borderline adorable 6.08″ with a 720p resolution.
Under the hood, you get the quad-core MediaTek Helio A22, which is an entry-level chipset but serves just enough power to help you sail through basic tasks like calls and browsing, plus most apps. The phone also includes 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space, which can be increased by up to 512GB using a microSD card.
The single rear camera at the back shoots 8MP photos and covers all basics — you’ve got Google Lens support, and photos have Portrait Mode and Face Beauty features. Meanwhile, the front gets a 5MP selfie camera housed within a tiny notch. All of this is powered by a 3,000mAh battery.
That $90 retail price might seem compelling as-is but can be brought down further with other carrier promotions. Cricket offers the phone at no extra cost for new and existing customers when they bring their own number and activate a $60 per month plan, and for $30 a month for new customers activating a new line or existing customers adding a line or upgrading. AT&T has a support page up for the phone, but so far no actual listing, so it’s unclear what kind of pricing it plans to offer or what promos could be available.
If the 30 Z doesn’t scratch that budget phone itch for you, we’ve got a whole list of the best budget Android phones you can get right now that might.
