The TCL 40 NXTPAPER and TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G offer a full-color paper-like visual experience on a budget.
In a bid to offer users a full-color, paper-like visual experience, TCL debuted its NXTPAPER tech back in 2020. The innovative display tech has made its way to several TCL laptops and tablets since the initial announcement, with the latest model in the lineup featuring a revised version with a higher peak brightness for better outdoor visibility. Although TCL originally planned on limiting the unique displays to large-screen devices, it has now announced two new smartphones featuring NXTPAPER panels. The all-new TCL 40 NXTPAPER and TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G are budget-friendly devices featuring the in-house paper-like display technology that promises a more comfortable viewing experience.
TCL 40 NXTPAPER
The cheaper model in the duo features a 6.78-inch NXTPAPER display with an FHD+ resolution, 450 nits of brightness, and a hole-punch cutout for the 32MP selfie camera. It packs a MediaTek Helio G88 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 5,010mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.
Like on other budget-friendly devices, you also get a dedicated microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. But TCL has thrown in some premium additions, like NFC support for contactless payments and a 50MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and PDAF support. The main shooter is accompanied by an unimpressive 2MP macro camera and a decent 5MP ultra-wide shooter with a 114.9-degree FoV. On the software front, the TCL 40 NXTPAPER runs Android 13 out of the box, and it will receive an update to Android 14 following its launch later this year.
TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G
The pricier, 5G-enabled model in TCL’s new NXTPAPER smartphone lineup features a smaller 6.6-inch NXTPAPER display with a lower HD+ resolution, and a V-shaped notch for the inferior 8MP selfie shooter. While its display isn’t as impressive as the regular TCL 40 NXTPAPER, it packs a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.
Like the 4G model, the TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G has a dedicated microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a side-mounted fingerprint reader, and NFC support. However, it has a slightly smaller 5,000mAh battery that only offers 15W wired charging support. TCL has retained the 50MP primary camera and 2MP macro camera on the 5G variant, but the wide-angle camera has been downgraded to a 2MP depth sensor. Thankfully, TCL hasn’t cut corners on the software front. The device runs Android 13 out of the box, and it’s eligible for the upcoming Android 14 update.
Pricing & Availability
The TCL 40 NXTPAPER will go on sale in Europe starting next month. It will be available Midnight Blue and Opalescent colorways for €199 (~$215). The 5G version will go on sale in Europe this October for €249 (~$269), and it will come in a single Starlight Black colorway. TCL has yet to share pricing and availability for other regions. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as the devices make their way stateside.