We’re all spending more and more time staring at our phone screens, and no matter how big their screens get, our eyesight isn’t getting any better. TCL’s Nxtpaper series aims to provide a little relief without switching to full-blown e-paper devices. The latest models, the TCL 50 and 50 Pro Nxtpaper 5, can do it with a single button.
Well, a switch to be precise. In addition to large 6.8-inch screens, these phones come with a special ‘Nxtpaper key’, a switch that enables the screen’s monochrome reading mode. Putting it in the first position will adjust the screen to ink paper mode, while taking it a step further will enable ‘Max Ink Mode’, turning off notifications to turn the phone into a makeshift e-reader. to make.
The naming may be a bit misleading. While TCL’s Nxtpaper displays offer anti-reflective coatings and better-than-average contrast, they are still LCD technology and not full e-ink. The company’s Android tablets are seen as a good middle ground between standard screens and Kindle-like devices, but they are still a compromise design.
Anyway, in addition to the dedicated switch, the TCL 50 Nxtpaper 5 and its Pro variant also offer an Eye Care Assistant that can make adjustments based on ambient light and make other suggestions to help reduce eye strain. The “Night Light Mode” automatically reduces the brightness to the minimum setting and turns on the rear LED flash for ambient light, a neat trick. TCL says the phones will get seven days of battery life and 28 days of standby time in their maximum reading mode.
Elsewhere, these phones are quite basic, with very nice 1080p displays to boot (which can handle 120Hz when not in reading mode). Other highlights include MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processors, 8GB of RAM (plus “8GB RAM expansion,” which appears to use dedicated virtual memory storage), a powerful 5,010mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and triple cameras on the rear at 108/8/2 megapixels for primary, ultrawide and macro modes.
The standard TCL 50 Nxtpaper 5 gets an 8MP front camera and 256GB of storage, plus whatever fits in the MicroSD card slot. The 50 Pro Nxtpaper 5 gets an upgrade to 32 MP on the front and doubles the storage. They’ll both launch with Android 14, but TCL promises upgrades to Android 16 and at least some form of software support until 2029.
According to The Verge, the TCL 50 Nxtpaper 5 will cost €229 when it launches in Europe, while the upgraded TCL 50 Pro Nxtpaper 5 will cost €299 with an included case and stylus, available in Europe and Latin America. Launch dates for both phones were not given.