TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro has a screen like paper, and a spec sheet that looks too good for $199

Ben Schoon | Apr 8 2026 - 12:30 pm PT

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro brings its unique screen and long lasting battery to consumers in the U.S.

TCL is launching a new, surprisingly cheap phone this week in the NXTPAPER 70 Pro which, on paper, looks like a really good bang for your buck.

At $199, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a new mid-range Android phone that, as mentioned, looks rather enticing for its price point. Cutting right to the chase, it’s packing a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, 8GB of RAM, a 6.9-inch 120Hz IPS LCD display, Android 16 out of the box, 256GB of storage, and a pair of rear cameras – 50MP main and 8MP ultrawide, with no telephoto and a 32MP selfie shooter up front.

Put that in comparison to the Moto G Stylus (2026), announced just yesterday, which has the same core set of specs for $499, and TCL has a really good deal on its hands.

Not to mention you’re still getting IP68 dust/water resistance, a 5,200 mAh battery, 33W wired charging, and stylus support? Plus, TCL’s NXTPAPER tech is on board, which includes a matte finish and a bunch of eye comfort optimizations such as reduced blue light emission and flicker adjustments. As TCL notes, it looks and feels like paper, and that’s something we’ve liked in past devices.

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Throw in that, on paper, this thing actually has some decent horsepower and, suddenly, you’ve got an attractive new release.

So what’s the catch?

There are some obvious cost-cutting measures here. The lack of a telephoto camera, USB 2.0, etc. TCL also doesn’t have the best track record for the number of, nor the timeliness of Android updates, so that’s another area where the cost just isn’t as high. This is also an exclusive in the US to T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile, which may or may not have something to do with the price. This is also lacking TCL’s new AMOLED base for NXTPAPER, which we really liked at MWC 2026.

*NXTPAPER 70 Pro (L) isn’t as bright as NXTPAPER AMOLED (R), but it’s still great*

But, overall, it really does look pretty good. Again, that’s on paper. We’ve not spent much time with the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro outside of a brief MWC 2026 hands-on, but we’re curious to see more.

Orders should be open now, though T-Mobile’s website(s) haven’t been showing the phone just yet.