I’ve always been impressed with TCL’s easy-to-read Nxtpaper technology. Sitting somewhere between E Ink and a more traditional screen with built-in anti-glare tech, there’s a softness both to the look and feel of a Nxtpaper display that makes it a real pleasure to use.
But if I were asked whether I’d be happy to replace my regular phone with one that had an LCD Nxtpaper display, the answer has always been no, for one simple reason: brightness. The vivid colors that we’re accustomed to on most phones screens tend to look dull on Nxtpaper, and I just wouldn’t be willing to compromise on radiance, in spite of the many good qualities Nxtpaper brings to the table.
Until now, that is. Among the cool phones and weird tech on display at Mobile World Congress 2026, I saw a Nxtpaper phone that might have changed my perspective. TCL showed off an upgraded AMOLED version of Nxtpaper stopped me in my tracks. It blended the luminosity of AMOLED and the softness of Nxtpaper to stunning effect, in a way that would genuinely make me reconsider my stance on owning a Nxtpaper phone.
The screen offers 3,200 nits of brightness, and has a circular polarization rate of 90%, which means it closely resembles natural light. TCL has managed to reduce blue light emission as low as 2.9%, and the display dynamically adjusts brightness and color temperature in tune with the body’s natural circadian rhythms.
The one drawback I can see for using Nxtpaper on a phone screen is that it might not be ideal for taking, viewing and editing photos. In my brief demo at MWC, I took a selfie and noticed the colors didn’t look especially true to life. But it’s important to note that TCL is still developing this technology, so it remains a work in progress and my brief time using it likely won’t be an accurate reflection of a final product.
In all, this is real leap forward for Nxtpaper. Although TCL hasn’t announced any devices featuring the technology yet, it likely will do in due course. I’d personally like to see it on a laptop — as I spend all day staring at my screen both reading and writing, it seems like the perfect application of this tech. I can’t wait to see where it ends up.
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