TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G Cell Phone, AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon U…

3 reviews for TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G Cell Phone, AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon U…

1. 

   Andrew – November 14, 2025

   Recommended for anyone with photosensitivity
   The screen is pretty, the mode switches are smooth and the image is very easy on the eyes. I’m a big fan of the NXTPAPER/NXTVISION stuff because of vision issues and seizures. It’s very easy on the eyes to read e-books on this. It’s got plenty of memory and runs smoothly for my needs. The camera pictures are pretty and the camera is highly functional. I got a wallet style case to protect the screen and make it last as long as possible. I activated it on Verizon with simple sim swap (no visit to the store) and transferring the necessary stuff via wi-fi.————————REVIEW UPDATESI originally complained about extremely poor sound quality over Bluetooth/Using Earbuds :After thoroughly troubleshooting the issue I found the root cause to be related to a Dolby DTS setting called 3D Boom Sound. You can toggle this off in the settings menu and restore sound quality :Settings > Sound and Vibration > 3D Boom Sound > Toggle OFFScreen durability concerns :This device has a frosted glass screen to reduce glare and eye strain. The best way to preserve the screen’s life is to use a wallet style case that completely covers the screen while it is riding in your pocket or purse. If you scrub the screen against debris / objects enough it’s going to wear out. If the frosted glass wears off putting on an aftermarket screen protector is the best way to restore visibility at the cost of increased glare.Difficult gestures :This phone has a steep learning curve when it comes to learning which gestures produce specific actions like pulling up the multi-tasking screen / gemini AI app / notifications menu vs settings etc. It took me a couple of weeks and some trial and error and practice to get better at this stuff.Notifications :I am still having trouble getting quick notifications from my security camera app. The notifications of motion detection only pop up after opening the app. If I figure this issue out I’ll post another review update.

2. 

   llamaboy – November 14, 2025

   You don’t need a flagship anymore.
   Coming from high-end Sony, Samsung, LG, and HTC. I was looking for a $200-ish phone to replace a Sony with a dying fingerprint sensor and wanted to try something with a gimmick that I thought could justify taking a hit on processing power.Boy oh boy does this thing deliver on that front. The matte display is GREAT. It is so easy on the eyes, and it is last-gen (3rd); the new higher-end model that the US is still waiting for has a 4th gen display that is purported to be even better. But this is great! Combined with the faux e-ink modes, it is easy to read outside and I can stare at it at night without being kept awake. It has totally solved that issue for me. I also find it easier to read on; I’m pretty nearsighted.Speaking of the e-ink modes, they are very convincing; I use them constantly. The color paper mode makes YouTube videos look…actually very cool. It’s just a different look that is easier to stare at, while the default color is punchy and vibrant with the ‘enhanced color mode’ that is built into the UI. Not the -brightest- screen in the world, but the unique qualities of the screen make it so it doesn’t need to be. The display is made in-house by TCL, and the phone almost feels like a technology demonstrator, which is very cool as someone who appreciates something unique.The UI is good. Not obtrusive, it is really just there to facilitate the e-ink functions and some AI functions I was able to easily disable. From what I have read/heard, the AI functions are quite good, but I don’t really care.Being a matte display, touch is a joy. It -feels- very nice to use, is super responsive, and leaves little to no fingerprints. I have never had to clean my screen.Processing power is adequate, but not flagship. Works fine for 2D games and browsing; general use is still snappy. Scrolling through image-dense Amazon listings is a little choppy, but whatever. Phone does not heat up at all, under any workload I’ve given it, granted I have not tried any high-end gaming on it and don’t expect it to perform well on that front.BUT, what this weak processor does help with is battery. I end the day with 50-60% battery remaining, and on days where I don’t use my phone much I have seen upwards of 85%. It is stellar compared to what I am used to, and is awesome for a $200-ish device (on sale).Cameras I put at the utility level. I don’t care, as I am usually carrying around a camera more capable than what is on a phone anyway. The 50MP main camera is -good enough-, while the 5MP ultrawide is useless as one would guess. The default camera app does not output RAW, and 3rd party apps are not able to shoot at 50MP while outputting RAW. TCL, fix this! There is no technical reason to have the main camera app not output a native 50MP RAW file. It does have utility for people that actually benefit from using that mode! There aren’t many of us, as 50MP on a phone camera is, honestly, dumb, but some of us do like to squeeze out ever mililitre of performance. Yes, it is a question of if you can, should you, but then again, if you can, why not? Just put a warning pop-up saying that it will take up a lot of phone space with no benefit or something.It DOES support external storage (microSD), has a headphone jack, sadly only USB 2.0 for data transfer. Wi-Fi is only Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), but that has been fine for what this phone is for – anything but high-end gaming. Wi-Fi connects well, the range is very good; kind of too good. It stays connected to my home Wi-Fi longer than I would like when I leave the house. I do wish I could set it to cut out upon the signal weakening to a certain point.Case compatibility; I reviewed the case I put on it. For such a niche phone, it has decent case options. I don’t think it is needed for durability, but for ergonomics. The phone has the same problem every other slab has, in that it is hard to hold and type on without a case and Pop-Socket.Conclusion:If you are in the market for a cheap phone, I think it is worth giving up the processing power of the 60 XE’s main competitor, the Nord N30, for the sake of the unique display. This display is, honestly, better for more people in day-to-day use.If you care about cameras and game performance: Nord N30 or Nothing CMF.Everyone else: This.

3. 

   Diane D. – November 14, 2025

   Love this phone!
   A review by my daughter:I’ve been using my new TCL phone since August, and have been very happy with it! The side switch is very useful for entering focused work time or reading, and is what sold me on this phone in the first place. It retains the mini port which I have already used on several occasions. It has a well-featured eye care app that suggests breaks based on time using the phone instead of individual apps. There were also surprise perks like a light painting mode in the camera!I have moved my gaming from the phone to a dedicated handheld gaming device, so I cannot speak for the phone’s gaming smoothness, but YouTube plays perfectly.I was most surprised by the perfect automatic brightness adjustment feature, and my absolute love of the matte screen! The reviews online were mixed, but I found I could always take a picture outside simply by angling the phone slightly so it wasn’t exactly reflecting the sun. And there was no blindness by looking at the screen even then!This brings me to the one con – screen sturdiness. Unfortunately, the screen broke in the first week though I was being super careful (the phone case was delayed in shipping). So, after getting a replacement, I put a screen protector on it. I need to search for a matte screen protector, because putting a normal one on took away the lovely matte screen and (since it covers the phone camera) also made the auto-brightness feature go wonky. It is also a little harder to click the screen off and on. If I can find a matte screen protector that doesn’t cover the phone camera, it will be the perfect device!