"ePaper" Phones - What's the catch? TCL 40 NXTPAPER & 40 NXTPAPER 5G Review

[@joshm3484]

For $150 it's worth picking up just for a novelty, or as a camera.

[@id3283]

Great video and thanks for showing the differences between the two. Also, I love the LCARS screen 🖖

[@ChalidRaqami]

Thanks! 🖖😁

[@johnbrewer9541]

I've seen a few reviews, NONE have actually shown actually reading an ebook. Surely this is its main function

[@chocoblin5887]

it's a phone, not a book reader. reading is not the main function

[@CleverContrarian]

Great review but that star trek lights display is the coolest thing ever Live long and prosper

[@MrVlodato]

I just picked up the nxtpaper tablet for my father and the screen is wonderful. Wish they had a nice phone to go along with it but these phones have too many compromises to be made to use every day for me personally. If they had a nicer version in the 500-600 usd range i would pick it up.

[@Gabdimension]

I wait for the new one at ces 24. The 50. I Hoppe for better Specs.

[@Rebecca.G]

Thanks for the video, It's perfect timing for me. Now to wait and see if they will release it in my country next year.

[@nin6246]

Every single one of you who supports the "notch" smokes pole. You guys can't enough, can't you?

[@К.Стоянов]

The catch is that most people don't like new things because they feel weird. Anyway I am a TCL fan and I use only TCL phones. The downside is that you can't treat them like Nokia. TCL phones are fragile.

[@timgallagher3336]

Nice Video thanks. I'm interested in picking up a Nxtpaper 40 4G but wondering if you could confirm whether an Android 14 update has been made available yet by TCL?

[@ChalidRaqami]

No, sorry, mine hasn't gotten it yet. Still running Android 13.

[@theGuyWhoLovesTech]

the biggest questions i have is can i use it i use it a kindle which really makes my eyes so relaxed , can it replace a kindle, like can i read a book on this for a whole day and still have my eyes be strain free? as far as i know kindle reflects light from outside to our eyes and thus there is minimum glare and strain but in this phone the screen does emit light to our eyes, i really wish for a truly worthwhile eye care solution that can overcome the limitations of the e ink technology like slow refresh , high cost, lack of being able to use android apps, i really wish for this tcl to be a nice alternative to it , is it that ?

[@ChalidRaqami]

I'd say a Kindle is still better when it comes to eye strain, because as you said, the NXTPAPER phones have a backlight. But the nano-etched front-glass makes reading on them actually surprisingly comfortable (just not in direct sunlight). It really depends on the reason for the eye strain. If it's coming from the backlight, I'd stick to a Kindle.

[@theGuyWhoLovesTech]

@@ChalidRaqami coool! man i hope someday they make eink devices super cheap and fast bec idk why they look so beautiful, but for now i think this nextpaper thingyy is kewl hope i can find a monitor like this, Thankss! for the reply much appreciated ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

[@iBolitN]

So it has matte LCD/LED screen, which is sold as "e-ink". Cool catch

[@mekayladanniellemorados6538]

Wow, I love this phone!! Too bad they don't sell it here in my country :(

[@dameanvil]

0:00 📱 Introduction of the TCL NEX paper phones. 0:06 👀 Both phones use eye-friendly optimized LCD displays. 0:18 📝 The first video reviewed the TCL NEX 10s with a digital paper display. 0:50 💵 Pricing starts at €180 for the regular version and €250 for the 5G version. 1:15 📦 In-box contents vary by region and model. 1:34 🔄 The 5G version is a different product from the regular one. 2:00 🏗 Build quality includes a plastic body with a fiberglass back cover. 2:43 📏 The 5G variant has a one-piece back cover with a soft-touch material. 3:22 🖥 The regular version has a larger 6.78-inch display; the 5G version is 6.6 inches. 3:34 ⚙ The 14x paper runs on a Mediatek Helio G88 with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. 3:46 📈 The 5G version has a Mediatek Dimensity 6020 chipset with 6GB RAM and 256GB storage. 4:48 🔊 The regular version has stereo speakers; the 5G version has a mono speaker. 5:28 🎧 Both phones have a headphone jack. 5:37 🌟 Next paper technology reduces blue light emissions on a hardware level. 7:07 ✨ Nanoedge front glass reduces reflections by up to 90%. 7:53 ⚫ The screen offers a relaxed viewing experience with reduced contrast. 8:48 📸 The main variant has a punch-hole camera and higher screen resolution. 10:03 🔄 Both phones have 90Hz displays for a smoother experience. 10:48 🖥 Both run on Android 13 with a TCL skin. 11:18 🎨 Special viewing modes replicate e-ink screen experiences. 11:56 📷 The regular version has better camera specs, including a 50MP main camera. 12:38 🔋 Both phones have similar battery sizes with different charging speeds. 13:07 🏆 The TCL 14 NEX paper is a solid budget-friendly phone with unique displays. 13:20 📝 Recommendation for the regular 4G version for a well-rounded package. 14:06 👍 Conclusion and sign-off.

[@Ymetro]

Solid and complete review, thank you! Got the 4G version and I'm loving it, coming from a iPhone XS.

[@ozywade]

I really have a lot of difficulty with your accent....

[@n0nchalant39]

Does it have "hide camera cut-out" in the setting?

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, there are 2 options on both devices for that: "Hide front camera without moving status bar" and "Hide front camera and move status bar". Difference being, that the status icons are either within the black bar or everything moves below the cut-out/notch.

[@fidelorangur7029]

WONDERFUL COMPARISON, THANKS A LOT! 👍

[@fanyfuk]

I have the 4g as no 5g here . Its amazing phone 😊

[@mrmoonxx5395]

Good review! 👍

[@PixogenPixels]

Looking forward to a comparison of the pocket book color 3 and galaxy tab c mini. I keep hearing that despite the screen specs that they do have some differences.

[@gpock8]

that not epapaer lier !

[@twosuns20]

so what happens if you want to put on a screen protector?

[@ChalidRaqami]

I'd say nothing good ... haven't tried, but I'd say it's not an option with this type of screen.

[@Palladiumavoid]

Does closeable cases exist for it

[@AlexMaravilla-vd3bk]

OK, where did you get that LCARS display in the background? Does anyone else know?

[@ChalidRaqami]

Check out mewho.com (not made by me). There are a couple of different LCARS apps which are awesome. My favorite is the Titan app which has a couple of cool features.

[@marksouthwell4490]

​@@ChalidRaqamioh it that the USS Enterprise -G/ Titan -A lcars?😊

[@girldoes289]

Interesting budget phones also considering Poco C65, need one with a headphone jack and dual SIM/SD slot!(Quite rare these days!)

[@davoodgh6339]

Hello You who have experience working with this phone How is the build quality of this phone compared to the Samsung A14?

[@JohnDought]

Does it also got 60 mh Refresh?

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, you can also lock the screen refresh rate to 60 hz in the settings

[@santidiaz4397]

I do not understand the advantage here, because you can easily place a glass protection which reduces blue light to every cell phone. Those kinds of glass protection, not only will reduce the blue light creating a mate effect, but also protect your screen in case of accidents. What kind of protection can be added to the TCL phone ? Is it really feasible to add something ? Does it have a gorilla glass at least ?

[@ChalidRaqami]

As far as I know it doesn't have Gorilla Glass. But in terms of durability, I haven't encountered any issues yet though. The biggest benefit of NXTPAPER is definitely the matte screen. It's much better than anything you can get with an aftermarket screen protector. It's hard to capture on camera unfortunately, but it is really good. I'm not using the NXTPAPER phones as my daily drivers because I prefer having higher end phones, but I'm regularly using a NXTPAPER 11 tablet now because I find it so comfortable to use.

[@denulwelianga9686]

They pretty much just made each phone a different phone. Not any upgrade, just making each phone balanced. Jesus christ what do I choose.

[@Me_Caveman]

Looks cool. I'd get one if they had a smaller version.

[@kairu_b]

Great video!

[@lukeantrobus4775]

I've ordered the 5G one as I need a 5G capable phone for my data plan, but I don't understand why they made the 4G version better in so many ways, shouldn't it be the other way around

[@juliobriones3175]

Obviously, they made the TCL 40 5G version first!! (for internal use in China). Later, they built the 4G version for the rest of the world. Finally, they added the NXTPAPER film at both (already working) production lines. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ChalidRaqami]

As far as I understood, the reason why the 5G version has mostly worse specs is to save money. The 5G components (chips?) are more expensive, so the device would have been even more expensive if they used the same specs as with the 4G model otherwise. And in the 400+€ price range it wouldn't have been very competitive overall. So they compromised and tried to keep the price as low as reasonably possible. But I agree, it would make more sense for the 5G version to have the better specs.

[@elementkx]

My samsung is 5G and there isnt much difference in speeds compared to my 4G samsung. Go for the 4G and update in teh future.

[@saibamoe]

4G here in Eadtern europe gives me 30 mb/s download speeds Why do yall need 5G? Do yiu dowbload terabytes of porn or torrents? Wtf? Even netflix 4K streaming is at most 1-2 mb per second

[@andreivurdea7898]

5G is not about speed. It is more about device density than it is about speed. It aims to enable more communication channels and further abstractize the protocol. Gather 10 friends around and those 30Mbps will quickly shrink.

[@mrfunk6218]

non ce l always on display e neanche il tap per risvegliare il display

[@aleksandrsastoks5551]

and which is better - 4G or 5G - version -? Is it a tablet-11?)

[@ChalidRaqami]

The 4G version is better imho.

[@Icyrow]

just for reference, there's no actual reason to believe blue light hurts your eyes or is bad for you. it might take an extra second for your eyes to adjust in the dark, but that's about it. the whole "BLUE LIGHT IS BLINDING YOU/HURTING YOU" is a load of nonsense.

[@ChalidRaqami]

Is it really? I've loosely followed the research over the last couple of years and there were a couple of studies linking blue light to macular degeneration, alterations of tear mucin and a negative influence of sleep patterns - off the top of my head. To be fair, there are other studies that found no negative effects. But I'd say the effects have not been conclusively determined. It may or may not be a problem imho. Just as a personal anecdote: Switching a dual-tone frontlight on an ereader from warm-orange to bluish-white, without changing the brightness level, definitely feels uncomfortable for a short period of time for me. The other way around, I have no issues. Personally I don't take extra steps to limit my blue light exposure, but use what I have easily on hand to reduce it without too much effort.

[@cstpimentel]

Great review. Ü

[@joaosidonio7562]

nxtpaper? wasn't this meant to be epaper? it looks like a normal screen with mat finish, it's just LCD...

[@WindsongSoundBath]

I think you're right. Why are they wasting our time with this? I'm really hoping hoping an eink type phone for the US market becomes available soon.

[@ChalidRaqami]

Initially TCL announced NXTPAPER to use RLCD technology. I suspect they weren't happy with the result and went a different route instead. The anti-glare finish of the screen is pretty nice though and better than using another phone with a matte screen protector. It also has reduced blue light emissions, which is a plus. But yeah, other than that, it's a typical LCD.

[@waimengchia6998]

Does the 5G model support VoLTE?

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, but as always depends on the carrier. Mine doesn't support it, so the option is missing here.

[@aamir79del]

What about putting a screen protector? Does that make a difference to the Matt screen advantage?

[@ChalidRaqami]

You mean a screen protector on another glossy screen in comparison to this one? That's typically not as good in my experience. The nano etched glass on NXTPAPER is pretty well done and reduces reflections more than the matte screen protectors I've tried. I haven't tried any screenprotectors on the NXTPAPER phones, but I suspect it won't be a good experience.

[@Dysfunctionality15]

If you were to use one, I would only recommend using a matte screen protector. Otherwise, you will get glare from the glass / plastic.

[@fidelorangur7029]

Does it come with a silicon cover for the back of the phone?

[@ChalidRaqami]

Only in some markets, but I have no idea which ones to be honest :-/

[@andershedman]

Do they have external monitor support via usb c?

[@ChalidRaqami]

Yes, the regular B&W Era and essentially all PocketBook devices you can get in western markets (except the InkPad X Pro) have the same UI. I think they really did a great job optimizing it throughout the years.

[@linklovezelda]

​@@ChalidRaqami I think you replied to the wrong comment lol

[@ChalidRaqami]

@@linklovezelda You're right LOL. Thanks - need to check where I wanted to post that 😅

[@sfpgraphs]

Great.,.as always!

[@Yot359]

i have to find any review that shows this: hows is the displayed content visibility under what i would call "summer insane bright day" such as readability at sea or in the mountain surrounded by snow on a sunny day : is the fully "ink black and white mode" visible under that type of light? usually, phones struggle by putting the backlight to maximum power, making them overheat, drain battery to be just barely more visible.

[@ChalidRaqami]

Sorry, can't help with the footage, as it's neither sunny nor snowy here right now. But the answer to your question is no, it's not the same experience as E-Ink. It's better in the sense, that the backlight doesn't need to overcome reflections and therefore the screen doesn't need to be as bright. But still, when it's really bright outside, it has the exact same issues as other LCDs. Under the described circumstances you either need a 1000+ nits phone or an e-ink screen.

[@widersetzen]

One could also apply a matte screen protector to any other device

[@ChalidRaqami]

That's definitely an option, for other phones. But in my experience the effect is not as pronounced as it is on these phones, and it results in slightly more pixel-blur imho.

[@worldveganmarket7698]

Hi I have the nxtpaper 4G version but only one camera accessible in the app how to get the other two cameras working?

[@ChalidRaqami]

You can switch to the ultrawide camera with that little icon (with the arrows pointing in the opposite directions) below the zoom function. The macro lens is a bit strange though. It can't be directly accessed via the default camera app (as far as I could see). I suspect they removed it (last minute) in favor of the "super macro mode" that you can enable in the shooting mode options via the hamburger menu. That mode uses the main lens. If you want to use the 2MP macro camera, you need another app, like a Google Camera port (gcam) and switch to the "0.8" camera, which is the macro lens. That worked without any problems for me.

[@worldveganmarket7698]

@@ChalidRaqami thanks for the quick reply, yes can see the wide angle lens now, but not sure how cam installs - does the device need to be rooted for modder community install of gcam? Thanks....

[@ChalidRaqami]

@@worldveganmarket7698 No, you don't need to root the device. The Gcam ports can be installed regularly via sideloading. I used "MGC_8.9.097_A11_V19_ENG.apk" - you should be able to find it with Google.

[@timurismailov1017]

​@@ChalidRaqamiplease advise is it possible to activate an hdr+ mode in gcam for main lens on a 4g version? In case of yes, what about the quality in comparison to a stock camera app?

[@Kongstrong519]

can you test if this is better for reducing blue light than an iphone's "night shift" mode?

[@ChalidRaqami]

I don't have an iPhone, but night shift is generally better if you turn it to the warmest setting. With the iPad Mini the blue light emissions get very low with that mode, so I suspect it's similar with an iPhone. But on top of the hardware reduction on the TCL NXTPAPER phones you can also use the night mode on those to further decrease blue light emissions.

[@Kongstrong519]

@@ChalidRaqami got it thank you!

[@janittermann3491]

Great in-depth review, got me watching the full video just to hear that the battery only lasts around a day, which for me is not only a dealbreaker but defeats the purpose of using e ink displays in the beginning. Anyways thanks for the video

[@Aryetis]

Because it's not an e ink display

[@franciscomolina7224]

the english is fatal

[@Buppasiri1]

Moron, the idea with language is to understand, what is it you don't understand? 😱

[@flawlessfatality8105]

Can this phone be used in the US?

[@WindsongSoundBath]

This is the burning question!