Right, pull up a chair, get the kettle on, and let’s have a proper chat. We’re in 2026, and frankly, I’ve had enough. I’m sick of smartphones that are essentially £1,000 mirrors that happen to run WhatsApp. I’m sick of my eyes feeling like they’ve been sandblasted and then dunked in vinegar after twenty minutes of scrolling through the latest social media bin-fire.
Usually, when a new device lands on the Coolsmartphone desk, it’s a familiar dance. You unbox a glass slab that looks exactly like the one you bought in 2024, you worry about getting a fingerprint on the surgical-grade titanium within three seconds, and you wonder why you’re paying a grand for the privilege.
But then there’s the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro. This thing is the weird kid in the class who refuses to wear a tie and spends his lunch break reading a paperback in the corner. And you know what? He’s the most interesting person in the room. At about £260, this isn’t a phone trying to be a status symbol; it’s a tool for the “real world”—where the sun occasionally shines and we’d quite like our eyeballs to still function by the time we’re fifty.
The Screen: This Isn’t Just “Matte,” It’s Magic.
Let’s get stuck into the main event: that 6.9-inch FHD+ display. Now, don’t go thinking this is some slow-ass E-ink screen like you’d find on a dusty old Kindle. This is a proper, 120Hz LCD panel. But TCL has applied some serious voodoo magic here called NXTPAPER 4.0.
The “paper-like” feel comes from something called nano-matrix lithography. They’ve essentially etched the surface of the screen to diffuse light. Most phones are mirrors; this thing is a sponge. It eats reflections for breakfast. I took this out to a beer garden last Saturday—one of those rare British afternoons where the sun actually decided to show up—and while my mate was squinting at his iPhone like he was looking into a welding torch, I was reading the footy scores with zero glare. None.
TCL has also baked in Circularly Polarized Light (CPL). This mimics the way natural light bounces off a physical book. When you look at a standard OLED, the light is blasted directly into your retinas. CPL softens that blow. Combine that with a hardware-level blue light reduction that cuts the nasty stuff down to just 3.41%, and you’ve got a screen that is genuinely “comfortable.” It’s not just marketing fluff; after two hours of reading, my eyes felt normal. No “screen-burn” headache. No grit.
The Magic Switch: Mastering the Modes
The party trick here—and honestly, the best physical feature I’ve seen on a phone in years—is the NXTPAPER Key. It’s a dedicated physical slider on the right-hand side. It’s not a software button hidden in a menu; it’s a proper, tactile switch that feels like it belongs on a piece of high-end hifi gear.
Flicking this slider doesn’t just change the brightness; it changes the phone’s entire DNA. Here’s how it breaks down:
1. Standard Mode (Slider Down) This is your “normal” phone mode. You get full color, 120Hz smoothness, and all the punch you’d expect for watching YouTube or playing games. Because the screen is matte, colors look a bit more “organic” and less like they’re being screamed at you.
- Battery Life: In this mode, the 5200mAh battery behaves like a standard smartphone. You’ll get a solid day and a half, maybe finishing at 30% if you’ve been heavy on the GPS.
2. Color Paper Mode (The Middle Ground) One flick up, and the screen mutes. It softens the saturation and mimics the look of a high-quality Sunday supplement magazine. This is the sweet spot for browsing Chrome or reading comic books. It’s calm, it’s readable, and it’s much kinder on the brain.
- Battery Life: You’ll notice a slight bump here because the phone isn’t trying to blast the full color spectrum at maximum vibrancy. It’s a marathon runner’s pace.
3. Ink Paper & Max Ink Mode (The Nuclear Option) Flick the slider all the way up, and the phone goes full monochrome. It mimics E-ink so well you’ll forget it’s an LCD. But TCL has gone further with Max Ink Mode. This mutes your digital notifications, clears the background clutter, and simplifies the UI to just the essentials (books, notes, etc.).
- Battery Life: This is where things get mental. In Max Ink mode, TCL claims you can get 7 days of immersive reading or 26 days of standby. I managed to go from Monday morning to Friday afternoon on a single charge by living in this mode for my work emails and reading. It’s basically “Kindle Mode.”
Day-to-Day Life: Living with the “Anti-Slab”
What’s it actually like to live with? I’ve spent a week with this as my primary device, and it’s changed my habits in ways I didn’t expect.
The Morning “Retina Saver”
We all do it. You wake up, reach for the phone, and get absolutely blinded by the lock screen. Not here. In the morning, the NXTPAPER screen feels soft. It’s like looking at a high-quality magazine rather than a lightbulb. Browsing the morning news over a coffee was a joy because the matte finish makes text look incredibly sharp and “printed.”
The Commute & The Sunlight Test
On the train, sitting by the window usually means fighting with your own reflection. With the 70 Pro, the glare simply isn’t there. But there’s a social side-effect: people stare. Because the screen doesn’t look like “tech,” people on the bus were genuinely confused. “Is that a tablet? Is it a Kindle? Why isn’t it shiny?” It’s a proper conversation starter down the pub, mostly because people can’t believe how clear it is under the bright pub lights.
The “Work” Faff
I used the T-Pen (which has a tiny 5ms latency) to jot down notes during a Zoom call. Because the screen has that matte texture, there’s a tiny bit of “drag” when you write. It feels like a pencil on a notepad, not like a hockey puck on ice. I actually found myself taking more notes because it was satisfying to hear that subtle “scritch-scratch” sound.
The Evening Detox
This is where the NXTPAPER Key—that lovely physical slider on the side—comes into its own. Around 9 PM, I’d flick it into Max Ink Mode. The phone goes full monochrome and mutes non-essential notifications. Suddenly, the urge to doom-scroll Instagram vanishes because, frankly, cat videos look a bit rubbish in black and white. It turned my smartphone back into a dedicated e-reader, helping me actually finish a book for once.
Performance: MediaTek in the Mid-Range.
Under the bonnet, we’ve got the MediaTek Dimensity 7300. Now, don’t let the spec-snobs tell you this is “rubbish.” In daily use—switching between Slack, Chrome, and Spotify—this thing is buttery smooth.
It’s got 8GB of physical RAM, but you can “boost” it with another 16GB of virtual RAM (borrowed from the 512GB storage). Does 24GB of RAM make it a gaming god? No. If you’re trying to run Genshin Impact on Max settings, you’ll see some frame drops. But for everything else? It’s spot on.
And let’s talk about that storage. 256/512GB, plus a microSD slot that supports up to 2TB. In an age where Apple wants an extra £200 for a storage bump, TCL is giving you half a terabyte for free. Absolute legends.
The AI Bits (Actual Usefulness)
The 70 Pr features comprehensive AI-driven productivity and writing tools, including Smart Voice Memo for transcription/summarisation, real-time subtitle translation, and handwriting enhancement. It also includes Gemini AI integration for search and content creation, alongside AI-supported 50MP camera tools and optimised reading modes.
Smart Translation and Voice
The device breaks down language barriers with its AI Smart Translator suite, which includes face-to-face interpretation and real-time subtitles for any playing audio . It also features Instant Voice Memo 2.0 to provide highly accurate audio transcriptions on the go
Upgraded Productivity
TCL has baked in an AI text comprehension tool that lets you simply select and drag on-screen text to instantly translate, explain, or rewrite it . If you need to draft an email but are short on time, the AI writing assist can generate complete, polished messages from just a few prompt sentences . Additionally, you can hold down the power button to instantly summon Google’s Gemini assistant for weather updates or complex queries .
Next-Level Reading
Flipping the physical NXTPAPER Key puts the phone into a distraction-free monochrome “Max Ink Mode,” which unlocks a dedicated suite of AI reading tools . This includes an AI Outline tool for summarizing long articles, AI Q&A for digging into deeper insights, and a unique AI Podcast feature that converts your text into a two-host audio show .
Smart Handwriting
For those who prefer sketching or note-taking with the optional T-Pen stylus, the AI-powered handwriting recognition easily converts your off-screen scribbles into editable text . The software also includes intuitive tools to help polish your task planning and can even generate custom covers and bullet journals to boost your creativity.
Camera & Battery.
The 50MP main sensor has OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation). This is a big win. It means photos of the dog or a quick snap of a pint are sharp, even if your hands aren’t perfectly still. In daylight, the colors are natural—not that neon-vibrant look some Chinese phones go for. Night mode is “fine”—it’s not going to beat a Pixel, but it’s perfectly usable for a Facebook post.
The 5200mAh battery is a beast. On a “normal” day, I was finishing with 40% left. If you live in the “Max Ink” mode, the battery just refuses to die. The 33W charging is okay—takes about 75 minutes for a full juice—but given how long it lasts, you won’t be tethered to a wall often.
The Verdict
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a rebel. It’s for the person who is sick of eye-strain, loves reading, and wants a massive screen without remortgaging their house.
Good Points
- The Screen: Genuinely revolutionary for your eyes. No glare, no fingerprints, no grit.
- The Switch: The NXTPAPER Key is the most useful physical button on any phone today.
- Storage: 512GB + MicroSD is a massive win for the consumer.
- IP68 Rating: Properly waterproof. Great for reading in the bath or the British rain.
- Battery: 7 days in reading mode is just mental.
Bad Points
- Size: At 6.9″, it’s a bit of a pocket-burster.
- Charging: 33W is a bit “last gen” compared to some of the 100W competitors.
- Gaming: Not a powerhouse for heavy 3D titles.
Final Word: I’m chuffed with this thing. It’s not a flagship-killer in the traditional sense, but it’s a lifestyle-fixer. It’s honest, it’s affordable, and it’s actually “cool.” If you value your vision and your bank balance, this is the one.
Rating: 8.8/10 – A proper “Everyman” hero.