So-called “dumb phones” that lack the bells and whistles of modern smartphones are developing a cult following among techies looking to live a life freer from the distractions of social media and mobile gaming. But taking the plunge can be a daunting step, which is where TCL’s affordable new NXTPAPER phones, announced at IFA 2024, come in.
The TCL 50 NXTPAPER and TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G phones feature hardware and features you wouldn’t be surprised to find on a Samsung, Google, or Apple smartphone. We’re talking 6.8-inch full-HD 120Hz displays, 108MP rear cameras (and a 32MP selfie camera on the Pro, up from 8MP on the base model), 8GB of RAM, 256GB and 512GB of storage respectively, and even some Microsoft-designed AI – though the devices don’t have the power for onboard AI translation or summarization, so everything is handled off-device in the cloud.
There is a slider on the side of the phone. When you touch it, your phone changes from a color screen to a black and white e-reader.
In this mode, the TCL 50 NXTPAPER phones switch to using e-ink to minimize eye strain, extend maximum battery life to seven days, and adopt a minimalist design with a much less cluttered home page, adorned only with the specific apps you choose.
You can enjoy the dub phone lifestyle when you want to tune out distractions and focus on a task. Then, you can return to the modern conveniences of a full-fledged smartphone experience by sliding the slider back.
The base model is only launching in the EU at the time of writing, but the TCL 50 PRO NXTPAPER 5G is coming to the UK, EU and Latin America for £279.99. There’s no word on a wider global launch yet, but if you’re keen to try out the dumbphone lifestyle but aren’t yet convinced you want to commit to it outright, we’d recommend keeping an eye on these new TCL phones.