TCL is on a roll. The company has always been prolific when it comes to the mobile category. We haven’t seen one since the Verizon TCL 10 5G UW but earlier at the CES 2021, TCL launched the TCL 20 series. There’s also the TAB 10S tablet. They’re not the only new products from the brand. TCL has also introduced a rollable OLED phone and tablet. Two new rollable OLED panels have been showcased. You can use the display for a phone that will transform into a phablet. The bigger version can then be used for a tablet that can transform into an even bigger tablet.
TCL Rollable Display
The smaller one is a 6.7-inch AMOLED rollable display. The other one is a 17-inch printed OLED Scrolling Display. If you may remember, TCL introduced the NXTPAPER technology last year. There’s also several concept devices and prototypes. The company is really serious in these unconventional displays that include rolling flexible OLED panels apart from folding or collapsing ones.
You can say these are concepts for now but the TCL 6.7-inch AMOLED rollable screen is demoed as a small phone. From the original size, the display can stretch up 7.8-inches. When closed, it may remind you of a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, at least, in size.
The next version is even bigger. It’s a 17-inch printed OLED panel described to be “scrolling”. It’s like a paper scroll that can be rolled up and extended like you would a document or a map. From 17-inches, the display will be bigger although we’re not sure about the size.
A working prototype is said to be ready. TCL says it can manufacture those panels for commercial use and more affordable compared to other brands–about 20 percent lower. There are no actual rollable phones or tablets available yet but TCL is confident it can make the displays. Once the rollable displays are functioning, the company can then come up with devices designed withe durability plus a software that will really work with the technology.
TCL NXTPAPER Tablet
As for the TCL NXTPAPER, this technology is showcased on the new TCL tablet that can very well rival the iPad. But then, this new TCL product comes with transflective IPS panels that offer LCD and e-ink screen goodness. The result is a display that is easy on the eyes and a longer battery life.
The NXTPAPER technology brings the TCL NXTPAPER tablet. It comes with a large 8-inch Full HD screen that looks a bit like paper. It can still show full colors and allow smooth playback of videos. Compared to an LCD panel, this one is more power efficient by 65% and 25% higher in contrast compared to other e-ink screens. The screen doesn’t show any blue light, artificial backlighting, or flickering.
The TCL NXTPAPER Tablet comes with a 5MP selfie camera, 8MP main shooter, 2.0 GHz octa-core MT8768E processor, 64GB onboard storage, and 4GB of RAM. This one is powered by Android 10. Other features include Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11ac, LTE, microSD card slot, and USB Type-C.
The tablet is IP52 water and dust-resistant. It also comes with a 3.5mm headset, twin speakers, and twin microphones. Price is set at 349EUR ($424). The tablet will roll out in Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East/Africa, and Europe this April 2021.