The Lowdown
At $239.99, the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G is priced well for everything it can do. Again, I think it makes the most sense to compare this against other eBook readers. A Kobo Libra Colour costs $219 but has a locked-down ecosystem. The same goes for the Kindle Scribe, which costs far more at $419.99. The Tab 10 is a little of each of these and a little of its own thing.
Overall
Pros
- It supports multiple forms of reading
- The Kindle app does a really nice job of splitting into two columns, making the reading experience more comfortable
- It can read newspapers, PDFs, documents, Kindle, Kobo, and library books with ease
- Long battery life
- The screen is a multi-use marvel
Cons
- The TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G isn’t the fastest for non-reading tasks
- There are not many aftermarket accessories or cases available for it
I have been a fan of ebooks for a long time, like the original wedge-shaped Kindle. But more often than not, I find myself switching between eBook readers and my phone to read. I didn’t think a device existed to handle everything I wanted from a reading device until I met the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G.
See, I can be fickle at times with how I read. Sometimes, I want to stick with just books, and sometimes, I want to read the paper or a PDF report for work, but it’s more cumbersome on my Kindle.
I’ve also found it frustrating that the Kindle device itself can be slow to sync my location across devices, while multiple Android phones manage to stay in sync easily for me. The TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G solves all that and is nearly the perfect reading device.
Before I sing the praises of the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G, we need to establish what it is and what it isn’t. It looks like a tablet, runs Android like a tablet, and even has front and rear cameras like a tablet.
However, it’s just an average tablet. The NXTPAPER screen is phenomenal for reading but a bit too matte for gaming or watching movies. It also feels a touch underpowered for any heavy-duty processing.
Admittedly, I have a hard time using regular tablets; when my phone comes in at a 6.5″+ screen, and my computer has a touchscreen, where does a regular tablet fit in the mix?
Throw away the tablet idea and reframe it this way: the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G is a multiplatform ebook reader that also browses the web. With a data plan and a few apps, it’s basically the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy!
There are a few reasons why I think this is the best ebook reader on the market.
One, the NXTPAPER screen is delightful. TCL sets it up with three different screen settings called NXTPAPER zone. You can choose from color paper, ink paper, and regular mode.
Regular mode is closest to a normal tablet screen and brightness. Ink paper is similar in concept to eInk, and color paper is like color eInk. I set it for color paper almost immediately, and it’s stayed in that mode for most of the review.
Color paper is a matte screen experience that feels a lot like color eInk. It tones down the sharpness that you expect from an LCD, and as a result, you get a paper-like reading experience. Amazon Kindle books look great in this mode, and so do newspaper apps.
Reading the Washington Post in color paper mode is much more pleasant. It’s a gentler on-your-eyes experience, but you still get the comfortable newspaper app interface.
If you’ve ever tried reading magazines or newspapers via a Kindle, you know it’s possible but not usually the most comfortable. Either the fonts don’t line up, the articles get chopped up strangely, or worse, it’s a magazine layout, and you find yourself constantly zooming in and out.
Obviously, the apps are built for mobile use and are way more pleasant to navigate, so now you get that better user interface AND a better screen experience.
One of my favorite things about reading the paper on the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G is that it feels like I’m sitting down to read a newspaper. The screen and apps are optimized for reading, and best of all, I can easily and comfortably do the Washington Post crossword puzzle on it.
One of the things I missed about getting physical papers was reading the two or three articles I cared about and then immediately zooming over to the comics and puzzles section. This recreates that experience—I can flip through the various categories, catch up on the news, and then play a game as a treat.
It just feels more like that old-school, sit-down with a coffee and read-the-paper experience, and I love it.
The same goes for PDFs. I get a PDF from work that I read every morning, and it’s really pleasant to wake up and read it on the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G instead of diving face-first into the brightness of a smartphone screen. I’ve tried to get that PDF sent to my Kindle in the past, but the formatting would be just off enough to make the experience unpleasant.
I almost loaned my dad the Tab 10 this past week. His friend sent him a draft of a novel to read, but when he loaded it on his Kindle from the PDF, the font size was minuscule and couldn’t be adjusted.
We eventually converted the PDF to another format and reloaded it, but I came very close to just handing him the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G. He wouldn’t have depended on his Kindle and could still have read his PDF on the porch with natural sunlight and adjusted the font comfortably.
Most of my eBook library is with Amazon, but I do have some books through Kobo, and every once in a while, I will borrow a library ebook that isn’t Kindle-compatible. I usually end up reading everything on my phone, but with the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G, it’s just a matter of hopping from one app to another.
You can open a Kindle book in landscape mode and split it into two columns like you’re reading an open book.
I’m not a huge comic book guy, but I occasionally read graphic novels and comic books. Again, the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G shines. The 10.4″ screen means you’re not zooming all over the place to read panels comfortably, and the matte look again gives it a natural reading feel.
Essentially, if you can read it, you want to read it on the Tab 10.
I took the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G with me on a weekend trip, and it performed beautifully outside. Sitting in near-direct sunlight and reading my book comfortably was pleasant, which is nearly impossible with my Pixel 8 Pro for any length of time. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to photograph how well it works in sunlight!
The TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G’s battery life is phenomenal; I’ve easily let it go 5-7 days between charges, and that’s with an hour or so of light reading each day. TCL says it should have about 20 hours of mixed-use and 15 days of standby, and I’d say that fits with what I’ve seen. Luckily, it uses a USB-C charger and can be fully charged within 3 hours, so keeping it topped off is super easy.
I’ve really zeroed in on the reading aspect because I’ve treated this like a giant eBook reader, but the rest of the tablet isn’t shabby.
It has 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, so there is plenty of space for photos, books, and files. TCL offers an optional stylus for drawing if that’s more your speed, and while I wouldn’t do any heavy-duty gaming on it, it does handle light and easy games, browsing Reddit, email, websites, etc.
It’s also slim for a 10″ screen, coming in just about an inch taller and wider than a typical paperback book. I easily tossed it into backpacks and even memorably into the cargo pocket of one pair of pants (not recommended; it felt pretty awkward).
At $239.99, the TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G is priced well for everything it can do. Again, I think it makes the most sense to compare this against other eBook readers. A Kobo Libra Colour costs $219 but has a locked-down ecosystem. The same goes for the Kindle Scribe, which costs far more at $419.99. The Tab 10 is a little of each of these and a little of its own thing.
The TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G can also be tied to your Verizon account to add 5G service—I wasn’t joking when I called it the Hitchhiker’s Guide! The main downside to this that I can see is that aftermarket accessories are pretty thin and mostly consist of generic “adjustable” tablet folios. Hopefully, more will come as it remains on the market. Overall, it’s like a multi-tool, but for electronic reading!
If you’re a big reader, the Tab 10 should definitely be on your gear radar!
The TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G sells for $239.99; it is available from Verizon.
Source: Manufacturer provided review sample
What I Liked: It supports multiple forms of reading; The Kindle app does a really nice job of splitting into two columns, making the reading experience more comfortable; It can read newspapers, PDFs, documents, Kindle, Kobo, and library books with ease; Long battery life; The screen is a multi-use marvel
What Needs Improvement: The TCL Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G isn’t the fastest for non-reading tasks; There are not many aftermarket accessories or cases available for it