One of the best budget tablets I've tested replaced both my Kindle and iPad (2024)

ZDNET's key takeaways

• The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G is a full-color, color paper, and ink paper tablet available at Verizon for $240.
• It's a great entertainment tablet for daily use that also functions very well as an e-reader. The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G lets you switch from regular mode to color paper to ink paper in seconds. It also has great battery life as an e-reader, lasting over a week with nightly reading.
• Though the screen is versatile, don't expect the graphics to compare to those on an iPad or other high-end tablets. It also doesn't have a headphone jack, doesn't include a stylus, and doesn't support double-tap to wake.

Reading is my favorite hobby and something I've come to rely on as a way to wind down before bed. I've had a few Kindles over the past 13 years, and the Amazon e-reader has become my go-to. I recently tried out TCL's Nxtpaper technology as an alternative, but now that I have, I'll never look back.

Also: The best digital notebooks you can buy in 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

I've been testing the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G for over a month, but it felt like an upgrade almost immediately. I gave my daughter my old Kindle within hours of setting it up, while my husband got my old iPad.

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G's display smoothly transitions from regular mode to color paper or ink paper, whether reading, scrolling on social media, watching videos, or playing a game. TCL's Nxtpaper technology isn't the same as E-Ink, which uses electrophoretic technology to create a monochromatic image.

Also:One of the best E Ink tablets I've tested is not a ReMarkable or Kindle Paperwhite

Instead, Nxtpaper is a paper-like display that helps reduce eye strain and improves readability over traditional screens. This display reduces blue light, doesn't have a conventional backlight, and eliminates flickering, making it easy on the eyes while displaying the different types of content you'd expect from a tablet or smartphone.

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The lack of a backlight and the display's frosted finish reduce glare and reflections, contributing to better energy efficiency and longer battery life. Using several anti-reflective and anti-glare layers, TCL's Nxtpaper enhances readability in different conditions, so you can enjoy that bestseller on a bright day at the beach or by the pool. A front light panel evenly illuminates the screen and helps maintain a comfortable viewing experience.

E-Ink, in turn, doesn't traditionally transition from monochromatic to full color and has a slower refresh rate. Though there are color E-Ink displays, they're not as vibrant or suitable for multimedia content.

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

I'm not a tablet power user. I don't need a tablet with strong processing power to replace my MacBook Pro or iMac for video editing or graphic design; I mainly use tablets for entertainment. This includes streaming video on YouTube or a subscription service, reading the news, making notes and lists, catching up on baseball, checking the weather, and playing some games. For all of those use cases, this tablet works well.

I sometimes work on my tablet, but as a writer, I only need a keyboard and a reliable note-taking or word-processing app, which is easy to do with this TCL tablet.

When I first tested this device, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had read about TCL Nxtpaper technology but hadn't had a chance to test it until now. When I first got my hands on the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G tablet, I was surprised with the display's versatility and ease at switching from regular mode to color paper to ink paper, the latter being the most similar to what you can expect from an e-reader.

The very first app I downloaded was Kindle. I was excited to see how it would feel as an e-reader, and I wasn't disappointed.

A Kindle e-reader is a single-purpose device, so making the upgrade to a tablet with a similar display but the benefits of a faster refresh rate and processor was easy. After using the same Kindle for six years, I was blown away by the simple fact that I could breeze through the Kindle app as I would on any other tablet, while the TCL Nxtpaper display looks as good as any e-reader.

After reading for about an hour, I made up my mind. I reset the old 10th-generation Kindle, set it up with Amazon Kids for my seven-year-old, and never looked back. Even better, because now my kid is now reading more than ever before. During the first three days of using the Kindle, she read for four and a half hours. She's been reading for a few years, but now dedicates at least 40 minutes of reading each night before bed on her own, whereas before, she'd read maybe 20 minutes a day during the school week.

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G is also perfectly capable of performing the tasks my regular iPad used to do for me at home and on the go. Part of being a parent means sitting on the sidelines for hours a week while the kids attend extracurricular activities that cost an arm and a leg.

This tablet has become my new iPad and Kindle while I'm killing time. Plus, if I have a deadline, I can continue my work in Docs; if I'm bored, I can stream on Netflix or scroll through TikTok; and if I'm looking to relax, I can read the latest novel I've downloaded from Kindle Unlimited.

The convenience of two devices in one made it easy to give my husband my old iPad on the same day I set up the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G. While the Android experience differs from an iPad, I've encountered a minimal number of bugs and inconveniences during my time using it. I can still work and play on the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G, use a split screen, and stream videos flawlessly.

ZDNET's buying advice

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G is perfect for everyday use. This $239 tablet isn't looking to win any benchmark competitions with high-end devices, but it's an outstanding tablet for the price, especially for someone who likes using an e-reader.

Also:The best digital notebooks you can buy in 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G tablet is available at Verizon for $239 prepaid or $6.66 monthly for 36 months. TCL sells a T-Pen Stylus for $40, and I'll be picking one up as well. Verizon plans start at $30 monthly, which certainly isn't cheap, making the data plan option best suited for those who often use the tablet on the go, outside the comforts of Wi-Fi.

I'm keeping the TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper, data plan or not, because I use it mainly around the house. If I use a tablet or laptop somewhere without Wi-Fi, I'm okay using my iPhone as a hotspot.