TCL 50 Nxtpaper phones switch to ‘reader mode’ with a dedicated button

We’re all spending more and more time staring at our phone screens, and no matter how big their screens get, our eyes aren’t getting any better. TCL’s Nxtpaper series aims to offer a little relief without switching to full 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 displays, these phones come with a dedicated “Nxtpaper key,” a switch that enables the screen’s monochrome reader mode. Setting it to the first position will adjust the screen into Ink Paper Mode, while going one notch further will enable “Max Ink Mode,” turning off notifications to make the phone an impromptu e-reader.

The naming might be a bit misleading. While TCL’s Nxtpaper screens do offer anti-glare coatings and better-than-average contrast, it’s still LCD tech, not full e-ink. The company’s Android-powered tablets are seen as a good middle ground between standard screens and Kindle-style devices, but they’re 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 lowers brightness to the minimum setting and turns on the rear flash LED for ambient light, a neat trick. TCL says that in their maximum reader mode the phones get seven days of battery life and 28 days of standby time.

Elsewhere these phones are pretty basic, with very nice 1080p screens (which can handle 120Hz when not in reader mode) aside. Other highlights include MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processors, 8GB of RAM (plus “8GB RAM expansion,” which seems to be using some dedicated storage for virtual memory), beefy 5010mAh battery with 33-watt fast charging, and triple rear cameras at 108/8/2 megapixels for primary, ultrawide, and macro modes.

The standard TCL 50 Nxtpaper 5 gets an 8MP front-facing camera and 256GB of storage, plus whatever you can fit in the MicroSD card slot. The 50 Pro Nxtpaper 5 gets a 32MP upgrade on the front and double the storage. Both of them launch with Android 14, but TCL is promising upgrades to Android 16 and at least some kind of software support through 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 be €299 with an included case and a stylus, available in Europe and Latin America. Launch dates for either phone weren’t given.