Irvine, California, April 9, 2026, 04:23 PDT
TCL’s NXTPAPER 70 Pro, priced at $199.99, is now available in the U.S. via T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile. It’s the company’s first formal U.S. carrier rollout for its phone featuring the signature paper-like screen.
TCL’s March reveal at Mobile World Congress promised the phone would arrive in the U.S. in April, but stopped short of saying which carrier would handle it. U.S. media had already pointed out the missing details, as well as the fact that last year’s NXTPAPER 60 Ultra skipped the U.S. altogether.
The phone drops into a jam-packed budget segment. Metro, for example, already carries Samsung’s Galaxy A16 5G and Motorola’s moto g (2026), both usually tagged at $189.99. T-Mobile’s Revvl 8 Pro, on the other hand, sits higher at $249.99. TCL, then, lands right between those, so it’s competing for attention more on features and shelf presence than on price.
TCL’s NXTPAPER offers a matte, low-glare screen built to reduce blue light and flicker, but it still delivers a full-color smartphone experience. There’s a dedicated NXTPAPER key to toggle between Color Paper, Ink Paper, and Max Ink modes. That last mode, according to TCL, could let users read for up to seven days before needing a recharge.
Mitch Peterson, who runs TCL Mobile North America, described the device as “a good phone with a great screen.” He noted it’s targeted at users spending hours every day on their phones. PR Newswire
TCL lists the phone on its U.S. site with Android 16, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage. Other specs: 5,200 mAh battery, 33W wired charging, and IP68-rated protection against water and dust. Camera setup includes a 50-megapixel main, 8-megapixel ultrawide, and 32-megapixel selfie shooter.
Here’s the wrinkle: Metro’s lineup already features aggressively promoted Samsung and Motorola phones at similar price points. Meanwhile, TCL’s U.S. site listed the NXTPAPER 70 Pro for $299.99 and it quickly sold out. That could make it tough to gauge real demand once Metro’s carrier deals and discounts fade.
Back in March, Peterson described the handset as “the next chapter” for TCL’s display ambitions. Now, with the device rolling out in the U.S., the company gets a sharper read on whether eye-comfort features actually sway buyers in a daily-driver segment packed with cut-rate Android options. PR Newswire
