TCL’s NXTPAPER 70 Pro challenges conventional budget smartphones with a glare-reducing, paper-like screen and practical features such as an infrared blaster and extended battery life, making it a standout in affordability and usability.
After a month with TCL’s NXTPAPER 70 Pro, Tom’s Guide says the phone has done something rare for a budget device: it has made a glossy, conventional handset feel less appealing. The appeal lies not in raw speed, but in the screen, which uses TCL’s matte NXTPAPER panel to cut glare and imitate the look and feel of paper. The reviewer says that, for everyday use, the display became the phone’s defining advantage, especially outdoors and during long reading sessions.
The 70 Pro sits firmly in the affordable end of the market. According to TCL’s product page, it uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip, 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, with the handset also supporting expandable storage. The company lists a 6.9-inch FHD+ 120Hz NXTPAPER display, a 5,200mAh battery, 33W charging, IP68 resistance and a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilisation. TechRadar and Android Central both describe it as a value-focused phone that leans heavily on comfort and readability rather than flagship-grade performance.
Tom’s Guide says the phone feels more refined than earlier NXTPAPER devices, with a slimmer body, curved edges and a side-mounted fingerprint reader built into the power button. The review also highlights a dedicated NXTPAPER key, which switches between different viewing modes, including colour, e-ink-style monochrome and a heavily restricted Max Ink mode. That latter setting, the reviewer said, not only extended battery life but also reduced distractions by limiting access to a small set of essential apps.
A second unusual feature is the infrared blaster. TCL’s own specifications do not foreground it, but the review found it useful as a backup remote for some home equipment, including a Roku Ultra and a Vizio soundbar. The author could not get every device to work, but the experience still reinforced the phone’s broader theme: this is a handset designed to be practical in ways most rivals are not.
The battery also appears to support that claim. Tom’s Guide reported that the phone commonly finished a full day with around 30% remaining, while Max Ink mode pushed endurance much further. The reviewer said the lack of wireless charging was less painful than expected because the battery rarely demanded urgent top-ups. That view is consistent with TechRadar’s assessment that charging is one of the phone’s weaker points, even if overall stamina is solid.
For TCL, the NXTPAPER 70 Pro appears to be an attempt to make a budget phone feel distinctive rather than merely inexpensive. The reviewer said they would still like to see the concept pushed further, ideally with a more premium camera system, faster USB connectivity and wireless charging. But even in its current form, the 70 Pro seems to have achieved something notable: it has persuaded at least one long-time mid-range buyer that a matte, paper-like screen can matter more than a glossy, more powerful alternative.
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