TCL's newest phone takes its NXTPAPER display to a whole new level

TCL has been launching NXTPAPER phones for a few years now. Although none of them have made it to our list of the best Android phones you can buy, we are consistently impressed with the NXTPAPER tech, which significantly reduces light glare, makes text on your phone easier to read, and has a pleasant, paper-like feel. Today, at IFA 2024, TCL took the wraps off its newest entries in the NXTPAPER family: the TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G and the TCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G.

Both phones are basically the same, except the non-Pro model has some slightly weaker specs. The two star features, though, are shared across both devices. Obviously, the first star feature is NXTPAPER itself, something only TCL currently offers. The only thing that comes close is Gorilla Glass Armor, which currently is only available on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but hopefully, that will change in 2025.

The second star feature of the new phones is the new NXTPAPER Key. This is a physical button that allows you to hot-swap into a minimalist, e-ink-style smartphone experience, allowing you to have a digital detox.

If this sounds familiar it’s because TCL introduced a very similar feature to a tablet at Mobile World Congress earlier this year. Essentially, you press the button and fire up a new mode called Max Ink Mode. This turns off most of your apps (you get to keep some core apps, such as for phone calls and taking photos, as well as six apps of your choosing) and turns your phone into a very pared-down experience. This will allow you to have one of those digital detox phones companies keep trying to convince you to buy but built right into your “real” smartphone, negating the need for two different devices.

Outside of these nifty features you can’t find anywhere else, TCL is also introducing AI to its phones (this is 2024, after all). Text Assistant uses AI to translate and summarize text you’ve copied, and Voice Memo essentially acts as TCL’s version of the Pixel Recorder app.

For specs, this is TCL we’re talking about, so there’s nothing too noteworthy. The TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G has a 6.8-inch FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 5,010mAh battery. It has a 108MP primary rear camera sensor, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro. It also has a headphone jack, which is pretty sweet.

The TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G is coming soon to Europe for €299 (~$331). TCL assured us that this phone will not come to the US in 2024, but if you read between the lines there, it’s possible we could see it here in 2025.

Meanwhile, the non-Pro model starts at €229 (~$254) and is also coming to the EU, although launch timelines for both phones are unknown outside of “sometime this year.” Stay tuned.