There’s a common recipe for a modern smartphone. It’s a slab, with a screen on the front and cameras on the back. They’re all pretty much the same size, they basically do the same things, in the same way. The majority of the phone market is basically a spin on the same fundamental ingredients.
TCL isn’t a huge player in phones (but it’s really aggressive in televisions…) and perhaps that’s why the focus of the Nxtpaper devices is on the display. While many of the best phones feature the same thing in different flavours, the Nxtpaper 60 Ultra offers something a little different.
I caught up with the new TCL Nxtpaper 60 Ultra at IFA 2025.
It’s all in the display
TCL launched the Nxtpaper range of tablets in 2022 with phones following in 2023. The first thing that’s new here is the name, with this being the first Ultra model. Previously, we’ve seen the 50 Nxtpaper Pro, which is really its predecessor.
The big difference is that the display is now larger, moving from 6.8- to 7.2-inch, built using Nxtpaper 4.0 technology. That’s huge for a smartphone – bigger than early 7-inch tablets – giving you even more space to read, write and consume content.
The look and feel of this display hasn’t changed much, but that means the paper-like texture still feels lovely. It’s very different to the glossy finish of most screens. It’s designed to replicate paper, avoiding the worst of the fingerprints, reducing glare and killing reflections dead.
Chris Hall / Foundry
That has the added benefit of making this phone easier on the eyes, reducing flicker and cutting blue light emissions, with the aim of protecting circadian rhythms to avoid disruption to your sleep.
There’s a switch on the side of the phone (as there was before) which is used to change the screen mode, switching over to Max Ink Mode for an instant detox, cutting out the colour, giving you a simplified view and blocking notifications. It’s like a Kindle eReader and is designed to help you switch off.
Having a matt finish can mean that colours aren’t as impactful: this screen doesn’t beam out vibrant HDR images like many rivals, this is a phone that’s better for those who will unwind with reading instead. That brightness runs up to 780 nits in typical use, some way below the average.
It’s a 120Hz display, although the resolution sticks to 2340 x 1080 pixels, which might be a little on the soft side given the size.
Chris Hall / Foundry
There’s also a strangely wide bezel to the bottom of the display, which detracts from the otherwise good looks.
A hardware boost in a mid-range phone
Powering the Nxtpaper 60 Ultra is the Dimensity 7400, with 12GB RAM (and up to 12GB virtual), with 512GB of storage and a huge 5200mAh battery.
That should power this big phone through the day with ease, but with that display switched to reading mode, you’ll have the added advantage of even more life. There’s 33W charging too, which, while not the fastest, will get you back in the game in no time at all.
Flip the Nxtpaper 60 Ultra over and you’ll find a round camera array at the top housing a 50Mp main camera, 50Mp periscope telephoto and an 8Mp ultrawide. That periscope zoom will give you 3x optical zoom.
Chris Hall / Foundry
Fans of the range might spot that the previous model had a 108Mp main sensor, so there’s a fairly hefty change here. While I didn’t get to test the cameras, our previous experience with TCL’s Nxtpaper devices suggests that the camera isn’t the main reason to buy the phone.
The design is on the cheaper side
At 7.57mm, this is a pretty slim phone, while the 227g is light for the screen size.
That lightness most likely comes down to the build that’s less premium than some, mostly using plastics. There is, however, IP68 protection, so it will survive a dunk in water and a day at the beach.
It comes in two colours, Lunar White and Nebula Black, with the Nebula Black having an interesting sparkle in the camera surround. That gives a little lift to things, a point of interest on the rear of the phone.
Chris Hall / Foundry
The phone launches on Android 15, and while I didn’t discover the upgrade details, the previous device offers two Android OS updates and five years of security updates.
Ultimately, there’s nothing really out there that’s like the Nxtpaper 60 Ultra, with the display having a finish that at times is more like E-Ink – like an e-reader – and less like a traditional phone. That’s appealing for those who want to escape the glare of modern smartphones and those who want to read more comfortably on their phone.
There’s currently no word on when the Nxtpaper 60 Ultra will be available and what the price will be, but it’s likely to remain an affordable mid-range device. The previous model was £279, and with the increased size, I’d expect something around the £300 mark.
Looking to outshine the Nxtpaper 60 Ultra this week is the iPhone 17, which is rumoured to include a new Air model.