I decided to take a look at the NXTPAPER 60 Ultra because screens are a particular problem for me. Too much doomscrolling, reading or interacting in any way can lead to the ‘tired but wired’ symptom and affect daytime sleep. I need to sleep as much as I can and am trying everything I can to help. The hope is that a lot of little things will come together to help me reduce energy expenditure and a device like this could be part of the answer.

TCL’s NXTPAPER technology is a groundbreaking innovation in screen technology, designed to tackle visual health challenges in our rapidly digitizing world. First introduced in 2021, NXTPAPER combines cutting-edge software and hardware breakthroughs to deliver a next-level eye care solution, seamlessly blending paper-like comfort with vibrant full-color visuals and eye-friendly features, day or night.

With the latest cutting-edge innovations, NXTPAPER 4.0 has evolved to deliver a truly comprehensive eye care solution. Because true eye care means being natural, versatile, and as effortless as paper itself.

It sounds like a dream come true for people who have a health need or for whom e-ink is a much more comfortable experience, and words like ‘eye care solution’ are promising a lot.

There is a lot for me to get through here because I have been an iPhone user since the 3GS and have only dabbled with Android from time to time. The experience should be jarring, but so far it hasn’t been.

I’m going to some up my initial thoughts with some bullet points and will be back with more detail in part 2. It will be short articles and reviews from now on because I am trying to save as much energy as I can.

• This phone is more pleasant to use than my iPhone 16 Pro Max. I’m shocked I am saying that, but the difference between Android (at least this version) and iOS is not big at all these days.
• The fingerprint/face unlock functionality is super quick, even quicker than the iPhone, and sometimes tricks me because I don’t even notice it working.
• Very little is missing for an iPhone user apart from iMessage. Photos and iCloud can be replaced with some work, but iMessage remains a loss despite previous promises from Apple.
• Gemini is seamlessly built in and is, how do I put this, a billion times ahead of Siri. Apple will have to go elsewhere for an AI solution and it sounds like it will be Google after all.
• The camera is decent as well and the performance, so far, is smooth which is impressive considering the £330 asking price.

I will cover the screen tech and viewing modes, overall performance and everything else in future parts, but for now I am surprised at how comfortable Android feels to me and how much you get for your money.

Is the Apple walled garden strong enough to keep the competition down for a few more years? I don’t know, but I have been thinking for a while now that the innovation in mobile tech is coming from elsewhere.

Categories: Android, Health, Phones, Product Reviews