I was ready to buy a Kindle until I saw TCL’s new 8-inch NXTPAPER tablet

Over the last several years, I’ve done almost all of my reading on my phone. It’s convenient, sure, but it’s far from an ideal experience. That’s why I’ve recently found myself seriously considering a dedicated e-reader, with the Kindle Paperwhite sitting at the top of my list as the standard, go-to option. But just as I was getting ready to pull the trigger, a new device from TCL has popped up that has piqued my interest!

The new TCL TAB 8 NXTPAPER 5G isn’t trying to be just an e-reader. Instead, it’s a compact, full-fledged Android tablet built around a unique, eye-friendly display. And while my primary use for it would be reading, it’s that added flexibility and versatility that has me completely rethinking my purchase.

A display that does things differently

The star of the show here is the 8.7-inch NXTPAPER 4.0 display. Unlike a standard glossy tablet screen, the glass is etched with a fine pattern, giving it a matte finish that dramatically reduces glare and reflections.

And with the press of a dedicated key, you can cycle the display through different modes: full color, a warmer reading mode with muted tones, and a fully monochromatic black-and-white mode that mimics the look of an e-ink screen.

The perfect Kindle competitor?

With its unique display and compact size, TCL is clearly positioning the Tab 8 as a more flexible alternative to color e-readers like the Kindle Colorsoft. And on paper, the advantages are clear. At $199.99, it’s significantly cheaper than the $280 Kindle. Its upgraded LCD panel offers far better color reproduction than the Kindle’s muted E Ink screen.

And most importantly, because it runs Android 15, you have access to the entire Google Play Store. You can read books from the Kindle app, Kobo, or your local library, then switch over to watch a YouTube video or browse the web—something no dedicated e-reader can do.

But to hit that compelling price point, there are some expected trade-offs. The tablet is powered by an unspecified octa-core processor with just 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is on the low end for a modern Android device. This isn’t a tablet for high-end gaming or heavy multitasking.

The other major trade-off is battery life. While TCL touts a respectable 16 hours of mixed usage from the 6,000mAh battery, that’s a far cry from the multi-week battery life of a dedicated e-reader. But that’s the core of the compromise: the Tab 8 does far more than an e-reader, so it naturally requires more power.

For $199.99 exclusively at Verizon (coming soon to Total Wireless), the TCL TAB 8 NXTPAPER 5G is not trying to be the most powerful tablet on the market. Instead, it’s carving out a fascinating new niche for users like me who want a single, portable, and connected device for reading, light media consumption, and browsing, all with a strong focus on eye comfort.