One of the best budget Android tablets I've tested isn't made by Samsung or Google

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G is simply a full-color, colour paper, and ink insubstantial tablet disposable astatine Verizon for $239.
It's a large amusement tablet for regular usage that besides functions precise good arsenic an e-reader.
Although the surface is versatile, don't expect the graphics to comparison to those connected an iPad oregon different high-end tablets.

For a constricted time, Verizon is moving an connection for the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G that nets you $100 disconnected the tablet erstwhile you acquisition it with an eligible 5G Android phone.

Reading has ever been my favourite mode to unwind earlier bed, and for 13 years, Kindles were my go-to e-readers. But aft trying TCL's Nxtpaper exertion past year, I haven't looked back.

Also: Got an aged Kindle? How to resurrect it from the dormant with caller ebooks

While it's nary longer the latest exemplary from the company, the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G has been a mainstay successful my household for much than fractional a twelvemonth now, and it felt similar an upgrade astir immediately. Within hours of mounting it up, I gave my girl my aged Kindle, and my hubby got my aged iPad.

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G's show smoothly transitions from regular mode to colour insubstantial oregon ink paper, whether you're reading, scrolling connected societal media, watching videos, oregon playing a game. TCL's Nxtpaper technology isn't the aforesaid arsenic E Ink, which uses electrophoretic exertion to make a monochromatic image.

Also: The champion Android tablets of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

Instead, Nxtpaper is simply a paper-like show that helps trim oculus strain and improves readability implicit accepted screens. The show besides reduces bluish light, doesn't person a accepted backlight, and eliminates flickering, making it casual connected the eyes portion displaying the antithetic types of contented you'd expect from a flagship tablet oregon smartphone.

The deficiency of a backlight and the display's frosted decorativeness trim glare and reflections, contributing to amended vigor ratio and longer artillery life. Using respective anti-reflective and anti-glare layers, TCL's Nxtpaper enhances readability successful antithetic conditions, truthful you tin bask that bestseller connected a agleam time astatine the formation oregon by the pool. A beforehand airy sheet evenly illuminates the surface and helps support a comfy viewing experience.

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E Ink, successful turn, doesn't traditionally modulation from monochromatic to afloat colour and has a slower refresh rate. Though determination are colour E Ink displays, they're not arsenic vibrant oregon suitable for multimedia content.

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The TCL Tab 10 Nxpaper is an amusement tablet that lets you instrumentality your essentials anywhere. It's not meant to regenerate a brand-new $1,000 iPad, but it tin regenerate an e-reader and an older iPad model, which was my case.

I'm not a tablet powerfulness user. I don't request a tablet with beardown processing powerfulness to regenerate my MacBook Pro oregon iMac for video editing oregon graphic design; I chiefly usage tablets for entertainment. This includes streaming video connected YouTube oregon a subscription service, speechmaking the news, making notes and lists, catching up connected baseball, checking the weather, and playing immoderate games. For each of those usage cases, this tablet works well.

Also: The champion speechmaking tablets successful 2025: From Kindle To Apple

I sometimes enactment connected my tablet, but arsenic a writer, I lone request a keyboard and a reliable note-taking oregon word-processing app, which are casual to usage connected this TCL tablet.

When I archetypal tested this device, I wasn't definite what to expect. I had work astir TCL's Nxtpaper but hadn't had a accidental to trial it until this tablet. When I archetypal got my hands connected the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G tablet, I was amazed with the display's versatility and however easy you could power from regular mode to colour insubstantial to ink paper, the second being the astir akin to what you mightiness expect from an e-reader.

The precise archetypal app I downloaded was Kindle. I was excited to spot however this tablet would consciousness arsenic an e-reader, and I wasn't disappointed.

Also: I skipped the pricey iPad Pro for the $299 basal exemplary and person nary regrets. Here's why

A Kindle e-reader is simply a single-purpose device, truthful upgrading to a tablet with a akin show and the benefits of a faster refresh complaint and processor was a pleasure. After utilizing the aforesaid Kindle for six years, I was blown distant by the elemental information that I could breeze done the Kindle app arsenic I would connected immoderate different tablet, portion the TCL Nxtpaper show looks arsenic bully arsenic immoderate e-reader.

After speechmaking for astir an hour, I made up my mind. I reset the aged 10th-generation Kindle, acceptable it up with Amazon Kids for my seven-year-old, and ne'er looked back. Even better, due to the fact that present my kid is speechmaking much than ever. During the archetypal 3 days of utilizing the Kindle, she work for 4 and a fractional hours. She's been speechmaking for a fewer years but present dedicates astatine slightest 40 minutes of speechmaking each nighttime earlier furniture connected her own, whereas before, she'd work possibly 20 minutes a time during the schoolhouse week.

Also: I trial tablets for a surviving and this is the Samsung tablet I urge the most

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G is besides perfectly susceptible of performing the tasks my regular iPad did astatine location and connected the go. Part of being a genitor means sitting connected the sidelines for hours a week portion the kids be extracurricular activities that outgo an limb and a leg.

This tablet has go my caller iPad and Kindle portion I'm sidesplitting time. Plus, if I person a deadline, I tin proceed my enactment successful Docs; if I'm bored, I tin watercourse connected Netflix oregon scroll done TikTok; and if I'm looking to relax, I tin work the latest caller I've downloaded from Kindle Unlimited.

The convenience of 2 devices successful 1 made it casual to springiness my hubby my aged iPad connected the aforesaid time I acceptable up the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G. While the Android acquisition differs from an iPad, I've encountered minimal bugs and inconveniences. I tin inactive enactment and play connected the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G, usage a divided screen, and watercourse videos flawlessly.

ZDNET's buying advice

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G is cleanable for mundane use. This $239 tablet isn't looking to triumph immoderate benchmark competitions with high-end devices, but it's an outstanding tablet for the price, particularly if you similar utilizing an e-reader. But if you're looking to bargain a caller instrumentality from Verizon, the bearer volition discount up to $100 disconnected the TCL Tab 10, which makes it a fantastic tablet deal.

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G tablet is disposable astatine Verizon for $239 prepaid oregon $6.66 monthly for 36 months. TCL sells a T-Pen Stylus for $40 (I program to prime 1 up). Verizon plans commencement astatine $30 monthly, which isn't cheap. The information program enactment is champion suited for those who often usage the tablet connected the go, extracurricular the comforts of Wi-Fi.

I'm keeping the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper, information program oregon not, due to the fact that I usage it chiefly astir the house. If I usage a tablet oregon laptop determination without Wi-Fi, I'm good with utilizing my iPhone arsenic a hotspot.