The TCL Nxtpaper has been among the more anticipated display technologies. That has much to do with the tall claims that the company had initially made, that of its next-generation display tech being more advanced than the E Ink Kaleido Plus e-paper display. The company also recently launched the TCL Nxtpaper 10S tablet which naturally roused interest among tech enthusiasts worldwide. TCL too has said the Nxtpaper 10S comes with display enhancements that make it easy on our eyes. Now, does that surpass the reading comfort that the Kaleido Plus stands for? Or what else does the latest TCL tablet brings to the mix? Let’s find out.
Design, look, and build
The TCL Nxtpaper 10S comes across as a decent tablet offering that has nothing too extravagant about it. Build quality is good with the 10.1-inch IPS display flanked by bezels that aren’t too thick or thin. At 490 grams and with an overall depth of 8.3mm, the tablet is quite thin and light, making it convenient to lug around. There is no SIM card support but offers dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity options. There is an FM radio as well and supports GPS. For charging and data transfer, there is the USB Type-C port that the tablet comes with.
Under the hood lies a Mediatek MT8768 octa-core processor and PowerVR GE8320 that does a good job of providing enough processing grunt. There is 4 GB of memory onboard along with 64 GB of storage, the latter being expandable via microSD cards. Keeping the lights on is an 8000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. There are two speakers on board along with a 3.5 mm headphone jack as well. For optics, there is the 8 MP wide-angle sensor at the back with an f/2.0 aperture, complete with an LED flash. The front gets a 5 MP wide-angle shooter with an f/2.2 aperture.
Display
As already stated, the TCL Nxtpaper 10S comes with a 10.1-inch 1200 x 1920 pixels IPS display having a 16:10 aspect ratio and 224 PPI density. The company is claiming extreme viewing angles and that is something that is really to be seen to be believed. View from almost any angle and you will still be able to make out what is on the display.
While that is great, what is not is the Nxtpaper bit in the tablet’s name which seems to be the most confusing thing with the tablet. That again has much to do with the display technology by the same name that the company had showcased in 2021. It had then claimed Nxtpaper display to be a replacement for e-paper displays. So, when the company actually launches a tablet carrying the Nxtpaper name, it is the same display that was expected but that is not to be with the Nxtpaper 10S that is currently on sale.
So, where do things stand with the 10S so far as the display is concerned? What is amply clear is that it is nowhere near the e-paper replacement that the company had claimed its Nxtpaper technology is going to be. Rather, it is a regular display as is the case with almost all LCD or LED tablets out there. The company though has offered some nice technological aids with the tablet to make it eye-friendly. That includes the anti-blue-ray feature that should lead to markedly reduced blue light being incident on the eyes.
TCL also said the display does not pick up a yellow or orange tint, as is the case with most other devices on the pretext of allowing for maximum eye protection. That said, the display does look yellow when the color temperature is set at the max and you will have to select a convenient spot if you don’t like the yellow effect. Nonetheless, all of these do make the display look cool but there is no denying it still is an emissive display and is going to hurt the eyes if stared at for long. As for the Nxtpaper display, there is no word yet as to when it will feature in an actual device that is available for sale.
Stylus
Things again are a bit disappointing with the stylus. It is hollow on the inside, and in spite of a triangular shape that should allow for easy grasp with the finger, it still does not seem comfortable to hold and operate. The stylus does not include any button as such and lacks an eraser as well. The tip seems to be a piece of plastic with an aluminum build. The stylus does not have any magnetic properties and hence does not get attached to the tablet.
A paper-like feel is also grossly missing when writing on the tablet. It however does not need charging, which is one positive aspect of the otherwise unimpressive pen. There is no pressure sensitivity and latency isn’t as low as one might expect. It’s just okay as a note-taking device but don’t expect much out of it.
Reading
There are a lot of ways the reading experience can be customized on the TCL Nxtpaper 10s. That includes selecting the perfect sweet spot for the color temperature or the page-turn animation. The latter does look cool as you turn the page which is quite similar to what a real paper looks like. The reading app also offers several convenient features. That includes selecting your own color for highlighting texts, translating or copying texts, searching the web, and so on.
Also, unlike e-paper displays, there is no ghosting effect. The page also refreshes instantaneously, making the page turn animation look really nice and life-like. PDFs too look nice, with natural and accurate color reproduction.
Final thoughts
The TCL Nxtpaper 10S is a decent tablet device running Android. However, you got to ignore the Nxtpaper bit and don’t expect it to offer the same levels of eye comfort as the e-paper display does. What made the company name the tablet as such is best known to it but beyond that, there is nothing much to shout home about with the tablet. That said, it isn’t a complete pushover either. In other words, it might be worth a look.
TCL Nxtpaper 10S
$399Pros
- 10.1 INCH FHD DISPLAY
- ANTI-GLARE
- Can take notes via T-PEN
- OCTA-CORE PROCESSOR
- 8000MAH LARGE BATTERY
Cons
- Heavy
- Mainly sold online
- Doesn't have true NXTPAPER E-Paper screen
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
