Cheap phones tend to be boring. Top brands like Google’s Pixel 8a or Samsung’s FE phones cost less than $500 and are often on sale, but in every way they’re stripped-down versions of better phones and little else. TCL’s 50 NXTPaper devices With a switchable e-reader mode, this might be more than just a gimmick. That could be enough to shake up the stable budget phone market.
I have played with 50 NXTPaper phones and used NXTPaper keys with my fingers. While I’m not sure the CPU and software package will meet all the needs of the North American market, it’s still the kind of device I want in my life for reading on the go. The bad news: No, the 50 NXTPaper 5G or 50 NXTPaper Pro 5G are not coming to the United States.
When you turn on the switch for the first time, you can select “Color Paper Mode”, “Ink Paper Mode” or “Maximum Ink Mode”. Colored paper mode darkens the appearance of the app, while ink paper mode turns everything black and white. Maximum Ink Mode also turns the phone into black and white, severely limiting what you can do on the device. Swiping left will show all e-books on your device instead of your Google apps. It disables all apps except e-readers and journals. You can enable a few alternative non-book apps, even YouTube or Netflix, but you can only choose 10.
If you want a distraction-free experience, we recommend enabling maximum ink mode. This mode disables notifications but still allows the web, calls, and text messages. This model also promises significantly improved battery life while reducing all features of the phone. TCL promises you’ll get a full week or more of use from the phone on its “max ink” setting.
I was very curious to learn more about this phone, so I chased TCL until they showed it to me in person. It’s available for purchase at the IFA showroom, but I spoke with some company executives about what the phone does and what it means. The focus is on making the device more “immersive”. An animation plays every time you flip the NXTPaper key, which absorbs or adds color to your phone’s screen. Even on the preset, Van Gogh-like preset wallpapers, the transition animations don’t look that clean. Hopefully there will be progress over time.
Even in black and white mode, some apps still display colors. YouTube remains monochromatic, but your photos will maintain their colorful appearance, not the Google Photos UI. Both the Pro and non-Pro phones have 108 MP rear sensors, but I wasn’t able to test the camera’s capabilities or compare its quality to other, more expensive units. I’m also concerned that the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip won’t have as much staying power as mid-range phones costing just a few hundred dollars more.
phone use NXTPaper 3.0 displaywhich I like TCL so much. I own an NXTPaper 11 tablet, so I’m used to layering and filters that limit blue light and make it easier to watch for longer periods of time. The tablet is too slow for everyday use, but the matte screen has a unique quality and subtly fine texture that makes it attractive. The display is certainly colorful, but it’s not suitable for watching YouTube or Netflix. The colors are too light for the film. You’re better off using it for browsing or reading. The problem, as with all Android tablets, is that it’s easy to get distracted by notifications or alerts from social apps.
While the company is currently limiting the phone to Europe and Asia, TCL told me they’re working with carriers in the U.S. and hope to potentially enter that market in the coming year. This makes sense. Some of TCL’s tablets are available in the U.S., but most Americans know the brand through its brand budget tv lineup. 50 NXTPaper 5G retails for €229 ($253). The Pro version costs €299 ($331). If the same or next-generation NXTPaper phones come to the US with similar budget chips, we don’t expect them to be significantly more expensive.
I am a paper book reader. I’ve always been this way, but no e-reader, Kindle, or e-ink display has changed me. I always carry a book with me, but sometimes when I’m on the train home and there’s standing room only, I don’t have room to reach into my backpack or even hold the paperback up to my face. In moments like this I wish I could read on my phone. Unfortunately, I hate tearing up a book on a glossy screen after staring at a page for nine hours at work. This device could end those woes, even if it means giving up the power and prestige of the iPhone.
