TCL's NxtPaper 50 Pro: A Unique Hybrid Smartphone Designed to Combat Digital Addiction

New TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER could be the perfect cheap smart/dumb phone hybrid

So-called 'dumb-phones' lacking the bells and whistles of modern smartphones are building up a cult following amongst techies who want to live a life that's more free from the distractions of social media and mobile gaming. But taking the plunge can be a daunting step, which is where TCL's affordable new NXTPAPER phones announced at IFA 2024 come in. The TCL 50 NXTPAPER and TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G phones boast hardware and features you wouldn't be totally surprised to find on a Samsung, Google or Apple smartphone. We're talking 6.8-inch full-HD 120Hz displays, a 108MP rear camera (and for the Pro a 32MP selfie camera, which is only 8MP for the base model), 8 GB of RAM, 256GB and 512GB of storage respectively, and even a Microsoft designed AI - though the devices lack the power for onboard AI translations or summaries so everything is handle off-device in the cloud. But on the side of the phone you'll find a slider, and flicking it transforms your phone from full-color to effectively a black and white ereader. In this mode the TCL 50 NXTPAPER phones transition to using e-ink to minimize eye strain, increase their max battery life to seven days, and adopt a minimalist design with a much less cluttered home page - which is decorated with only the specific apps you choose. You can enjoy the dub phone lifestyle when you need to cut out distractions and focus on a task, and then return to the modern conveniences of the fully-fledged smartphone experience by moving the slider back. The basic model is only launching in the EU at the time of writing, but the TCL 50 PRO NXTPAPER 5G is coming to the UK, EU and Latin America at £279.99. There's no word on a wider global launch for now, but if you're keen on trying the dumbphone lifestyle but aren't convinced you want to commit quite yet we'd recommend keeping an eye out for these new TCL phones.

Relax, social media addicts - TCL's anti-brainrot phone has arrived

The TCL 50 PRO NXTPAPER 5G comes with an epaper display and a switch that limits social media As smartphones become more and more integrated into our daily lives, we've noticed tech companies have begun to implement features that prioritize the wellbeing of users. For example, Nokia manufacturer HMD markets its line of feature phones (sometimes called dumbphones) as a way to escape from heavy social media use, and companies like Honor have released phones with eye protection technology built in. TCL is seemingly looking to bring users the best of both worlds with its 50 Nxtpaper 5G and 50 Pro Nxtpaper 5G smartphones, which the manufacturer revealed at IFA on September 5. The phones both sport a 6.8-inch 1080 x 2640 anti-glare display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which TCL says adapts to lighting conditions to minimize blue light, and a new, physical anti-distraction switch. The switch, which TCL calls the "Nxtpaper Key", allows users to choose between standard full-color epaper and a Kindle-style viewing mode which the company calls Max Ink, described by TCL as "e-ink format". It's unclear whether TCL is using E Ink technology, licensed from the company of the same name, or another form of e-paper. We've reached out to TCL for comment. TCL says that this Max Ink Mode "limits social media apps/notifications" in a bid to dissuade users from unnecessary scrolling and encourage more focused use, particularly for reading. In recent months, the term "brainrot" has joined "doomscrolling" as a common way to reference the effect of heavy social media use, and it seems TCL is looking to combat and capitalize on this trend of dissatisfaction. By implementing this "Nxtpaper Key" option, TCL may be looking to court customers who want to cut down on social media without losing access to valuable smartphone features like maps or web browsing. We've reached out to TCL for clarification as to what "limits social media" actually means. Despite TCL's focus on mindful use, the 50 Nxtpaper 5G and 50 Pro Nxtpaper 5G are most definitely not feature phones; their respective specs are, on paper (pun intended), relatively impressive. The 50 Nxtpaper 5G comes equipped with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 108MP main rear camera, an 8MP selfie camera, and a 5,010mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. The 50 Nxtpaper Pro, priced at £279,99, ups the RAM to 16GB and the storage to 512GB, and bumps the selfie camera to 32MP. AI features come courtesy of a partnership between TCL and Microsoft, and the phones offer translation, voice memo transcription, and text summarization. The two new phones launch alongside a tablet, the TCL Nxtpaper 14, which is equipped with a 14.3-inch 2400 x 1600 display and the same Max Ink capabilities as its smartphone cousins, for a price of £399. At the time of writing, none of these products have a confirmed US release date, and the base 50 Nxtpaper has yet to be given a UK release date. So, be sure to keep up with our phones coverage for updates.