For years, TCL has been pushing the NXTPAPER technology, a type of color LCD screen that offers a more restful reading experience for your eyes. TCL has just announced a major evolution with NXTPAPER 3.
At CES 2024, TCL unveiled NXTPAPER 3 and the all products that will use it for the year to come.
What is NXTPAPER?
NXTPAPER is a technology based on LCD screens which, unlike e-ink screens, relies on an older technology: liquid crystals.
However, TCL has modified the way this type of screen produces light to offer a less aggressive experience for the eyes. The result is a screen with softer lighting that offers more entertainment possibilities than e-ink screens.
The NXTPAPER technology makes it possible not only to read, but also to display videos and play games smoothly.
Unfortunately, all is not rosy, as these screens have great difficulty in being convincing when exposed to an external light source, such as the sun.
When reading an ebook in the garden, their performance is far inferior to that of an e-ink e-reader screen.
NXTPAPER 3: what's new?
NXTPAPER 3 arrives with a host of new features.
First of all, TCL has improved the display by eliminating artifacts on color rendering and the blue light filter - which is much more efficient than that of the previous generation NXTPAPER.
NXTPAPER 3 now uses a CPL (Circularly Polarized Light) display that also enhances the outdoor reading experience by playing on the screen's "reflectivity", i.e. the way light reflects off its surface.
Another point: the luminous intensity of the lighting has been improved by 10%.
The aim of all these adjustments is to make the LCD screen less tiring on the eyes, while offering an experience close to that of conventional smartphone or tablet screens.
NXTPAPER 3: pros and cons
The advantages of the NXTPAPER 3 screen are its wide color palette and excellent refresh rate, making it ideal for displaying videos or playing video games.
The tablets that use it are Android-based, so the user experience is very similar to that of a conventional tablet.
It's also possible to switch this screen to a "black and white" mode, which is easier on the eyes when reading ebooks.
But the NXTPAPER 3 also has its drawbacks. The first is that it's a TCL technology, found only in their products: smartphones and tablets. So there's not much choice, and you'll have to make do with what TCL has to offer.
NXTPAPER devices are also available in limited quantities and are sometimes hard to find in the USA.
Finally, while the reading experience is appreciable and better than on a conventional smartphone or tablet, it still seems below what an e-reader is capable of.
Indeed, NXTPAPER screens still "play" a lot with ambient light, which is a disadvantage when it comes to reading text.
What tablets and smartphones with NXTPAPER 3?
In addition to announcing this technology, TCL also presented various devices at CES 2024 that use NXTPAPER 3 screens.
TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G
A 6.6" smartphone with a NXTPAPER 3 screen.
- 256GB Large Memory
- 6+6GB RAM Expansion
- 50MP AI Triple Camera
TCL 40 NXTPAPER
A 6.78" FHD+ 90Hz smartphone with a NXTPAPER Display.
- 32MP Front Camera
- 256GB Large Memory
- 8+8GB RAM Expansion
TCL NXTPAPER 11
A 11" screen tablet (Android 13) with a 2k NXTPAPER display.
- 2K 11" NXTPAPER Display
- Premium Design
- 8000mAh Big Battery
TCL NXTPAPER 12 PRO
A 12.2" screen tablet (Android 13) with a 2k NXTPAPER display.
TCL website: https://www.tcl.com/
