TCL NXTPAPER 10s: The Next Gen Paper-Like Tablet Display at CES 2022
Back at IFA 2020, the Chinese consumer electronics giant TCL introduced the E-Ink Alternative NXTPAPER (pronounced: Next-Paper; roughly translates to “next generation paper”). The announcement made quite an impact, but it soon faded from memory in Western countries due to the lack of available devices.
At the recent CES 2022 electronics expo, TCL brought this technology back into the spotlight with the new NXTPAPER 10s tablet.
What is NXTPAPER (2020)?
How the transflective display technology works
NXTPAPER is a proprietary display technology designed to deliver a paper-like viewing experience. This aims to achieve a similar goal as the E-Ink displays from E Ink Holdings, which are familiar from e-readers.
Unlike traditional E-Ink screens, NXTPAPER emphasizes color representation more like conventional LCDs.
The technology operates on the principle of a standard RGB LCD display. However, instead of backlighting behind the RGB pixels, a reflective layer mirrors ambient light. Essentially, it functions as a transflective display technology.
The key difference from color E-Ink is that NXTPAPER manages black-and-white and color displays not through two separate layers, but by activating and deactivating the RGB subpixels.
This results in significantly higher color resolution, reaching Full-HD levels, compared to “E-Ink (new) Kaleido.” The refresh rate is also likely similar to that of a traditional LCD, although exact technical specifications have not yet been released.
The power consumption of NXTPAPER is expected to be 65 percent lower than that of a standard LCD display, primarily due to the absence of backlighting.
TCL also claims that various layers reduce unwanted reflections and blue light. The blue light reduction likely refers to ambient light, since there is no backlight. Further comments on this will follow.
A Closer Look at TCL NXTPAPER 10s
Since the “NXTPAPER Mid” tablet, presented at IFA 2020, never gained mainstream acceptance in the West, TCL is making a second attempt with the NXTPAPER 10s.
The new tablet is set to become available soon in China and Europe. The technical specifications sound promising from an e-reading perspective: it features an octa-core processor supported by 4 GB RAM. The tablet runs Android 11 and comes with 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded via MicroSD card.
The display features a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels (WUXGA) and claims to support up to 16 million colors. Input is handled through a 10-point capacitive touchscreen.
The 8000 mAh battery is designed to ensure long operating times. For connectivity, the device supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and USB-C. Two speakers, microphones, as well as a front (5 MP) and rear camera (8 MP), provide a complete multimedia experience.
Everything sounds promising, but the following video raises a critical question that we will explore further below. Starting at minute 30:20, TCL briefly showcases the new tablet in the CES 2022 stream:
Backlight or Frontlight?
The video presents the TCL NXTPaper 10s tablet in a brief demonstration, showing that the tablet’s screen emits its own light rather than solely reflecting ambient light.
Frontlighting on the TCL NXTPaper 10s? Light halos at the bottom edge of the screen. Image source: GSMArena
It looked different at IFA 2020, where an unlit display (Minute 53:50) was shown during the technology’s debut, closely resembling a typical e-paper display.
This naturally raises the question of what developments have taken place since the original announcement of the NXTPAPER technology a year and a half ago.
Currently, there are two main hypotheses from my perspective:
- NXTPAPER now primarily focuses on reducing reflections and blue light; it may be a backlit display with specialized layers designed to achieve the eye-friendly effect often highlighted in press releases.
- NXTPAPER, similar to conventional e-readers, could use a frontlight that illuminates the screen indirectly with LEDs positioned in the bezel.
The hands-on review from GSMArena showcases the tablet from different angles, revealing light halos along one edge of the screen, which could point to a frontlight system.
The technology is listed as Non-conductive vacuum metallization (NCVM) IPS. NCVM might refer to the treatment of the rear display layer responsible for reflecting ambient light, as mentioned earlier.
The TCL NXTPAPER 10s is expected to launch in Europe in the first quarter. The initial price is set at 249 US dollars. Hopefully, questions regarding the lighting and display technology will be clarified by then.
