TCL Intros Nxtpaper 2-in-1 Laptop at CES

TCL is expanding its lineup of affordable devices at CES 2023 with new phones, tablets, and even laptops. As is always the case with TCL, these are budget-friendly products that offer reasonable specs for the price. Let’s break them all down.

TCL 40 Series Smartphones

The company led off its CES 2023 announcements with the TCL 40 R 5G, the TCL 40 SE, and the TCL 408 handsets, all of which run Android.

TCL 40 R 5G
(Credit: TCL)

The TCL 40 R 5G is the lead device, though it’s still relatively affordable, featuring a 7nm high-performance 5G processor in a $219 package. Currently available in Europe, TCL also plans to launch the phone in other markets shortly.

TCL 40 SE
(Credit: TCL)

It also announced the TCL 40 SE, designed for people who use their smartphones as entertainment devices. It features a large 6.75-inch screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and stereo speakers to make watching videos and playing games more enjoyable. The resolution is a little low at 1,600 by 720 pixels, but that’s expected for a phone with a $169 starting price.

There are two different configurations, including one model with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and another with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Both have a 5,010mAh battery, which should be enough to keep them going for a whole day.

The TCL 40 SE comes with a 50MP primary camera that’s supported by a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth camera. The phone is slated to launch in the first quarter in Europe and other regions at a later date.

TCL 408
(Credit: TCL)

The $129 TCL 408 rounds out the phone announcements. This budget-friendly device is launching in Asia and Europe in Q1 2023 and later in other regions. It features a 2-in-1 hyper camera that combines the 50MP main camera with an enhanced macro camera to capture quality photos.

A New Nxtpaper Tablet and Laptop

Next up is the Nxtpaper 12 Pro, an Android tablet with a 12.2-inch 2K screen featuring an upgraded Nxtpaper display technology. The company says, “Unlike other regular screens, brightness doesn’t impact eye health, with Nxtpaper’s paper-like display filtering blue light by up to 61%.” While it sounds like an E Ink display based on the name, the Nxtpaper 12 Pro features a full-color screen, just like a traditional tablet.

Nxtpaper 12 Pro
(Credit: TCL)

Beyond the paper-like look and feel of the screen, it has 2,160 by 1,440 pixels for a sharp look and a typical brightness of 370 nits. The screen has a 60Hz refresh rate, which is a bit surprising considering its $500+ price. It supports more than 8,000 levels of pressure and ships with a stylus.

The Nxtpaper 12 Pro has an MT8771 processor and 8GB of RAM. There’s also 256GB of storage, so there should be more than enough space for files. An 8,000mAh battery should provide all-day power.

The TCL Book X12 Go (pictured at the top of the page) also features TCL’s 12.2-inch 2K Nxtpaper screen technology. It’s a two-in-one detachable laptop running Windows 11 Home and powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor. If you’re going to use it for writing, TCL says that the Nxtpaper screen “creates a tactile feel that produces an effortless writing experience.” A stylus is an optional accessory. TCL didn’t say how large the battery is, but indicates the machine provides up to 14 hours of battery life.

Finally, TCL rounded out its tablet offerings with a more traditional model. The TCL Tab 8 LE is a compact device with a standard 8-inch HD display and modest specs. It has 64GB of storage, a quad-core processor, and basic 5MP cameras on the front and rear. It will be available in late January for a very reasonable $159.

TCL says more details concerning the phones and tablets, including regional availability, will be made available in February at the Mobile World Congress trade show.