The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro proved to me that budget smartphones can still be great — but I won’t be ditching my aging Samsung just yet
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Two-minute review
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is an affordable smartphone at $379.99 / £269 for the 256GB device. The US market also gets a cheaper 128GB model.
Its design is sleek and attractive, giving the air of a phone that costs a far more. The biggest selling point is the NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s large 6.9in screen with epaper-like NXTPAPER 4.0 display technology.
The tech gives the screen a matte finish that minimises reflections and glare, and makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro extremely comfortable to read and work on. It features a variety of options for reducing eye-strain, and you can turn on various display modes with just a quick flick of a switch. These include Color Paper mode, which is perfect for reading digital comics, and Ink Paper mode, a black-and-white paper-like setting that’s great for ebooks and text-heavy websites.
As an avid reader of both books and comics, I was a huge fan of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s screen — but there are a few compromises which meant it wasn’t a device I’d be happy to switch to full-time. Performance is fine, but multitasking with lots of different apps open at once isn’t as smooth as it is on devices with more RAM (the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro comes with 8GB, although that can be expanded later). In addition, taking photos at the main camera’s maximum 50MP resolution introduces a slight pause as the phone processes your images.
Speaking of the camera, it does a decent job of taking high-resolution shots by default, but the digital zoom quickly displays its limits when you try zooming in too much. For day-to-day shots, though, it’s fine; but anyone wanting to be more ambitious with their photography should look elsewhere.
TCL has made quite a big deal of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s AI features, and while it’s good to see the tech included in a budget device, I didn’t have much cause to use features such as live transcription, or AI-assisted note-taking. However, I can imagine they’ll be useful for some, especially for accessibility — and on a positive note, they’re not obnoxiously pushed onto you like they can be by other brands.
Overall, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a stylish and dependable budget smartphone that offers plenty for the price, but its performance compromises can niggle. Nevertheless, its NXTPAPER 4.0 screen really is a standout feature, so for voracious readers, it could be their dream phone.
Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to seeing NXTPAPER 4.0 come to more powerful phones from TCL.
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Price & release date
- Starts at $379.99 / £269 for 256GB model
- US also gets cheaper 128GB model
- Available in Europe, North America, butnot officially in Australia
It might be because I’ve become used to the ever-increasing price of flagship phones from the likes of Apple and Samsung, but when I was told the price of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, I was genuinely impressed. For a smartphone with the word “Pro” in its name, a price of less than $400 is pleasing.
In the US and UK, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro model with 256GB storage costs $379.99 / £269, which is a fair bit less than our current best cheap phone pick – the Samsung Galaxy A56 at $499 / £499. It actually undercuts pretty much all of the phones in that list, including the Poco X8 Pro Max, which starts at $469 / £469.
While a rock-bottom price isn’t the only measure of a good budget, in these financially uncertain times it’s certainly a major selling poin. If the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro can also match this with stellar performance, we could see a new budget champion.
In the UK, you can pick up the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro with a protective slipcase and stylus from Amazon for £369.98.
And for US customers, there’s an even cheaper 128GB option that sells for $329.99. People in other markets might be disappointed to learn this isn’t an option in their territory, but personally, I wouldn’t recommend opting for less than 256GB storage these days, especially if you take a lot of photos. Having said that, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro supports microSD cards, so you can expand the storage up to 2TB.
Currently, if you’re in the US and buy the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro from TCL’s official store, you also get a free pair of TCL CrystalClip earbuds worth $95.99, making this already great-value handset even better value for money.
|
Storage |
US Price |
UK Price |
|---|---|---|
|
256GB |
$379.99 |
£269 |
|
512GB |
$429.99 |
£319 |
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Specs
|
Dimensions: |
169.4 x 80.05 x 7.98mm |
|
Weight: |
208g |
|
Internal screen |
6.9-inch NXTPAPER 4.0 display |
|
Resolution: |
1080 x 2340 |
|
Refresh rate: |
120Hz |
|
Peak brightness: |
900 nits |
|
CPU: |
MediaTek Dimensity 7300 |
|
RAM: |
8GB |
|
Storage: |
128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
|
OS: |
Android 16 |
|
Main cameras: |
50MP 1.0UM OIS+8MP main |
|
Selfie camera: |
32MP |
|
Battery: |
5,200mAh |
|
Charging: |
33W |
|
Colors: |
Stellar Blue, Nebula Gold |
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Design
- Stylish and minimalist
- Extra switch for changing display mode
- Screen is a highlight
Design-wise, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro certainly doesn’t feel budget. Available in two colors, Stellar Blue (the model I was sent) and Nebula Gold, the large 6.9-inch screen, thin bezels and modern design give the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro the appearance of a much more expensive phone at first glance.
The thin bezels keep the focus where it belongs: on the display. That’s no bad thing, thanks to TCL’s innovative NXTPAPER 4.0 technology, which gives the screen a matte, e-reader-like finish (more on that shortly). They also help prevent the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro from feeling even larger than it is — but make no mistake, this is a big phone, and it will stick out of plenty of pockets.
On the bottom of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a USB-C port for charging, as well as a slot for your SIM card and SD card for expanding storage. On the right-hand side of the phone are the standard volume rocker, a power button with built-in fingerprint reader, and a unique NXTPAPER key. The latter is actually a physical switch, similar to the one found on older iPhones, to put the device into “Do not disturb” mode. Here, though, the NXTPAPER key switches been display modes: Color Paper mode, Ink Paper mode and Max Ink mode.
You can choose the mode each time, or set a default mode to turn on instantly when you flick the switch. A ripple transition effect plays as the screen switches to the mode you’ve chosen – I quite like it, but if you switch mode regularly, I can see how the animation might get a bit annoying.
I’ll go into each mode in a moment, but the default setting’s matte effect and vibrant colors makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro stand out from rivals, especially those that sell for a similar price — and the default wallpaper, which is a painting of flowers, looks fantastic.
Overall, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s design — aside from its standout display — isn’t revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a well-built, attractive phone that looks and feels more premium than its affordable price suggests.
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Performance and Display
- Display is great for reading on
- Can also play videos and games
- Overall performance is solid, if unremarkable
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s design does a decent job of making you forget that this is a budget phone, then — but the specs don’t do such a good job. Don’t get me wrong: it works fine, but when you’re coming from a flagship handset — even one that’s now a few years old — it’s a bit of a wake-up call to keep your expectations in check.
Android 16 runs smoothly, and even when using the various screen modes, the phone is responsive, with no annoying full-screen refreshes of the type that happen with some ebook readers. The display’s matte finish keeps images looking crisp, even at extreme viewing angles, with vibrant colors and no distracting reflections.
Turning the screen to Color Paper mode mutes the colors and drops the background wallpaper. It makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro more comfortable to use in low-light conditions, and preserves battery life, too.
It works particularly well when reading comics (I tried it with Marvel Unlimited), as well as browsing the internet at night. The muted colors, paper-like display and lack of blue light mean a quick doomscroll before bed won’t disrupt your sleep too much (although it doesn’t do anything for my general anxiety about the state of the world).
Impressively, the screen remains responsive, although rapidly scrolling through long passages of text causes the text to shift in colour slightly as it moves. You can watch videos, too, but you’ll want to switch back to normal mode for the best picture quality.
There’s also Ink Paper mode, which reduces colors to just black and white, removes the background wallpaper, and simplifies icons. This more basic mode is great for reading ebooks and websites; the interface is clean, easy to read, and free from distractions. It helps prolong battery life as well, yet still feels responsive.
Finally, there’s Max Ink mode, which limits the apps that can be run, futher extending battery life (with just 21% of battery life, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro claimed to have around 46 hours left).
The screen really is a treat, and if you don’t mind the impact on image quality, switching between modes is a great way to boost the battery life if you’re away from a power supply. I found reading websites particularly comfortable in Ink Paper mode — although for image- and video-heavy websites, you’ll probably want to switch to a color mode.
Color Paper mode is also excellent for reading digital comics. As an X-Men fan, I found the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s large paper-like display ideal for reading on Marvel Unlimited and Kindle. The matte finish dramatically reduces glare, and. unlike some early color e-readers I’ve tested, both apps remain as fast and responsive as they do on other smartphones.
So, Color Paper mode is great for those who wish to get through their large digital comic libraries while on long trips. Personally, I prefer reading the comics in the default display mode, as colors are more vibrant.
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro overall performance is solid, and about what you’d expect for the price. I didn’t have any issues using any of my regular daily driver apps, and the games I tested ran perfectly fine as well — although, if you’re looking for a smartphone on which to mainly play games, you might want to look for a device with a standard display and more graphical power.
Powering the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a MediaTek Dimensity 7300, an octa-core processor with four performance and four efficiency cores. It can’t match Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chips, but at this price it’s hard to fault, delivering smooth everyday performance. The 8GB of RAM comfortably handles multitasking, although it doesn’t feel quite as snappy as more expensive handsets with more memory. TCL does let you allocate up to 16GB of virtual RAM from the phone’s storage, increasing the total to a very healthy 24GB, and proving a little more headroom for the future.
The phone features two SIM card slots, and supports eSIM, and network speeds up to 5G. However, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro only supports Wi-Fi 5, which is now quite outdated. It meant I couldn’t take full advantage of my home router’s Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and this led to a noticeable reduction in speed when using Wi-Fi.
To be fair to the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, this was the only time its budget roots really showed.
The screen is definitely a standout feature for anyone who spends a lot of time reading on their phone. However, if you spend more time watching movies or playing games, a device with a more traditional display will be a better choice.
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Camera
- 50MP main camera
- 32MP selfie camera
- Good detail at high resolutions
Image 1 of 14
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro features a 50MP rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and a 32MP front-facing camera. It also uses TCL’s own MuseFilm imaging technology, which the manufacturer says combines hardware and software enhancements to deliver more visually impressive photos.
I didn’t really notice much difference when comparing photos taken on similar phones. Having said that, images taken with the 50MP camera are bright, vibrant and full of detail.
While zooming in reveals some loss of sharpness, photos look impressive at full resolution, with even busy scenes retaining plenty of detail. If you’ve previously dismissed budget smartphones because of their lack of photo-taking prowess, then the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro proves that affordable handsets can deliver.
However, note that taking photos at the full 50MP resolution (which at the default 4:3 aspect ratio leads to image resolutions of 8192 × 6144) does put pressure on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s hardware: there’s a slight pause between pressing the shutter button and image capture (a message pops up asking you to hold the phone still while the image is being processed). It’s another reminder about the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s budget price, and while it didn’t appear to make any of the photos I took with moving subjects blurry, if you want to take a series of fast images, you’ll need to lower the resolution — or buy a more powerful phone.
Reducing the resolution speeds up the whole process, and when images are viewed on the phone’s screen they still look sharp. Viewing them on a larger screen, or printing them out, makes the reduced resolution more noticeable, though.
Image 1 of 2
When shooting below the full 50MP resolution, the TCL offers up to 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. However, pushing the digital zoom too far reveals the limitations of the hardware, with considerable loss in detail and the addition of image artefacts.
You can also switch to the ultra-wide lens, which produces some nice results, although it does occasionally introduce distortion around the edges. There’s also a macro setting for taking close-up shots, and while the results are fine, they lack detail.
For best results, then, you’ll want to stick to the standard settings without zooming in.
The front-facing camera captures good-quality selfies with plenty of detail, and there are plenty of settings to experiment with, including the often questionable “beauty” modes found on many smartphones.
Overall, photography isn’t the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s main strength, so it isn’t for you if camera performance is a priority. However, for day-to-day snaps, it does the job.
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Battery life
- 5200mAh capacity
- 33W fast charging
- Over 10 hours of continuous video playback
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro doesn’t have the largest battery, nor does it charge as quickly as other budget rivals, with its fast charging capped at 33W (the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G can charge at 45W). Still, it powered up to 56% (from empty) after just 30 minutes.
During tests, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro lasted well over a day of standard use with a single charge, and in our benchmark tests, it hit 10 hours and 55 minutes of continuous video playback. Turning on the Max Ink mode boosted battery life in the same tests by around 50 minutes.
Considering the limitations of Max Ink mode, I was expecting a bigger difference in battery life, but that could be a testament to how efficient the default screen mode is at prolonging battery life.
As with other phones around this price point, there’s no wireless charging support, which was a blow coming from a handset that has the ability to charge over wireless. If you’re not bothered about the tech, this won’t be an issue, but for people like myself who have wireless charging accessories (including in my car), it does limit the appeal of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro.
Should I buy the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
Starting at $379.99 / £269 for 256GB model, this is a great-value smartphone — although compromises have been made to keep the price low. |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
A smart, minimalist design makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro look more expensive than it is. The matte display is easily the highlight. |
4.5/5 |
|
Performance |
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro offers solid performance for its price, but keep your expectations in check — this is a budget phone, after all. Reading on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s unique screen is an absolute joy, however. |
3.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s battery life is good, and with careful use you could get two days of use on a single charge. The slower charge speed and lack of wireless charging is disappointing, however; but considering the price, it’s understandable. |
3.5/5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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How I tested the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro
- Used it on and off for around a month
- Used the various display modes to read ebooks and digital comics
Due to a busy few months, I’ve been using the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro on and off as my main phone during the time I’ve had it. This is longer than our usual testing process, and meant I got a good idea of overall performance of the handset.
I used the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro not just to make calls and browse the internet, but also loaded several ebooks to read using the handset’s variety of screen modes. I also read digital comics via the Android versions of the Marvel Unlimited and Kindle apps. I also took photos and watched videos.
