NXTPAPER 4.0 arrives in the U.S. for the very first time with the TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus tablet priced at $249, and it’s magnificent.
In my pursuit of a display that is visually appealing and gentle on the eyes, I have narrowed it down to a select few options. E Ink is frequently praised as the most eye-friendly display type available, and while it certainly presents a more natural feel compared to traditional displays, companies like TCL are striving to merge E Ink’s legibility with the smoothness of conventional displays.
With the introduction of the NXTPAPER 11 Plus tablet at the end of June, TCL is initiating a new chapter in display technology with NXTPAPER 4.0, the newest iteration of TCL’s captivating ePaper technology. NXTPAPER 4.0 offers increased brightness, improved color accuracy, and a host of fresh eye-friendly features that establish a new benchmark for LCD technology.
Like its predecessors, the NXTPAPER 11 Plus incorporates a protective layer over the display that is not only matte — akin to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra display — but also possesses a paper-like texture underneath for a more organic look. It offers three distinct color modes that can be utilized to closely replicate a paper-like experience: regular mode, color paper mode, and ink paper mode, all accessible with a tap of the new NXTPAPER key located at the top of the tablet.
Even more impressively, the tablet is incredibly affordable, retailing at just $249 at Walmart. The U.S. version does not include a stylus, but it is available as a $39 optional add-on should you desire one. If only we could see more of the TCL 60 series in the U.S. featuring NXTPAPER 4.0 displays, it would be truly excellent.
The hues, Duke
While I genuinely value the paper-like look of the imagery displayed on the 11-inch tablet’s screen, it’s the improved color accuracy that significantly benefits sensitive eyes. This isn’t due to the fact that more precise colors inherently make a display more comfortable. Instead, a display capable of naturally exhibiting a broader spectrum of colors is preferable because it doesn’t rely on artificial methods to achieve it.
A notable number of modern displays utilize a technique called color dithering to enhance perceived display quality. This clever engineering trick alters a pixel quickly between two colors, tricking the eyes into seeing a non-existent color. However, analogous to PWM dimming, any rapid flickering of this sort can cause users severe headaches (or worse).
TCL NXTPAPER 3.0 and previous versions employed color dithering due to the technology’s inability to natively render 8-bit or 10-bit color, but NXTPAPER 4.0 addresses this issue. In regular color mode, you can deactivate all NXTVISION features in display settings, fully eliminating all color dithering in my assessments.
I gauge this by connecting a OnePlus 13 to an affordable smartphone microscope that I acquired on Amazon for $20. I selected this phone specifically for its capability of 480FPS slow motion, whereas most flagship devices (iPhone, Galaxy, and Pixel) max out at 240FPS.
I then display various images and bring the microscope up to the screen momentarily to capture any potential pixel activity. My evaluations include a rainbow gradient, a grayscale gradient, three different gray images set at 25%, 50%, and 75%, alongside an examination of the edges of text and icons on the home screen.
The most prevalent location for dithering is along the edges of icons and text, as well as with grays at 50% and darker. In regular mode, the TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus exhibited no traces of dithering, something that flicker-sensitive users have long desired in an age where display and phone manufacturers often overlook scientific findings in favor of more vibrant screens, neglecting the long-term well-being of their consumers.
Regrettably, NXTPAPER’s two additional display modes, color paper and ink paper, both employ dithering to create their unique visual effects. Users who aren’t sensitive to dithering — which thankfully seems to be a majority — will appreciate these alternative modes for varied types of content.
Matte for the win
Incorporating a distinctive matte layer atop a display is one of the aspects that makes the finest E Ink tablets immensely enjoyable to read on, and it contributes to the appealing nature of NXTPAPER as well.
Matte layers reduce reflections and enhance visibility in varying lighting conditions, in addition to aiding in diffusing light in a manner that’s generally regarded as easier on the eyes. In fact, these layers are often so effective at diffusion that individual pixels beneath the matte layer are nearly invisible, even under a microscope.
