This is a technology that TCL previously reserved for its tablets. NXTPAPER, this matte coating designed to both protect users’ eyes and provide the feel of a sheet of paper, was included in products such as the NXTPAPER 12 Pro, presented at the last CES in Las Vegas. The manufacturer had shown us, at the MWC in Barcelona, smartphones equipped with similar panels, which he then hesitated to market. The decision has now been made, since two terminals are arriving on the European market: these are the TCL 40 NXTPAPER and TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G.
It is indeed this NXTPAPER technology designed for eye comfort, in that it is supposed to limit the emission of blue light as well as reflections, which is of concern here, especially since it is against aware of the current trend, which consists in increasing the maximum brightness of panels. It promises to adapt the brightness and color temperature according to the environment and the time of day. This panel is also compatible with a stylus (T Pen) sold as an option.
Beyond the coating of their screen, smartphones adopt a modest technical sheet. The most affordable of the duo, the 40 NXTPAPER, displays Full HD+ on a 6.78-inch LCD screen (720 x 1612 pixels) at a refresh rate of 90 Hz, with an advertised brightness of 450 nits. Under its hood hides a resolutely entry-level MediaTek Helio G88 chip, accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage space (expandable via a microSD card). The device also relies on a 5010 mAh battery compatible with 33 W charging and a 50 Mpx main photo sensor, accompanied by two other modules of 5 and 2 Mpx (ultra wide-angle and depth measurement) .
5G is reserved for the aptly named TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G, which relies on a chipsets MediaTek Dimensity 6020 equipped with a 5G modem, but which justifies multiple compromises. The smartphone screen, with a diagonal of 6.6 inches, is content to display HD + (still at 90 Hz, but with an announced maximum brightness of 500 nits). It houses 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, which is also expandable, but loses the ultra-wide-angle photo module (replaced by a 2 Mpx macro module), while its battery increases to 5000 mAh, with a charge at 15 W. We also note that the front photo sensor of the 40 NXTPAPER 5G (8 Mpx, against 32 Mpx on the 4G model), is housed in a notch in the shape of a drop of water, and not within a punch. In view of the technical compromises granted, it is indeed 5G that justifies the price of the 5G model: count 249 € from October, while the TC 40 NXTPAPER will cost 199 € and will be marketed from September. The arrival of these two smartphones with original displays is indeed planned in Europe.