Modern tablets are incredibly powerful, but I’m often frustrated by their lack of versatility.
Technically, they can do everything your smartphone can, but the typing experience feels cumbersome unless you connect a keyboard. Once you do, it might be able to replace your laptop, but only if you don’t care about key travel and the relative lack of app support.
Currently, tablets occupy an awkward middle ground between those two devices. In many cases, they’re great for browsing the web, watching videos and mobile gaming, but not much else.
However, TCL believes that the secret to unlocking their full potential is making the display itself more versatile. A bright, colourful LCD or OLED screen is great for the tasks mentioned above, but less helpful if you want to do proper reading. After a few hours of doing anything on a regular tablet, you’ll probably start to develop eye strain or a headache.
TCL’s Nxtpaper displays have been the solution for this since 2021, dramatically reducing the glare and harmful blue light to which you’re exposed.
However, the latest Nxtpaper 3.0 standard takes things to the next level. For the first time, it allows you to switch between three distinct modes: regular colour, monochrome E Ink and colour E Ink. The latter is a new addition for version 3.0.
I loved the sound of this when it launched on the Nxtpaper 14 Pro at CES in January, describing it as “the most exciting Android tablet in years”.
And from trying it out at the MWC tech show in Barcelona, I stand firmly by that. The Nxtpaper 14 Pro, and Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G, which launched alongside it in the US, make me much more inclined to use a tablet regularly.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Even the regular colour display has a couple of key benefits compared to rivals. A matt coating means there are basically no reflections, allowing you to use it in bright sunlight without having to worry.
TCL also claims that Nxtpaper displays reduce harmful blue light by up to 61% compared to regular versions. Blue light can cause eye strain and headaches, but also have a longer-term impact on your vision.
I’ve only been able to test the devices for a few minutes, so can’t verify how much of a beneficial impact it has. But being able to use a tablet before bed without having to put up with common yellow tint would be much appreciated.
The monochrome E Ink mode means you essentially have a built-in e-reader. The Kindle Scribe and Kobo Elipsa 2E are its most obvious rivals, but those devices are much more limited than TCL tablets when it comes to software.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
And something almost no e-readers offer is a colour E Ink option. This is a unique hybrid of the other two modes, maintaining key colours but making the display extremely comfortable to read. An e-reader simply isn’t suitable for reading many non-fiction books or comics, but TCL tablets certainly are.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
TCL Nxtpaper 3.0 has also been announced for two smartphones: the 50 XL Nxtpaper 5G and 50 XE Nxtpaper 5G. However, all four of the devices mentioned in this article will be exclusive to the US initially, with an update on European models expected later in the year.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
But assuming the Nxtpaper 14 Pro and Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G perform well in other key areas, TCL is onto a winner with Nxtpaper 3.0. Hopefully other tablet makers will follow TCL’s lead.