TCL are doing some amazing stuff lately with their NxtPaper technology and this phone presents more of that to join previous years' phones and past/present tablets. At a staggeringly low price, for what you get, the question is whether or not the really interesting screen tech is enough to offset the low/mid-tier other specs and missing functions you'd expect by paying a bit more for a more 'traditional' Android phone.
It really is all about the screen. And it's an absolute delight to use. It does, as the blurb claims, feel very much like paper - even more so than any (relatively) shiny Kindle screen. Reflectiveness is hugely reduced and dispersed, muted. The payoff being that so are the colours and tones. But cor blimey, outside in even the brightest sunshine, it's just like a Kindle - in that the brighter it is, the better it is, regardless of which 'screen mode' the user selects (I'll come to that). Simply brilliant. A decidedly unique selling point, as they say.
Taps on the screen need to be slightly firmer than an 'ordinary' phone with glass, but I found that I was getting used to this quickly and it's no worse than some phones with a screen protector on top. Same for swipes, but Mr Tiny Brain gets used to it! So yes, there are four NXTPAPER screen modes which can either be switched using the physical slider/toggle on the right side of the phone or in software.
1. The normal mode is very much like you'd expect on any LCD Android phone with access to all apps.
2. The Ink Paper Mode is much like looking at a paper-white Kindle with again, all apps working fine, wallpaper stripped out, so a very much black/white experience with some of the icons becoming somewhat like 'line drawings' but others not - rather retaining the developer's artwork, but switched to mono. Widgets still work but again, made mono.
3. Colour Paper Mode is much like Ink Paper Mode except, you guessed it, it's mostly colour! Still no wallpaper but everything else seems to work fine, all on a paper-white background again. Designed for comics and graphic content.
4. Max Ink Mode gets the longest-lasting battery performance (they claim "7 days of immersive reading" or almost a month on standby), but all-but key apps/services are closed down. So you get phone calls, Google Messages, clock and calendar notifications (all other app notifications don't get through), Google Play Books (not even the Kindle app shows up), Jnotes (which I'll come to), a calculator, contacts and access to Settings related to connectivity only. That's it.
Jumping between the modes on-the-fly works too - so if you're watching a YouTube video in Colour Paper Mode, with a flick of the switch it will transpose into Ink Paper Mode or the normal mode. There's a stylish hazy transition effect that grows across the screen, but not a hitch in terms of the video playing and continuity. Watching video and looking at photos or websites on the mono modes? You'd think it would be rubbish, but it really isn't. It's refreshing and sometimes, preferable, believe it or not! I was looking at TikTok last night in Ink Paper Mode and the definition of the videos is really impressive - the screen tech makes it look much better than any rubbish Kindle screen (on which one might head off to their forever-experimental web browser function). It looks just as good as it would in colour, but in loads of shades of mono. I'll try to replicate the difference here. Update no I can't as it won't let me take a screenshot in Ink Paper Mode! I'll post an actual photo of it in mono, see Laufey in action, below - it video really is sharper by far than the photo depicts...
Laying aside the screen tech for a minute, let's leap back and see what's in the box and what the handset is like, physically. The box is unnecessarily big for what's in it - a SIM Tray pokey-key, USB-C to C cable and a 3-pin 33W charger/plug here in the UK - the latter feeling like it's just been chucked in as a UK market-related afterthought in a very generic box, rolling around inside! (Well, at least they're selling it here!) Other than that, it's a black box which they claim is 'plastic free'.
The phone is big! It's tall and wide (167.6 x 75.5mm) but actually pretty thin (8mm) and (relatively) heavy (196g). Because of this, it kinda balances in the hand disproportionately well. The sides of the phone are plastic and flat, as seems to be the Apple-copied way these days (sigh) and in my case is a classy Moon Grey colour. Moon Grey and Alps White are apparently the only two colours available outside of Asia, where they also get Pale Gold, Rosy Purple and Midnight Blue. The back of the phone has a kinda 'marble' pattern on it which actually looks very nice. There's zero grip, though! As shiny as a new penny. TPU case time. Which is a problem actually in the UK as they're rarer than hen's teeth. I ordered one from AmazonUK but it's not for the Pro model - only the non-Pro (so doesn't have the cutout for the screen mode slider). The non-Pro model, by the way, apart from that, is physically identical on the outside. In the end I've had to order one from the far-east on the slow-boat, so will have to twiddle my thumbs and hope I don't drop it!
The camera island on the back is a ludicrously huge circle (much like the OnePlus phones) and not even central. I'm not sure who, out in China, thinks that this design is in any way attractive! The TCL logo is set sideways, so I guess they think that people should use it like a 'camera' in orientation. Not much chance of that in the age of TikTok! On the right, we have the screen mode slider which sits below the power button/fingerprint scanner - which in turn, sits below the volume rocker. I think the keys are all plastic but they seem sturdy enough and there's not really any wobble.
Up top there's nothing apart from a microphone but on the bottom, we have the central USB-C (2.0) port flanked by one of the stereo speakers and 3.5mm audio-out socket. Yay! At the top of the front of the phone there's a centralised, large selfie camera cutout below the second of the stereo speakers, doubling up as the earpiece for the phone in the usual way.
The front panel is the large 1080p, 6.8" NXTPAPER flat LCD which returns a ppi of 395. It's a huge panel, even bigger than a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, overall, as unlike the Samsung it does have slightly larger bezels. Think Nokia XR20. They are not huge, by any stretch of the imagination, but Samsung seems to have got this one nailed! The 'chin' is slightly bigger than the other three sides, but that's fine and one could argue, good for gesture control. The screen refresh rate can be set to 120Hz, 60Hz or 'smart' where it works it out for itself depending on what you're doing, balancing performance with battery. This appears to still be the case in Ink Paper Mode and Colour Paper Mode but in Max Ink Mode you can't get to those settings, so who knows what it is. Probably none of those and irrelevant!
The screen is nicely bright and there's something refreshing about the muted tones, pastally colours and papery/Kindle look and feel. It somehow doesn't feel like a cheat compared to a glorious Moto pOLED panel, but rather a nice change and something different. And good grief, the mobile phone world certainly needs that! Obviously, as previously noted, in any of the other screen modes, the 'brightness' is even more so - just in a different way. You really have to see/feel this screen to appreciate the benefits - as it's, well, indescribable! Closest I can get is the most recent, modern Kindle - but colour too when needed - and much nicer! I've not seen a Boox Palma, but I'm guessing that it's similar in the alternative screen modes. I can't stress enough how lovely it is to touch.
So, I'm sold on the screen tech and the whole NXTPAPER thing - no further convincing needed - but what about the rest of it as an Android smartphone. Where does it fall short of, let's say other mid-tier devices, and reflect the price-point where TCL have pitched this? Well, I guess the first stop is the chipset, being a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 (6nm). Those who know about such matters compare it with a SnapDragon 778G (best known here on the Moto Edge 20 and 30) and maybe the 695 (which seemed to do fine here on the Moto Edge 30 Neo and Sony Xperia 10 Mk.V) but real-world use is what matters and I'm finding that in general use, as I often say, for 98% of people likely to use a phone in this bracket, without nerdy/geeky expectations and probably focusing on the reading experience, it really isn't an issue. Over time, reviewing phones, one just gets a 'feel' for how they perform in daily use without the need for benchmarks and getting all technical, but as I plough further through I shall certainly highlight any points at which I notice any slowdown or sluggishness.
There's 8GB RAM on the model I have here which seems to dance to the merry tune of task switching/keeping open more than well-enough, but more interestingly a base storage of 512GB which is exactly what Motorola are beginning to do. Forget about 256GB - that was yesterday's base-standard - and tomorrow it'll 1TB no doubt! This is great and coupled with the microSD Card slot, in which I have my 1TB version (with support up to 2TB), I'm flying here, data-hoarding with 1.5TB! Amazing, Again, at this price-point. With this hardware I have moved lots of data across from my PC engaging the usual method with Android and, yes, it's not as fast as it is with more capable hardware, but these kinds of actions are usually one-offs, as are setting up/installing 130 apps (in my case) where, again, you'd get a faster execution elsewhere. But once it's done, it's done. And most people will be using the onboard storage to record loads of video, as shot, not purposely data-hoarding like me!
Android 14 is on board out of the box with a promise of Android 15 and 16 in due course. How quickly TCL will attend to that, I don't know. The more impressive feat is that they promise to provide Google Security patches to 2029! That's up there with the leaders now and even though the OS version will slip behind, the security will be intact, along with Play System updates for the next 5 years (as this was released in September 2024, last month as I write). Currently the phone updates to June 2024 Security and August 2024 Play System.
Setting up the phone exposed me to a bunch of bloat. Still, at this price I guess it's inevitable that they will recoup some cash from cracked deals. The good news is that all the following are uninstallable via settings: Booking, Bubble, Block Puzzle Guardian, Facebook, LinkedIn, Office Suite, Snake Lite, Stickman Hero Fight Clash and Microsoft Start (the last of which was surprising). There was one app which could be said 'no' to during the setup - WeAre8: The People's Platform (whatever that is) and then there's TCL apps installed into ROM: Camera (obviously), Jnotes, Game Zone (fair enough), Pedometer, TCL Home, TCL Link, Switch Phone, Optimise, Smart Manager - with Auto Launch, Battery, Memory (RAM extension 8+8 - turn off), Notifications and Clean up settings. They haven't doubled-up on any of the Google core apps, leaving them as the Big G's defaults.
The TCL UI v7 is pretty 'stock' as we used to say (think AndroidOne) with some of that useful stuff over the top (think Moto) and those supporting the screen mode differences. The home screens work pretty much as simply as one would expect in AndroidOne, even allowing the removal of the Google Search Bar, by default at the foot of the page. Other than that, it's arrange-as-you please with various adjustments/layouts, sizes, Wallpaper/Style, Google Feed to the left (or not) and as many home screen as you place icons/widgets onto. All very Vanilla and welcome.
The speakers are a bit feeble really. They're quite loud but not very good quality. There's a switch to throw in Sound settings called 'DTS-certified 3D Boom Sound'. Sadly, when the switch is thrown it certainly makes the speakers even louder - and the soundstage for stereo a little wider via software - but louder and more shrill doesn't make a more pleasant listening experience. In fact, it sounds better with it off. Engaged, then volume set to 70% makes it listenable to, but it's really not very good. I've been playing around with the Wavelet app and have been able to make it somewhat better but yes, beware - this is not an audiophile's phone!
Better performance can be had from the 3.5mm audio-out socket, but as always, this depends completely on what ear/headphones one is using and the quality/characteristics thereof. I have tested it with a range of units here from the reference AKG K701s, studio Sony MDR-7506s and beefed-up Sony 1000-XM4s amd Marshall Monitors. Volume from the port is certainly loud and much better an experience than the speakers. Same is true of the Bluetooth (v5.3) output, of course, again, depending on gear's being hooked up. But all-in-all, no complaints when using cans!
Connectivity is good, I'd say. I've tried out a couple of phone calls from a couple of locations without hitches, both parties hearing each other well enough. 5G seems to work fine in my strong local EE network for data too. There's a nanoSIM slot in the tray and a second one if you don't want to use a microSD Card - and let's face it, most won't with 512GB storage built in! The handset is also eSIM capable, so all boxes ticked here. WiFi 5 I guess is now a bit behind the times, but it locks on here just fine on two different networks I've tried and maintains good connection. Bluetooth seems solid too with a decent range before dropping out, GPS proved reliable for Google Maps and other applications making use of that and NFC, though not tested for paying with Google Pay, seems to work fine with other equipment for pairing, so I have no doubt it would.
What a shame there's no Qi Wireless Charging. That would the cherry on top of a very tasty cake. There is 33W 'fast' (well, faster than some) wired charging to power up the generous battery which is just over 5000mAh. This gives a 50% charge in about half an hour and up to full in another hour, so 90 minutes. As described above, how long it lasts depends very much on which screen mode you're using! From nearly a month down to (a very respectable) good two days in the most power-hungry mode in my tests here. It's a battery champ, really - and standby battery (no SIM Card - or even turned off) reminds me very much of a 2008 Nokia BP-4L as it sips, not gulps!
The security, to get into the phone, is headed up by the side-mounted, capacitive fingerprint scanner in the power button (which can be touch or press) which, as you'd expect, works flawlessly - first time, every time. It's supported by Face Unlock which, again, works really well - both of these items easy to register. However, there's a fly in the ointment here as I see it - in that as there is no Lift to Wake, Nudge to wake, Double-tap to wake, (particularly Lift to Wake). So in order to get the face unlock to work, the user has to first touch/press the power button/fingerprint scanner. And if one is doing that, the face unlock is not needed! Well, unless you don't set up fingerprints I guess! The face unlock, good as it is, is rendered pointless - unless I'm missing something here?! Good old Android though and a third party app to the rescue - in this case, newGen Mobile's AOA: Always on Display. I'm sure there are others, but this is the one I've generated towards over the years. It fixes this problem and others too - like no Always on Display with a handy bunch of options - yes, even on an LCD panel - and doesn't seem to hit battery too badly in the process. It's feature-rich and well-maintained. So yes, double tap on the AoD, lift it to see your face, and we're in. It would be even better if the double-tap was not needed, but it's a decent-enough workaround and maybe TCL will fix this in an update.
The Jnotes app seems to be a third party one, which it looks like TCL have done a deal with, as it's baked into ROM and can't be readily uninstalled. Sadly though, it seems flakey and each time I try to use it, it complains about not being able to get online - or "the system is busy" - though I did manage to get an account setup via desktop Chrome and then the app acknowledged that. When you do get in, it's a nice-enough note-taking environment which will share PDFs or their own Jnotes file format files to where you like. Share as a 'flat' PDF works fine to view elsewhere, but in order to share as an editable PDF you need to 'activate' the app - at which point we're back to the 'server being busy' and a splash-page saying there's 50% off! So I have no idea how much it is - but according to Gemini, 'activating' it starts a '30 day free trial'. Confusingly, there also seems to be two tiers of 'membership'(?) one being 'Registered' and the other 'VIP'. Their website is not very helpful and the FAQ takes you out to Google Doc! You can download the app as an APK if you fancy the risk - and their website claims all sorts of fancy functionality. If only I could get to do any of it!
Anyway, enough time spent on this app, the point is that it's only looking like being useful in any way if you have a stylus. And TCL sell one. At least, they are supposed to do so! It's called a T-Pen, but the only place I seem to actually get one is on eBay. They cost about $40. From the TCL website, it looks like if you live in America you can order one, but nowhere else. There's also (allegedly) a 'flip case' available for the phone - but same again - for love nor money can I seem to get one outside of eBay or some far-east outlet. I'm not sure that I'd personally want a 'flip case' (sounds dreadful) but a T-Pen would be cool. Oh well. Perhaps it's just early days for us non-American, non-Chinese people on the planet!
The main camera is surprisingly a 108MP f1.8 unit which, when selected instead of the usual pixel-binning to 12MP shots, can make use of them all and produce decent-enough shots in decent-enough light. There's an 8MP f2.2 wide-angle shooter which is utilised, by the looks of it, by the Portrait Mode and provides a range of 'software emulated' aperture settings to impact depth of field. You can see that on-the-fly. There's Night mode which does a functional and decent-enough job in all but pitch blackness. There's a 'super macro' mode which, using the 2MP f2.4 camera, again, does a functional-enough job. You can shoot 1080p video at 30fps and lastly, selfies with the 32MP f2 front-facing unit, which seem nice-enough. It all seems pretty 'ok' for photos in good light for those pixel-peeping and not just using(!), decent enough digital zooming to about 3x but very basic so-called macro and anything else, really. Photographers, move along! But the UI is good enough with some nice touches here and there like watermarks, AI Scene detection and I love the NXTPAPER filters - worth using the camera just for those (see right - that's my keyboard/desk)!
The camera software, however, is very buggy and slow, post-shot. Taking a photo in any resolution takes forever to process - you can watch it trying - but eventually it gets there. Also the auto-upload of photos/video to Google Photos is clunky, taking often 2 or three tries, closing Google Photos in between each attempt. No idea if this is Google's fault or TCL's chipset, camera/photo software, but I suspect the latter as it doesn't happen with any other of my phones. So something else for them to fix in updates, for sure.
I've probably spent long enough on this review as I guess not that many people with be seriously interested in anything here but the screen tech. And the screen tech, the NXTPAPER, is the total USP. And it's great fun to play with and super for those who read a lot, turning a fairly ordinary phone into an e-reader. Switch it all off (except that) if on holiday, turn it back on if you want a more app-driven ordinary Android experience - or partly back on for somewhere in between! The choice is yours! But more than that, personally, I love the screen. Not what it does, but how it feels, how it looks, how the finger interacts with it and slides across it. It's spookily like paper, as they say - and going outside in bright sunlight makes the non-reflective, light-grabbing screen just grab even more. It's an absolute delight to use and I can't praise the concept highly enough. Love it. By the way, I bought this phone with my own money, so this is not me speaking via some TCL PR supplied hardware - I genuinely like it a lot.
The second best thing about the phone is that it's amazingly-priced at time of writing in the UK at £279.99. And if you're quick, that includes a claim for a TCL NXTPAPER Tab 11, which are currently selling for £169. So for those of us who fancy a similar experience with (and can make use of or sell) an 11" tablet with similar screen tech, the phone suddenly becomes just over £100! Which is then the absolute bargain of the century! Very highly recommended, very nice phone and hopefully some bugs will be sorted. It's a big phone, but for those intending to use this as a 'reader' that's good. I have to be honest and say I had intended to return this for a refund as I didn't think I'd use it much, but frankly, even if I don't, it's worth it's weight as a Kindle replacement. It punches above it's weight in terms of specs, in some respects, like the 512GB storage, microSD, 3.5mm audio - and did I mention how amazingly captivating and engaging the NxtPaper tech is?!
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