TCL P80 Ultra Launches With World’s First AMOLED NxtPaper Display

TCL has introduced the P80 Ultra, P80 Pro, and standard P80 as part of their NxtPaper smartphone series. The P80 Ultra stands out as the most sophisticated model, incorporating NxtPaper technology alongside an AMOLED panel. The P80 Pro retains most specifications but lacks the periscope camera, while the standard P80 shares the same AMOLED panel but without NxtPaper technology.

Design and Display The P80 Ultra boasts a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with NxtPaper technology, offering 1.5K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, and peak brightness up to 3,200 nits. TCL employs circular polarization rather than linear polarization found in most OLED displays, claiming it provides a more natural viewing experience and avoids issues when viewed through polarized glasses.

The screen utilizes a homogenizing film that blends red, green, and blue sub-pixels to create white light, with TCL reducing blue light output to 2.9% without compromising image quality. Protection comes from Nano Crystal Shield Glass, touted as TCL's strongest anti-glare solution. The device features an aluminum frame and is available in Sunlit Gold, Burgundy, and Midnight Blue finishes.

It also holds an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and has passed MIL-STD-810H shock tests. Internals and Software The P80 Ultra is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 7400 Elite chipset, accompanied by 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The P80 Pro uses the same chipset, RAM, and storage configuration.

The standard P80 comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. All NxtPaper models feature a side-mounted NxtPaper slider, enabling various reading modes like Max Ink mode. Max Ink mode blocks most notifications except calls and messages, and puts background apps to sleep, potentially extending battery life to seven days for reading.

The mode also provides quick access to an e-reader app, with over 500 books preloaded on the device. AI features include AI-enhanced Reading, which can convert standard e-books into audiobooks and alter their format to resemble podcasts. The P80 Ultra is entitled to four operating system upgrades and seven years of security updates, while the P80 Pro and P80 will receive three OS upgrades and the same seven years of security patches.

Cameras The P80 Ultra houses a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP main camera (OIS), a 50MP periscope telephoto camera (3x optical zoom, OIS), an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 32MP front camera. The P80 Pro drops the periscope camera in favor of a dual rear camera system with a 50MP main camera (OIS) and an 8MP ultrawide camera.

Battery and Pricing The P80 Ultra is equipped with a 5,800mAh battery and supports 45W wired charging. The P80 Pro mirrors this battery and charging configuration, while the standard P80 has a 5,000mAh battery and supports the same 45W wired charging. Pricing varies, with the P80 Ultra at around $638 for the 8GB/256GB variant and $697 for the 8GB/512GB model.

The P80 Pro is priced at approximately $499 for 256GB and $580 for the 512GB variant. The standard P80 starts at around $406 for the 128GB version and $441 for the 256GB variant. TCL is making all three P80 models available simultaneously, with specifications for the P80 P80 Ultra, P80 Pro, and standard P80 outlined above.