Amazon’s Kindle remains the most popular device for eBook lovers thanks to the affordable price point, weeks-long battery life and small form factor, plus easy access to millions of books via the Kindle Store. But the limitation of the little E Ink tablet is that it’s a one-use device, only able to display books you’ve bought.
If you are mulling buying an e-reader but would prefer to spend on a gadget that can do a little more, the TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus could be the one for you.
Originally unveiled earlier this year, TCL has finally put a price on its clever new tablet that has the firm’s Nxtpaper display. Selling for just €249 in Europe, the tablet boasts a paper-like display with matte finish and tech under the hood that aims to eliminate eye strain when reading.
This is unlike most tablets such as iPads, which have glossy displays that tend to emit harsh blue light when reading or watching videos.
The Nxtpaper 11 Plus runs Android 15, the latest version of the operating system, which means you can download and install the Kindle app, or any other app for that matter, from the Google Play Store.
The 11.5-inch 2.2K display, which is set up for stylus input if you want it, is plenty big enough to settle down for a reading session, with TCL’s Smart Eye Comfort Mode and Personalised Eye Comfort Mode built in so you can tweak the large display to your liking. This matte finish screen also claims to be anti-reflective and comfortable to read in low light conditions. It also has a fast 120Hz refresh rate, a notable addition for the price. The £599 iPad Air has a 60Hz screen.
With the optional stylus, you can make notes or draw on the matte display that TCL says feels far more similar to writing on paper than rival products with slick screens.
All this is packed into a very thin 6.5mm design that weighs just 490g, so despite the large screen the tablet should not feel too heavy in a bag. The 11 Plus is powered by the MediaTek Helio G100 chipset, and there are options for 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
If that weren’t enough, TCL has also managed to cram a camera with flash on the back, as well as an 8,000mAh battery in the tablet. That won’t stretch the battery life to anywhere near a Kindle’s as this is a large LCD screen running Android, but that should be enough to get you through a day or two of use – a trade off you might be willing to make to get any app you want on a device that’s great for reading on, rather than opting for a Kindle that’s great at one thing, but only one thing.
Previous Nxtpaper tablets have been sold in the UK, and we are hoping TCL decides to bring the 11 Plus to these shores soon, as the device looks like it could quietly be a great all-round option for Android shoppers on a budget. TCL said it’s coming to markets in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
