Tablets are an interesting product category — somewhere between asmartphoneand alaptop . It can be heavy to find a honorable habit for a tablet , to be honest , but one of its greatest use caseful is for media phthisis . Whether read or watching video , tablets can surpass in that domain .
But when you look at the pill market , Apple ’s iPadlargely rule it , and it ’s difficult to detect anAndroid tabletthat stand up out from the gang — specially for the lower to mid tier . That ’s where TCL and its NxtPaper equipment come in .
The TCL NxtPaper 11 is a budget Android lozenge with a typical , newspaper - comparable matte display that realise it a enceinte reading tablet . Is it worth a steal ? Let ’s find out .
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
TCL NxtPaper 11: design
The overall excogitation of the TCL NxtPaper 11 is n’t groundbreaking . It ’s your distinctive slab of tablet , with flat edges that have become received on almost every lozenge since Apple start doing it with the iPad Pro .
Though the TCL NxtPaper 11 would be considered a budget tablet , the build quality does n’t quite feel that room . The aluminium anatomy and body are remarkably slight and lightweight , making it well-to-do to hold and carry around . On the back are a simple individual - lens 8MP camera module , the TCL logo , and a darker - colored antenna airstrip along the top border .
Even though the NxtPaper 11 is a budget tablet , it has a bounty look and feel .
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
Along the top edge ( horizontal orientation ) is the volume rocker and microSD card tray . Along the side are the quad speakers , and the sleep / wake release is on the leftover edge .
Again , even though the NxtPaper 11 is a budget pad , it has a insurance premium depend and feel . But that does n’t extend to the front , as there is a thick bezel around the display . However , that ’s to be expected with a dispirited - tier tablet , and it ’s just something you ’ll get used to after a while .
TCL NxtPaper 11: display
The most unique matter about the TCL NxtPaper 11 is the exhibit . It sports an 11 - in 2 K display with 2000 x 1200 pixel solution . It ’s certainly not the high answer out there , but it get the line of work done . However , the brightness level only catch up to 500 nits , and the refresh charge per unit is only 60Hz , and it definitely exhibit as you use the lozenge .
But that ’s not the interesting thing about the display . No , the most alone thing about the display is that even though it ’s an LCD panel , it ’s reminiscent of an e - reader thanks to a nano - material layer on the top , giving it a matte and anti - reflective look and a tone similar to newspaper . This stratum also involve what you see on the filmdom , which is why not everything looks as abrupt as you ’d like .
TCL claims this level is supposed to eliminate fingermark , but that is not exclusively reliable — I experienced fingerprints and smudges like a even tablet or smartphone exhibit .
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
The NxtPaper display technology is also theorise to serve bring down the middle strain you get with standard LCD screens . There are also different watch modes that you may toggle on through NxtVision , include a dedicated Reading Mode that turns the display into a grayscale projection screen like a Kindle , or Eye Comfort Mode that filters out all blue brightness level from the display .
While I wish how the display wait overall , especially the anti - meditative part , I ’m not a devotee of how easy it is to get fingerprints and slur all over . And because it ’s basically another layer on top of the display , this is n’t the best option for go through video , as visibility is affected . The TCL NxtPaper 11 is great for reading , though .
The 60Hz refresh charge per unit is also disappointing , as it is very ostensible when you do passably much anything on the pad of paper . There ’s stuttering as you switch between apps or riposte to the family blind , and scroll through things is not smooth . A 60Hz video display is not as noticeable on a pocket-sized smartphone blind ( like theiPhone 15 ) but much well-situated to point out on large tablet displays .
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
TCL NxtPaper 11: performance and software
Since this is a budget lozenge , do n’t expect any flagship chips or processors , especially for the price . The TCL NxtPaper 11 comes fit with a MediaTek Helio P60 T cow dung , 6 GB RAM , and 256 GB storage that is expandable up to 1 TB through a microSD wit .
The Helio P60 T poker chip is a chip that ’s often been discover inChromebooks . The Helio P60 T is n’t the most performant chip out there , and it definitely read as you use the TCL NxtPaper 11 — peculiarly when it only has 6 GB RAM .
You get Android 13 with TCL ’s customs duty UI on the NxtPaper 11 . The overall experience with it is not as smooth as I hop . I experienced noticeable meantime and stutter when pilot the house CRT screen and menus , opening and scrolling through apps , and sometimes even the Wi - Fi feels a mo slow . During my initial apparatus , I call back it seemed to have an topic connecting to my Wi - Fi web , which I ’ve never receive before when test countless dissimilar smartphones and tablets .
On the package front , it ’s a pretty fresh take on Android 13 . You have your typical Google entourage of apps , and I did n’t get a lot of bloatware on my unit . The drop - down dialog box for notifications is slightly dissimilar from most other Android tablets I ’ve tried , but the functionality is the same .
TCL does have an optional T - Pen stylus that has 4,096 level of pressure sensitiveness , but I did not get one with my unit . It ’s a number left over , though , as this is the variety of tablet you would definitely expect a stylus to fall standard ; the newspaper - like silver screen is just begging for it .
Overall , the performance of the TCL NxtPaper 11 is not too impressive . You should n’t go into a pad of paper at this price expecting breakneck performance , but even considering the price , the NxtPaper 11 is disappointing .
TCL NxtPaper 11: cameras
No one buys a tab for the television camera — at least you should n’t . I ’ll always be part of the group that cogitate it ’s never o.k. to expend a tablet for bewitch pic unless youreallycan’t get to your smartphone . irrespective , the TCL NxtPaper 11 does not instill with the television camera .
The TCL NxtPaper 11 has a single 8MP camera on the back and an 8MP selfie television camera along the longer edge of the display . It can also commemorate TV at 1080p settlement and 30 inning per second .
Most devices have at least 12MP cameras , so the NxtPaper 11 does not take good photos . They miss item , the colors do n’t expect bang-up , and the selfie camera is even bad ; it made me front orangish as I sat at my desk . I immediately deleted it because it looked horrendous .
You could apply the selfie camera for video recording calls if you utterly must , but it wo n’t look great . And I theorise it ’s decent enough to scan document if you need to . But beyond that , do n’t expect much more at all .
TCL NxtPaper 11: battery and charging
TCL put an 8,000mAh assault and battery in the NxtPaper 11 , which is pretty good for a lozenge of this sizing . It will last at least a full daytime or two with restrained to big usage and several mean solar day with light-colored manipulation . Of of course , this does n’t quite match up to a standard due east - reviewer , such as Kindle , as those can last weeks , not days .
But the worst part of the TCL NxtPaper 11 is the charging . It comes with a 5W courser in the loge , which is fabulously wearisome . If you employ it , it ’ll take aboutfour hoursto get a full charge . TCL says it can support up to 18W fast charging , but for an 8,000mAh battery , that will still be sorely slow .
While the NxtPaper 11 has impressive stamina , that slow charging is a veridical drag . This is absolutely one of those devices you ’ll postulate to blame up overnight .
TCL NxtPaper 11: price and availability
The TCL NxtPaper 11 comes in two colors : moody gray and digital lavender . It retails for $ 230 , and you may find out it instantly on the TCL website . However , it look to be out of bloodline at the consequence , so if you want to buy one , you ’ll have to check out back .
Though the TCL NxtPaper 11 extend a alone showing resonant of an e - reader , there are other alternatives you could consider if you want to stay strictly in this cost ambit .
For example , there ’s theAmazon Fire Max 11 , which is in ourbest tablet roundup . While it ’s not the absolute best tablet out there , it does give you a lot of eruption for your one dollar bill . It ’s an 11 - inch tablet that is lightweight , easy to use , and packs a decent amount of baron in a minuscule parcel . It does have its own curing of quirk , like not coming with the Google Play Store by default , but it ’s one of Amazon ’s good offerings lately . And you ca n’t beat the price — $ 230 , currently on sales event for less , and pronto available .
TCL NxtPaper 11: verdict
I was initially drawn to the NxtPaper 11 because of the unique display . And for that , it ’s great — peculiarly if you do a fate of reading . I love the matte stopping point because it ’s anti - glare and easier on my eyes . But I was also disappointed that it ’s just as easy to get smudges all over , despite TCL ’s claim that it is n’t .
The overall performance of the NxtPaper 11 is also dissatisfactory . There ’s a lot of stutter and choppiness when just navigate around , and when you merge a mediocre chipset with a 60Hz refresh rate , well , thing just are n’t suave . And while the battery life-time is great , I do n’t screw what made TCL reckon that including a 5W courser with an 8,000mAh battery tablet is okay .
While it has a solid form and promise feature , it ’s very manifest once you expend the TCL NxtPaper 11 that this is a budget pad . It ’s a decorous option to consider primarily for its NxtPaper video display technical school , but beyond that , you could do better elsewhere .
