TCL Nxtpaper Specifications and Price: A Tablet With Special Display (between E-ink and LCD)

Following the announcement of its new phones at CES 2021, TCL also launched two tablets – TCL Tab 10S and TCL Nxtpaper. While the first one is a pretty straightforward tablet the second one is really fascinating – it comes with a new display technology that protects the eyes, saves battery, and still delivers full color.

TCL Nxtpaper

The Nxtpaper switches the typical LCD for an NCVM-composite sheet. The abbreviation stands for non-conductive vacuum metallization, and the technology uses special materials that do not conduct electricity. The company said that it eliminated issues of e-ink displays like reduced pixel density, slow refresh rate etc. That is, it offers a 25% higher contrast than e-ink displays, and also consumers 65% less power than LCD.

This highly reflective IPS screen reuses natural light and is a FHD+ display with a 1440×1080 pixels. The NXTPAPER tablet’s display also gets TÜV Rheinland safety and provides less fatigue and strain to the eyes according to TCL.

Such a panel does not need any backlight, meaning there’s no blue light that usually strains the eyes during prolonged use. TCL’s aim was to make a device that can be used for the whole day, especially in these times where a lot of kids are studying at home. However, since it doesn’t emit light, it will ship with a dedicated light that goes into the USB.

Due to the NCVM panel’s specifics, the Nxtpaper is extremely thin, requires literally very little battery power, and brings the total thickness of the tablet to 7.4 mm, weighing just 316 grams. 

As for specs, it sports a 8.88-inch IPS display, MediaTek MT8768E SoC paired with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot. The rear camera is 8MP while the front boasts a 5MP sensor. 

The battery is 5,000 mAh and supports 18W charging, but due to the display’s low-power capabilities, it can last for 400 hours of standby time. And the OS is full Android 10, so no worries about compatibility or anything like that.

TCL Nxtpaper Specifications

Network Properties

• 2G bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• 3G bands: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
• 4G bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
• Speed: HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE

Launch

• Announced: 2021, January 12
• Status: Exp. release 2021, January

Design

• Dimensions: 203.8 x 150.8 x 7.5 mm (8.02 x 5.94 x 0.30 in)
• Weight: 316 g (11.15 oz)
• Colors: Ultramarine Green
• SIM: Nano-SIM
• Splash resistant

Display

• Type: IPS LCD
• Size: 8.88 inches, 244.2 cm2 (~79.5% screen-to-body ratio)
• Resolution: 1080 x 1440 pixels, 4:3 ratio (~203 ppi density)

Operating System

• Android 10

Hardware

• Chipset: Mediatek MT8768
• CPU: Octa-core 2.0 GHz
• GPU: PowerVR GE8320
• RAM: 4GB
• Memory Card slot: microSDXC

Cameras

• Main Camera: Single – 5 MP
• Video: 1080p@30fps
• Selfie Camera: Single – 8 MP
• Video: 1080p@30fps

Multimedia

• Radio: FM radio, built-in antenna
• Loudspeaker: Yes, with dual speakers
• Audio 3.5mm jack: Yes

Connectivity

• WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
• Bluetooth: 5.0, A2DP, LE
• GPS: Yes, with A-GPS
• NFC: No
• USB: USB Type-C 2.0

Features

• Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity

Battery

• Battery Type and Capacity: Li-Ion 5500 mAh, non-removable

Charging: Fast charging 18W

Price and Availability

TCL Nxtpaper will cost €349 once it launches in April 2021 and will even throw in cellular support – up to 4G. The color is only one – Ultramarine Green.