TCL Nxtpaper 70 Pro Review: Premium Phone, Budget Price, and a Kindle Mode? Yes, Please

Electronics

Hands-On Review

After using this unique, affordable gem, I’ve rarely been more tempted to ditch my iPhone.

I love reading on my phone, but don’t like the non-stop distractions: e-mail, texts, TikTok, the NYT Games app, my Google newsfeed, and so on. It’s hard to keep my focus on the book.

Just use a Kindle, right? E-readers are distraction-free and battery-sippers to boot. (They last for weeks on a charge, not just a day.)

OK, but that’s one more device to deal with, something else to pack on vacation, connect to the flaky hotel Wi-Fi, try not to forget in the airplane seat-pocket, etc.

Just as important, a Kindle limits me to Amazon and Libby e-books. These days I check out a lot of stuff from Hoopla.

So what if there was a phone that could mimic a Kindle’s screen and longevity while also granting access to nearly any e-book app and platform? And if its e-reader mode could strip away all the other pulls at my attention?

I found it: The TCL Nxtpaper 70 Pro is an affordable 6.9-inch smartphone with one of the most interesting screens I’ve ever seen. With the flip of a switch, it transforms into something very much like a Kindle, with battery life to match — and that’s just one of four available modes.

Spoiler alert: I freaking love this thing.

So is it an e-reader or a smartphone?

Once upon a time, we’d have called this a “phablet” (a terrible portmanteau that I’m glad never stuck). Today, I’m tempted to dub it a “Phindle” for its bridging of phone and Kindle personas — though that name’s even worse.

In any case, it’s a near-perfect e-reader that also happens to be a smartphone. TCL’s mammoth, dazzlingly colorful 6.9-inch FHD+ screen works equally well for watching movies and playing games as it does for displaying books, yet the phone is still narrow enough to slip easily into a pocket.

The base model includes 128GB of storage, but you can expand that easily by popping in a microSD card. (That said, it’s only about $30 more to jump to the 256GB model, and given the costs of external memory these days, that’s the cheaper option.)

The phone runs Android 16 and includes all the other amenities you’d expect: a fast processor, plenty of RAM, quality cameras, face-ID unlocking, and so on. There’s even an optional stylus if you’re into jotting notes.

I wasn’t able to test that, but I did use the Nxtpaper for several weeks. As a phone, it’s pretty great overall, though I do have two complaints. First, it doesn’t support wireless charging. I’m super-spoiled by that feature; it’s hard to give up. Second, the screen’s matte finish, while great indoors, produces a washed-out look under bright sun. Even with the brightness cranked to maximum, it couldn’t match the visibility or contrast of my iPhone 17.

This is probably a good time to mention that you can buy the Nxtpaper 70 Pro for $200 from T-Mobile or $330 unlocked at Amazon (where it’s often marked down to $280). I wouldn’t expect a phone in that price range to match up with one that’s $800.

That said, the screen is definitely the star attraction here.

Say hello to the Nxtpaper’s four screen modes. (Credit: TCL)

Why can’t all phones do this?

As noted above, the Nxtpaper 70 Pro offers four screen modes:

Standard: Bright, colorful, same as just about any other phone.
Color Paper: Reduced color saturation (think: comic books)
Ink Paper: Black and white
Max Ink: This is what I’d call “Kindle mode,” as it not only simulates an e-ink display (with the ultra-sharp full resolution afforded by this screen), but also turns off nearly all background processes. The result is battery life of up to 200 hours.

There’s a dedicated switch for this on the side of the phone; slide it up and you’re given a choice between the three non-standard modes. (You can also make one of them the default so you don’t have to choose every time.) What’s cool is that when you change modes, the screen shimmers and plays a sound to make the effect seem even more magical.

In Max Ink Mode, the Nxtpaper does its best Kindle impression — complete with bonkers battery life because it’s not running a bunch of processes in the background.

Whenever I wasn’t using the phone for phone things, I lived in Max Ink. Because you’re limited to running just a few extra apps (I chose Libby, Hoopla, Kindle, and Clock) and you don’t get notifications from the system or any other apps, the reading experience really does become distraction-free. Sure, one quick switch and you’re back to TikTok, but I found I could resist that much more easily than when reading on my iPhone.

Meanwhile, I discovered I really liked Color Paper as my default “phone mode.” Because the colors are muted, I found myself using the phone less overall. (Studies have shown that one reason we’re so addicted is we’re attracted to all the bright colors.)

As noted earlier, the Nxtpaper isn’t great outdoors — though in Max Ink mode it’s definitely fine for reading, and the matte screen is better at reducing glare than an actual Kindle.

Should you buy the TCL Nxtpaper 70 Pro?

In my search for an e-reader that can do everything (meaning run all the book apps I want), only models from Boox have answered the call — but they’re not user-friendly and they’re still constrained by the limitations of E Ink. Plus, they don’t double as, you know, full-fledged smartphones.

The Nxtpaper 70 Pro punches far above its weight, combining robust phone features with a truly unique screen and unrivaled battery life — all for a very modest price. It’s not perfect, but a few flaws can be excused in exchange for saving a small fortune.

If you’re an Android user and e-book lover in the market for a new phone, I can’t recommend this highly enough.

TCL Nxtpaper 70 Pro

PROS:

$200 from T-Mobile, as low as $280 unlocked
Big, beautiful multi-mode screen
“Paper” mode superb for reading, dramatically extends battery life
Smudge-resistant case
Supports microSD storage expansion
Works with optional stylus (sold separately)

CONS:

No wireless charging
So-so sunlight visibility

💡 VERDICT: This is a budget Android phone that feels like a premium model in every meaningful way. With a price tag as low as $200 and an ingenious multi-mode screen, the Nxtpaper 70 Pro is the ultimate pick for anyone who loves e-books. In fact, it’s now my primary e-reader — but also a backup phone for when I travel.

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