Modern tablets are incredibly powerful, but I’m often frustrated by their lack of versatility.
Technically, they can do everything your smartphone can do, but the typing experience feels tedious unless you connect a keyboard. Once you do, it might be able to replace your laptop, but only if you don’t worry about moving keys around and the relative lack of app support.
Currently, tablets occupy a happy medium between these two devices. In many cases, they’re great for browsing the web, watching videos, and gaming on mobile, but not much else.
However, TCL believes that the secret to unlocking their full potential is to make the screen itself more versatile. A bright, colorful LCD or OLED display is great for the tasks mentioned above, but less useful if you want to get a proper reading. After a few hours of doing anything with a regular tablet, you’ll probably start to develop eye strain or headaches.
TCL’s Nxtpaper displays have been the solution to this problem since 2021, significantly reducing the glare and harmful blue light you are exposed to.
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: normal color, monochrome E Ink and color E Ink. The latter is new for version 3.0.
I loved the way it sounded when it launched on the Nxtpaper 14 Pro at CES in January, describing it as “the most exciting Android tablet in years.”
And after trying it at the MWC tech show in Barcelona, I firmly stand by it. The Nxtpaper 14 Pro and Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G, launching alongside it in the US, make me much more likely to use a tablet regularly.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Even the standard color screen has a few key advantages over its competitors. A matte coating means there is virtually no reflection, allowing you to use it in direct sunlight without having to worry.
TCL also claims that Nxtpaper displays reduce harmful blue light by up to 61% compared to conventional versions. Blue light can cause eye strain and headaches, but it also has a longer-term impact on your vision.
I was only able to test the devices for a few minutes, so I cannot verify their beneficial impact. But being able to use a tablet before bed without having to put up with the usual yellow tint would be much appreciated.
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 these devices are much more limited than TCL tablets in terms of software.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
And something almost no e-reader offers is a color E Ink option. This is a unique hybrid of the other two modes, retaining key colors but making the display extremely comfortable to read. An e-reader just isn’t suitable for reading many non-fiction books or comics, but TCL tablets certainly are.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
TCL Nxtpaper 3.0 was also announced for two smartphones: the 50 XL Nxtpaper 5G and the 50 XE Nxtpaper 5G. However, the four devices mentioned in this article will initially be US-exclusive, with an update to 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 on the right track with Nxtpaper 3.0. Hopefully other tablet makers will follow TCL’s lead.
