TCL NXTPAPER 11 Tablet Arrives To Challenge Both Kindle E-Readers And Android Slates
Display fatigue can be a real thing, and not just in the wear and tear on your eyeballs, but also in the sheer number of devices found in any given home. Televisions, laptops, desktop PCs, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches—it all adds up. It's not a bad idea to try and consolidate, and that's what TCL's new NXTPAPER 11 tablet aims to do, at least if you're an avid reader.
There are a few things that stand out about TCL's latest slate, though the one that caught my eye is the 11-inch display. At first glance, it seems fairly typical—it's a full-color 2K panel (2000x1200 resolution, 5:3 aspect ratio) with a peak brightness rating of 500 nits and adaptive brightness. However, TCL is also touting a textured finish that purportedly gives it an edge over other tablets. Additionally, it features a nano-material layer to combat glare and fingerprints.
"Unlike regular tablets, the NXTPAPER 11 reduces harmful blue light by up to 61% and has a matte finish and textured screen to offer a paper-like visual experience, reminiscent of an e-reader," TCL explains.
As someone who purchased a Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition last year, I'm intrigued by TCL's claim—there's a built-in reading mode that, combined with the textured display, is supposed to allow users to "experience a book-like feel."
I'm also skeptical that the NXTPAPER 11 can truly challenge e-ink displays commonly found on e-readers for reading books, as they truly are easier on the eyes than a standard LCD screen. If it can at least come close, however, then TCL could have a winning product on its hands. The downside to e-readers is that while they may look like a tablet, their focus is singular—reading. Stay tuned because we're working to get an NXTPAPER 11 in for review.
Internally, the NXTPAPER 11 is powered by MediaTek's 12nm octa-core Helio P60T SoC, which itself is comprised of four ARM Cortex-A73 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 2GHz, and an ARM Mali-G72MP3 GPU.
It also features 6GB of RAM, 256GB of built-in storage, an SD card slot supporting up to 1TB of additional storage, Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5 wireless connectivity, a USB-C port, 8MP cameras (one each on the front and back), four built-in speakers, and an 8,000mAh battery that's rated for up to 13 hours of mixed usage and up to 940 hours of standby time.
The NXTPAPER 11 is currently available on Amazon for $229.99, which is $60 below the MSRP. That puts it within striking distance of Samsung's Tab A8, which is available for $172.99 (down from $229.99), as well as Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which currently goes for $189.99 (price will likely drop when more Black Friday deals go into effect--I paid $129.99 last November).
