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Modern phone screens, including the best OLED ones, aren’t perfect. They flicker, usually at low pulse width modulation (PWM) frequencies, and this can be irritating or downright painful for certain people. They are also not ideal for use in direct sunlight, as their shiny glass covers can glare, limiting visibility. Whether you want to use your phone as an e-reader or limit distractions, most flagships lack the paper-like visuals needed for the best experience.
There is one company trying to address all of these issues, TCL, but the brand’s phones rarely make it to the US. I went out of my way to purchase the TCL 60 In CMM 2026TCL showed off the NXTPAPER 70 Pro, which is a much more solid offering that will finally arrive in the US next month.
Most devices try to keep your attention as much as possible, absorbing you with vibrant colors, constant notifications and a host of distractions. In comparison, TCL’s upcoming phone has a dedicated slider that lets you remove noise in an instant.
An underrated part of NXTPAPER phones is their built-in matte glass screen cover. Most phones are glossy and this finish attracts fingerprints and adds unwanted glare. You could fix that with a matte screen protector, but doing so usually means committing to a plastic film version, which isn’t ideal. With this solution, you get the superior feel and durability of glass while also receiving the anti-smudge and anti-glare benefits.
TCL had a great showing at IFA 2025 which showed the difference between a matte NXTPAPER screen and a standard glossy screen in challenging lighting conditions. The problem? The flagship shown there, the NXTPAPER 60 UltraIt never came to the US. That’s what makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro so exciting.
For the average user, the standout feature is the NXTPAPER key. Cycle through four color modes: full color, color paper mode, ink paper mode, and maximum ink mode. It is important to note that this is not an e-ink display, it simply simulates that effect using an LCD display. However, it does an excellent job at that. Color Paper Mode makes your phone look like a Kindle Colorsoft, with a paper-like appearance and muted colors, while Ink Paper Mode does the same in a black and white environment.
The Max Ink mode is the really interesting part. This mode not only allows for a paper-like black and white viewing experience, but also limits the available apps and notifications. The idea is that you can use your phone as an e-reader without being distracted by other applications, such as social networks or messaging applications. It’s like having a minimalist phone that can become an Android flagship with the flip of a switch.
In addition to improving your focus, Max Ink mode is incredible for battery life. TCL says you can get seven days of battery life from the NXTPAPER 70 Pro when you use Max Ink mode for reading. In standby mode, the phone can survive up to 26 days. We’ll have to confirm these claims for ourselves, but based on my time testing Max Ink mode on other NXTPAPER phones, I believe it.
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For those who suffer from PWM flicker sensitivity, the fact that this phone offers a truly flicker-free experience will come as a breath of fresh air. The phone uses DC dimming and the brightness can be reduced to 1 nit. It’s also designed to try to block blue light and meets some eye-friendly standards:
- SGS low eye strain certification A+2.1
- SGS Low Light Eye Protection Certification
- TÜV certification without flicker
that’s all except the eye-friendly display is what matters here, because normally buying an NXTPAPER phone in the US meant making compromises in all other areas. In this case, you get a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, a 5200 mAh battery, and up to 512 GB of storage. The main camera is a solid 50MP sensor and is complemented by an 8MP ultra-wide lens. On the front, you’ll find a 32MP selfie camera.
The design of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is also excellent, although it looks similar to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge from behind. It looks more premium than the old American models that replaced plastic with sophisticated metal and glass.
The only thing we’re waiting to know about the NXTPAPER 70 Pro is its price in the US. We know it will start at €299 with an optional €359 configuration in Europe, which comes out to $347 and $417 after conversions. That means we could have prices of $399 and $499 in the US, with availability starting in April 2026 in the United States.
I still want TCL to give us more NXTPAPER phones
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s hardware is no slouch, and between the MediaTek processor and refined build quality, it’s definitely entering flagship territory. However, I would like to see TCL bring even more high-end smartphones to the US market. This is the first NXTPAPER-powered “Pro” phone to arrive, but I’d like to see an “Ultra” model debut soon.
