Everything is expensive these days but, surprisingly, smartphones have become more affordable than ever thanks to phones like the TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G. That's a lot of capital letters in one name but you might start typing in all caps when you see this incredible $199 deal for the phone right now on Amazon.
That's a solid 20% off the price and you don't even need to wait until Black Friday to get it! This sale ends on October 26, so you've got a few days to think it over, but I posit that this is the best choice at this price range for a number of reasons, starting with the display.
The TCL 60 series introduced the NXTPAPER key, a little slider switch on the right side of the phone that quickly toggles between display modes. You can configure this to automatically switch to one of the three alternate display options — color paper, ink paper, and max ink — or just choose via pop-up box that appears when you slide the key upward.
That makes it handy for switching between screen modes when you're just in the mood to read. Ink paper mode is best for reading books, while color paper mode is best for things like manga or comics. Max ink mode is for those times you want to unplug and get a bit of digital detox in for a while, as it turns on extra battery saver and shuts down most apps.
The camera is also quite good for the price range, offering punchy shots with good color and nice dynamic range. Plus, the phone ships with Andorid 15 under the hood.
As Derrek noted in our TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G review, this phone isn't a powerhouse and won't be impressing anyone with its performance. You shouldn't ever expect a $199 phone to be as fast as a $1,000 phone, but it's still worth noting before jumping in.
And as much as I love NXTPAPER technology, the screen is a little difficult to see outside during those extra bright days. It's something you can get used to and may be a worthy trade-off if you prefer reading indoors but, again, well worth noting if you're a person who spends a lot of time looking at their phone outside.
Even with those downsides, it's hard to say no to this phone for just $199. That's a heck of a deal that won't be any lower for a long time to come.
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