The TCL NXTPAPER series smartphones are now available in the United States, PhoneArena reported. That includes the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G and the TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G; both demoed at the CES event early this year and then at the MWC event later in spring. A few months later, it is good to see both phones with colour e-paper-like displays are finally ready for a market debut. Given their eye-friendly attribute, the phones can serve as portable e-readers, apart from regular telephones.

The biggest USP of both phones happens to be their display. Thanks to the company’s NXTPAPER display tech, you have a perfectly glare-free display that emits the least sleep-inhibiting blue light. This, TCL claims, makes its NXTPAPER display tech the perfect alternative to the E-Ink displays that are considered the gold standard for eye-friendly displays. One of the biggest positives with the NXTPAPER display is its high refresh rate and full-colour support, which can be viewed as the biggest bane with E-Ink displays.

Coming to the detailed specs, the 50 XE NXTPAPER comes with a 6.6-inch display with FHD+ resolution and a 90 Hz refresh rate. Behind the display lies a MediaTek MT6835 processor with 4GB of RAM and 128 GB of ROM; it is further expandable to up to 2 TB via microSD cards. Power comes from a 5,010 mAh battery backed by an 18W fast charger. On the camera front, there is the triple camera setup at the rear comprising 50 MP, 5 MP, and a 2 MP lens, while the front gets an 8 MP shooter. The 50 XE NXTPAPER is priced at $149, which should explain the mid-range specs onboard.

The 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G is slightly upmarket and has a more prominent 6.78-inch display with FHD+ resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Under the hood lies a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ processor with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The phone has the same 5,010 mAh battery with 18W fast charging tech. It has the same 50 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP camera setup at the rear but has a different layout. Further, it’s a 32 MP front shooter that the 50 XL NXTPAPER comes with. Like the 50 XE, the 50 XL also runs Android 14 and comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

As for its availability in the US, both phones can be ordered via carriers C-Spire and Spectrum. Specifically, the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G can be purchased via Spectrum where it is priced at $150. The TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G, on the other hand, can be purchased from C-Spire where it is priced at $200. You can also get the phone for free for a 36-month agreement. Neither of the phones is available in the unlocked state, which makes things a bit tricky for prospective buyers, it must be said.