TCL’s New Phone Morphs Into a Black and White E-Reader With the Flick of a Switch

The Boox Palma already tried sticking an E-Paper display on a smartphone body, but TCL is taking a different tack to turn their latest phones into the easy-reading mobile device we’ve always wanted. The company, mostly known for its budget TVs, stuck a switch on its upcoming phones that morphs colorful screens into a simplified black-and-white layout. This will let you comfortably read tiny text on a 6.8-inch display for long periods of time without ruining your eyes; the TCL 50 NXTPaper phones could be the best way to read your hoard of backlog ebooks without ever needing to pack your Kindle.

TCL has two phones sporting this technology. There’s the TCL 50 NXTPaper 5G and the TCL 50 PRO NXTPaper 5G. Both include the NXTPaper Key toggle that activates “Max Ink Mode.” This adds an animation that morphs the screen into black and white or back into color. The monochrome mode is specifically designed for reading sessions, though it also works on top of any other page or app you have open. The mode mutes notifications and dials back the strain on the battery. TCL claims you can get seven days of battery life with simple reading activities or 26 days on standby under the mode with its 5010mAh battery for both models.

The Pro phones retail for €299, or $331. The non-Pro devices are going for €229, equal to about $253. Here’s the rub for anybody in North America: the Pro is restricted to Europe and Latin America, while the non-Pro is available in Europe only. You can still try to import one, but you’ll have a harder time getting it to work in the U.S. than if you were buying a phone straight from a carrier.

At those prices, you really shouldn’t expect a “Pro”-level experience on par with your iPhone, Galaxy, or Pixel. The screen still has a 120 Hz, 1080 x 2460 display, so it should still feel faster than ePaper. Otherwise, there’s not too much else to go gaga over. Its stated peak brightness is 550 nits on the Pro, though the anti-fingerprint coating may impact how truly bright the display feels. 

The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset, a higher-end budget CPU. The base configuration comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, which is exactly what you expect for a phone at this size and price. You can get an additional 8 GB of memory if you’re willing to pay extra. Both phones will sport a huge 108 MP main camera lens with .64μm pixel size and F-1.75 aperture, but its ultrawide is a tiny 8 MP, not to mention the 2 MP macro sensor. The Pro version also includes a 32 MP front sensor.

So what is NXTPaper? Despite the marketing, it is a variety of LCD, but it’s still distinct from your typical display. NXTPaper includes layers that reduce glare and blue light by a claimed 61%. In its latest version, NXTPaper 3.0. It consists of a “Circular Polarized Light” layer that simulates natural light. The display maker says this results in an experience closer to reading a book under a desk lamp than it is reading a screen. TCL purported its previous 40 NXTPaper phones also had “paper-like displays,” though I wouldn’t go as far as claiming it has the same look or feel as E Ink. There’s a significant difference between the look of these devices and something like a reMarkable tablet.

While the displays have a notably matte look, it’s not E Ink. That display technology moves black and white particles around with positive and negative charges, which is why your regular E-Reader takes more time to change pages than typical screens. TCL first shared its plans for its ink mode switch back during CES this past January on the NXTPaper 14 Pro.

I’ve used the NXTPaper 11 tablet, and while it’s certainly not a fraction as fast as a high-end iPad Pro, the display is gentle enough on my eyes that it makes a nice personal wake-me-up if I’d rather stay in bed with bleary eyes and watch YouTube videos. Alongside the phone, TCL is also introducing its TCL Tab 11 Gen 2, another NXTPaper tablet with a new chip andana 8,000 mAh battery. Honestly, since it doesn’t have the novel black and white switch, I really can’t generate any excitement for it.