TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper review - Can the smartphone with matte display convince?
Goodbye, mirroring!
Glossy screens are actually not ideal: reflections form in ambient light and they are very susceptible to fingerprints. We take a look at the TCL 50 Pro smartphone to see whether a matte display actually works or whether there are disadvantages here too.Florian Schmitt, 👁 Florian Schmitt, ✓ Brian Burriston (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict
TCL has really done a good job with its NxtPaper screen: The viewing angles are good, reflections are almost non-existent and colors appear strong and bright. However, the maximum brightness is only sufficient and the color fidelity is not optimal for individual tones. However, the screen also manages without PWM, so people suffering from headaches can breathe a sigh of relief.
The main camera is also impressive, while the wide-angle camera only records blurry details. The manufacturer could have offered a little more in terms of performance, as the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 struggles in comparison to similarly priced phones.
The loudspeaker is a little weak, but the battery scores with decent runtimes and the charging speed is also OK.
If you can make minor compromises in terms of performance and camera, the TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper is a good alternative to phones with glossy screens.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
According to the manufacturer, the smartphone costs 299 euros.
At amazon.de, however, it was already 30 euros cheaper at the time of testing.
- $7.98Mocotto for TCL 50 XL 5G Phone Case TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G Case with Tempered Glass Screen Protector,Slim Soft Silicone Full-Body Protective Case for TCL 50 XL 5G (Purple)
- $9.32HGJTFANY [4 Pack] for TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper 5G Screen Protector Tempered Galss, High Clear [9H Hardness] [Bubble Free] Tempered Glass Protective Film for TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper 5G (6.8 Inch)
Possible competitors in comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 73.4%  | TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper Mediatek Dimensity 6300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G52 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 512 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $29.21 TCL Case + Pen 50 NXTPAPER 5... 2. $7.98 Mocotto for TCL 50 XL 5G Pho... 3. $9.32 HGJTFANY [4 Pack] for TCL 50... List Price: 299€ | 196 g | 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.80" 2460x1080 395 PPI IPS |
2. 71.8%  | HMD Fusion Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 613 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $7.99 beukei (3 Pack) Designed for... 2. $9.59 Ranyi [5 Pack] Tempered Glas... 3. $11.99 18W USB-C Charger for Nokia ... List Price: 299€ | 202.5 g | 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.56" 1612x720 269 PPI IPS |
3. 75.8%  | CMF Phone 1 MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $27.00 CMF Buds Wireless Bluetooth ... 2. $7.99 Anoowkoa [2 Pack for Nothing... 3. $349.00 CMF Phone 1 8+256GB Bundle w... List Price: 269€ | 197 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" 2400x1080 395 PPI Super AMOLED |
4. 74.7%  | Motorola Moto G85 Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 619 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: $240.00 List Price: 349€ | 171 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2400x1080 405 PPI P-OLED |
5. 81.5% v7 (old)  | Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro Mediatek Helio G99 ⎘ ARM Mali-G57 MP2 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: $199.99 List Price: 299€ | 181 g | 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2400x1080 395 PPI AMOLED |
Table of Contents
- Verdict
- Specifications
- Housing and equipment - Housing with basalt back
- Communication and software - 4 years of updates
- Sustainability and operation - slider for screen mode
- Cameras - Good main camera, muddy wide-angle images
- Display - Matte panel as a highlight
- Performance, emissions and battery life - Mediocre power
- Notebookcheck overall rating
Specifications
Housing and equipment - Housing with basalt back
The TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper is housed in a casing with a plastic frame. The back is made of either basalt fibres from molten rock or glass fibres, depending on the color. Not all colors are available everywhere; the smartphone is most likely to be available in Moon Gray, like our test device. This is a bluish shade of gray, which is matt and has a marbled finish. Alps White looks similar, but much lighter. Midnight Blue, Pale Gold and Rosy Purple are the shades in which the back is made of glass fibers, which is shinier.
In terms of stability, the TCL smartphone is rather mediocre: it is easy to twist, pressure is also visible in the liquid crystal and a distinct creaking is also audible. The workmanship is at a good level, the material transitions are clean and barely noticeable.
The TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper offers a large 6.8-inch display with narrow edges, so it can be forgiven for not being one of the lightest devices in its class. However, at under 200 grams (~7 oz), it is still easy to hold.
With 512 GB of mass storage and 8 GB of RAM, it has a good amount of memory compared to similarly priced phones. NFC for wireless payments is on board.
Although there is only one nano-SIM port, an eSIM profile can be stored so that dual-SIM operation is also possible. The microSD port proved to be relatively slow in the test with our Angelbird V60 reference card.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| HMD Fusion (Angelbird V60) | |
| Motorola Moto G85 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.7 - 77, n=84, last 2 years) | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper (Angelbird V60) | |
| Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| CMF Phone 1 (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication and software - 4 years of updates
The TCL cell phone offers WiFi 5 as the fastest standard. The data rate is quite stable in the receiving direction. When sending data, on the other hand, there are repeated drops, which are also evident when the test is repeated several times. Overall, the data rates are within the expected range, but competitor devices are usually a little faster.
The fastest standard available for communication via mobile networks is 5G. The frequency diversity for mobile Internet is good, meaning that the TCL 50 Pro can also be used abroad. However, since not all frequencies used worldwide are supported, you should inform yourself in advance if you plan to travel.
We also test cell phone reception in 4G and 5G networks. The smartphone shows a decent signal quality. Even in difficult situations, for example between tall and narrow buildings, the network is often still available.
The software used is TCL UI based on Android 14. Some third-party apps, including for advertising purposes, are pre-installed, but can be easily deleted.
TCL promises 2 new Android versions and 4 years of security updates. This is OK in this price range, but not outstanding.
Sustainability and operation - slider for screen mode
When it comes to sustainability, TCL only makes general statements such as that it has introduced an environmental impact management system and that it is trying to minimize CO2 emissions through training and individual measures. We were unable to find a CO2 balance per product or information about the materials used online. At least the packaging is plastic-free.
The touchscreen with its matte coating is easy to use and sensitive right up to the corners. In addition to the volume rocker and the standby button on the right-hand side of the device, TCL has also installed a slider that can be used to change the properties of the display: You can switch to a black and white mode, which is particularly suitable for reading documents thanks to the high contrast, and a special, even more energy-saving mode, in which the remaining runtime is also displayed on the start screen.
A fingerprint sensor is also integrated into the standby button. Several fingers can be stored, and once a fingerprint has been stored, the sensor recognizes it very reliably and unlocks the phone after just a short wait. Unlocking using facial recognition is also possible, but this is done using the 2D method via the front camera and is therefore not quite as secure.
Cameras - Good main camera, muddy wide-angle images
There are three lenses on the back of the TCL 50 Pro: the main camera with 108 megapixels, a wide-angle camera with 8 megapixels and a macro lens with 2 megapixels. The main camera usually only uses 1/9 of the resolution, i.e. takes pictures with 12 megapixels. However, the sensor produces larger pixels, which allow more light to be captured. If desired, you can also use the full 108 megapixels, which you have to specify in the settings.
The images from the main camera are generally well-lit and rich in detail. We also like the coloring. TCL could only offer a little more in terms of sharpness of detail. Images in low light and with high contrasts also turn out well. In the lab, the test chart appears somewhat low-contrast in the center of the picture, while it offers more contrast towards the edges. The level of detail is average. The subject can still be recognized at a brightness of just 1 lux, but the details appear very coarse.
Videos can be recorded at a maximum of 1080p and 30 fps. You have to decide on a lens before recording; it is not possible to change lenses during recording. The quality is decent and the autofocus usually reacts quickly enough.
However, the wide-angle camera is disappointing and unfortunately only takes very blurry pictures.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main camera PlantMain camera EnvironmentMain camera Low LightWide Angle camera
Display - Matte panel as a highlight
The screen of the TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper is actually a standard IPS panel with a resolution of 2,460 x 1,080 pixels and a frame rate of up to 120 Hz. If you read the manufacturer's product description, you might assume an e-ink display, but this would offer far too low frame rates and too few colors for everyday use.
However, a matte coating makes the viewing experience special: unlike many other smartphones, reflections in bright environments are not a problem with the TCL 50 Pro and the colors look very vibrant. Brightness values of around 500 cd/m² are only average in this price range, but the matte coating does not require such high luminosity to ensure good readability outdoors.
The coating also appears very resistant in our test and hardly restricts the viewing angles, which makes you wonder why more manufacturers don't use this option.
PWM flickering is not measurable on the TCL 50 Pro, so even sensitive people will enjoy the phone.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 500 cd/m²
Contrast: 1000:1 (Black: 0.5 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.95 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 2.1 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
98.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.241
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper IPS, 2460x1080, 6.8" | HMD Fusion IPS, 1612x720, 6.6" | CMF Phone 1 Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Motorola Moto G85 P-OLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 17% | 68% | 73% | 65% | |
| Brightness middle | 500 | 554 11% | 1169 134% | 1207 141% | 1016 103% |
| Brightness | 493 | 533 8% | 1183 140% | 1177 139% | 1016 106% |
| Brightness Distribution | 95 | 94 -1% | 97 2% | 94 -1% | 94 -1% |
| Black Level * | 0.5 | 0.27 46% | |||
| Contrast | 1000 | 2052 105% | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.95 | 3.28 17% | 1.5 62% | 1.36 66% | 1.1 72% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.23 | 5.97 17% | 2.9 60% | 2.8 61% | 1.9 74% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.1 | 3.6 -71% | 1.9 10% | 1.4 33% | 1.3 38% |
| Gamma | 2.241 98% | 2.145 103% | 2.22 99% | 2.23 99% | 2.28 96% |
| CCT | 6481 100% | 7322 89% | 6733 97% | 6591 99% | 6420 101% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8684 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35.7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 16.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 93 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 33.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 24 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Mediocre power
The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 is a mid-range SoC, which proves to be rather underperforming for the price range in our benchmarks. In the processor, system and graphics benchmarks, it only achieved a midfield position among the comparison devices.
Surfing the Internet is reasonably fast, but you occasionally have to wait for content when scrolling large websites. The UFS 2.2. flash also proves to be a rather slow memory for the price range.
At 41.7 °C (~107 °F), we only measured a moderate warming of the casing after prolonged load. The 3DMark stress tests also show us that the performance is hardly affected by the waste heat.
The TCL 50 Pro offers stereo sound, with the earpiece being used as a second speaker. The maximum volume is OK, but the sound seems distant and offers little fullness. There are also hardly any low frequencies in the sound. It is therefore better to use the 3.5 mm audio port or Bluetooth to connect headphones or speakers. This works without any problems and numerous codecs are available for wireless audio transmission.
The battery has a capacity of 5,010 mAh and is therefore slightly more powerful than the comparison devices. The smartphone achieved a good battery life of 15:29 hours in our Wi-Fi test. This means that nothing should stand in the way of a day's use without a power socket, and those who are thrifty can probably manage two days without charging. The smartphone charges with a maximum of 33 watts via the supplied power adapter and needs around 2 hours for a full charge.
| Geekbench AI | |
| Single Precision TensorFlow NNAPI 1.2 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (51 - 1501, n=18, last 2 years) | |
| HMD Fusion | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper | |
| Average Mediatek Dimensity 6300 () | |
| Half Precision TensorFlow NNAPI 1.2 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (51 - 9453, n=18, last 2 years) | |
| HMD Fusion | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper | |
| Average Mediatek Dimensity 6300 () | |
| Quantized TensorFlow NNAPI 1.2 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (123 - 13084, n=18, last 2 years) | |
| HMD Fusion | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper | |
| Average Mediatek Dimensity 6300 () | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper | HMD Fusion | CMF Phone 1 | Motorola Moto G85 | Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro | Average 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 25% | 49% | 1% | 42% | 56% | 125% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 528.8 | 894.5 69% | 1024.12 94% | 529.8 0% | 973.53 84% | 1054 ? 99% | 1873 ? 254% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 498.7 | 778 56% | 535.66 7% | 525.3 5% | 910.9 83% | 959 ? 92% | 1466 ? 194% |
| Random Read 4KB | 227.7 | 218.4 -4% | 294.28 29% | 220.7 -3% | 236.72 4% | 264 ? 16% | 277 ? 22% |
| Random Write 4KB | 235.8 | 189.4 -20% | 394.59 67% | 237 1% | 228.61 -3% | 277 ? 17% | 309 ? 31% |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.6 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.7 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.5 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Stress Test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| HMD Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper | |
| Motorola Moto G85 | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro | |
| Motorola Moto G85 | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper | |
| HMD Fusion | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper | |
TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 8.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 11.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (31.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 80% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 90% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.4% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
| TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper 5010 mAh | HMD Fusion 5000 mAh | CMF Phone 1 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G85 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -2% | 19% | -4% | -9% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 929 | 915 -2% | 1104 19% | 894 -4% | 845 -9% |
| Reader / Idle | 1974 | ||||
| H.264 | 1114 | ||||
| Load | 286 |
Notebookcheck overall rating
The matte display of the TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper works very well and offers several advantages.
However, the test device offers slightly less performance for its price than comparable smartphones.
TCL 50 Pro NxtPaper
- 01/03/2025 v8
Florian Schmitt
Total Sustainability Score: Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was freely purchased by the author at his/her own expense. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
