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Two-minute review

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is an affordable smartphone at $379.99 / £269 for the 256GB device. The US market also gets a cheaper 128GB model.

Its design is sleek and attractive, giving the air of a phone that costs a far more. The biggest selling point is the NXTPAPER 70 Pro's large 6.9in screen with epaper-like NXTPAPER 4.0 display technology.

The tech gives the screen a matte finish that minimises reflections and glare, and makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro extremely comfortable to read and work on. It features a variety of options for reducing eye-strain, and you can turn on various display modes with just a quick flick of a switch. These include Color Paper mode, which is perfect for reading digital comics, and Ink Paper mode, a black-and-white paper-like setting that’s great for ebooks and text-heavy websites.

(Image credit: Future)

As an avid reader of both books and comics, I was a huge fan of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's screen — but there are a few compromises which meant it wasn't a device I'd be happy to switch to full-time. Performance is fine, but multitasking with lots of different apps open at once isn’t as smooth as it is on devices with more RAM (the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro comes with 8GB, although that can be expanded later). In addition, taking photos at the main camera's maximum 50MP resolution introduces a slight pause as the phone processes your images.

Speaking of the camera, it does a decent job of taking high-resolution shots by default, but the digital zoom quickly displays its limits when you try zooming in too much. For day-to-day shots, though, it's fine; but anyone wanting to be more ambitious with their photography should look elsewhere.

(Image credit: Future)

TCL has made quite a big deal of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's AI features, and while it’s good to see the tech included in a budget device, I didn’t have much cause to use features such as live transcription, or AI-assisted note-taking. However, I can imagine they'll be useful for some, especially for accessibility — and on a positive note, they're not obnoxiously pushed onto you like they can be by other brands.

Overall, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a stylish and dependable budget smartphone that offers plenty for the price, but its performance compromises can niggle. Nevertheless, its NXTPAPER 4.0 screen really is a standout feature, so for voracious readers, it could be their dream phone.

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to seeing NXTPAPER 4.0 come to more powerful phones from TCL.

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Price & release date

• Starts at $379.99 / £269 for 256GB model
• US also gets cheaper 128GB model
• Available in Europe, North America, butnot officially in Australia

It might be because I’ve become used to the ever-increasing price of flagship phones from the likes of Apple and Samsung, but when I was told the price of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, I was genuinely impressed. For a smartphone with the word "Pro" in its name, a price of less than $400 is pleasing.

In the US and UK, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro model with 256GB storage costs $379.99 / £269, which is a fair bit less than our current best cheap phone pick – the Samsung Galaxy A56 at $499 / £499. It actually undercuts pretty much all of the phones in that list, including the Poco X8 Pro Max, which starts at $469 / £469.

While a rock-bottom price isn’t the only measure of a good budget, in these financially uncertain times it’s certainly a major selling poin. If the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro can also match this with stellar performance, we could see a new budget champion.

In the UK, you can pick up the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro with a protective slipcase and stylus from Amazon for £369.98.

And for US customers, there's an even cheaper 128GB option that sells for $329.99. People in other markets might be disappointed to learn this isn't an option in their territory, but personally, I wouldn’t recommend opting for less than 256GB storage these days, especially if you take a lot of photos. Having said that, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro supports microSD cards, so you can expand the storage up to 2TB.

Currently, if you’re in the US and buy the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro from TCL’s official store, you also get a free pair of TCL CrystalClip earbuds worth $95.99, making this already great-value handset even better value for money.

Storage

US Price

UK Price

256GB

$379.99

£269

512GB

$429.99

£319

• Value score: 4.5/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Specs

Dimensions:

169.4 x 80.05 x 7.98mm

Weight:

208g

Internal screen

6.9-inch NXTPAPER 4.0 display

Resolution:

1080 x 2340

Refresh rate:

120Hz

Peak brightness:

900 nits

CPU:

MediaTek Dimensity 7300

RAM:

8GB

Storage:

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

OS:

Android 16

Main cameras:

50MP 1.0UM OIS+8MP main

Selfie camera:

32MP

Battery:

5,200mAh

Charging:

33W

Colors:

Stellar Blue, Nebula Gold

(Image credit: Future)TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Design

• Stylish and minimalist
• Extra switch for changing display mode
• Screen is a highlight

Design-wise, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro certainly doesn’t feel budget. Available in two colors, Stellar Blue (the model I was sent) and Nebula Gold, the large 6.9-inch screen, thin bezels and modern design give the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro the appearance of a much more expensive phone at first glance.

The thin bezels keep the focus where it belongs: on the display. That's no bad thing, thanks to TCL's innovative NXTPAPER 4.0 technology, which gives the screen a matte, e-reader-like finish (more on that shortly). They also help prevent the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro from feeling even larger than it is — but make no mistake, this is a big phone, and it will stick out of plenty of pockets.

On the bottom of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a USB-C port for charging, as well as a slot for your SIM card and SD card for expanding storage. On the right-hand side of the phone are the standard volume rocker, a power button with built-in fingerprint reader, and a unique NXTPAPER key. The latter is actually a physical switch, similar to the one found on older iPhones, to put the device into "Do not disturb" mode. Here, though, the NXTPAPER key switches been display modes: Color Paper mode, Ink Paper mode and Max Ink mode.

(Image credit: Future)

You can choose the mode each time, or set a default mode to turn on instantly when you flick the switch. A ripple transition effect plays as the screen switches to the mode you’ve chosen – I quite like it, but if you switch mode regularly, I can see how the animation might get a bit annoying.

I’ll go into each mode in a moment, but the default setting’s matte effect and vibrant colors makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro stand out from rivals, especially those that sell for a similar price — and the default wallpaper, which is a painting of flowers, looks fantastic.

(Image credit: Future)

Overall, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's design — aside from its standout display — isn't revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be. It's a well-built, attractive phone that looks and feels more premium than its affordable price suggests.

• Design score: 4.5/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Performance and Display

• Display is great for reading on
• Can also play videos and games
• Overall performance is solid, if unremarkable

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s design does a decent job of making you forget that this is a budget phone, then — but the specs don’t do such a good job. Don’t get me wrong: it works fine, but when you're coming from a flagship handset — even one that’s now a few years old — it's a bit of a wake-up call to keep your expectations in check.

Android 16 runs smoothly, and even when using the various screen modes, the phone is responsive, with no annoying full-screen refreshes of the type that happen with some ebook readers. The display's matte finish keeps images looking crisp, even at extreme viewing angles, with vibrant colors and no distracting reflections.

Turning the screen to Color Paper mode mutes the colors and drops the background wallpaper. It makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro more comfortable to use in low-light conditions, and preserves battery life, too.

(Image credit: Future)

It works particularly well when reading comics (I tried it with Marvel Unlimited), as well as browsing the internet at night. The muted colors, paper-like display and lack of blue light mean a quick doomscroll before bed won't disrupt your sleep too much (although it doesn’t do anything for my general anxiety about the state of the world).

Impressively, the screen remains responsive, although rapidly scrolling through long passages of text causes the text to shift in colour slightly as it moves. You can watch videos, too, but you’ll want to switch back to normal mode for the best picture quality.

There’s also Ink Paper mode, which reduces colors to just black and white, removes the background wallpaper, and simplifies icons. This more basic mode is great for reading ebooks and websites; the interface is clean, easy to read, and free from distractions. It helps prolong battery life as well, yet still feels responsive.

Finally, there’s Max Ink mode, which limits the apps that can be run, futher extending battery life (with just 21% of battery life, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro claimed to have around 46 hours left).

(Image credit: Future)

The screen really is a treat, and if you don’t mind the impact on image quality, switching between modes is a great way to boost the battery life if you’re away from a power supply. I found reading websites particularly comfortable in Ink Paper mode — although for image- and video-heavy websites, you’ll probably want to switch to a color mode.

Color Paper mode is also excellent for reading digital comics. As an X-Men fan, I found the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s large paper-like display ideal for reading on Marvel Unlimited and Kindle. The matte finish dramatically reduces glare, and. unlike some early color e-readers I’ve tested, both apps remain as fast and responsive as they do on other smartphones.

So, Color Paper mode is great for those who wish to get through their large digital comic libraries while on long trips. Personally, I prefer reading the comics in the default display mode, as colors are more vibrant.

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro overall performance is solid, and about what you’d expect for the price. I didn’t have any issues using any of my regular daily driver apps, and the games I tested ran perfectly fine as well — although, if you’re looking for a smartphone on which to mainly play games, you might want to look for a device with a standard display and more graphical power.

Powering the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a MediaTek Dimensity 7300, an octa-core processor with four performance and four efficiency cores. It can't match Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chips, but at this price it's hard to fault, delivering smooth everyday performance. The 8GB of RAM comfortably handles multitasking, although it doesn't feel quite as snappy as more expensive handsets with more memory. TCL does let you allocate up to 16GB of virtual RAM from the phone's storage, increasing the total to a very healthy 24GB, and proving a little more headroom for the future.

(Image credit: Future)

The phone features two SIM card slots, and supports eSIM, and network speeds up to 5G. However, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro only supports Wi-Fi 5, which is now quite outdated. It meant I couldn't take full advantage of my home router’s Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and this led to a noticeable reduction in speed when using Wi-Fi.

To be fair to the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, this was the only time its budget roots really showed.

The screen is definitely a standout feature for anyone who spends a lot of time reading on their phone. However, if you spend more time watching movies or playing games, a device with a more traditional display will be a better choice.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Camera

• 50MP main camera
• 32MP selfie camera
• Good detail at high resolutions

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The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro features a 50MP rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and a 32MP front-facing camera. It also uses TCL’s own MuseFilm imaging technology, which the manufacturer says combines hardware and software enhancements to deliver more visually impressive photos.

I didn’t really notice much difference when comparing photos taken on similar phones. Having said that, images taken with the 50MP camera are bright, vibrant and full of detail.

While zooming in reveals some loss of sharpness, photos look impressive at full resolution, with even busy scenes retaining plenty of detail. If you’ve previously dismissed budget smartphones because of their lack of photo-taking prowess, then the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro proves that affordable handsets can deliver.

However, note that taking photos at the full 50MP resolution (which at the default 4:3 aspect ratio leads to image resolutions of 8192 × 6144) does put pressure on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s hardware: there's a slight pause between pressing the shutter button and image capture (a message pops up asking you to hold the phone still while the image is being processed). It’s another reminder about the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s budget price, and while it didn’t appear to make any of the photos I took with moving subjects blurry, if you want to take a series of fast images, you’ll need to lower the resolution — or buy a more powerful phone.

Reducing the resolution speeds up the whole process, and when images are viewed on the phone’s screen they still look sharp. Viewing them on a larger screen, or printing them out, makes the reduced resolution more noticeable, though.

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When shooting below the full 50MP resolution, the TCL offers up to 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. However, pushing the digital zoom too far reveals the limitations of the hardware, with considerable loss in detail and the addition of image artefacts.

You can also switch to the ultra-wide lens, which produces some nice results, although it does occasionally introduce distortion around the edges. There’s also a macro setting for taking close-up shots, and while the results are fine, they lack detail.

(Image credit: Future)

For best results, then, you’ll want to stick to the standard settings without zooming in.

(Image credit: Future)

The front-facing camera captures good-quality selfies with plenty of detail, and there are plenty of settings to experiment with, including the often questionable "beauty" modes found on many smartphones.

Overall, photography isn't the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's main strength, so it isn't for you if camera performance is a priority. However, for day-to-day snaps, it does the job.

• Camera score: 3/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Battery life

• 5200mAh capacity
• 33W fast charging
• Over 10 hours of continuous video playback

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro doesn’t have the largest battery, nor does it charge as quickly as other budget rivals, with its fast charging capped at 33W (the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G can charge at 45W). Still, it powered up to 56% (from empty) after just 30 minutes.

During tests, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro lasted well over a day of standard use with a single charge, and in our benchmark tests, it hit 10 hours and 55 minutes of continuous video playback. Turning on the Max Ink mode boosted battery life in the same tests by around 50 minutes.

Considering the limitations of Max Ink mode, I was expecting a bigger difference in battery life, but that could be a testament to how efficient the default screen mode is at prolonging battery life.

As with other phones around this price point, there’s no wireless charging support, which was a blow coming from a handset that has the ability to charge over wireless. If you’re not bothered about the tech, this won’t be an issue, but for people like myself who have wireless charging accessories (including in my car), it does limit the appeal of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro.

• Battery life: 3.5/5

Should I buy the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro?TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro Scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Starting at $379.99 / £269 for 256GB model, this is a great-value smartphone — although compromises have been made to keep the price low.

4.5/5

Design

A smart, minimalist design makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro look more expensive than it is. The matte display is easily the highlight.

4.5/5

Performance

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro offers solid performance for its price, but keep your expectations in check — this is a budget phone, after all. Reading on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s unique screen is an absolute joy, however.

3.5/5

Battery life

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's battery life is good, and with careful use you could get two days of use on a single charge. The slower charge speed and lack of wireless charging is disappointing, however; but considering the price, it's understandable.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You read a lot on your phone
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's screen is ideal for reading, with its paper-like display making it comfortable to read everything from ebooks and digital comics, to websites and apps.View Deal

You don’t want to spend a lot of money
Starting at just $379.99 / £269 for the 256GB model, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a great alternative for people who don’t want to shell out the high prices for flagship smartphones.View Deal

You only take the odd photo
The 50MP camera offers a decent amount of detail and vibrancy for day-to-day snaps, but if photography is a passion, then you won’t be that impressed by the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's camera performance .View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You want a phone for mainly watching films and playing games on
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro paper-like screen is fine for watching films, TV shows and playing games, but for the best image quality you’ll want a more traditional smartphone.View Deal

Photography is important to you
The camera on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is fine for basic snaps, but will quickly show its limitations to those who are more ambitious with their photography.View Deal

You like the convenience of wireless charging
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro doesn't support wireless charging, and it was very much missed during the testing period. If you have wireless chargers dotted around your home (and vehicle), then you’ll want to pay a bit more for a phone that can make use of them.View Deal

Also consider

Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G
This is another budget phone for around the same price, with a bright display and surprisingly impressive cameras. If you want a cheap phone for watching films, the more traditional (yet still bright and vibrant) screen of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G is better suited.

Read our full Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G reviewView Deal

Google Pixel 10a
Starting at $499 / £499 / AU$849, the Google Pixel 10a is slightly more expensive than the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, but you get longer battery life and better photo quality, so if those are two important priorities for you, then it’s worth the extra investment. As a Pixel handset from Google, Android comes with very little extra bloat, which is another strong selling point.

Read our full Google Pixel 10a reviewView Deal

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro

• Used it on and off for around a month
• Used the various display modes to read ebooks and digital comics

Due to a busy few months, I’ve been using the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro on and off as my main phone during the time I’ve had it. This is longer than our usual testing process, and meant I got a good idea of overall performance of the handset.

I used the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro not just to make calls and browse the internet, but also loaded several ebooks to read using the handset’s variety of screen modes. I also read digital comics via the Android versions of the Marvel Unlimited and Kindle apps. I also took photos and watched videos.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: July 2026

Two-minute review

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is an affordable smartphone at $379.99 / £269 for the 256GB device. The US market also gets a cheaper 128GB model.

Its design is sleek and attractive, giving the air of a phone that costs a far more. The biggest selling point is the NXTPAPER 70 Pro's large 6.9in screen with epaper-like NXTPAPER 4.0 display technology.

The tech gives the screen a matte finish that minimises reflections and glare, and makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro extremely comfortable to read and work on. It features a variety of options for reducing eye-strain, and you can turn on various display modes with just a quick flick of a switch. These include Color Paper mode, which is perfect for reading digital comics, and Ink Paper mode, a black-and-white paper-like setting that’s great for ebooks and text-heavy websites.

(Image credit: Future)

As an avid reader of both books and comics, I was a huge fan of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's screen — but there are a few compromises which meant it wasn't a device I'd be happy to switch to full-time. Performance is fine, but multitasking with lots of different apps open at once isn’t as smooth as it is on devices with more RAM (the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro comes with 8GB, although that can be expanded later). In addition, taking photos at the main camera's maximum 50MP resolution introduces a slight pause as the phone processes your images.

Speaking of the camera, it does a decent job of taking high-resolution shots by default, but the digital zoom quickly displays its limits when you try zooming in too much. For day-to-day shots, though, it's fine; but anyone wanting to be more ambitious with their photography should look elsewhere.

(Image credit: Future)

TCL has made quite a big deal of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's AI features, and while it’s good to see the tech included in a budget device, I didn’t have much cause to use features such as live transcription, or AI-assisted note-taking. However, I can imagine they'll be useful for some, especially for accessibility — and on a positive note, they're not obnoxiously pushed onto you like they can be by other brands.

Overall, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a stylish and dependable budget smartphone that offers plenty for the price, but its performance compromises can niggle. Nevertheless, its NXTPAPER 4.0 screen really is a standout feature, so for voracious readers, it could be their dream phone.

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to seeing NXTPAPER 4.0 come to more powerful phones from TCL.

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Price & release date

• Starts at $379.99 / £269 for 256GB model
• US also gets cheaper 128GB model
• Available in Europe, North America, butnot officially in Australia

It might be because I’ve become used to the ever-increasing price of flagship phones from the likes of Apple and Samsung, but when I was told the price of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, I was genuinely impressed. For a smartphone with the word "Pro" in its name, a price of less than $400 is pleasing.

In the US and UK, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro model with 256GB storage costs $379.99 / £269, which is a fair bit less than our current best cheap phone pick – the Samsung Galaxy A56 at $499 / £499. It actually undercuts pretty much all of the phones in that list, including the Poco X8 Pro Max, which starts at $469 / £469.

While a rock-bottom price isn’t the only measure of a good budget, in these financially uncertain times it’s certainly a major selling poin. If the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro can also match this with stellar performance, we could see a new budget champion.

In the UK, you can pick up the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro with a protective slipcase and stylus from Amazon for £369.98.

And for US customers, there's an even cheaper 128GB option that sells for $329.99. People in other markets might be disappointed to learn this isn't an option in their territory, but personally, I wouldn’t recommend opting for less than 256GB storage these days, especially if you take a lot of photos. Having said that, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro supports microSD cards, so you can expand the storage up to 2TB.

Currently, if you’re in the US and buy the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro from TCL’s official store, you also get a free pair of TCL CrystalClip earbuds worth $95.99, making this already great-value handset even better value for money.

Storage

US Price

UK Price

256GB

$379.99

£269

512GB

$429.99

£319

• Value score: 4.5/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Specs

Dimensions:

169.4 x 80.05 x 7.98mm

Weight:

208g

Internal screen

6.9-inch NXTPAPER 4.0 display

Resolution:

1080 x 2340

Refresh rate:

120Hz

Peak brightness:

900 nits

CPU:

MediaTek Dimensity 7300

RAM:

8GB

Storage:

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

OS:

Android 16

Main cameras:

50MP 1.0UM OIS+8MP main

Selfie camera:

32MP

Battery:

5,200mAh

Charging:

33W

Colors:

Stellar Blue, Nebula Gold

(Image credit: Future)TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Design

• Stylish and minimalist
• Extra switch for changing display mode
• Screen is a highlight

Design-wise, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro certainly doesn’t feel budget. Available in two colors, Stellar Blue (the model I was sent) and Nebula Gold, the large 6.9-inch screen, thin bezels and modern design give the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro the appearance of a much more expensive phone at first glance.

The thin bezels keep the focus where it belongs: on the display. That's no bad thing, thanks to TCL's innovative NXTPAPER 4.0 technology, which gives the screen a matte, e-reader-like finish (more on that shortly). They also help prevent the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro from feeling even larger than it is — but make no mistake, this is a big phone, and it will stick out of plenty of pockets.

On the bottom of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a USB-C port for charging, as well as a slot for your SIM card and SD card for expanding storage. On the right-hand side of the phone are the standard volume rocker, a power button with built-in fingerprint reader, and a unique NXTPAPER key. The latter is actually a physical switch, similar to the one found on older iPhones, to put the device into "Do not disturb" mode. Here, though, the NXTPAPER key switches been display modes: Color Paper mode, Ink Paper mode and Max Ink mode.

(Image credit: Future)

You can choose the mode each time, or set a default mode to turn on instantly when you flick the switch. A ripple transition effect plays as the screen switches to the mode you’ve chosen – I quite like it, but if you switch mode regularly, I can see how the animation might get a bit annoying.

I’ll go into each mode in a moment, but the default setting’s matte effect and vibrant colors makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro stand out from rivals, especially those that sell for a similar price — and the default wallpaper, which is a painting of flowers, looks fantastic.

(Image credit: Future)

Overall, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's design — aside from its standout display — isn't revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be. It's a well-built, attractive phone that looks and feels more premium than its affordable price suggests.

• Design score: 4.5/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Performance and Display

• Display is great for reading on
• Can also play videos and games
• Overall performance is solid, if unremarkable

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s design does a decent job of making you forget that this is a budget phone, then — but the specs don’t do such a good job. Don’t get me wrong: it works fine, but when you're coming from a flagship handset — even one that’s now a few years old — it's a bit of a wake-up call to keep your expectations in check.

Android 16 runs smoothly, and even when using the various screen modes, the phone is responsive, with no annoying full-screen refreshes of the type that happen with some ebook readers. The display's matte finish keeps images looking crisp, even at extreme viewing angles, with vibrant colors and no distracting reflections.

Turning the screen to Color Paper mode mutes the colors and drops the background wallpaper. It makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro more comfortable to use in low-light conditions, and preserves battery life, too.

(Image credit: Future)

It works particularly well when reading comics (I tried it with Marvel Unlimited), as well as browsing the internet at night. The muted colors, paper-like display and lack of blue light mean a quick doomscroll before bed won't disrupt your sleep too much (although it doesn’t do anything for my general anxiety about the state of the world).

Impressively, the screen remains responsive, although rapidly scrolling through long passages of text causes the text to shift in colour slightly as it moves. You can watch videos, too, but you’ll want to switch back to normal mode for the best picture quality.

There’s also Ink Paper mode, which reduces colors to just black and white, removes the background wallpaper, and simplifies icons. This more basic mode is great for reading ebooks and websites; the interface is clean, easy to read, and free from distractions. It helps prolong battery life as well, yet still feels responsive.

Finally, there’s Max Ink mode, which limits the apps that can be run, futher extending battery life (with just 21% of battery life, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro claimed to have around 46 hours left).

(Image credit: Future)

The screen really is a treat, and if you don’t mind the impact on image quality, switching between modes is a great way to boost the battery life if you’re away from a power supply. I found reading websites particularly comfortable in Ink Paper mode — although for image- and video-heavy websites, you’ll probably want to switch to a color mode.

Color Paper mode is also excellent for reading digital comics. As an X-Men fan, I found the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s large paper-like display ideal for reading on Marvel Unlimited and Kindle. The matte finish dramatically reduces glare, and. unlike some early color e-readers I’ve tested, both apps remain as fast and responsive as they do on other smartphones.

So, Color Paper mode is great for those who wish to get through their large digital comic libraries while on long trips. Personally, I prefer reading the comics in the default display mode, as colors are more vibrant.

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro overall performance is solid, and about what you’d expect for the price. I didn’t have any issues using any of my regular daily driver apps, and the games I tested ran perfectly fine as well — although, if you’re looking for a smartphone on which to mainly play games, you might want to look for a device with a standard display and more graphical power.

Powering the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a MediaTek Dimensity 7300, an octa-core processor with four performance and four efficiency cores. It can't match Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chips, but at this price it's hard to fault, delivering smooth everyday performance. The 8GB of RAM comfortably handles multitasking, although it doesn't feel quite as snappy as more expensive handsets with more memory. TCL does let you allocate up to 16GB of virtual RAM from the phone's storage, increasing the total to a very healthy 24GB, and proving a little more headroom for the future.

(Image credit: Future)

The phone features two SIM card slots, and supports eSIM, and network speeds up to 5G. However, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro only supports Wi-Fi 5, which is now quite outdated. It meant I couldn't take full advantage of my home router’s Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and this led to a noticeable reduction in speed when using Wi-Fi.

To be fair to the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, this was the only time its budget roots really showed.

The screen is definitely a standout feature for anyone who spends a lot of time reading on their phone. However, if you spend more time watching movies or playing games, a device with a more traditional display will be a better choice.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Camera

• 50MP main camera
• 32MP selfie camera
• Good detail at high resolutions

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The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro features a 50MP rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and a 32MP front-facing camera. It also uses TCL’s own MuseFilm imaging technology, which the manufacturer says combines hardware and software enhancements to deliver more visually impressive photos.

I didn’t really notice much difference when comparing photos taken on similar phones. Having said that, images taken with the 50MP camera are bright, vibrant and full of detail.

While zooming in reveals some loss of sharpness, photos look impressive at full resolution, with even busy scenes retaining plenty of detail. If you’ve previously dismissed budget smartphones because of their lack of photo-taking prowess, then the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro proves that affordable handsets can deliver.

However, note that taking photos at the full 50MP resolution (which at the default 4:3 aspect ratio leads to image resolutions of 8192 × 6144) does put pressure on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s hardware: there's a slight pause between pressing the shutter button and image capture (a message pops up asking you to hold the phone still while the image is being processed). It’s another reminder about the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s budget price, and while it didn’t appear to make any of the photos I took with moving subjects blurry, if you want to take a series of fast images, you’ll need to lower the resolution — or buy a more powerful phone.

Reducing the resolution speeds up the whole process, and when images are viewed on the phone’s screen they still look sharp. Viewing them on a larger screen, or printing them out, makes the reduced resolution more noticeable, though.

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When shooting below the full 50MP resolution, the TCL offers up to 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. However, pushing the digital zoom too far reveals the limitations of the hardware, with considerable loss in detail and the addition of image artefacts.

You can also switch to the ultra-wide lens, which produces some nice results, although it does occasionally introduce distortion around the edges. There’s also a macro setting for taking close-up shots, and while the results are fine, they lack detail.

(Image credit: Future)

For best results, then, you’ll want to stick to the standard settings without zooming in.

(Image credit: Future)

The front-facing camera captures good-quality selfies with plenty of detail, and there are plenty of settings to experiment with, including the often questionable "beauty" modes found on many smartphones.

Overall, photography isn't the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's main strength, so it isn't for you if camera performance is a priority. However, for day-to-day snaps, it does the job.

• Camera score: 3/5

TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro review: Battery life

• 5200mAh capacity
• 33W fast charging
• Over 10 hours of continuous video playback

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro doesn’t have the largest battery, nor does it charge as quickly as other budget rivals, with its fast charging capped at 33W (the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G can charge at 45W). Still, it powered up to 56% (from empty) after just 30 minutes.

During tests, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro lasted well over a day of standard use with a single charge, and in our benchmark tests, it hit 10 hours and 55 minutes of continuous video playback. Turning on the Max Ink mode boosted battery life in the same tests by around 50 minutes.

Considering the limitations of Max Ink mode, I was expecting a bigger difference in battery life, but that could be a testament to how efficient the default screen mode is at prolonging battery life.

As with other phones around this price point, there’s no wireless charging support, which was a blow coming from a handset that has the ability to charge over wireless. If you’re not bothered about the tech, this won’t be an issue, but for people like myself who have wireless charging accessories (including in my car), it does limit the appeal of the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro.

• Battery life: 3.5/5

Should I buy the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro?TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro Scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Starting at $379.99 / £269 for 256GB model, this is a great-value smartphone — although compromises have been made to keep the price low.

4.5/5

Design

A smart, minimalist design makes the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro look more expensive than it is. The matte display is easily the highlight.

4.5/5

Performance

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro offers solid performance for its price, but keep your expectations in check — this is a budget phone, after all. Reading on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s unique screen is an absolute joy, however.

3.5/5

Battery life

The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's battery life is good, and with careful use you could get two days of use on a single charge. The slower charge speed and lack of wireless charging is disappointing, however; but considering the price, it's understandable.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You read a lot on your phone
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's screen is ideal for reading, with its paper-like display making it comfortable to read everything from ebooks and digital comics, to websites and apps.View Deal

You don’t want to spend a lot of money
Starting at just $379.99 / £269 for the 256GB model, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a great alternative for people who don’t want to shell out the high prices for flagship smartphones.View Deal

You only take the odd photo
The 50MP camera offers a decent amount of detail and vibrancy for day-to-day snaps, but if photography is a passion, then you won’t be that impressed by the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro's camera performance .View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You want a phone for mainly watching films and playing games on
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro paper-like screen is fine for watching films, TV shows and playing games, but for the best image quality you’ll want a more traditional smartphone.View Deal

Photography is important to you
The camera on the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is fine for basic snaps, but will quickly show its limitations to those who are more ambitious with their photography.View Deal

You like the convenience of wireless charging
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro doesn't support wireless charging, and it was very much missed during the testing period. If you have wireless chargers dotted around your home (and vehicle), then you’ll want to pay a bit more for a phone that can make use of them.View Deal

Also consider

Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G
This is another budget phone for around the same price, with a bright display and surprisingly impressive cameras. If you want a cheap phone for watching films, the more traditional (yet still bright and vibrant) screen of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G is better suited.

Read our full Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G reviewView Deal

Google Pixel 10a
Starting at $499 / £499 / AU$849, the Google Pixel 10a is slightly more expensive than the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro, but you get longer battery life and better photo quality, so if those are two important priorities for you, then it’s worth the extra investment. As a Pixel handset from Google, Android comes with very little extra bloat, which is another strong selling point.

Read our full Google Pixel 10a reviewView Deal

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro

• Used it on and off for around a month
• Used the various display modes to read ebooks and digital comics

Due to a busy few months, I’ve been using the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro on and off as my main phone during the time I’ve had it. This is longer than our usual testing process, and meant I got a good idea of overall performance of the handset.

I used the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro not just to make calls and browse the internet, but also loaded several ebooks to read using the handset’s variety of screen modes. I also read digital comics via the Android versions of the Marvel Unlimited and Kindle apps. I also took photos and watched videos.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: July 2026

Swifts have nested in Jerusalem's Western Wall since biblical times. Now one Israeli paraglider is trying to save them.

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• A new 'brain-to-robot' interface has been unveiled in China
• It uses non-invasive EEG technology
• The system will supply much-needed real-world AI training data

We're seeing brain-computer interfaces (BCI) continue to get more advanced and more practical, and Chinese company BrainCo has now announced another first: a BCI that enables robots to be controlled by thoughts.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, BrainCo says the system works through EEG (electroencephalogram) headsets worn by human operators, which translate neural activity into instructions for robots to follow.

Like other similar 'mind reading' devices, it's based on vast amounts of training data that associate specific neuron activity with specific commands as they're imagined in the brain. AI algorithms then manage the job of finding the right action for the right thought.

It's called the Brain-Controlled Robot AI Platform, and it was unveiled at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai —the biggest and most important AI tech event on the calendar in China.

Think it into reality

You might soon not even need to talk to a robot to get it working (Image credit: Shutterstock)

BrainCo says that as well as being used to control robots, the system can also act as an interface to connect to robotic arms and other devices. A robotic arm could be instructed to pick up a cup through thoughts alone, for example.

As the Brain-Controlled Robot AI Platform becomes more widely used, it will also be collecting data — data that can then be applied to refine the underlying algorithms further. High-quality training data is currently one of the major bottlenecks in the industry.

"The embodied AI industry has made remarkable progress on what robots can do on their own," said Nyx He, a partner and senior vice-president at BrainCo. "We believe the next decisive frontier is about how robots understand the humans they work with."

With AI models continuing to get smarter and more sophisticated, this is going to feed into the 'physical AI' of robotics — giving these machines greater flexibility, more dexterity, and as we've seen here, thought-controlled inputs.

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Dimplex FlexBlade Multi-Directional Bladeless Fan: two minute review

Vertically aligning the fan vents makes the FlexBlade easy to store. (Image credit: Future)Specifications

Type: Tower

Speeds: 5

Oscillation: horizontal 30, 60, or 90 degrees

Vertical tilt: each blade can rotate 180 degrees

Dimensions (H x W x D): 32.6 x 27.9 x 14.6 inches / 82.8 x 70.8 x 37cm (blades horizontal), 43.1 x 12.6 x 14.6 inches / 109.5 x 32 x 37cm (blades vertical)

Controls: power, speed, timer, plus remote control

Noise level: 36dB to 58dB

The Dimplex FlexBlade isn't your traditional tower fan, although you can use it as one. It's bladeless, Dyson-style, so it delivers smooth airflow without the buffeting of a bladed fan.

The design is very flexible, enabling you to use it as a T-shaped floor fan, a vertical pedestal fan, or any angle in between. Air comes out of two wide vents, and those vents can be rotated 90 degrees in either direction so that you can have wider airflow or cool two areas simultaneously. That could be useful in shared spaces such as offices, although as the fan's stand isn't telescopic, one of you will get a cool back while the other gets cool legs.

The FlexBlade looks like it'll be extremely powerful but the strength of airflow drops off quickly with distance, so at full power with both blades pointing forward it felt like a breeze at three meters. It's fairly quiet, though, and delivers similar airflow and noise levels to our trusty Dyson Hot+Cool fan.

This isn't the most powerful floor fan we've tested by any means but it does move a decent amount of air and that flexible design makes it useful for multiple applications, such as the bedroom at night and home office or living room during the day.

The FlexBlade is very wide in horizontal mode but you can angle it through 90 degrees. (Image credit: Future)Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: price and availability

• Launched June 2026
• UK only
• £199.99 (about $160 / AU$230)

With fortunate timing, the FlexBlade launched during a month of record-breaking heat in the UK. The Dimplex FlexBlade Multi-Directional Bladeless Fan launched in the UK in June 2026 with a recommended retail price of £199.99 (about $160 / AU$230). It isn't currently available in Australia, and Dimplex doesn't sell its home cooling products in the US.

I'm writing this as more really hot weather is toasting the UK, so I need to temper my usual buying advice with the fact that for many people the only criteria for a fan right now are 'will it cool me down?' and 'is it in stock?', to which the answers are yes and at the time of writing, yes. But I would point out that Dimplex dropped the price to just £123 for Amazon Prime Day 2026, so if you're not reading this in sweltering temperatures you can expect similar discounts in the cooler months when demand sags.

Value for money: 4/5

The two vent arms can be manually rotated independently to blow air in two directions (Image credit: Future)Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: design

• Horizontal and vertical adjustment
• Horizontal oscillation
• Simple but effective controls

I can't talk about the design of the Dimplex FlexBlade without addressing the elephant in the room, or rather the Shark: the Shark TurboBlade cooling fan, which seems to have inspired Dimplex's designers. Both have a propeller-esque T-shaped design with two independent, rotatable bladeless vents. Both can pivot from horizontal to vertical mode. Both project air up to 20 meters. Both have a magnetic remote control. Both have a quiet sleep mode. And both have multiple speed settings: 10 for the Shark and five for the Dimplex. I think the Shark is a little nicer looking, more flexible thanks to its telescopic pole and less top-heavy — the Dimplex wobbles a bit when you touch it — but it's also £50 (about $70 / AU$100) more expensive when it's not in the sales.

The FlexBlade arrives in six parts: the main motor unit, a two-part riser with a heavy base, and the two vents. It's simple and quick to put together – the only tool required is the provided Allen key for securing the base — and the remote attaches magnetically to the top of the unit so it's always handy.

The FlexBlade can be angled horizontally, vertically or in between, and it oscillates up to 90 degrees. (Image credit: Future)

Controls are kept to a minimum on the fan itself: power/speed, oscillation and timer. The remote is simple too, with the addition of dedicated speed up/down buttons, a full speed button and a sleep mode button to put the fan into its lowest power state overnight.

The T-shaped, two-vent design delivers a lot of flexibility. You can't adjust the 1.1m height of the main motor unit but you can position the two blades vertically, horizontally or in between, and you can rotate them independently up to 180 degrees to push air in two opposite directions at once. The rotating blades are a little stiff but not awkwardly so. The blade adjustments are manual but the fan itself can oscillate automatically, delivering horizontal oscillation of 30, 60 or 90 degrees.

Design: 4/5

The on-board controls are simple: timer, power/speed and oscillation.FutureThe illuminated dots on the front show the current fan speed. There are five settings.FutureDimplex FlexBlade fan review: performance

• Oscillation and adjustable vents
• Quieter than similar rivals
• Best experienced reasonably close

The Dimplex promises airflow in excess of 6m/s with a 20-meter range and 90-degree sweep, but at full power with both blades pointed directly at me from three meters away it felt like a very mild breeze. At that distance and with the blades arranged vertically the remote control was very hit and miss.

The FlexBlade comes with a straightforward remote control. (Image credit: Future)

The Dimplex is a bit quieter than the Shark – Dimplex's figures say it's 36dB at its lowest setting and 58dB at full pelt, compared to the Shark's 40dB to 66dB – but it still gets loud at higher fan speeds with the telltale whoosh we've come to expect from bladeless fans. It's not Dyson hand dryer loud at full power, though; it's more like a hair dryer on a very low setting.

I compared the Dimplex's airflow to two other room fans: a Dyson Pure Hot + Cool and a Meaco Sefte 10-inch air circulator. Both the Dimplex and the Dyson are bladeless and moved air a similar distance with similar noise levels, although the Dyson's wider diffusion mode made its output quieter at the expense of focused air. But the Meaco was quieter than both and delivered significantly stronger airflow across a large living room.

Performance: 3/5

The FlexBlade has a magnetic perch to keep the remote handy. (Image credit: Future)Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: should you buy it?

Value

Previous Prime Day pricing suggests that the list price is a little high.

3/5

Design

It looks very like a Shark, but it's well made and feels solid; controls are straightforward and the flexible airflow is clever.

4/5

Performance

Not as powerful as it looks, and venting in two directions reduces airflow in each direction.

3/5

Buy it if...

You like to share

Unlike traditional fans the FlexBlade can cool in two directions simultaneously with or without oscillation.

You like planes

The twin-blade design resembles a propellor or wings, and arranged vertically it looks like something from a space programme.

You need flexibility

It's easy to direct air exactly where you need it to go.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want all the airflow

Bi-directional venting inevitably mean splitting the output in two.

Your space is big

An air circulator is likely to do a better job cooling large rooms and similarly big spaces.

You like a bargain

The Dimplex FlexBlade was much cheaper during Prime Day 2026.

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: also consider

Meaco Sefte 8in Portable Air Circulator

The Shark TurboBlade is the closest rival in terms of this kind of design. But if you don't need the bi-directional air of the Dimplex or Shark I'm an evangelist for Meaco's Sefte table and pedestal air circulators, of which I've bought three so far for my family. They're astonishingly quiet, very powerful and oscillate both vertically and horizontally to really move air around the room.

Unfortunately the big ones are sold out and apparently won't be back in stock until October 2026. However, there is an eight-inch rechargeable model with a list price of £79.99 (about $110 / AU$150) that's in stock at the time of writing. It pushes air up to 17 meters and runs as quietly as 27dB.View Deal

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: how we tested

I tested the FlexBlade for a week at my home in Scotland during July 2026's UK heatwave. Scotland escaped the worst, because while England boiled the temperatures here were milder, peaking at 27ºC / 80.6ºF. That's hot enough to need a powerful fan but not so hot that I was crawling into my freezer or taking cold showers fully clothed.

I work from home in a long downstairs room that gets sunshine from both directions during the day, and that means it's often warmer inside than out – especially in the evening, as UK homes are typically made to retain heat rather than reflect it. I tested the FlexBlade as a daytime fan in my living room/office and as a bedroom fan overnight to see if it could keep me cool during the day, cool my family in the evening and help me sleep better at night.

First tested July 2026

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Worry no more about wildfire smoke and $10,000 ticket prices. Sunday's final between Argentina and Spain — the first meeting of their transcendent stars — is here and seems destined to be a classic.

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Fluance RT87 Turntable review: two minute review

Nothing highlights the highs and lows of vinyl like a proper turn table such as the Fluance RT87. Maybe you’ve been using the same Audio Technica LP-60 or even Crossley or Victrola that proliferates the storefront of every record store you’ve ever been to. No shame, I’ve had each at some point.

But there’s something about a fully manual turntable from assembling and calibrating (and testing one’s patience) to cleaning a record every time you put a new one on. Convenient is not necessarily a word that I would use for this process. But it is a bit meditative. More importantly, the audio quality you get a step above with that analog warmth that the best turntables are known for, while not adding unnecessary distortion that may make your vinyl also sound a bit unintentionally lo-fi.

Of course, spending the $799.99 / £666.33 / AU$1,231.70 is not enough for that immersive listening experience. You should probably get a pair of the best stereo speakers you can afford. And if those speakers don’t have a built-in phono preamp, you’ll have to get one of those too. This turntable does not come with one.

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: price and release date

The Fluance RT87 is playing Kacey Musgraves. (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• How much does it cost? $799.99 (around £666 / AU$1,230)
• When is it available? Available now (launched in June 2026)
• Where can you get it? Available now in the US; UK and Australia coming soon

Newest among Fluance’s offerings with a mid-June 2026 release, the Fluance RT87 is available in the US and will (at the time of writing) be available in the UK,and Australia very soon. And whether you get it in Natural Walnut, Piano Black, or Piano White, the price goes for an only-cheap-to-audiophile price of $799.99 (around £666 / AU$1,230). And that price stays the same regardless of cartridge, of which you can choose from the Ortofon 2M Blue or Audio Technica AT-VM95ML.

Just be aware that the Fluance RT87 does not have a built-in phono preamp, so you’ll need to invest in one. Fluance does sell the PA10 Phono Preamp for $99.99 / £82.99 / AU$154 and can be bundled (though without a discount) on its site.

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: features

The Fluance RT87 has a speed selector, so no need to change the belt. (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Very light on features and extra perks — the connoisseurs' choice
• No phono preamp or 45 RPM adapter
• Does come with a bubble level

If the Fluance RT87 is more for the audio purist and I think that’s who the brand is targeting, then it makes sense that this turntable is pretty light on convenience-focused features. There is no built-in phono preamp — something you can find on much cheaper decks like the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT. And, of course, you won’t find Bluetooth connectivity or any other unique types of connectivity.

I don’t say this as a bad thing, either. After all, the Fluance RT87 is meant for someone ready to enter more serious vinyl listening and all those extra accoutrements take away from what’s important and that’s its performance and everything involved in making sure that it performs properly.

While I’ll cover most of those choices for performance in the next couple sections, it’s worth noting that the Fluance RT87 comes with the option of either the Ortofon 2M Blue or Audio Technica AT-VM95ML cartridge, either of which cost over $150 as just as part ($166.99 and $179.00, respectively). The configuration reviewed here is the Ortofon 2M Blue.

While there are plenty of opinions out there on both cartridges and how they affect the sound and I won’t parse out that whole conversation — people’s opinions of cartridges are as varied as they are on any other piece of audio equipment — other than to say that either cartridge marks an entry point into serious audio quality from more budget cartridges… just like the Fluance RT87 itself.

It’s also worth mentioning that this turntable can play 78, 45, and 33 RPM, via a selector on the lower left corner of the turntable so no need to adjust the belt like some turntables. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a 45 RPM adapter. Additionally, it has an Auto-Stop toggle on the back.

Features score: 3 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: sound quality

The Fluance RT87 being used in a somewhat treated room. (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Has a sweet, slightly warm sound
• Soundstage is immersive
• No discernable inner groove distortion

I learned a lot about my records using the Fluance RT87 as my conduit. I learned that I didn’t like the way Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is mixed. I learned that there’s way too much happening in Kamasi Washington’s Truth. Just to name a few.

You hear something that was there this whole time, but you noticed it on this last listen. And that’s not something that typically happens with entry-level gear. In short, I really enjoyed listening to the Fluance RT87. And while the turn table is a step or two up from entry-level gear (maybe beginner audiophile gear or first serious turntable level), the rest of the chain was more on the budget side — Fluance’s affordable PA10 phono amp and the company’s Ai41 speakers. Solid gear, but not transcendent.

One of the good things about using the Ai41 speakers is its Bluetooth connectivity. I could compare a record to a digital stream of the same music via HiFi through Deezer, which I did in a few cases. Rumours, for instance, got a play through vinyl as well as Kacey Musgrave’s Golden Hour. And the vinyl sounded just a little bit better. Maybe it’s the even-order harmonics. Maybe it’s using physical media over digital zeros and ones. To me, everything through the Fluance RT87 had this little bit of bloom to it. It just sounded a little bit sweeter.

Since I had done my best to properly set up my bookshelf speakers when I did my serious listening, I found the soundstage to be expansive and enveloping during listening sessions. I mentioned Kamasi Washington’s Truth, from his album Harmony of Difference before. When playing that song (really the whole record), not only could I hear his band to the outer reaches of where the speakers were projecting, but I could hear precise placement of various horn parts placed across the sound stage. In the same vein, Radiohead’s Pyramid Song sounded phenomenal on this setup.

As far as frequency response goes, I was pretty pleased. With the obvious caveat that the speakers are going to be the biggest bottleneck in a sound system (a bit of an oversimplification), I found the mid-range to be rich and full. Kacey Musgrave’s voice and guitar on Slow Burn, the opening track from Golden Hour, has weight to it. And the high-end has plenty of detail, while retaining some of the warmth of analog as it’s a tiny bit rolled off in a pleasing kind of way.

Now, the bass response is a bit tighter as opposed to big or woolly. It was still very present. Sure, it has a defined space on an older record like Rumours or Talking Heads’ Remain In The Light, but it’s easily placeable and doesn’t overpower the mix in something like FKA Twigs’ EP1.

Lastly, every record I played had a good amount of headroom so that the music came through clearly and without any real distortion (outside of those even order harmonics). And there wasn’t any discernable inner groove distortion either as the stylus would wind its way to the end of each side.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: design

Fluance RT87's acrylic platter is hefty, weighing about four pounds. (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Heavy-duty plinth and platter
• Belt-driven
• Removable cartridge

If you’re just getting into turntables, you might be wondering what puts the Fluance RT87 in a more expensive price bracket compared to a lot of the popular, feature-filled turntables out there, one of which you might be upgrading from.

Obviously the sound quality is a huge part of that, which we’ve already covered, but that sound quality is affected by the build of the Fluance RT87. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that it’s a classy-looking deck with a high-gloss finish, available in Natural Walnut (reviewed here), Piano White, and Piano Black. It is made from MDF, but that’s actually a positive, as it doesn’t create any resonance.

Getting back to that build, the plinth, aka the body or chassis of the turntable, is heavy — the whole thing weighs 21 lb (9.5 kg) — giving the turntable a durable feel. Also, the acrylic platter is hefty in and of itself at 4.1 lb (1.85 kg). Incidental bumping or closing of the dust cover, which is surprisingly easy to scratch, doesn’t skip or affect the sound. And unless your record is warped, it will rotate without any up or down motion.

This is a belt-driven turntable with an adjustable and rigid carbon fiber tonearm (you even get a little hex wrench to adjust it), complete with removable counterweight and tiny anti-skate weight, and replaceable cartridge. I’ve mentioned earlier the two types of cartridges to select from and the fact that the reviewed model here came with the Ortofon 2M Blue. It’s worth noting that this is a moving magnet cartridge with a nude elliptical stylus.

The feet, of which there are three, are adjustable to help level the Fluance RT87. They are basically large, mostly silicon silicon screws.

Control-wise, there’s just the speed selector on the front, left corner of the plinth and the auto-stop toggle on the back. The ports are about as Spartan — just stereo RCA inputs and a ground outlet.

As far as extras go, the turntable comes with a RCA cable, ground cable, hex wrench for adjusting the tone arm, and bubble level, so you can adjust the turntable’s angle accordingly before you end up butchering any records. Brushes and any extras will require an individual purchase.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: ease of use and setup

• Putting it together takes ten minutes
• Not plug-and-play
• Fine tuning takes even longer

There's a bit of assembly required with the Fluance RT87. (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

This should not be your first turntable. There’s ritual to setting up the Fluance RT87, as there is for a lot of turntables once you graduate beyond the three-to-four hundred dollar range. Because of that, it was equal parts frustrating and engaging. So, yes, there is some assembly required.

When first unboxing, I had to remove everything from its plastic wrapping and then spend probably five minutes just getting everything all together. I had to put the platter on the plinth, put the belt around the platter and then on the motor, put the Ortofon cartridge on one end of the tonearm followed by the counterweight on the other end, then on goes the anti-skate weight, and, lastly, I had to add the hinges to the dust cover and then attach it to the plinth.

But wait, we’re not ready to start playing any records. I had to turn the platter a few times with the belt on so that it’s evenly distributed. Since the platter doesn’t have a ridge or indentation for the belt, it has a habit of slipping off (and still does if I’m a bit clumsy removing a record after play) — something you don’t have to deal with on cheaper decks.

I also had to adjust the feet so that the turntable is completely level, making sure records lie flat during play. This takes a bit of time because you have to reach under and turn each foot clockwise to extend (counter-clockwise to shorten) until the bubble level shows its bubble directly in the center. This took me about ten minutes of adjusting initially, though to be fair, I was using a table that wasn’t very level. After moving the Fluance RT87 from the table I first had it set up on to a different, somewhat treated room where I had to put it on the floor, it required much less adjusting.

Adjusting the tonearm’s counterweight took quite a while as I had to be precise in getting it to balance flat instead of flying up and away from the turntable or digging into my records. While it’s par for the course, this probably also took me about ten minutes of adjusting, though that’s partially because I set it up according to the manual and found the tonearm to still not have enough weight from the counterweight.

Similarly, the anti-skate weight here is a bit finicky as well. It’s just a tiny ball on a thread thin enough to thread a needle with a loop on the other end to attach to the tonearm. The tonearm attachment is basically a lever with four notches on it to account for different anti-skate weight needs (for instance, the anti-skate should loop over a different rung when using the Ortofon cartridge versus the Audio-Technica one). Not only did it take some experimentation to find the right setting, but the loop kept slipping off its rung.

If you’re upgrading to your first big-boy or big-girl turntable and considering this one, just be ready to put in some time getting it right before actually using it. Also be aware that some of the required attention to detail during setup is not unique to this turntable, though anti-skate weights aren’t always a tiny ball on a tiny string.

Usability and setup score: 3.5 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: value

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Less features and automation than cheaper turntables
• Better sound quality than those cheaper turntables
• Some entry-to-premium decks may sound as good, but aren’t as sturdy

It’s interesting that the cheaper decks are the more convenient. It’s almost as if the more money you spend, the less features. Exhibit A, for instance, might be the FiiO TT13. This turntable costs a little over a quarter of the price of the Fluance RT87 ($249 / £239 / AU$249 if you need specifics), while adding in Bluetooth connectivity, a built-in phono amp, a fully automatic tonearm, and, frankly, due to its plug-n-play design requires none of the setup or fine tuning of the record player reviewed here. But I would hazard that the Fluance RT87 sounds quite a bit better since it has a bit more heft to its sound.

If you’ve been looking at upping your vinyl game, you might have already looked at the popular Rega Planar PL1, which at $595 / £299 / AU$645, is probably a more direct comparison. But, while the Rega also has a pretty spacious sound, it’s a bit more workmanlike in construction. It’s more utilitarian in looks and is much more light weight in construction. The Fluance RT87’s acrylic platter alone weighs about half of the Rega Planar PL1, making the Fluance more likely to absorb shocks and bumps without fuss.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Fluance RT87 Turntable?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

While it’s to be expected on more serious turntables, this one is very light on features, though at least one can change from 33 to 45 rpm without having to adjust the belt.

3/5

Sound quality

The Fluance RT87 sounds really good, able to reproduce that analog warmth with body and spaciousness.

5/5

Design

From the removable but capable Ortofon Blue 2M (or AT-VM95ML) cartridge to the heavy acrylic platter and more, this turn table was built for durability and for quality.

4.5/5

ease of use and setup

There’s a lot of fine tuning required to set the RT87 up properly. And it’s probably going to take a little while. This part may exercise your patience.

3.5/5

Value

The Fluance RT87 is not a cheap turntable, but as a turntable for those ready to get serious about their listening experience, it’s appropriately priced.

4/5

Average Rating

Excellent sound, heavy duty build — there’s a lot to love. Too bad it doesn’t have a built-in phono preamp.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want immersive, impressive audio
With a good pair of speakers in tow, the Fluance RT87 will make your record collection come alive with audio that has heft as well as breadth. It just sounds good.

You’re ready for a serious turntable
Yeah, you have to do a bunch of set up and it doesn’t have Bluetooth, but if you want a solid turntable for serious listening, the Fluance RT87 should be in consideration.

You’re worried about vibrations
There’s the rubberized, adjustable feet, a substantial plinth, and a hefty platter. This turntable won’t skip or scratch from a bump (if you have it set up correctly).

Don't buy it if...

You prioritize value
While I think the Fluance RT87 is worth its price tag, I’ll also admit that it’s pretty high. Most people wanting to get into vinyl or step up from their very first record player will probably not want to spend $800 on one.

You need a phono preamp
The Fluance RT87 does not have a phono preamp. If you’re not prepared to pay for this additional piece, then you might want to look elsewhere.View Deal

Fluance RT87 Turntable review:: Also consider

Fluance RT81
If you’re reading this review and liking what you see except for the price tag, Fluance does have the RT81, which costs less than half the price. It still sounds good, though not as good (less detail, inconsistent speed), and is much more convenient to use.
Read our full Fluance RT81 reviewView Deal

Rega Planar PL1
The Rega Planar PL1 is not nearly as heavy duty as the Fluance RT87. And it’s a bit more utilitarian looking. But it also sounds very good and is a couple hundred bucks cheaper.
Read our full Rega Planar PL1 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Fluance RT87 Turntable

• Used regularly for a few weeks
• Played through Fluance P10 Phono Preamp and Fluance Ai41
• Played at various speeds and different size records

I used the Fluance RT87 for a few weeks, listening to as wide a variety of music from Rock to Jazz to Americana that I could. In so doing, I used the different speeds as well as seeing how it did with different size records. I also used the record player in a couple different rooms and with a couple different speakers, the Fluance Ai41 mentioned above and the Klipsch The Nines II.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

• First reviewed: July 2026
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