TCL has launched its latest NXTPAPER smartphones and tablets in Australia, bringing its paper-like display technology to a wider range of devices. The new line-up includes the TCL P80 Ultra and P80 Pro smartphones, alongside three NXTPAPER tablets designed for reading, productivity, and everyday entertainment.
If you spend hours reading emails, browsing websites, scrolling through social media, or catching up on your favourite books on your smartphone, you’ll know that staring at a bright screen for extended periods isn’t always comfortable. TCL is hoping to address this with its latest NXTPAPER technology, which aims to offer a more natural, paper-like viewing experience without sacrificing the features of a regular smartphone or tablet.
The technology isn’t entirely new. TCL has been developing its NXTPAPER displays for several years, and we’ve previously covered its earlier NXTPAPER technology, which focused on reducing blue light and improving viewing comfort.
The TCL P80 Series is the company’s first smartphone range to combine NXTPAPER technology with a 1.5K AMOLED display. Traditionally, AMOLED displays are known for their deep blacks, rich colours, and excellent contrast, while paper-like displays tend to prioritise readability and reduced reflections. With the P80 Series, TCL is attempting to offer both experiences in a single device.
Both smartphones feature a large 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3,200 nits of peak brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. On paper, these specifications should make them suitable for everything from watching videos and gaming to browsing websites outdoors.
Regular Mode delivers the standard colour display experience, while Paper Ink Mode reduces colour for a more paper-like appearance. Max Ink Mode takes things further by switching to a monochrome display, limiting distractions from notifications, and optimising battery life for extended reading sessions.
The TCL P80 Pro, priced at A$799, comes with a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of internal storage.
For those who want more flexibility with photography, the TCL P80 Ultra increases the storage to 512GB and adds a dedicated 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. This should be particularly useful for portraits, capturing distant subjects, and travel photography. It retails for A$999.
Both phones come with a 5,800mAh battery supporting 45W fast charging, along with Google Gemini and Circle to Search integration. TCL also advertises expandable RAM of up to 24GB, although this includes virtual RAM expansion rather than 24GB of physical memory. The P80 Ultra and P80 Pro are available in Midnight Blue.
We’ve previously reviewed TCL smartphones, including the TCL 10 Pro and TCL 20L+, and their displays were among the things that are impressive.
TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER
Priced at A$1,299, TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER is TCL’s first eNote device, designed to combine a paper-like display with digital handwriting and AI-powered productivity features. It features an 11.5-inch display with a 2.2K resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio, providing more vertical space for reading documents, writing notes, and working with digital content.
The tablet also comes with TCL’s T-Pen Pro, which uses subtle haptic feedback to simulate some of the physical sensation of writing on paper. There’s also an eraser function and a programmable side button that can help with tasks such as bookmarking recordings, saving on-screen content, and organising files.
The Note A1 NXTPAPER features 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, and an 8,000mAh battery. Despite its relatively large display, the tablet measures just 5.5mm thick and weighs approximately 500 grams, with a metal unibody construction.
It’s available in Aerolite Grey. At A$1,299, however, the Note A1 NXTPAPER is certainly not a budget tablet. It will be interesting to see how its writing experience and productivity features compare with other digital note-taking devices, especially at this price point.
More affordable NXTPAPER tablets from $449
For those who don’t need all the productivity features of the Note A1, TCL has also introduced the TCL TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER and TCL TAB A1 NXTPAPER. Both tablets use TCL’s 3A Crystal Shield Glass technology, which combines anti-glare, anti-reflection, and anti-fingerprint coatings to reduce reflections and smudges. TCL has also incorporated anti-glare etching technology designed to minimise the sparkling effect that can sometimes appear on textured displays.
The TCL TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER, priced at A$599, features a 12.2-inch display with a 2.4K resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also comes with a large 10,000mAh battery, 6GB RAM, and 256GB storage, expandable by up to 2TB.
Meanwhile, the more affordable TCL TAB A1 NXTPAPER retails for A$449 and offers an 11-inch display with a 2.1K resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, and 90Hz refresh rate. It has an 8,000mAh battery, 6GB RAM, and 128GB storage, also expandable by up to 2TB.
Both models support RAM expansion up to 16GB using virtual memory. Both tablets come with a complimentary flip case and T-Pen 2, adding some extra value to the package, particularly for students and people who want to use their tablets for handwritten notes.
The TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER weighs approximately 556 grams and measures 6.7mm thick, while the smaller TAB A1 NXTPAPER weighs 426 grams and measures 6.2mm thick. Both are available in Aerolite Grey.
TCL expands its Australian smartphone and tablet range
Alongside the new NXTPAPER devices, TCL has also introduced several more affordable options for Australian consumers. The TCL K70 5G smartphone is priced at A$329, while the TCL K70 4G comes in slightly cheaper at A$299.
For tablets, there’s also the standard TCL TAB A1 Plus, priced at A$499, which comes without the NXTPAPER display technology. Families can also consider the TCL TAB A1 Kids Edition, which retails for A$399.
The new devices are available through major Australian retailers, including JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, and Harvey Norman.
