If you want a slick screen and solid writing experience, this is a great device. It’s also a cool little unit to use as a second PC – especially while travelling, as the included keyboard has a great feel to it.
Friendly on the eyes thanks to 73 per cent blue light reduction.
It fills the gap between PC and tablet, so goes well for both work and entertainment purposes.
The design is sleek and minimalistic, and compact to cart around unobtrusively.
Works well along with the stylus.
Easy Bluetooth connectivity, and user-friendly in the process.
Downloading apps and streaming movies is hassle-free.
It’s tricky to get the tablet itself in and out of the included case, which is no doubt more of a me problem.
Because it’s so handy as a small PC I can imagine getting caught up in work if I took it on holiday as an entertainment tool – if I ever got a holiday…
The camera could be sharper.
When it goes into sleep mode you need to close it then re-enter your code, which becomes a bit annoying.
To be honest, I’d started to look at tablets as somewhat of a novelty – an oversized phone to keep kids entertained or something handy to watch sports on out of the house through platforms like Kayo. But TCL’s colour NXTPaper 10s has swung me back in their direction.
For a start, TCL have put their display knowledge to the fore, with a screen designed to look as much like paper as possible. It’s very friendly on the eyes, which, only recently admitting to myself that I need glasses, is a major plus.
On this front, the 10″ full high definition screen has 73 per cent blue light reduction to reduce the impact on eye health, which also means it’s not the worst option for using in bed before you crash out.
It also rocks an anti-glare finish so you don’t have to deal with reflections, but it still delivers naturally bright colours. Plus, it runs Android 11 out of the box.
Handily for something that you’re going to be very hands-on with when using as a regular tablet rather than in PC mode, it seems to mostly ward off grubby fingerprints, which is the opposite of using a kids’ iPad after they’ve been playing games on it for extended periods.
The display itself feels different to most tablets I’ve tinkered with – slightly more porous, a little more paper-like, which is becoming more common and is handy when typing or scrolling.
Another big plus is clear viewing from any angle – there’s the same clarity and brightness sideways as there is front on.
From a practical perspective, this was a bonus when I’d pulled up a recipe and was following it while darting around the kitchen.
At 8.3mm, it’s also thinner than most tablets out there, though I had a bunch of trouble trying to slip it in and out of the included case. The tight fit is obviously a good thing when it comes to unit protection, but if you want to just kick back with it and stay away from the case and the keyboard, then it can be a hassle.
As for the keyboard, it’s got a great feel – better than a lot of laptops I’ve slogged over.
The unit is also lightweight at just 490g, so it’s a very viable alternative to your laptop – especially when travelling.
With the stylus in tow and the keyboard, this is a handy device for reading, writing and taking down notes when inspiration strikes – and using the stylus feels a lot like actually writing on paper, though I’ve got paper and pens on my desk…
Still, I’m a sucker for losing notes to myself in the real world, so with them all onboard here I’ve got no excuse for forgetting meetings, etc.
Rolling out for $499 with the detachable keyboard, I found the TCL NXTPaper 10s a very viable alternative to the more expensive iPad, especially if you’re looking for a handy extra PC for work purposes that’s also nifty in the play department.
There’s a MediaTek MT8768 processor onboard, as well as 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
Also, with a range of speakers on hand the natural stereo audio comes through very nicely, though a more solid bass range would be good.
With up to 10 hours usage on a single charge, depending what you’re using it for and the screen brightness, the 8000 mAh battery life ranks well here, though if you’re using it solidly for YouTube and gaming you’ll be looking more at eight hours, so keep that in mind if the kids are going to be hogging it on long car trips.
As for cameras, you’ve got a an 8MP rear shooter with autofocus, as well as a 5MP fixed-focus selfie cam. Neither are anything to write home about. Then again, neither are my selfies…
If you want a slick screen and solid writing experience, this is a great device. It’s also a cool little unit to use as a second PC – especially while travelling, as the included keyboard has a great feel to it.
Friendly on the eyes thanks to 73 per cent blue light reduction.
It fills the gap between PC and tablet, so goes well for both work and entertainment purposes.
The design is sleek and minimalistic, and compact to cart around unobtrusively.
Works well along with the stylus.
Easy Bluetooth connectivity, and user-friendly in the process.
Downloading apps and streaming movies is hassle-free.
It’s tricky to get the tablet itself in and out of the included case, which is no doubt more of a me problem.
Because it’s so handy as a small PC I can imagine getting caught up in work if I took it on holiday as an entertainment tool – if I ever got a holiday…
The camera could be sharper.
When it goes into sleep mode you need to close it then re-enter your code, which becomes a bit annoying.