The TCL NXTPAPER 8 inch tablet is one of the most eagerly anticipated devices in a very long time. It is using a new type of LCD technology that does not have a backlight or a front-light. The colors are are produced by reusing natural light, and that it can producer a 25% higher contrast than e-ink. It’s also 65% more power efficient than LCD meaning devices that use Nxtpaper will last longer on a charge. This tablet is going to launch sometime in April and is available for pre-order on the Good e-Reader Store.
The full specs of the NXTPAPER have been revealed. It features a 8.8 IPS NXTPAPER display with a resolution of 1440×1080 with 200 PPI. It has a 10-point capacitive touch screen display. Although there is no light on the device, TCL will be producing one that slots into the USB port. You will be able to easy flip orientations with the G-Sensor, Hall Switch, L-Sensor and P-Sensor. It is also somewhat waterproof, with a certified rating of IP52 for water and dust resistance.
How does the NXTPAPER tablet handle brightness? It has an automatic adaptive brightness engine that detects the ambient light of your environment and adjusts brightness and color temperature accordingly for the best viewing. It currently has 26 unique eye protection patents and certifications from TÜV Rheinland, SGS and VDE. Innovative display technology filters out harmful blue light for softer, more natural illumination.
Underneath the hood is a MediaTek Helio MT8768 processor and a PowerVR GE8320 GPU. It packs 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage and has an SD card, capable of an additional 256GB of storage. It has USB Type-C, FM radio, Bluetooth 5.0. You will be able to take pictures via the 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and has a front-facing 5MP camera. There are stereo speakers, so you will be able to listen to audiobooks, music or podcasts, or you can plug in wired headphones into the 3.5mm headphone jack. There are two microphones, which will be useful if you want to install Zoom, Whatsapp, Skype or even Discord for voice communication. Speaking of which, there are numerous ways to connect to the internet. It has WIFI, but also a SIM card slot for GSM: B2/3/5/8, UMTS or WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8, TD-SCDMA: B34/B39 or LTE: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/17/18/19/20/26/28/34/38/39/40/4.
The TCL NXTPAPER 8.8 is powered by a giant 5,500 mAh battery, which should be good for 3-4 weeks or 400 hours of standby time. It has Android 10, but no word if it has Google Play. The dimensions are 203.76 x 150.77 x 7.45mm and weighs 316g.
I think this tablet is very compelling, it is the first true alternative to E INK, that will not cause eye fatigue, providing a comfortable paper-like viewing perfect for learning, working and streaming. The refresh rate is so much better than E INK, so you will be able to enjoy a high frame rate when reading ebooks with the Kindle app, digital comics, newspapers, magazines and other full color content. TCL told Good e-Reader that they are developing a pen for this model, so you will be able to draw and make notes.
What is most exciting about NXTPAPER is that the tech only took 3 years of active development and it will be available as a commercial product in April. This makes me so happy, because other alternatives to E INK are nowhere to be found, such as Plastic Logic, Clearink, Mirasol and Liquavista that have been languishing forever.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.