MWC 2024 is in full swing, but TCL is still playing catch-up with its CES announcements. After announcingfive (yes,five) smartphones in Vegas last month, the company is back in action at Barcelona, this time with full specs sheets and availability info. And while it might sound like a lot of phones to keep track of, it’s really the NXTPAPER devices you should be interested in. While neither is looking to rise above theusual budget Android phone experienceTCL is so adept at delivering, the displays might be more unique than anything you’ll find on flagships worth six times as much.
TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G and 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G might not roll off the tongue, but they’re certainly worth catching your attention. At $230 and $200, respectively, both phones aren’t exactly mobile powerhouses, rocking MediaTek chipsets alongside 6GB of RAM in the XL and 4GB in the XE. The rest of the specs match what we heard about in January: big batteries, relatively fast displays, and 50MP main camera sensors that are unlikely to impress in anything but the best lighting conditions.
TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G
While TCL’s latest budget smartphone might now wow on specs, its NXTPAPER display is unlike anything else you’ll find on Android — and it’s finally coming to the US for the first time later this year.
Really, NXTPAPER is the star of the show here, as TCL’s paper-like screen technology has never come to its US smartphones. I’ve gotten some hands-on time with these screens at both CES and MWC, and I’ve always walked away impressed. While its best representation is definitely on larger tablet screens, bringing this sort of matte finish to your social media feeds is nonetheless impressive, especially at these prices.
Both phones are also coming in non-NXTPAPER variants for $170 and $150, respectively. The TCL 50 XL will actually be the first of this group to launch in the US, as it’s set to launch on Metro by T-Mobile sometime in Q2. Finally, an ultra low-end model — the TCL 50 LE — is on deck for an undated 2024 launch for just $100.
TCL is also adding a third NXTPAPER tablet to the lineup it first announced at CES. In addition to the TCL NXTPAPER 14 Pro and its 10-inch 5G-equipped sibling, we’ll also see a more basic NXTPAPER 14 designed to bring that sweet grayscale screen to lower price points. The Pro model is available in Asia Pacific markets now for $550, with the potential to arrive in additional markets at a later date. The basic 14-inch model will be priced for under $400 whenever it goes on sale, while the 10-inch slate will hit North America in Q2 for under $250.
