TCL is unveiling a new generation of smartphones with its NXTPaper screen technology, headlined by the 70 Pro. Its key feature is the e-Ink-like, matte finish display wrapped up in a midrange device with upgrades like full dust and water resistance. And of course, the aptly named Max Ink Mode is back — part focus mode, part minimalist launcher, and all the way to the max.
The 70 Pro has a 6.9-inch NXTPaper 4.0 screen, offering a textured finish that’s more paperlike than your standard glossy screen. It comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, 8GB of RAM, an IP68 rating, and a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization. The 60 XE, which was the only smartphone in its generation that TCL released in the US in 2025, came with more entry-level specs like a 6000-series MediaTek chip. TCL doesn’t yet have a US price for the 70 Pro, but if its €339 price in Europe (about $400) is any indication, it’ll be pricier than the $249 60 XE.
TCL is also expanding its tablet line with something a little bit different: the Note A1 NXTPaper. It’s designed as a Remarkable competitor, so it’s not quite a full-featured tablet, but more of a specialized note-taking device. It offers an 11.5-inch display and runs a simplified OS based on Android that TCL has customized to run only a handful of apps: you’ll get Edge and Outlook, but there’s no Play Store here.
Mainly, you’ll spend your time in the note interface, which includes a kind of “circle to save” shortcut that adds content to something called the Inspiration Space. There’s no cellular data connection, only Wi-Fi, and a stylus called the T-Pen Pro comes included. The stylus offers haptic feedback based on the writing tool you’re using in the notes app so that writing with a “pencil” feels appropriately scratchy. The effect is neat, though I’d say the lack of pressure sensitivity somewhat ruins the illusion. There’s a bunch of AI writing and handwriting assistant tools, but more importantly, there’s a physical home button. I guess we can have nice things.
Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge
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