Wandering the endless halls of the Fira at MWC 2025, I see all sorts of tech, from humanoid robots to 5G modems and everything in between – but it’s TCL that has caught my eye this year.
TCL, best known for TVs, has dabbled in the world of smartphones for quite some time, focusing heavily on its proprietary Nxtpaper display tech.
The technology has been included in the brand’s best tablets and best phones in various iterations over the past few years, but it’s the Nxtpaper 4.0-enabled TCL Nxtpaper 11 Plus that could really challenge mainstream tablet players like Apple, Samsung and Honor.
It’s all down to the tablet’s screen; the 11.5-inch 2.2K panel utilises TCL’s fourth-gen Nxtpaper technology, which, if you’re unfamiliar, allows the tablet to switch between a regular colour screen, a colour e-ink screen and a black-and-white e-ink screen.
Improvements to the latest iteration of the tech include a new laser-based process to craft the matte finish on the screen’s surface and improved overall clarity – especially on the edges of text, a big issue with Nxtpaper 3.0 tech.
It’s not just improved hardware, though; like practically every tech manufacturer, TCL has used AI to boost the system.
AI everywhere
A new AI-powered eye care mode will intelligently switch between screen modes depending on what’s on screen. That means that, in theory, ebooks will display in black and white, gallery images should appear in e-ink colour while YouTube should appear in the regular display mode.
The tablet does feature a hardware button to cycle between the three modes, complete with fun on-screen transitions, but it’s one less thing for users to worry about.
I’m also a big fan of the level of screen customisation on offer. Rather than offering preset modes, you can go through a personalised setup that shows you multiple sets of images. You simply select the images that look ‘right’ to your eyes and you’ll be left with a colour profile that should be unique to your needs.
Beyond the new additions, though, TCL’s Nxtpaper tech has great potential, offering the best of both regular screens and e-ink alternatives. When combined with the matte-finish display and the optional stylus accessory, it turns into a device akin to the Remarkable Pro and Kindle Scribe, albeit with the power and app availability of a regular Android tablet.
Elsewhere, the tablet includes a MediaTek Helio G100 with either 8 or 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, an 8000mAh battery and 33W fast charging, all for just €249. While I would’ve preferred a slightly higher spec, maybe that’ll come further down the line.
