TCL Communication caught the attention of industry insiders, the media and booth visitors at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, with its new product releases at the event, including the BlackBerry KEYone, the Alcatel A5 LED, the high-definition Alcatel A3, the easy-to-use Alcatel U5 smartphones as well as the 2-in-1 Alcatel PLUS 12 tablet.
MWC, the world’s biggest and most influential mobile industry event, which, this year, took place from February 27 to March 2, gives the industry’s leading players a once-a-year opportunity to showcase their latest mobile technology solutions. TCL Communication Technology Holdings, one of the active advocators of 5G technology, and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute jointly showcased the interoperability of software-defined radio user equipment (UE) and commercial TD-LTE small cell base stations, illustrating TCL’s commitment to the next generation of development in the world of mobile telecommunications.
The BlackBerry KEYone smartphone — it smartly keeps legacy features beloved by Blackberry users, yet goes miles beyond the traditional Blackberry device
TCL Â launched the BlackBerry KEYone smartphone on February 25 following the inking of a licensing agreement with BlackBerry in late 2016. TCL chairman and CEO Tomson Li said that BlackBerry licensed its security software and service suite, as well as related brand assets, to TCL Communication, who would design, manufacture, sell and provide customer support for BlackBerry-branded mobile devices.
The latest BlackBerry product is one of TCL’s highlights at MWC. The new product became an instant hit as soon as it was launched and received nine awards from media organizations, making it one of the most highlighted products at MWC.
The BlackBerry KEYone receved its first honor, the Top Picks award, from the authoritative UK-based technology media brand Tech Advisor, at the MWC. It was also the first award that Tech Advisor gave out at the event.
KEYone is turning the way the keyboard on a smartphone is normally used on its head by combining the touch screen with a physical keyboard, providing users with a large input space in comparison to what one gets with the standard 5.5-inch full-touch-screen smartphone. By combining the smart keyboard with the popular touch gesture recognition and BlackBerry’s traditional touchpad features, the device allows users to browse web pages, check emails as well as input and send messages by touching the keyboard in a more convenient and intuitive way.
KEYone was awarded the Best of MWC 2017 by Pocket-lint, the largest independent product evaluation platform in the UK, for its unique design. Pocket-lint commented that one of the positive results of the brand licensing tie-up between BlackBerry and TCL is that the KEYone continues the legacy and spirit of BlackBerry by preserving the classic full keyboard that is favored by loyal BlackBerry users.
KEYone stands out with its iconic BlackBerry design and security features. The new smartphone is designed with unwavering attention to detail from the ground up in terms of the security and performance aspects that are so important to users. It delivers the most secure user experience available among Android-based smartphones in the market by running on a reinforced operating system and the proprietary technology behind the design of the security key.
Besides the unique design and the security features, the phone’s additional functionalities are expected to reshape the mobile communication experience for business, government and corporate users. Powered by a 3,505 mAh battery, the highest capacity among existing BlackBerry devices, the BlackBerry KEYone delivers a measurably longer standby time.
In addition, the battery can reach a 50% charge within 36 minutes with the support of the Qualcomm Quick Charge technology. Time-pressed users can choose BlackBerry’s Boost charging option for a quick charge enabled with the turbo boost technology. With these advantages, KEYone won the Best Business Hardware Award from IT Pro, a leading IT website in the UK, at the start of the event.
TCL chairman and CEO Tomson Li gives his prediction of where the industry is headed: 5G technology is the future of mobile
TCL Communication showcased the interoperability of software-defined radio UE and commercial TD-LTE small cell base stations at the MWC. As 5G telecommunication technology gradually takes root worldwide, software-defined radio can be expected to play an increasingly important role in driving software-driven telecommunication systems. This offers developers the flexibility and reusability of upgrading applications and systems, without the need to replace hardware components every time there is a software upgrade. The demonstration shows how the Open Air Interface (OAI) UE can receive a live downlink video stream from China-based telecommunication network optimization products manufacturer Sunnada Communications’ commercial TD-LTE small cell. OAI is a leading open-source software that emulates LTE systems on general purpose processor platforms.
Mr. Li said in an interview that he is optimistic about 5G technology and believes 5G products and technology will be the trend of the future. TCL Communication has already foreseen the trend and undertaken a substantial amount of R &D in anticipation of the next generation of 5G technology. Although no mature 5G products have yet appeared, relatively mature development platforms have already been established. Manufacturers such as TCL Communication are able to demonstrate 5G technology for partners. The TCL chairman and CEO concluded with conviction: the 5G era is just around the corner.
According to telecommunications research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) and TCL’s own data, the firm ranked No.7 among both handset manufacturers and tablet manufacturers worldwide in the 4th quarter of 2016, with a portfolio of products sold in China and over 160 countries and regions throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific. In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, the company ranked third in terms of handsets market share.
Li said this is TCL’s 10th time at the MWC. He is deeply impressed by the rapid development of China’s mobile communication sector. From mobile phones and devices to the number of users on the networks of China’s mobile operators, Chinese manufacturers have moved to the front of the line and are increasingly becoming a leading force in the world’s mobile communications industry.
