TCL TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER Is Coming For Apple iPad's Lunch Money
TCL is bringing its signature glare-reducing display tech to a larger and more productivity-focused footprint. The new TCL TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER hits store shelves in the U.S. today, and it brings with it two notable upgrades over the base TAB A1 Plus. They include a matte display that is purportedly easy on the eyes, and a larger battery.
The new Android slate sports a big 12.2-inch display with a 2400x1600 resolution (3:2 aspect ratio), 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 500 nits of brightness. Those specifications are enticing on their own, though the main draw is TCL's proprietary NXTPAPER display technology that is designed to create a paper-like viewing experience.
Not to be confused with e-ink displays as found on e-readers like Amazon's Kindle family, NXTPAPER is still an LCD screen, but with anti-glare filters. It also features hardware-level DC dimming and "TÜV-certified paper-like display technologies for enhanced eye comfort."
There are three display modes, including normal mode for full-color output, color paper mode with muted and low contrast colors for reading content like magazines, and max ink mode for a viewing experience somewhat akin to e-ink displays.
Beyond the display, the TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 (SM4450P) processor. Released in 2023, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is not a flagship SoC, but is still an all-around capable chip powered by a Kryo CPU with a 2+6 CPU core configuration, including two Cortex-A78 performance cores clocked at up to 2.2GHz and six Cortex-A55 efficiency cores running at up to 2GHz. It also features an Adreno 613 GPU.
Other notable specs include 6GB of RAM, 256GB of onboard storage (expandable to 2TB), 8-megapixel cameras on the front and back (one each), Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity, a USB-C port, four speakers, and a beefy 10,000mAh battery with 33W wired charging support.
"The TCL TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER reflects our commitment to delivering meaningful innovation through industry-leading display technology," said Mitch Peterson, GM of TCL Mobile, NA. "By combining our paper-like NXTPAPER technology with AI-powered productivity tools and a large, portable screen, we've developed a tablet that adapts to the way students, young professionals and everyday users work, learn, create and unwind."
Priced at $399.99 (MSRP), the TCL TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER is available at an introductory $299.99 rate at Amazon (check the $100 coupon box) or direct from TCL. Adding to the value proposition, the tablet comes with a T-Pen 2 stylus and a flip case.
