A new 12.2 inch tablet featuring a specialized matte display has arrived on the market. The TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER combines a paper textured IPS screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a large battery. The newly released device is now available in the US starting at US$399.
The standout feature here is the proprietary display coating that mimics the texture of real paper. The 2400x1600 resolution panel reduces glare and helps prevent eye strain. You can toggle between 3 specific viewing modes depending on your task. Standard mode acts like a normal tablet, while Ink Paper and Color Paper simulate print layouts. TCL has also built an interface called VersaView. It lets you run select applications in full color standard mode while the rest of your screen stays in paper mode.
Performance is decent for a budget tablet. Under the hood, you get a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor. The silicon runs alongside 6 GB of RAM, which can scale up to 16 GB using virtual memory allocation. You get 256 GB of onboard storage. Powering everything is a massive 10000 mAh battery designed to get you through days of reading and writing. The device runs on Android 16 right out of the box.
The build also includes an 8 megapixel rear camera and an identical 8 megapixel front camera for video calls. Audio is handled by 4 built in speakers that provide full sound. The official price tag for the TCL Tab A1 Plus NXTPAPER in the US sits at $399. For that price, it serves as a solid option for students and bookworms who want to read without hurting their eyes.
