TCL launches Nxtpaper 12 Pro and Book X12 Go 2-in-1

TCL may be an unfamiliar brand to you, or you may associate it primarily with televisions. But the company makes many other products, including soundbars, refrigerators, washing machines and robot vacuums.

New Windows and Android 2-in-1s announced at CES 2023

TCL may be an unfamiliar brand to you, or you may associate it primarily with televisions. But the company makes many other products, including soundbars, refrigerators, washing machines and robot vacuums.

A recent addition to the lineup was the Nxtpaper 10s, an Android tablet with a matte screen that’s designed to feel like paper and deliver a reading experience that looks like an Amazon Kindle, but in color.

Now, at CES 2023, the firm has launched a larger model, the Nxtpaper 12 Pro. It says it’s improved the display technology, reducing blue light output by 61 per cent but, more importantly, fixing some of the criticisms of the 10s’ low light and muted colors.

The 12 Pro’s screen is 100% brighter than before and also offers better contrast.

The 12 Pro, like its predecessor, is an Android tablet, but with a larger 12.2-inch 2K display, quad speakers, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

It weighs 599g, measures 6.9mm thick and has dual microphones and – unusually – dual 8Mp webcams for better audio and video quality during calls.

Dock it on the keyboard and it transforms into a kind of laptop, with TCL’s own user interface that supports split-screen, floating windows and what it calls a PC mode, as well as the ability to wirelessly “project” onto a larger screen, such as a TV.

The tablet supports an E-Pen so you can take notes on the screen or draw. The pen detects up to 8192 levels of pressure.

There’s an 8,000mAh battery that TCL offers up to 13 hours of use between charges, and can also top up your phone, headphones, and other devices.

The Nxtpaper 12 Pro is available for purchase immediately in the US starting at $499. Later in 2023, a 5G version will arrive, costing just $50 more.

If Android isn’t quite what you’re looking for, then TCL has put the exact same screen in a Windows 11 tablet, called the Book X12 Go.

It’s also a 2-in-1, with a detachable keyboard that also includes a touchpad mouse. The tablet alone weighs the same as the 12 Pro: 599g.

It is an ARM device and uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c processor for up to 14 hours of battery life. This chip was launched in 2019 and is not known for its excellent performance.

The E-Pen is an optional accessory for the X12 Go.

TCL hasn’t said how much the Book X12GB will cost, only that it will go on sale “later this year.” We imagine it will be about the same as the Nxtpaper 12 Pro.

TCL also showed off an Android phone with an Nxtpaper screen, but hasn’t decided if it’ll turn it from a concept into something you can actually buy.

Finally, he announced that the smart glasses – the Nxtwear S he unveiled at IFA – will go on sale in the US in Q1 2023 and will cost $399.

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