TCL's 50 XL and 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G phones are available, starting at $149

What you need to know

• TCL has finally launched its North American bound 50 series NXTPAPER devices: the 50 XL and the 50 XE.
• The 50 XL offers a 6.8-inch FHD Plus display, advances in eye protection and glare reduction, and a triple camera array.
• The 50 XE delivers a 6.6-inch display with the same eye protection and glare reductions at a slightly lower cost than the XL variant.
• TCL's 50 XL starts at $199, while the 50 XE begins at $149.

TCL's next-gen 50 series NXTPAPER smartphones are finally here in North America. Both devices aim to be lighter on the eyes.

Leading off the debut in the U.S. is the TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G, which features a 6.8-inch FHD Plus display with "multi-layered" eye protection technology. The company's press release states that its efforts to reduce eye strain result in a 61% drop in harmful blue light. However, TCL remains confident that the 50 XL can still deliver strong colors, contrast, and clarity.

The device's screen can reach a 120Hz refresh rate and touch sampling of 240Hz. TCL, the latter will contribute to a smooth scrolling experience when using the 50 XL, and users should also notice fluid phone animations.

The flip side of the TCL 50 XL is a rounded, left-side-oriented triple camera array. The housing features a 50MP main (plus macro) camera, a 5MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The device can also capture videos at 1080p at 30fps. The front offers a 32MP selfie camera.

Internally, users are treated to 6GB of RAM and 6GB of virtual RAM courtesy of NXTURBO with 128GB of internal storage. Getting you through the day will be a 5,010mAh battery, which delivers 25 hours of talking time with 18W of fast charging.

NFC, face unlock, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, DTS-backed dual speakers, and Android 14 are some of its extra goodies. The TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G is available now in the U.S. at C Spire for $199.

The other side of this is the TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G with a 6.6-inch HD Plus display and the same eye protective materials as the 50 XL. The cheaper 50 XE offers a 90Hz refresh rate and a 180Hz sampling rate for smooth scrolling and device animations.

The back of the 50 XE features a slightly different triple camera array as TCL positions it vertically on the top left corner. However, the phone still features the same three-camera sensor setup: a 50MP main camera (no macro), a 5MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The selfie camera drops down to 8MP on the 50 XE.

Consumers will obtain 4GB of RAM paired with 128GB of internal storage. Moreover, this can be enhanced with a Micro SD card of up to 2TB. Like the XL model, the 50 XE contains a 5,010mAh battery, which can reach full charge in around two hours.

Android 14 is the OS of choice, with Face Unlock, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack as additional specifications.

The TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G is available for purchase nationwide at Spectrum for $149 in Space Blue.