TCL has just introduced the NXTPAPER 10s, a budget Android tablet that aims to replicate the feel of real paper and also takes care of the user's eyes by cutting down blue light exposure. The NXTPAPER solution was showcased about two years ago to deliver a paper-like viewing experience without the typical glass screen flaws such as glaring, flickering, or pixel burn-in over time. The secret sauces are a transflective display and proprietary light polymerization tricks to deliver natural light without any of its harshness in tow.
For the NXTPAPER tech, TCL patented some eye protection contrivances that work at both software and hardware levels, blocking harmful blue light and providing a softer lumination. The result might sound like what colored e-ink panels aim to achieve, but TCL's solution is still a traditional screen with IPS technology at its heart. Aside from offering a colorful paper-like experience, the overall setup is also said to be more power-efficient. However, it does not know how it stacks up against modern solutions like LTPO panels for automatic refresh rate adjustment.
The latest TCL device to extract benefits of the in-house tech is the NXTPAPER 10s tablet, which costs about $250 and builds upon the Tab 10S that was launched last year. In its Consumer Electronics Show 2022 press release, TCL notes that the display hardware of its latest tablet utilizes 10 layers of protection that cuts down blue light exposure by half. The anti-glare layer on top ensures that colors don't appear dull or washed out when viewed from an angle. Plus, the proprietary T Pen is there for jotting down notes and scribbling terrible cartoons on the paper-like screen, but there is no fancy stuff like tilt or pressure detection that the Apple Pencil delivers on iPads.
All About The Display, Not Much Else
The 10.1-inch screen has a 1200 x 1920 pixels resolution with 10-point multitouch support. An entry-level MediaTek MT8768E processor with eight cores runs things under the hood, ticking alongside four gigs of RAM and 64GB of storage. Thankfully, users can expand the onboard storage via a microSD card of up to 256GB capacity. At the back is an 8-megapixel camera, while the selfie camera relies on a 5-megapixel fixed-focus sensor. The 18W charger and a passive stylus will come included in the box, which is surprising in an era when $1,000+ phones don't extend that courtesy. TCL will separately sell an active stylus, type case, flip cover, and a writing pad as well.
Keeping the lights on is an 8,000mAh battery, but support for cellular connectivity is missing. The tablet runs Android 11 out of the box, which is disappointing as Android 12 was released months ago. In fact, Google recently pushed out a foldable and tablet-optimized version called Android 12L via an update. Priced at $250, the TCL NXTPAPER 10s will first arrive in China and Europe later this month, before the company sets a date for an American market debut. Buyers will have a choice between two color options — Ethereal Sky (read: light green) and Dark Grey.
Source: TCL / PRNewswire