BARCELONA—TCL debuted a bevy of devices for the US market at Mobile World Congress. Primarily, the company will bring its first Nxtpaper-equipped smartphones to the US later this year, as well as a Nxtpaper tablet and other low-cost phones. We had a chance to take a look. Nxtpaper Screens Steal the SceneMy time with TCL this year marks the first I’ve laid eyes on a smartphone with a Nxtpaper display. TCL’s Nxtpaper 3.0 technology merges full-color, high-refresh-rate power with an eye-friendly, ereader-type look. The result is like nothing you’ve ever seen.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The TCL 50 XL Nxtpaper 5G stands at the top of the pile and is an impressive phone to behind. The most noticeable difference between its Nxtpaper screen and a regular LCD is the lack of any reflection. The Nxtpaper display is matte, whereas the LCD is shiny. I took the phone outside, held it under harsh lights, and tried to get it to reflect any of the ambient light in the room, but I was unable to. The result is a phone screen that you can see clearly under any conditions. The 50 XL Nxtpaper’s screen measures 6.8 inches with full HD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Other specs include a 50MP main camera, 5MP ultra-wide camera, and 2MP depth camera system, stereo speakers, a 5,010mAh battery with 18W wired charging, and a MediaTek 23E+ processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The TCL 50 XE Nxtpaper 5G is a step down in size and power, but it has the same screen technology. The screen runs at 90Hz, the phone has a MediaTek 6835 processor with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, it packs a 5,010mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging, and the phone has a 32MP selfie camera.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
TCL says the 50 XL Nxtpaper will cost $229 and the 50 XE Nxtpaper will cost $199. Both are slated to go on sale during the third quarter at select retailers.
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Three other low-cost phones are on deck from TCL. The 50 XL shares all its specs with the Nxtpaper model but steps the screen down to a regular LCD. It will cost $169 and street during the second quarter. The 50 XE shares all its specs with its Nxtpaper counterpart and steps down to an LCD for $149. It hits shelves during the third quarter. Last, the entry-level 50 SE costs $99 and will reach stores soon.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Interested in tablets? TCL’s latest is the Nxtpaper 14, a humongous slate with a full-color, ereader-like screen. Specs include a 14.3-inch 2K display at 300 nits, a 10,000mAh battery, a MediaTek Helio G99 processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, a 13MP/5MP front camera system, and an 8MP rear camera. MediaTek didn’t provide pricing. A smaller version with a 10.4-inch display will hit the US for an unknown price later this year. Both were impressive to see in person and we look forward to reviewing the US model later this year.
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