TCL's NXTPAPER 60 Ultra Is The Industry's First Phone With A Natural Light, Zero-Flicker Display

First introduced on tablets, TCL's NXTPAPER technology turned heads over the years. It wasn't just about turning content consumption on Android NXTPAPER tablets into e-paper-like experiences. TCL developed NXTPAPER displays to improve eye protection for mobile devices. The company brought the technology to smartphones, upgrading it over the years. NXTPAPER 4.0 represents TCL's newest display stack for smartphones and tablets, announced at CES 2025 earlier this year. Fast-forward to IFA 2025, currently underway in Berlin, Germany, and TCL is ready to offer buyers the NXTPAPER 60 Ultra smartphone, the world's first phone with a natural light display.

The NXTPAPER 60 Ultra features a Circular Polarized Light (CPL) display which achieves that natural light display effect. The company explains that "light waves rotate in a circular motion to mimic natural light," while preserving "vivid visual details with professional-grade color accuracy," and delivering "comfortable viewing experiences as natural as looking at nature." Put differently, the natural light display effect is meant to reduce eye strain. It's one of the seven technologies in the NXTPAPER 4.0 stack.

TCL

In addition to emulating diffuse natural light, NXTPAPER 4.0 displays also feature zero flickering and blue-light reduction technologies, a matte paper-like surface that reduces reflections, dim-light eye protection tech for low-light environments, circadian screen comfort that alters the warmth and brightness of the display to match the environment, and a nano-matrix surface that improves both paper-like visuals and stylus accuracy.

The NXTPAPER 4.0 display tech is the signature feature of TCL's NXTPAPER 60 Ultra smartphone, but the handset offers additional features. The 7.2-inch NXTPAPER 4.0 display supports Hull HD resolution (2340 x 1080), 120Hz refresh, and 780 nits of brightness. A MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chip paired with 12GB of RAM (expandable to 24GB via virtual RAM) and 256GB or 512GB of storage powers the handset, which runs Android 15 out of the box.

TCL

The NXTPAPER 60 Ultra features a triple-lens camera on the back: a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens (3x optical zoom), and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. On the front, a 32-megapixel camera will handle selfies. Under the hood, there's a 5,200 mAh battery that supports 33W charging speeds.

The NXTPAPER 60 Ultra also features built-in AI tools, including writing-related ones tied to the TCL Note app, and reading-related AI features (AI Outline, AI Q&A, AI Audiobook, and AI Podcast). Google AI features like Circle to Search and photo-editing capabilities are also available to users. The phone supports a new T-Pen Magic low-latency stylus for taking notes. The NXTPAPER Key on the side (seen below) will come in handy for switching between the regular display experience and the new Max Ink Mode reading mode that blocks incoming notifications.

TCL

The NXTPAPER 60 Ultra launches in September in Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific. Prices start at €499 ($581) in Europe for the 256GB version, while €50 ($58) extra will get you 512GB of storage.

TCL also announced two products targeting children at IFA 2025. The TCL NXTPAPER 5G Junior is a smartphone for young users featuring a 6.67-inch NXTPAPER display with Digital Detox Mode technology that offers distraction-free viewing experiences. The phone also features parental guidance controls via Google's Family Link functionality. Available in Europe this October, the NXTPAPER 5G Junior will cost €249 ($290) and ship with two protective cases in the box.

TCL

The MoveTime MT48 is also a product for young users, focusing on ensuring the safety of children. The water and dustproof smartwatch features support for 4G video calls via a camera at the top of the display, voice messages, real-time navigation, dual-frequency GPS tracking, and a one-tap SOS feature that shares live locations and starts calls. The smartwatch will last two and a half days on a single charge, according to TCL. The MT48 will retail for €150 ($175) in select European markets in October, before rolling out to more countries. It'll be available in Blue, Cosmic Pink, Lunar Cream, and Nebula Grey.