TCL is expanding its TCL 50 series of smartphones with two new models. Announced at IFA 2024, the TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G and the TCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G not only come with TCL's signature NXTPAPER technology but also have a slider on the side that practically turns them into an e-reader.

The TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G and theTCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G have several features in common including the display which is a 6.8-inch 120Hz FHD NXTPAPER panel that has a matte finish to reduce glare. The unique selling point of both phones is a switch on the right side called the NXTPAPER Key. This textured button, reminiscent of the alert slider on OnePlus smartphones, can be switched from default to two modes.

The default mode is the Color Paper mode that is great for reading comics and graphic content while the second mode, dubbed Ink Paper activates a black and white effect. The third is called Max Ink mode which not only keeps the screen completely monochrome like an E Ink display but also silences notifications for an uninterrupted reading experience. In this mode, the 5,010mah battery of both phones can provide up to 7 days of reading and last up to 26 days in standby. It's not Kindle-level but it is impressive.

Both phones are powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 6300 processor with 8GB of RAM. TheTCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G has 256GB of storage while theTCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G has 512GB of storage. There's also support for storage expansion. The rear cameras are also the same on both devices - a 108MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro camera. The standard version has an 8MP selfie camera while the pro model gets a 32MP sensor.

TheTCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G and TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G both have support for 33W fast charging, an eSIM (select markets), NFC, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock, stereo speakers, and an audio jack. They ship with Android 14 and will receive only two OS upgrades and security updates until 2029.

The TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G is priced at€299 and will be available in Europe and Latin America while theTCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G will cost €229 and will be available in Europe. The pro model will come with a charger, a flip case, and the T-Pen stylus in the box but it seems these accessories will not ship with the standard version.

Buy TCL NXTPAPER 10S on Amazon.de for€256.