Verizon’s latest TCL tablet is easy on the eyes, ultra-affordable, and 5G-capable

What’s the key selling point of the Tab 8 NXTPAPER 5G?

To answer that question, we first need to take a quick look at the full spec sheet of this budget-friendly bad boy:

As you may have already guessed, the most important feature in that list is the one that earned the lengthiest and most detailed line. That’s right, the relatively small and relatively low-resolution touchscreen equipped with TCL’s proprietary NXTPAPER technology. More specifically, NXTPAPER’s fourth generation now, which is already present on the TCL 60 XE handset and the larger and costlier NXTPAPER 11 Plus tablet.

The tech’s main objective is to enhance visual clarity and comfort, which can be achieved by simply flipping a switch. Yes, I’m talking about a physical button mounted on one side of the Tab 8 NXTPaper 5G that will allow you to go from the slate’s “Standard” usage mode to Color Paper and Ink Paper modes depending on your preference.

You can obviously switch back and forth between the three modes as you please to adjust the display to your environment, the time of day, and perhaps most importantly, your usage habits, which means that the tablet can essentially work as a Kindle (if you want it) during your extended nighttime reading sessions.

What are some of your best alternatives?

To be completely honest, there are no products on the market today (especially in the US) that can be fairly and directly compared to the TCL Tab 8 NXTPAPER 5G.

That big guy is also available through Verizon at only a slightly higher price of $239.99, but being released in 2024, it uses an older and less efficient version of the NXTPAPER technology.

So should you pull the trigger after all?

If you like your tablet compact, do a lot of reading on the go, but also watch the occasional Netflix show on your way to school or the office, and maybe even want something that can help you with your work from time to time, I believe you should.

With a mediocre MediaTek processor and only 4 gigs of memory under the hood, this is clearly not a screamer, but it can get 5G speeds and will most likely provide a satisfying level of overall performance… if you don’t set your expectations too high. After all, you have to remember that you’re paying a measly two Benjamins here.

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