There’s a standard recipe for a contemporary smartphone. It’s a slab, with a display on the entrance and cameras on the again. They’re all just about the identical dimension, they principally do the identical issues, in the identical manner. Nearly all of the telephone market is principally a spin on the identical basic elements.
TCL isn’t an enormous participant in telephones (however it’s actually aggressive in televisions…) and maybe that’s why the main target of the Nxtpaper units is on the show. Whereas most of the finest telephones function the identical factor in several flavours, the Nxtpaper 60 Extremely presents one thing a bit totally different.
I caught up with the brand new TCL Nxtpaper 60 Extremely at IFA 2025.
It’s all within the show
TCL launched the Nxtpaper vary of tablets in 2022 with telephones following in 2023. The very first thing that’s new right here is the identify, with this being the primary Extremely mannequin. Beforehand, we’ve seen the 50 Nxtpaper Professional, which is actually its predecessor.
The large distinction is that the show is now bigger, transferring from 6.8- to 7.2-inch, constructed utilizing Nxtpaper 4.0 know-how. That’s large for a smartphone – greater than early 7-inch tablets – supplying you with much more area to learn, write and eat content material.
The feel and appear of this show hasn’t modified a lot, however meaning the paper-like texture nonetheless feels beautiful. It’s very totally different to the shiny end of most screens. It’s designed to copy paper, avoiding the worst of the fingerprints, decreasing glare and killing reflections lifeless.
That has the additional benefit of constructing this telephone simpler on the eyes, decreasing flicker and slicing blue mild emissions, with the goal of defending circadian rhythms to keep away from disruption to your sleep.
There’s a change on the aspect of the telephone (as there was earlier than) which is used to alter the display mode, switching over to Max Ink Mode for an instantaneous detox, slicing out the color, supplying you with a simplified view and blocking notifications. It’s like a Kindle eReader and is designed that can assist you change off.
Having a matt end can imply that colors aren’t as impactful: this display doesn’t beam out vibrant HDR photographs like many rivals, this can be a telephone that’s higher for individuals who will unwind with studying as a substitute. That brightness runs as much as 780 nits in typical use, a way under the typical.
It’s a 120Hz show, though the decision sticks to 2340 x 1080 pixels, which could be a bit on the delicate aspect given the dimensions.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
There’s additionally a unusually broad bezel to the underside of the show, which detracts from the in any other case attractiveness.
A {hardware} increase in a mid-range telephone
Powering the Nxtpaper 60 Extremely is the Dimensity 7400, with 12GB RAM (and as much as 12GB digital), with 512GB of storage and an enormous 5200mAh battery.
That ought to energy this large telephone by the day with ease, however with that show switched to studying mode, you’ll have the added benefit of much more life. There’s 33W charging too, which, whereas not the quickest, will get you again within the sport very quickly in any respect.
Flip the Nxtpaper 60 Extremely over and also you’ll discover a spherical digital camera array on the high housing a 50Mp principal digital camera, 50Mp periscope telephoto and an 8Mp ultrawide. That periscope zoom offers you 3x optical zoom.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
Followers of the vary may spot that the earlier mannequin had a 108Mp principal sensor, so there’s a reasonably hefty change right here. Whereas I didn’t get to check the cameras, our earlier expertise with TCL’s Nxtpaper units means that the digital camera isn’t the primary motive to purchase the telephone.
The design is on the cheaper aspect
At 7.57mm, this can be a fairly slim telephone, whereas the 227g is mild for the display dimension.
That lightness most definitely comes right down to the construct that’s much less premium than some, largely utilizing plastics. There’s, nevertheless, IP68 safety, so it would survive a dunk in water and a day on the seashore.
It is available in two colors, Lunar White and Nebula Black, with the Nebula Black having an attention-grabbing sparkle within the digital camera encompass. That offers a bit carry to issues, a focal point on the rear of the telephone.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
The telephone launches on Android 15, and whereas I didn’t uncover the improve particulars, the earlier system presents two Android OS updates and 5 years of safety updates.
Finally, there’s nothing actually on the market that’s just like the Nxtpaper 60 Extremely, with the show having a end that at instances is extra like E-Ink – like an e-reader – and fewer like a conventional telephone. That’s interesting for individuals who wish to escape the glare of contemporary smartphones and people who wish to learn extra comfortably on their telephone.
There’s presently no phrase on when the Nxtpaper 60 Extremely might be obtainable and what the value might be, however it’s more likely to stay an reasonably priced mid-range system. The earlier mannequin was £279, and with the elevated dimension, I’d count on one thing across the £300 mark.
Trying to outshine the Nxtpaper 60 Extremely this week is the iPhone 17, which is rumoured to incorporate a brand new Air mannequin.
