TCL has doubled down on low-distraction, eye-friendly screens at CES 2026, unveiling the NXTPaper 70 Pro smartphone and a new paper-like tablet, the Note A1 NXTPaper.
Both devices build on TCL’s distinctive matte display technology, which aims to blend the benefits of e-ink with full-colour LCDs.
The headline feature on the NXTPaper 70 Pro is the return of Max Ink Mode, a monochrome, minimalist interface designed to reduce eye strain and digital distraction.
Activated via a dedicated NXTPaper hardware key, the phone can instantly switch between full colour, reduced colour and black-and-white modes – positioning it as both a regular smartphone and a reading or note-taking device.
The 70 Pro features a large 6.9-inch NXTPaper 4.0 display with a paper-textured finish, 120Hz refresh rate and up to 900 nits of brightness.
TCL has significantly upgraded the hardware compared to last year’s models, with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, 8GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage and a 5,200mAh battery with 33W fast charging. It also adds IP68 dust and water resistance, which is a first for TCL’s NXTPaper phones.
Camera specs remain modest but improved, with a 50-megapixel main sensor featuring optical image stabilisation and a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
TCL is also introducing new AI-assisted photo and note-taking tools, alongside optional stylus support via the T-Pen.
Alongside the phone, TCL announced the Note A1 NXTPaper, a productivity-focused tablet aimed at devices like the reMarkable.
It features an 11.5-inch paper-like display, bundled T-Pen Pro stylus with haptic feedback and a stripped-back Android-based operating system that limits apps to essentials such as Microsoft Edge and Outlook.
There’s no Play Store, no cellular connectivity and a strong emphasis on handwriting, reading and focused work.
The NXTPaper 70 Pro launches globally from February, with European pricing set at €339 (A$560). Australian availability and pricing have not yet been confirmed.
The Note A1 NXTPaper is priced at US$549, with discounted preorders currently available overseas.
