TCL has released a midrange Android phone whose standout feature is a matte OLED display, a first for the company's Nxtpaper screen technology. The P80 Ultra combines Nxtpaper with an OLED panel, which the company says produces deeper blacks, better contrast, and richer colors than earlier versions. The display also supports an always-on mode, a feature previously missing from TCL's Nxtpaper phones.
TCL introduced matte displays to its phones with 2023's Nxtpaper 40, after the technology appeared on its tablets in 2021. Nxtpaper includes a paperlike surface texture and low-power monochrome modes that mimic an E Ink screen. The matte finish reduces glare, flicker, and blue light, and the P80 Ultra adds good viewing angles and a smooth, satiny feel that reduces finger drag while swiping.
The phone also offers two display overhauls through a side toggle. Paper Mode washes out color or renders the screen fully monochrome, and individual apps can be excluded so they run normally, with streaming apps and games exempt by default. Max Ink Mode is stricter: it is entirely monochrome and blocks most apps and operating system features, creating a power-efficient mode that sits between an e-reader and a basic phone.
Other manufacturers offer matte hardware as well. Huawei sells tablets with PaperMatte panels, and Lenovo and Xiaomi offer similar screens on select models. Matte screens also underlie the painterly effect of Samsung's Frame TVs and rival imitations, including ones from TCL. Apple has offered nano-texture glass as an option on iPad Pro models since 2024.
Apple is bringing the coating to a phone for the first time with the iPhone Duo, using the anti-glare effect to reduce the visibility of the foldable's crease. The Duo is not yet available to test. Its inner display is matte, but its outer panel is not, a choice that could make the switch between the two screens noticeable. TCL's Paper Mode has no confirmed equivalent on the Duo, though Apple's existing grayscale mode may serve as a partial substitute.
For US buyers, the P80 Ultra is positioned as a midrange device rather than a flagship. Its performance has been described as sluggish and stuttering, and while its triple rear camera has reasonable specifications on paper, photo quality is characterized as average. The matte display is presented as the phone's main advantage over competing handsets, which typically require aftermarket matte screen protectors to achieve a similar effect.
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