A finances cellphone that is straightforward on the eyes

The finances smartphone market has arguably been extra thrilling than the flagship smartphone market over the previous few years. Whereas flagship units preserve getting dearer with diminishing {hardware} and software program returns, the finances smartphone market continues to stuff as many options as doable into units for as little cash as doable.

TCL is including extra options, i.e. NXTPAPER know-how, to finances telephones just like the 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G. NXTPAPER offers TCL units useful display screen options, together with so-called zone modes, which imitate an E Ink display screen to assist scale back distractions and display screen time. Whereas this know-how is fascinating, it does not have loads of practicality to make this cellphone stand out from the gang. However how does the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G fare general?

Worth, availability, and specs

An ultra-budget cellphone with a stable function set

The TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G begins at $150. It’s only out there via Spectrum Cellular within the US, which lets you make a one-time fee of $150 or 36 funds of $4.16. There are additionally quite a few offers to scale back the value, generally to $0 with a long-term settlement.

What’s good concerning the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G?

NXTPAPER is a extremely progressive function set

The TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G’s greatest draw is the NXTPAPER know-how. NXTPAPER features a suite of options centered on making the display screen extra helpful and usable. Whereas this function set has typical issues like a blue gentle filter, there are novel and fascinating additions.

The primary function is a coating on the display screen that makes it really feel like paper, which actually works. This coating helps scale back glare and fingerprints and is meant to make the display screen seen from any angle whereas sustaining colour and readability. It positively does scale back glare and considerably reduces fingerprints, which makes them virtually invisible until you are in search of them whereas the display screen is turned off. And there is a blue gentle filter, as beforehand talked about, to advertise eye wellness.

NXTPAPER zones are the good function, permitting you to vary the best way the display screen seems. There are three choices: Common mode, Colour paper, and Ink paper. The Common mode makes use of the 6.56-inch HD+ (720 x 1612) 90Hz display screen with a 180Hz contact sampling price, identical to a traditional cellphone. Colour paper and Ink paper are extra minimalist display screen modes, with both dulled colours or full black and white respectively. When modes are swapped, it slowly adjustments the display screen with a neat ink drop animation and a fairly sound impact.

It is a fascinating thought to assist remove distractions when wanted. I used the Ink paper mode rather a lot throughout my time with the cellphone, and the uninteresting black and white aesthetic helped me curb my display screen time by about 45 minutes a day in comparison with my Pixel 7. It is a welcome boost to Android’s digital well-being suite that opponents, just like the Moto G Play (2024), shouldn’t have. The Ink paper mode doesn’t make each app black and white, as apps like Google Photographs are nonetheless displayed in full colour, so you should use them correctly.

The display screen additionally has a 90Hz refresh price, which is superb for this worth level. That is higher than the far more costly iPhone 16 and 16 Plus at almost 1/6 of the value. The cellphone additionally features a function known as Sensible refresh that switches between 60Hz and 90Hz, relying on what you are doing to assist save battery life.

Talking of battery, the cellphone is powered by a 5010 mAh battery that gives all-day battery life. And I imply all-day battery life. With heavy utilization, I bought greater than a day’s value of energy, and with extra gentle utilization, I bought over two days of energy. That is phenomenal; the NXTPAPER zone modes actually assist scale back battery utilization.

The efficiency on this cellphone can also be fairly good, particularly for the value. I had little bother browsing the net, searching pictures, listening to music, or watching a video with the MediaTek MT6835. Once I had many apps or tabs open, it did glitch somewhat right here and there, however general I used to be impressed with the efficiency. I’ve used different finances telephones which might be two or thrice the value, that are extra laggy than this cellphone on common. This cellphone shouldn’t be a gaming cellphone, although, because it stuttered once I was taking part in Alto’s Journey, which isn’t an intensive title. I believe it is probably as a result of 4GB of included RAM, however so long as you do not sport an excessive amount of, you will be high-quality.

The cellphone comes with 128GB of storage, leaving loads of room to put in all of your favourite apps, obtain your favourite songs, and take numerous pictures. For those who do find yourself operating out of room, you possibly can add as much as a 2TB microSD card to the machine, which is virtually limitless storage for the cellphone. It is a function that almost all fashionable flagships haven’t got anymore, so it is a good inclusion.

The construct high quality can also be nice for the value level. The cellphone feels much more premium than its worth would recommend, and the shape issue is engaging. It’s extremely smooth, and the House Blue colour may be very eye-catching. The digicam bump is not my favourite, however I believe it is rather a lot much less offensive than one thing just like the OnePlus 12R’s digicam bump.

What’s dangerous concerning the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G?

The worth places loads of constraints on the machine

Whereas the $150 price ticket is interesting, there have been loads of trade-offs made to maintain the value this low. The poor vibration motor is one I instantly observed. It is extremely aggressive with out nuance to the vibrations and looks like brute power over efficiency. Whereas haptics will not be tremendous essential to most customers, they do make a really loud sound that’s amplified by the cellphone’s plastic construct. Though the cellphone feels pretty premium in hand, when you hear the vibrations, it feels much less premium.

The audio system are very comparable. They get very loud, a lot so it harm my ears to show them up all the best way, however they have been extremely tinny. With the quantity pretty excessive, voices sound unnatural and unappealing. The audio system additionally lack bass, which makes listening to music underwhelming. Fortunately, the cellphone does embrace a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth, so I would advocate utilizing some headphones for those who’re listening to music or watching a video.

Whereas the battery life is nice, charging removes a few of its luster. The 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G prices via USB-C and has a most charging velocity of 18W. In 2024, 18W is fairly gradual, and it takes almost two hours to utterly cost the battery, which is a little bit of a drag.

The NXTPAPER suite of options is fascinating and helps with eye well being. Nevertheless, I really feel like loads of the supposed advantages both do not work nicely or are an answer in search of a use case. The display screen coating does really feel like paper, however I am not sure if I need my cellphone display screen to really feel like paper. It makes swiping and scrolling harder because the coating causes much more friction than a conventional cellphone display screen.

The display screen additionally does not look as colourful or vivid as marketed, and the viewing angles aren’t nice. I do not know if it is the display screen itself or the coating, however the colours look pretty muted and washed out. Additionally, these bezels are outrageous for 2024, particularly the underside chin. Bezels do not matter to everybody, however for many who care, the asymmetry and measurement are extremely noticeable.

The NXTPAPER zone modes are fascinating, however their usefulness may be restricted; as I mentioned earlier than, they’ll probably assist with utilizing your cellphone much less. They’re additionally excellent for studying a e-book in your machine, although I do not really feel the necessity to try this an excessive amount of. Boox Palma lovers could disagree, however I believe a cellphone display screen is just too small to learn a e-book comfortably. Moreover these two use circumstances, I am unable to consider a lot use for these zone modes. It does not seem to be TCL is aware of both since I could not discover any use circumstances of their advertising supplies.

Cameras on finances telephones are often someplace producers reduce prices first, and this cellphone isn’t any totally different. Do not get me incorrect, the cameras are first rate, however solely in the correct situations. The cellphone features a 50MP predominant digicam, 5MP ultrawide, and 2MP depth digicam, which is a good selection. I took some nice-looking pictures, nevertheless it did take some work. The cameras usually had bother focusing and balancing gentle in less-than-ideal conditions.

It additionally looks like the cellphone is lacking the post-processing present in Samsung or Pixel units, which can enchantment to some. If you do not have excellent lighting situations, the cameras battle to take good footage, particularly in low gentle, which makes the omitted evening mode stick out. If yow will discover the correct situations, the colours the digicam captures look good, and it has a superb quantity of element.

The fingerprint scanner is one in every of my predominant gripes with this cellphone. It’s positioned on the facility button, my least favourite location for a fingerprint scanner. I usually discover myself attempting to lock the cellphone and by accident re-opening it after clicking the button because the fingerprint scanner is on the facility button. It is also not the quickest or most correct; it really works somewhat greater than 50% of the time.

One other concern I’ve with the cellphone is its replace assist. Whereas I couldn’t discover an official assertion on the replace assist for the machine, TCL historically has provided one or two years of software program assist. This assist size was poor a few years in the past, and now that many opponents, just like the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G, are providing many extra years of software program assist, it is plain abysmal. Even when a TCL cellphone is supported for 2 years, it doesn’t suggest it would get an replace to a brand new Android model. TCL must up its software program assist sport to make this cellphone actually aggressive available in the market.

Must you purchase the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G?

The worth is not all the things

The finances cellphone market is changing into increasingly aggressive. There are quite a few choices with compelling or well-executed options for an affordable worth. The TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G has some fascinating and distinctive digital well-being display screen options that stand out from the gang. Nevertheless, the bundle round these options shouldn’t be compelling sufficient for me to advocate this cellphone to most customers.

However for those who care rather a lot about your eye well being, the NXTPAPER options could also be sufficient to make this cellphone worthwhile. The $150 price ticket can also be cheaper than many different telephones available on the market, so for those who want an ultra-budget cellphone with stable options, it is a good choice.

Nevertheless, for those who care about your cameras, the standard of your display screen, or are a mildly heavy consumer, there are a lot better choices on the market. Samsung form of dominates the finances smartphone area and has a few higher choices than the 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G. Whereas it’s double the value, the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy A25 5G bats nicely above its price ticket. If you’d like a cellphone that is somewhat nearer in worth to the TCL cellphone, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is simply $50 extra and is usually on sale for much less. It has comparable efficiency with a a lot better display screen and cameras, that are value an extra $50.